Postclassical Era Reading

Based on the reading of the postclassical era, it seems that this period of time will be about rebuilding the empires in the eastern hemisphere. The essay indicated how political and social turmoil led to these societies' downfalls and as a result, restoring order to these fields was a first priority. Also, it sounds as if the empires will become more commercialized and industrialized because of the increase in manufacturing and trading as well as the decrease in cultivation. This time period appears to be a successful era for all of the empires in the eastern hemisphere. For example, with new and advanced agricultural techniques, farming improved and in turn, led to a rise in human population. Also, it allowed more people to be focused on manufacturing, which resulted in an increase in inventions as well as creative, innovational thinking. According to the reading, the different changes that this era brought to these societies would continue to be influential even to this day. For example, the new religions that spread across the empires, such as Islam and Roman Catholic Christianity, are still present nowadays.

Han Emperor's Response to Rome

As a Han Emperor, I would see Rome as a possible friend to the Han Dynasty. The Roman Empire shares similarities with the Han, which makes the two very relatable. For example, there is a postal service with postal stations, which is similar to China. Also, the commoners in Rome are said to have qualities similar to those of the Chinese. In addition, there seems to be no sign of hostility from the Romans since they have always wished to communicate with China. Also, the abundance of wealth and fine goods would be pleasing news to the emperor. With a sign of a want to interact and the sighting of these possible materials, Rome would make a very beneficial trading partner. Even though this empire may appear as a plausible rival because of their power and intelligence at the time since the commoners could write, I would still most likely try to use them as a friend. An affable relationship between the two empires would be highly advantageous for both.

Challenges of Silk Road Map Activity

The challenges that the Silk Road map activity posed included the difficulty of identifying the locations of the cities or other geographical features. It was also difficult to accurately portray the routes of the Silk Road from the reading. At times, the reading did not indicate how the route reached a certain area. For example, one of routes went to the south of the Caspian Sea and then across the Karakorum into India. It was a struggle to try to figure out how that would happen after finding out Karakorum's location. Otherwise, there were no other problems with completing the assignment. In regards to the struggles that these routes may have presented to merchants and caravans, the differing environments along the way would have definitely been an issue. They could be crossing deserts, rivers, or moving through cities. They have to be incredibly prepared for such a journey in advance. Also, traveling such lengths across dangerous and barren terrains such as mountains and deserts can lead to robberies by nomadic herds or barbarians living near the routes. This would add another important challenge for the merchants when it comes to trading.

Map of Silk Roads

Perception of Roman Empire

Based on the the videos, Frontiline and Roman City, and the readings on Romen women in regards to marriage and divorce, my image of the Roman Empire would be negative.  Despite the Romans' advances in the organization of city-building and its striking similarity to the cities of modern times, their negative actions far outweigh any of these positives.  The Roman government was brutal and used force to take down any belief systems or religions that seemed to belittle their power.  For example, according to the Frontline video, one relgious group was completely killed by Roman soldiers following governmental orders.  They were not exiled or placed in prison, but were enitrely annihilated and executed.  In addition, women were heavily mistreated and their rights were substanially limited.  The readings on both divorce and marriage favored men much more than women.  They did not have consent in being married and punishments for a wronged divorce were much higher for females than for males.  As a result, my perspective, in respects to this empire, leans towards the negative side because of these issues.

Rome's Transition from Republic to Empire

Political and social unrest as well as land expansion led to Rome's transition from a republic to an empire. As the Roman Republic expanded its authority and more people came under their control, it became increasingly difficult for a republic to govern. The laws of the government under the Republic written down in The Twelve Tables did not suit in ruling Rome's newly acquired masses of people. In addition, the aristocrats, or patricians, had the power in a republic, and thus, filled governmental positions. The patricians used this control to better themselves and take down anyone who disagreed such as the land reformer, Tiberius Gracchus. This difference eventually caused social disagreement between the patricians and plebeians, leading to a civil war between Marius, the people's representative, and Sulla, the leader of the patricians. The end of the Republic's reign finally came after Caesar's assassination and Augustus came to power. He enacted reforms that set up a centralized government and kept mostly everyone in the empire under control. By expanding Rome's dominance in the Mediterranean and abroad, a republic was no longer practical and centralized rule was needed to govern this empire's enlargement.

Alexander the Great as President

Alexander the Great would not be electable as the President of the United States during modern times. Despite his charismatic and influential leadership, his numerous flaws outweigh these positives. There is a good amount of historical information about him as a leader, especially a military one. This is important since the U.S. President is the commander in chief of the military. However, his desire of expanding the empire and seeking revenge on enemies would not work in present times. If he did this, he would put the country in war continuously and that is not what Americans want. Also, his anger, drinking problem, and problem-solving would not coincide with the values American citizens uphold for the President. Alexander used force to fix things that did not go his way, whereas today, there is more negotiation and plans to resolve the issues. In addition, it does not seem that Alexander was strong in regards to economic concerns, which is again another important aspect of presidency. Alexander the Great, even with his ability to lead, does not have all the essential qualities Americans today look for in a President. Additionally, his negative attributes restrain him from being electable as a President.

King Abdullah II of Jordan

King Abdullah II of Jordan can succeed in transitioning his country into a democracy. From experiencing democracy's implementation in nearby nations, he knows how he must go about in this movement. For example, he learned that holding elections first and then changing the constitution results in the government not having a strong foundation regarding laws. This can lead to delayed elections if it takes longer to modify the constitution or the newly elected officials to acquire more power. Jordan does it differently in that the constitution is changed first and afterwards, elections are held. In this regard, the new people who are chosen have a defined role and cannot alter the rules to better themselves. Also, King Abdullah II realizes that this a long process and will take a few years before completing. It is not something that can be enforced immediately but needs to be gradually engrained. In addition, he feels that Arab Spring, the protests for a change in government in Middle Eastern countries, is a good thing for Jordan and therefore, agrees with the change. As a result, democracy can be implemented easier with the help of the country's king. The country is also smaller compared to the others who have tried democracy, such as Egypt and Iraq, which is significant for this type of government to run successfully. However, again, it will take time to get all the citizens well-informed and capable to make the decisions needed for the sustainment of the nation.

Democracy

A democracy is a type of government in which all citizens have an equal vote. The advantages or pros of such a system is it allows lower class individuals to feel as if they are a part of the government. In addition, it does not give one leader or group of rulers sole power over the region. This government gives the people in the society a say in how they are ruled or wish to be ruled. The disadvantages or cons of democracy are that some individuals are not educated enough or well-informed to make important governmental decisions. Also, acquiring all the votes from the area takes a long time.
Democracy is better suited for small societies than it would be if utilized in larger civilizations. The government becomes impractical as more people become a part of the governed region. A larger population leads to an increase in the number of equal voters, which means a more time-consuming process. Also, it becomes increasingly difficult to keep everyone informed when the number of people rises. There is a higher chance of agreement among the population as well when there are fewer individuals because it takes less people to reach a general consensus.