NAME_____________________ Fall of Empires Study Guide

A. The Han Dynasty

a. Advanced Technology
i. Paper and ceramics
ii. Military Advances
1. Improved cross bow
iii. Others
1. Wheelbarrow
2. Iron blast furnace
3. compass
b. Developed Civil Service
i. Guided by Confucian ideas
ii. Organized empire
c. Expanded Trade
i. Connected to Central Asia
ii. Opened the Silk Roads
B. Roman Empire
a. Innovations
i. Advances in architecture, engineering, public health, law, and
art
ii. Often borrowed and built on the ideas and technologies of others
iii. Had significant impact on the course of history and helped
shape the modern era.
iv. Important in helping spread and maintain the empire.
C. Kushan Empire
a. Middle man for trade
b. Coins and Artwork
c. Leader was Kanishka
i. Pushed for Buddhism
D. Mayan Civilization
a. Advanced civilization
i. Art
ii. Farming
iii. Architecture
iv. Written language
v. Technical knowledge
b. Hade separate city-states that were never controlled by any one
authority
c. Did NOT develop advanced weapons and transportation.
E. Gupta Empire
a. Golden Age
i. Central rule and influence over larger area
ii. Advances in science, math, art, and other areas.
iii. General period of peace and prosperity
iv. Although there were many advances, inequality still existed; not
everyone had the same rights because of the caste system and
gender inequality
F. Rise of Empires
a. Science-engineering, architecture, science, math, religion
b. Military organization, Centralized Government, Expansion

NAME_____________________ Fall of Empires Study Guide

G. Fall of
a.
b.
c.
d.

Empires
Natural Disasters
Corruption
Inequality and rebellion
Warfare

QUESTIONS TO PONDER:
1. The emperors of the Han dynasty and emperors of later
dynasties, depended greatly upon the civil service. How
did the civil service help the empire thrive? What
drawbacks would there have been for an emperor in
having a civil service? What problems could civil servants
create for an emperor?
2. What factor was most important in helping to unify people
in China and expand the empire during the Han Dynasty?
3. What types of innovations did the Romans contribute to
the following areas: Arts and Ideas, Language,
Technology, and Culture?
4. Explain how the Kushans were examples of increasing
interconnectedness between human societies.
5. Explain what is meant by geographic luck and how it
can help explain the differences between the Mayan
Civilizations advances and the Eastern Hemisphere
Empires advances.
6. Why and to what extent does the Gupta Empire represent
a Golden Age? Was it Golden for EVERYONE? Explain.
7. Why do empires fall? How is progress a factor that can
lead to problems?