AIM: Compare how empires rise and fall



AIM: Compare how empires rise and fallDo Now: “ Comparing How Empires Rise and Fall,” CLASS SET, please do not keep. how empires fallWhen historians say that an empire fell, they mean that the central state no longer exercised its broad power. This happened either because the state itself ceased to exist or because the state’s power was reduced as parts of the empire became independent of its control. Because empires are large and complex, when historians talk about the fall of an empire, they are typically talking about a long process rather than a single cause! Some of the broad factors that historians use to help explain imperial collapse are:Economic issuesSocial and cultural issuesEnvironmental issuesPolitical issuesThese are not causes by themselves, but ways to categorize causes. For example, you wouldn’t say, “Politics are one reason Rome fell.” You would look at specific political factors, such as the impact of civil wars. Although these categories of factors are necessary if we want to talk about imperial collapse, there is not a single explanation for why empires fall! Rapid collapse—Achaemenid PersiaAlthough there had been internal conflicts in Achaemenid Persia prior to Alexander’s invasion, the empire remained largely intact for much of the fifth and fourth centuries BCE. However, the existence of internal divisions made Persia vulnerable to invaders hoping to strip Persia of territory.In 334 BCE, Alexander of Macedon invaded the Persian Empire, and by 330 BCE, the Persian king, Darius III, was dead—murdered by one of his generals. Alexander claimed the Persian throne and left the officials and institutions of the cities he captured in place to manage his massive empire. In this sense, Alexander could be viewed as simply stepping into the role of Persian emperor. Rather than destroying the central Persian state, Alexander took over as its new ruler. When Alexander died without an heir in 323 BCE, his generals divided the empire among themselves. It was at this point that the central state of Persia collapsed and was replaced by multiple competing states. This division occurred within a matter of years.So, the factors that contributed to the fall of Achaemenid Persia were largely political and military. Political divisions made the empire weaker militarily. A map of the division of Alexander’s empire among his generals. Division of Alexander’s empire among his generals. Image credit: WikimediaSlow death of an empire—the GuptasThe Gupta dynasty ruled a large empire in northern India from roughly 320 CE to 550 CE. This dynasty reached the height of its power in about 450 CE, as shown on the map below. From about 450 CE on, the Gupta empire faced invasions in the northwest region of the empire from the Hephthalites—sometimes called the White Huns. These ongoing attacks drained Gupta military and financial resources and led to century-long process of decline.This map illustrates nicely the idea of a core or central state exercising control over surrounding territories; notice that the core state is smaller than the actual empire it controls! This map illustrates nicely the idea of a core or central state exercising control over surrounding territories; notice that the core state is smaller than the actual empire it controls! Image credit: Wikimedia, Woudloper, CC BY-SA 4.0Continued conflict with the White Huns saw the Gupta Empire lose much of its northwest territory by about 500 CE. The Gupta Empire was able to force the Huns out in 528 CE. However, the economic impact of the loss of territory and continued fighting left the Gupta dynasty weak and poor. Over the next several decades, various regions broke away from Gupta control, and neighboring states—like the Vakataka Kingdom and Malwa—grew more powerful. By 550 CE, the Gupta empire no longer existed. However, a small Gupta kingdom continued to exist for another century or so. The Gupta Empire is an example of imperial collapse where the central state continues to exist, but is unable to exert its power and influence beyond a limited territory. This can be contrasted with the Western Roman Empire, whose last emperor was forced out of power, eliminating the central Roman state. The factors that contributed to the fall of the Gupta Empire were largely military and economic. The economic issues were a result of the military challenges the empire faced. This is turn led to political issues as the government lost territory and was weakened. Stop and consider: How did the collapse of the Gupta Empire compare to the collapse of the Achaemenid Persian Empire? GuptaThe Gupta empire lost control of much of its territory. However, the Gupta dynasty continued to rule a small kingdom after its empire fell. Achaemenid PersiaThe Achaemenid dynasty was wiped out and replaced by Alexander the Great. The central Achaemenid state around which the empire was built no longer existed. Big takeawaysEmpires rise and fall for many different reasonsHistorians often categorize these reasons as political, economic, social and cultural, or environmentalComparing the specific causes and effects of the rise and fall of different empires can help us better understand the concept of empires across different times and locations ................
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