WHAP Classical Timeline (1000BCE-500CE)

By 93155
  • Period: 1700 BCE to 450

    Kingdom of Kush

    Africa
    Kanishka was the most prominent Kushan ruler.
    The Kushan emperor facilitated Indian trade.
    The kingdom played a crucial role in the silk roads.
    Kush had roots in Nubia.
  • Period: 1500 BCE to 500 BCE

    Verdic Age

    South Asia
    The Vedic Age is named for the four vedas, the most important of which was the Rig Veda.
    The Aryans clashed and intermarried with the Dravidians, eventually forming one culture.
    The Vedic Age is when the caste system originated. From highest to lowest class it was; brahmins (priests), kshatriyas (warriors and aristocrats), vaishyas (cultivators, artisans, and merchants), shudras (landless people and surfs), and untouchables.
  • Period: 1200 BCE to 100 BCE

    The Olmecs

    Mesoamerica
    The Olmecs are the oldest Mesoamerican society and little is known about them.
    They created giant basalt statues of human heads.
    The civilisation ended when they destroyed their own city-centers.
  • Period: 1122 BCE to 256 BCE

    Zhou Dynasty

    East Asia/Central Asia
    In the Zhou Dynasty the emperor ruled by proclamation or decree.
    This dynasty is when the “Mandate of Heaven” originated.
    When the administration became decentralised the subordinates rose up causing the Period of Warring States.
  • Period: 1000 BCE to 722 BCE

    Hebrew Kingdom in Jerusalem

    Middle East/Southwest Asia
    This existed during the reigns of King David and King Solomon.
    The people were monotheistic and followed Yahweh.
    The holy scripture was the Torah.
  • Period: 800 BCE to 338 BCE

    Classical Greek Polis

    Europe
    Polis originally referred to a site that offered refuge to locals during war; many became city-states. The two main poleis were Sparta and Athens.
    Sparta sought to retain order by creating a militaristic state that could crush any threat. Distinction made by prowess, discipline, and military talent.
    Athens sought to retain order by establishing a government based on democratic principles. Athens was center for scientists, philosophers, poets, dramatists, artists, and architects.
  • Period: 600 BCE to 550 BCE

    New Babylonian Empire

    Middle East/Southwest Asia
    New Babylonia was very rich. It sported enormous palaces, temples, and hanging gardens.
    It was ruled by King Nebuchadnezzar.
    It was taken over when lands outside of Mesopotamia gained advanced weapons and techniques to rule large territories.
  • Period: 558 BCE to 330 BCE

    Achaemenid Dynasty

    Middle East/Southwest Asia
    Cyrus the Great launched Persia’s imperial venture. He conquered many lands and his tomb still stands at Pasargadae.
    Darius was an amazing conqueror and an even better administrator. He divided his realm into 23 satrapies, administered formal tax levies, and standardized laws and coins.
    The ideas of the Achaemenid system of administration spread and became the basis for many more empires’ systems of governance.
  • Period: 509 BCE to 1 BCE

    Roman Republic

    Europe
    This republic was characterized by disputes between patricians (rich) and plebeians (common people).
    After the plebeians threatened to revolt they slowly gained more power in government and the Senate.
    Rome eventually was turned into an empire by Julius Caesar.
  • Period: 321 BCE to 185 BCE

    Mauryan Dynasty

    South Asia
    Chandragupta Maurya exploited Alexander of Macedon leaving India to seize control. His advisor was Kautalya who wrote Arthashastra.
    His grandson Ashoka Maurya ushered in a golden age. He conquered Kalinga and ruled through a tightly organised bureaucracy.
  • Period: 300 BCE to Jan 1, 900

    The Maya

    Mesoamerica
    The Maya had a complex calendar with a 365 day solar year and 260 day ritual year. They were astrologists and invented the number zero.
    They gave sacrifices of blood and human lives so the gods would continue to grow maise.
    They took some of the Olmec’s ideas. Their calendars and ball games were similar.
    They were a bunch of warring city-states. There was no centralized government.
  • Period: 275 BCE to 150 BCE

    Antigonid Empire

    Europe
    This was the smallest of the Hellenistic Empires, also known as the empires that formed after Alexander of Macedon died and his empire was split between his generals.
    There was continual tension between the rulers and Greek cities.
    Due to the volume of trade that went through their ports cities like Athens and Corinth flourished.
  • Period: 275 BCE to 31 BCE

    Ptolemaic Empire

    Africa
    It was the wealthiest of the Hellenistic empires.
    The overlords contented themselves with taxes and royal monopolies on lucrative industries.

    Much of Egypt’s wealth flowed into the capital, Alexandria. It had an enormous harbor and became the cultural capital of the Hellenistic world.
  • Period: 221 BCE to 207 BCE

    Qin Dynasty

    East Asia/Central Asia
    Iron weapons were used to create a powerful army, which allowed the state to grow by attacking other states.
    It was created by Qin Shihuangdi who named himself First Emperor and burned books of philosophy, ethics, history, and literature.
    Although short, this dynasty ended the Period of Warring States and established a precedent for centralized imperial rule.
  • Period: 206 BCE to 220

    Han Dynasty

    East Asia/Central Asia
    This dynasty was created by Liu Band, a methodical planner who used brilliant advisors to get to the top.
    Han Wudi (the “Martial Emperor”) pursued administrative centralisation and imperial expansion.
    Wudi also implemented schools of Confucian learning to prepare young men for government service.
  • Period: 200 BCE to Nov 15, 750

    Teotihuacan

    Mesoamerica
    Teotihuacan people created a giant pyramid of the sun.
    Little is known about them.
    They were descendents of the Olmec.
  • Period: 320 to 550

    Gupta Dynasty

    South Asia
    The Gupta based state in Magadha forged alliances with powerful kingdoms and rose to power.
    Pataliputra was the capital.
    The dynasty conquered many of the regional kingdoms of India, but left local government, basic policy making, and administration in the hands of their allies.

  • CCOT: State-Building, Expansion, and Conflict

    I chose the above CCOT because the Classical Period showcases the creation and interaction of systems of government. All of the nations tried to expand and control their populace. The success or failure of their systems of government led to either others using their ideas or revolts (respectively).