User:Atcovi/HIS 111-A26: World Civilization Pre-1500 CE (SP23)/Ch 6

7 questions (7 / 7)

1. What do you think influenced Alexander the most in his early life and led him to become the visionary that he became?

'''Looking at his bio, it seems that his parents were the biggest influences. His dad, Phillip II, was already a skilled leader--creating Macedonia into a resourceful, rich (from the gold mines), and unique state separate from the Greeks. His mother, Olympia, nurtured him and constantly fed him ideas that he was 'superior' and was meant to do 'great things'. I also would say that the warfare environment prevalent in Greece at the time played a significant role in shaping up the militaristic, blood-thristy mindset that he developed.'''

3. What do you think made him a strong leader and mil- itary strategist?

'''I would say his father was the reason he was a strong leader and military strategist. This is because Philip II was the king of Macedonia. He achieved this by employing the "Macedonian phalanx" on military expeditions & assaults (a rectangular military formation with the use of sarissa (pike)) & Philip II possessed excellent diplomatic skills and communications. Although correlation does not equal causation, it is not far-fetched to say that Alexander learned a lot of militaristic strategies from his father.'''

4. Why were the Aśokan pillars important?Dothepillars’ placement suggest anything about the level of literacy in the empire, or at least attitudes about literacy?

'''The Asokan pillars were important because they showcased Asoka's complete devotion to the way of Buddhism & renouncing his old past of extreme violence. The pillars were placed all throughout Asoka's empire and has inscriptions of dhamma, or "cosmic law and order" in Buddhism. The pillars suggest that Asoka's empire had high literacy rates to teach the rulings of Buddhism (as inscriptions can be found on the pillars).'''

5. What impact do you believe Aśoka had on the devel- opment of Buddhism? Why do you think there was a decline in popularity of Buddhism in India after Aśoka’s death?

'''Asoka had a profound and major impact on the spreading of Buddhism. Asoka sent Buddhist monks to nearby areas to teach Buddhism. He also translated his works, which were heavily influenced by Buddhism, into several languages so his message could be heard. The second question was a bit difficult to answer, but I found that the Mauryan empire declined due to a succession of weak kings & a lack of proper leadership. The new empire that came through, the Shunga Empire, preached Hinduism and naturally led to a decline in Buddhism.'''

6. What policies, if any, did Aśoka invoke that supported tolerance and peace?

'''After his conversion to Buddhism, Asoka firmly planted himself into Buddhist beliefs. Despite this, he promoted religious tolerance. He did not force non-Buddhists to adhere to Buddhist philosophies. He also practiced diplomacy with foreign nations & made welfare the right for every citizen.'''

9. Why and when was the name “Silk Road” coined?

After the establishment of the Han dynasty in China (207 BC), the name, "Silk Road", was used because of the number of luxurious silk products that were being traded in this trade route.

13. What is Hellenism? What was its significance across Afro-Eurasia?

'''Hellenism was sort-of "Greek religious culture". It dwells around the worship of the "Twelve Olympians" (typical Greek mythological characters, such as Zeus, Apollo, Ares, etc.) and gets its ideas and practices from ancient Greek culture. This includes reasoning of life and government, entertainment, art, and social life. "Koine" was a shared Greek language that was used by people in Afro-Eurasia, therefore Hellenstic ideologies began to spread to these areas.'''