The Cambridge World History, Volume 4: A World with States, Empires and Networks, 1200 BCE–900 CE

About this book

From 1200 BCE to 900 CE, the world witnessed the rise of powerful new states and empires, as well as networks of cross-cultural exchange and conquest. Considering the formation and expansion of these large-scale entities, this fourth volume of The Cambridge World History series outlines key economic, political, social, cultural, and intellectual developments that occurred across the globe in this period. Leading scholars examine critical transformations in science and technology, economic systems, attitudes towards gender and family, social hierarchies, education, art, and slavery. The second part of the volume focuses on broader processes of change within western and central Eurasia, the Mediterranean, South Asia, Africa, East Asia, Europe, the Americas and Oceania, as well as offering regional studies highlighting specific topics, from trade along the Silk Roads and across the Sahara, to Chaco culture in the US southwest, to Confucianism and the state in East Asia.

Contents

Part I. Global Histories:
1. Introduction: the world from 1200 BCE to 900 CE Craig Benjamin
2. Global economic history Sitta von Reden
3. The gendering of power in the family and the state Ping Yao and Scott Wells
4. Slavery Peter Hunt
5. The axial age in world history Björn Wittrock
6. Developments in science and technology c.800 BCE to c.800 CE Helmuth Schneider
7. Discourses on gender and sexuality Ping Yao and Scott Wells
8. Art Robert Bagley
9. Pastoral nomads Tim May

Part II. Trans-Regional and Regional Perspectives:
10. Western and Central Eurasia Touraj Daryaee
11. Regional study: Bactria – the crossroads of ancient Eurasia Jeffrey Lerner
12. The Mediterranean Craig Benjamin and Merry Wiesner-Hanks
13. Regional study: Athens in the fifth century BCE William Morison
14. Late antiquity in Europe c.300–900 CE Charles F. Pazdernik
15. East Asia Charles Holcombe
16. Regional study: Confucianism and the state Xinzhong Yao
17. Regional study: exchanges within the silk roads world system Xinru Liu
18. South Asia Shonaleeka Kaul
19. Regional study: Pataliputra Shonaleeka Kaul
20. The Americas Janet Brashler and Erica Begun
21. Regional study: Chaco culture and the US Southwest Stephen H. Lekson
22. Australasia and the Pacific Ian McNiven
23. Africa: states, empires and connections Stanley Burstein
24. Regional study: trans-Saharan trade Ralph Austen

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Biography

Craig Benjamin is an Associate Professor of History at Frederik J. Meijer Honors College, Grand Valley State University, Michigan, USA. At GVSU, he teaches Big History, world history, and East and Central Asian history, to students at all levels, from first-year to postgraduate. He is a frequent guest presenter at conferences worldwide, and the author of numerous published books, chapters and essays on ancient Central Asian history, Big History, and world history. He is co-author (with David Christian and Cynthia Brown) of a Big History textbook - Big History: Between Nothing and Everything (2013). Benjamin has recorded several programs and lecture series for The History Channel, The Teaching Company and Scientific American magazine. He is also a member of the College Board Test Development Committees for both the AP and SAT World History exams; Treasurer of the International Big History Association; and current President (2014/15) of the World History Association.


Contributors:
- Craig Benjamin
- Sitta von Reden
- Ping Yao
- Scott Wells
- Peter Hunt
- Björn Wittrock
- Helmuth Schneider
- Robert Bagley
- Tim May
- Touraj Daryaee
- Jeffrey Lerner
- Merry Wiesner-Hanks
- William Morison
- Charles F. Pazdernik
- Charles Holcombe
- Xinzhong Yao
- Xinru Liu
- Shonaleeka Kaul
- Janet Brashler
- Erica Begun
- Stephen H. Lekson
- Ian McNiven
- Stanley Burstein
- Ralph Austen