Chapter 3 Discussion Forum: Territorial States

Territorial States

Introduction:

In the second millennium bce, the control and expansion of territorial states required negotiating new relationships with their neighbors, particularly in Egypt and Southwest Asia. These new interactions, involving economic, military, and political alliances, are the first recorded examples of international diplomacy. This exercise contains two examples of early peace treaties from the territorial states of Egypt and the Hittites. The Hittites were centered in the region of Anatolia, and at one point shared a border with Egypt in the Levant.

Alternatively, the territorial state of the Shang did not border any other territorial states. The strength of the Shang came from their ability to work bronze, especially to make bronze weapons. As long as they were able to maintain control over the copper and tin mines to the north, they kept their adversaries from obtaining bronze technology , which allowed them to maintain their position of authority. Consequently, bronze became an important status symbol during the Shang dynasty.

The Documents:

These documents can be found on attached DOCX file.

Document 1 is the text of a treaty signed by Ramses II and Hattusili III in 1258 BCE, finally making peace between the Egyptians and the Hittites after several years of open conflict and 15 years after the battle of Qadesh, the largest chariot battle in history.

Document 2 is a peace treaty of Tudhaliya IV, who ruled from 1237 BCE (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. to 1209 BCE and was a king of the Hittite Empire (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. and the son of Hattusili III (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.. Tudhaliya's peace treaty with the Amorite kingdom of Amurru, just south of modern-day Turkey, contained both political and economic provisions.

Document 3 shows two of the technological high points for the Shang dynasty, the construction of chariots and their skill at bronze working. Prominent status symbols among the elite, chariots were lavishly bedecked with as many as 100 decorative bronze fixtures.

Here is the topic to be addressed in essay form and posted in this discussion forum:

Using your text and the provided documents, draft a brief essay of 350-450 words discussing how different territorial states interacted with one another. Draw some of your own conclusions from the information provided.

Use the documents and your text to provide support for your ideas.

Thank You.