-
As weak rulers amused themselves with the pleasures of court, the power of the central government began to decline. Official corruption and the concentration of the land in the hands of the wealthy led to widespred pesant unrest. Then there was nomadic raids on chinese territory continuded in the North by 170, wars, intrigues at the court, and pesant uprisings brought the virtual collapse of the Han Dynasty. In 220 AD a general seized control but was unable to maintain his power.
-
There was a noticeable decine in trade and small industry. A labor shortage created a plague that affected both military recruiting and the economy. Farm production declined as fields were rabaged by invaders, or even often, by the defending Roman armies. The monetary system began to show signs of collapse. THis is a time where armies were needed more than ever.
-
To fight inflation a rapid increase in prices Diocletian issued a price edict in 301 that set wage and price controls for the entire empire. It failed to work. Nero and other emporers debased the currency in order to supply a demand for more coins. By debasing the currency is meant that instead of a coin having its own intrinsic value, it was now only representative of the silver or gold it had once contained. This was severe inflation.
-
The Huna's were nomatic savages who lived in China. The Huna invasion took place at a time when the Gupta's had been ruling over a greater part of India. The first invasion was repelled by the Gupta Emperor Skandagupta. Next ime the Huna's, under the leadership of Tormana were successful in their Indian campaign. Mihirkula was defeted by two Indian rulers of the later Gupta dynasty. The Huna power collapsed in India after the defete of Mihirkula.
-
Skandagupta was followed by many weak rulers. In the 480s the Hephthalites broke the the Gupta defences in the Nothwest, and much of the empire in the Northwest was overun by the Huna. The empire disintegrated under the attacks of Toramana. The Huns were defeted and driven out of India in 528 AD.
