Joliet Junior College History Essay

Choose one of the questions below and answer it in the form of a brief but well-developed essay (2-3 pages in length, double-spaced with 1-inch margins, as Word files) Your essay should have an introduction that sets the historic context, a thesis, evidence or examples to prove your point, and a conclusion. Make specific references to the relevant information in sources (e.g. websites).

1. How did the empires of Rome, China, and India try to meld together diverse peoples into a single state? Did it work? What common factors contributed to the fall of the Roman, Chinese, and Indian empires?
2. Why were the Arabs able to conquer a vast empire in so short a time? What role did the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad play in making the Arabs an imperial people?
3. What were the four chief ways in which world religions were spread? How did rulers and elites use religions to consolidate and justify their power and control over societies?