In the Wake of Decline and Fall
	• By 600 C.E. the major civilizations were altered in permanent ways. • China maintained political cohesion and along with India it preserved much cultural cohesion. • The Roman Empire in contrast disintegrated, and successor civilizations did not restore geographical unity or a unified classical culture. • Nomadic invaders both toppled empires and spread new ideas and techniques. • Missionaries brought Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam into new regions.