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.