100 BC-AD 600

Western Asia was controlled by the Parthians until AD 224 when, weakened by battles with the Romans and the rise of the Kushans in Afghanistan and Central Asia, they were defeated by the Sasanians. By the time the last Sasanian ruler was murdered in 651, the empire had been overrun by the military supremacy and the diplomatic skills of Islamic Arab forces.

The Kushan empire in Central Asia controlled the immensely profitable trade between China, western Asia and the Roman Empire. The Buddhist Satavāhanas ruled southern and western India but in 320 the Hindu Gupta dynasty came to dominate.

Buddhism arrived in China from India during the Han dynasty. After the fall of the Han in 220 a ‘period of disunity’ followed until the advent of the Sui in 589. Buddhism then spread to Korea and Japan.

During this period many regional kingdoms developed in Japan and in the 4th century one, Yamato, gradually gained dominance over the others. Close contacts were maintained with the Asian continent during this period, and especially with the three kingdoms of Korea (Koguryŏ, Paekche, and Silla). In Southeast Asia chiefdoms became larger and more complex. Territories did not have clear borders but were centred on an overlord who maintained control through alliances and warfare.