Transcript People and Ideas on the Move 3500 B.C. –259 B.C.

People and Ideas on the Move
3500 B.C. –259 B.C.
Chapter 3
1: Indo-European Migrations
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Indo-Europeans: seminomadic peoples from the
steppes (grasslands btw.
Black and Caspian Seas)
Their languages were the
ancestors to many modern
day languages
2000 B.C. one such group,
the Hittites, occupied the
Anatolia
Adapted many
Mesopotamian ideas with
their own
Known for war
technology-chariots and
iron
Fell suddenly in 1190 BC
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At same time another
group, Aryans, occupied
the Indus River Valley
Created caste system
(varnas): Brahmins
(priests), warriors,
peasants and traders,
shudras (non-Aryan
laborers), and
untouchables (butchers,
gravediggers). Varna or
skin color was a
distinguishing feature of
this system
Over time more
restrictions were created
Indo-European Migrations
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Aryans were ruled by
chiefs and later minor
kings
These minor kings
wanted to extend their
kingdoms, which caused
internal fighting
The large kingdom of
Magadha emerged out
of this
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The process of warfare
is described in the
world longest single
poem, Mahabharata
Due to violence and
confusion some began
to question their
religion, which opened
the door to accepting
new religions
2: Hinduism and Jainism
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Aryan and non-Aryans
blended religions
together-resulting in
thousands of gods
Hindus share a common
view: religion liberates
the soul from everyday
existence
Goal is to achieved
perfect understand
(moksha). Usually not
achieved in one lifetime (reincarnated) and
soul’s karma determines
the next life’s
circumstances such as
caste
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Right thinking, right
action, or religious
devotion are the ways to
achieving moksha
Hinduism reinforces the
caste system
Jainism-Mahavira:
believed everything in
the universe has a soul
and shouldn’t be harmed
(doctrine of nonviolence)
Buddhism
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Siddhartha Gautama
Spent six years seeking
enlightenment
Achieved after 49 days of
meditation
By following Eightfold
Path on could reach
nirvana-release from
selfishness and pain
Rejected priests and caste
Appealed to lower class
due to caste rejection
Traders and missionaries
spread religion
Click here to see the Maitreya
statue that will be built in
northern India:
First noble
truth
Everything in life is
suffering and sorrow
Second
The cause of all
noble truth suffering is people’s
selfish desire for the
temporary pleasures of
this world
Third
The way to end all
noble truth suffering is to end all
desire
Fourth
The way to overcome
noble truth such desire and attain
enlightenment is to
follow the 8 fold path,
which is called the
Middle Way between
desires and self-denial
3: Seafaring Traders
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Minoan culture: Crete
2500 B.C.
Crete was at the
crossroads of the ancient
world and served as an
exchange point for goods
traded between Egypt,
Mesopotamia, Asia
Minor (the Hittites), and
the Greek mainland
Minoan culture was
neither urbanized nor
militarized.
People enjoyed active
lifestyle: boxing,
wrestling, and bullleaping
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At the center of the
religious, economic, and
political life of Minoan
civilization were great
temple/palace complexes,
the largest of which was
the palace of Knossos
King Minos was said to
have a Minotaur locked in
a labyrinth
Women held higher rank
in this society
1470 B.C. earthquakes hit
the island, the society
failed to recover
Phoenicians
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After Crete’s decline the
most powerful traders in
the Mediterranean were
the Phoenicians
Area of Lebanon
Founded wealthy citystates around the
Mediterranean: Byblospapyrus, Tyre, Sidonproduced famous purple
dye, and Carthage-greatest
city-state (North Africa)
Remarkable shipbuilders
Cities spread about 30
miles apart (1 day of
sailing)
Alphabet-phonetic system
(sign used for a sound)
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Alphabet needed for
trading practices
Traders introduced writing
system
Ancient trade spanned
from Europe, Africa,
Mediterranean, Middle
East, and India to Asia
These ancient traders
exchanged not only
products, but ideas leading
to cultural diffusion
Eventually eastern citystates fell to the Assyrians,
which caused the empire
to weaken
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4: Judaism
Out of the eastern
Mediterranean emerged
Judaism
Canaan in Palestinecultural crossroads
Jews settled in the land
between the Med. Sea and
the Jordan River
Torah-the first 5 books of
the Hebrew Bible to
Christians they are apart
of the Old Testament
Torah: Abraham-selected
to be father of the Hebrew
people. He had to move
from Ur to Canaan
Unlike many ancients
their God traveled
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Unlike many ancients,
Jews were monotheisticworshipped one god
God was not a physical
being
Made covenant-God
would protect the Hebrew
b/c Abraham had
promised to obey him
Migrated to Egypt due to
famine-later turned into
slaves
Exodus-Moses led the
Hebrews out of Egypt
Moses brought down the
10 commandments (basis
for civil and religious
laws)
Judaism
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Settled into Canaan and
were organized into 12
tribes (self-governing)
Ethical monotheism:
emphasis on right conduct
and the worship of one
God-this idea has
influenced Christianity
and Islam
Judah was the largest tribe
left and thus Hebrews
became to be known as
Jews and their religion,
Judaism
1020 to 922 B.C. Hebrews
united under 3 kings: Saul,
David, and Solomon
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New Kingdom was called
Israel
Solomon taxed the people
for his building projects
and forced men to spend 1
month out of every 3
working on the temple
After Solomon’s death the
Jews in northern Israel
began to revolt
922 B.C. Kingdom
divided: north-Israel and
south-Judah
738 B.C. both fell and
began paying tribute to
Assyria
State of Israel
May 14, 1948 Israel became a state
 Jew kept the idea of the Promised Land
alive almost 18 centuries after Jewish rule
fell in Palestine
 Movement of Zionism and persecution of
the Jews during WWII led to the United
Nations establishing the state
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