Transcript Unit 2 - Ancient India and China

Early Asian Civilizations
Ancient India
Indus River Valley
I. Indus River Valley:
A. Geography
1. Wedged between the Himalayas and the Hindu Kush
mountains.
B. Climate
1. Flat and fertile plain formed by the Indus and Ganges
Rivers.
2. Monsoons dominate the climate, leading to floods or
droughts.
C. Economy
1. Based on farming and trade.
a. First people in the world to grow cotton.
Physical Geography of the Indus River Valley
Thar Desert
The Thar desert is a very hot place. There is
very little water, so it is hard for plants to
grow. It is difficult for people and animals to
live here.
Himalayan Mountain Range
The Himalayan mountain range is covered in
snow all year long. Some of the snow melts in
the spring. The water runs off the mountains,
creating rivers.
Highlands
The Indus valley has highlands to the west
and north. Valuable wood, mineral and metal
resources were found here and transported to
Indus River
The Indus River rises in the snowy mountains of Mohenjo-Daro.
the Himalayas. It flows down to the hot, dry
lands below. Every spring, the mountain snows
melted and the river flooded. When the water
drained away, it left behind a rich mud. This was
good for planting crops. Today the river is
controlled by dams and canals.
Indus River Valley
D. Planned Cities (c. 2500 BC)
1. Built with levees (earthen walls) for protection, a citadel,
plumbing and drainage.
2. Laid out on a precise grid system.
3. Major cities included Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa.
4. Known as Harappan civilization.
5. Not a lot is known about this civilization; probably declined
because of earthquakes, rivers moving, flooding, droughts…
E. Aryans come to power (c. 1500 BC)
1. Came from the North to settle in the Indus River Valley.
2. Only real record of them is their sacred literature, the Vedas.
3. Developed the caste system (Look at p.63-64)
4. Moved further South, blending cultures with the non-Aryans.
Priest/King Statue
Indian Subcontinent
Excavations at Mohenjo-Daro
Priests
Warriors
Merchants, Landowners
Commoners, Peasants
And Servants
Street sweepers,
Latrine cleaners
Indus River Valley
Homework for 9/3
 Vocabulary
for 3.1(pgs. 63-65 only!) and
7.1 – India’s first Empires
India’s Empire Develops
I. India’s First Empires
A. By 600 BC many small kingdoms were scattered throughout India.
B. By 326 BC Alexander the Great had brought the Indus Valley
under his control.
C. By 321 BC Chandragupta Maurya, an Indian military leader,
seized power.
1.
Maurya defeated an unpopular local king and claimed the
throne for himself, beginning the Mauryan Empire.
2.
By 303 BC Maurya claimed hold of over 2000 miles of land.
3.
He raised an army of 630,000 men and 9000 elephants to
defeat Alexander’s general Seleucus.
4.
Maurya’s advisor Kautilya, wrote a political handbook
called the Arthasastra, which Maurya used to create a
bureaucratic gov’t.
The extent of the Maurya Empire
after Chandragupta's southern
conquests c.300 BC.
Chandragupta's empire when he
founded it c.320 BC, by the time
he was about 20 years old.
India’s Empire Develops
D. In 301 BC Maurya’s son assumed the throne and ruled for 32 years.
E. Maurya’s grandson Asoka (Ashoka) then ruled the Mauryan Empire
from 269-232 BC.
1. Asoka followed his grandfather’s example, waging war to expand his
empire.
2. Feeling guilty, Asoka began studying Buddhism.
3. Asoka began promoting peace, fairness, and religious toleration.
4. He also began building roads across the empire, with wells and rest
areas every 9 miles.
F. Asoka’s death in 232 BC left regional kings to their own devices.
This is the famous original sandstone
sculpted Lion Capital of Ashoka
preserved at Sarnath Museum which
was originally erected around 250 BC
atop an Ashoka Pillar at Sarnath. The
angle from which this picture has been
taken, minus the inverted bell-shaped
lotus flower, has been adopted as the
National Emblem of India showing the
Horse on the left and the Bull on the
right of the Ashoka Chakra in the
circular base on which the four Indian
lions are standing back to back. On the
far side there is an Elephant and a Lion
instead. The wheel "Ashoka Chakra"
from its base has been placed onto the
center of the National Flag of India.
India’s Empire Develops
G. After 500 years of turmoil, Chandra
Gupta I came to power, establishing the
Gupta Empire in AD 320.
H. Gupta’s son, Samudra Gupta came to
power in AD 335, expanding the empire
through conquest and his son Chandra
Gupta II encouraged the arts, religious
thought, and science.
I. The empire came to an end in 535 after
splitting into smaller kingdoms and
being invaded by other Asian nomads.
Foundations of Ancient Indian Religions
I. Hinduism
A. Cannot be traced to one individual founder; c. 750-500 BC Hindu teachers
put together their ideas into the Upanishads.
1. The Upanishads are written as dialogue b/t a student and teacher
about moksha-state of perfect understanding of all things.
B. Reincarnation- All living things are born and reborn again and again;
good or bad conduct (karma) follows one throughout reincarnation.
C. A strong Caste System was developed.
1. Higher castes are born into wealth and are entitled to special privileges.
2. Lower castes are born into poverty and self-denial for sins committed
in a previous life.
3. Hindu religion states that an individual may attain the highest good if
one denies themselves of the earthly pleasures and leads a pure life.
Vishnu-preserver and protector
Shiva-destroyer
Brahma-creator
Ganesha
Hanuman
Hinduism
Foundations of Ancient Indian Religions
II. Buddhism
A. Founded by Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha or "enlightened one"
B. One of India's greatest teachers around 500 B.C.
C. Buddha's ideas and teachings spread throughout Asia.
D. The teachings of Buddha: The Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold
Path.
1. By following the Eightfold Path, anyone could reach nirvanaBuddha’s word for release from selfishness and pain.
2. Accepted the Hindu idea of reincarnation but rejected the many
gods and the caste system; instead taught about enlightenment.
E. The spread of Buddhism is due, in a large part, to traders rather than
missionaries.
Foundations of Ancient Indian Religions
F. Mahayana sect-Buddhists who
began to worship Buddha as a
god and believed they could
become Buddhas, called
bodhisattvas.
G. Theravada sect-Buddhists who
held strictly to Buddha’s
teachings.
Buddhism
Civilization in Ancient China
Geographical Boundaries and Challenges
I. River Civilization based on the Yellow in the North and the Yangtze in the South.
A. Huang He (Yellow) River
1. People began to settle along the banks of the Yellow River around 5000 B.C.
2. Grew millet (grain), fruit, nuts, and vegetables during the dry season.
B. Chang Jiang (Yangtze) River
1. People along the Yangtze River grew rice because the climate was wetter & warmer.
II. Floodwaters spread silt and develop fertile soil.
A. Loess: a fine-grained yellow silt that is very fertile.
B. Seasonal floods were unpredictable in strength.
1. Often, they flooded the countryside and destroyed villages; Yellow River
sometimes
called “China’s Sorrow.”
C. Civilization began when individuals united to control flooding and to
irrigate the land.
1. Only about 10% of China’s land is suitable for farming.
2. Because of its location, early settlers traded little with other peoples.
3. Natural barriers did not necessarily protect from outside invasion.
Geographical Boundaries and Challenges
III. China is surrounded by mountains, deserts, and seas.
A. Cut off from the rest of the world for thousands of years.
1. Himalayas and Pamirs to the West.
a. China is a mountainous semi desert land that could not sustain its
population without the rivers.
2. Gobi Desert & Mongolian Plateau in the North.
3. Jungle regions were prominent in the South.
Geographical Boundaries and Challenges
Himalayas
Mongolian Plateau
Gobi Desert
Jungle Regions
Family Life in Ancient China
I. Family:
A. In ancient China, home and family were so important that they were nearly
sacred.
1. Large families with strong family bonds.
2. Loyalty to the family was stronger than national loyalty.
B. The oldest male was the honored and respected head of the family.
C. If one member of a family did something wrong, the entire family was in disgrace.
D. In the nobility, marriages were arranged to strengthen or to create a union
between two clans or families.
E. Children obeyed their parents without complaint.
F. The role of the woman was to be gentle, calm, respectful, and to obey her
husband.
Ancestor Worship
I. Ancestor Worship:
A. Very important part of Ancient Chinese society.
1. When someone died, the ancient Chinese believed their spirit lived on in the
afterworld.
B. They believed their ancestors had magical powers that could punish them or could
help them make wise decisions.
C. To keep their ancestors happy, they brought gifts of food and wine to special
places or temples.
D. They held many celebrations to honor their ancestors.
Ancestor Worship: Oracle Bones
I. Oracle Bones were used to communicate with their ancestors.
Archaeologists have found over 100,000 oracle bones. Since many questions were asked
about daily life, we know something about this civilization. The thing is, they didn't exactly
ask "Will it rain tomorrow?" Oracle bones say things like: "If we sacrifice 10 men or 5 oxen,
will it rain tomorrow?" The Shang kings sacrificed a great number of people to talk to their
ancestors. Some of those sacrificed were enemies, captured in war. Some were slaves or
people who were sick or deformed. Some were merchants, craftsmen, or farmers who had
upset the nobles. Some were nobles who had upset the king.
Development of Chinese Dynasties
I. The development of Chinese dynasties.
A. Dynasty is a line of rulers who belong to the same family.
II. Xia (shyah) Dynasty (2000 - 1700 BC)
A. People settled along the Yellow River about the time that the Sumerians were settling;
led by a legendary figure named Yu, a engineer and mathematician, who
attempted to control the river’s course.
Shang Dynasty (1700-1027 BC)
I. Shang Dynasty (1700 B.C. to 1027 B.C.)
A. China was united for the first time under the Shang Dynasty.
1. The Shang Dynasty is believed to have been founded by a rebel leader who
overthrew the last Xia ruler.
B. Rulers of the Shang Dynasty.
1. Rulers directed the work and life of the Shang.
2. A line of hereditary Shang kings ruled over much of northern China
3. The kingship was very odd:
a. Instead of going from father to son, it went from brother to brother or
from brother to nephew.
4. In addition, the king was the head of the ancestor and spirit-worship cult.
C. Shang society was based on agriculture, hunting, and raising of livestock.
D. Warfare was constant.
1. Shang troops fought frequent wars with neighboring settlements
and nomadic herdsmen from the inner Asian steppes.
Shang Dynasty (1700-1027 BC)
E. Important contributions of the Shang Dynasty:
1. Use of bronze
2. System of writing.
F. Religion in the Shang Dynasty.
1. Sacrifice to the gods and an ancestor was a major part of the Shang religion.
a. When a king died, hundreds of slaves and prisoners were often sacrificed
and buried with him.
b. People were also sacrificed in lower numbers when important events, such
as the founding of a palace or temple, occurred.
G. In 1027 B.C. the Shang Dynasty was conquered by people called Zhou.
Zhou Dynasty (1100 - 256 BC)
I. Western Zhou Dynasty (1100-771 BC)
A. The Zhou Dynasty actually didn't rule all of what was then China.
1. This dynasty was divided into feudal states.
a. Allowed noble families to own land in return for loyalty and help in times
of war.
1a. Nobles became too powerful
1aa. Set up their own governments and constantly fought each other.
B. Rulers of the Western Zhou Dynasty.
1. Established a father-to-son succession system.
C. Warfare
1. The Zhou were able to maintain peace and stability for a few hundred years
D. Important contributions of the Western Zhou Dynasty
1. Literature flourished.
2. People began to study astronomy.
3. Roads and canals were built to move supplies over long distances.
Western Zhou Dynasty (1100 - 771 BC)
E. Religion in the Western Zhou Dynasty.
1. Didn’t practice human sacrifice as the Shang Dynasty had done.
2. Zhou's leader was the first to use the Mandate of Heaven and to be
called the son of the heaven; this justification was used by rebellion
leaders later on.
F. In 771 BC, the capital was attacked by “barbarians” from the west.
Eastern Zhou Dynasty (771 - 221 BC)
I. Eastern Zhou Dynasty (771 - 221 BC)
A. After the capital was sacked by barbarians from the west the Zhou Dynasty
was weakened.
1. The Zhou Dynasty moved east, thus dividing into an eastern Zhou Dynasty a
and western Zhou Dynasty.
B. Rulers [See Western Zhou Dynasty]
C. Warfare
1. In the earlier period, armies were small and battles lasted only a day
2. The later period featured what modern strategists would call "total war."
a. Massive armies, long battles, and sieges were common features.
Qin Dynasty Background (221 - 207 BC)
I. Qin (chihn) Dynasty (221-207 BC)
A. By around 480 B.C., China was made up of seven kingdoms which were
constantly at war with each other.
1. Society moved away from its ancient values of social order and peace.
2. Scholars began developing ways to restore these values (Confucianism,
Daoism, and Legalism).
B. In 221 B.C., Shi Huangdi conquered all the other kingdoms to
become China’s first emperor.
1. Controlled nobles by forcing them to move to the capital city of Xianyang
and took away their armies.
C. United the Empire
1. Built new roads and canals to link the different parts of his empire.
2. Same types of coins, weights, and measures made it easier for people to trade
3. Introduced a standard form of writing throughout the empire.
4. Forced labor to build the First Great Wall.
a. Massive wall built to protect China from attacks by northern tribes.
1a. What is today called the Great Wall was actually built close to two
thousand years later, during the Ming dynasty.
The First Emperor developed plans to fortify his northern border, to
protect against the nomadic Xingu. The result was the construction of the
Great Wall of China, which would be expanded and rebuilt multiple times
by later dynasties, also in response to threats from the north. Another
monument built during Qin Shihuang's rule was the Terracotta army,
intended to protect the emperor after his death. As opposed to the Great
Wall, which is visible from space, the Terracotta army was inconspicuous
due to its underground location, and was not discovered until 1974.
Qin Dynasty Background (221 - 207 BC)
D. Punishment of Protestors
1. Anyone who disobeyed was brutally punished.
2. Books were burned that disagreed with Shi Huangdi’s ideas.
a. Scholars who protested were buried alive.
E. Death of Shi Huangdi.
1. Shi Huangdi died in 210 B.C. and was buried in a huge tomb guarded by
an army of over 7,500 life-size model warriors.
F. It wasn't long before the Qin dynasty fell apart, helped in part by a revolution of
peasants; their leader came from the Han area. (began the Han Dynasty).
Qin Shi Huanghi
Qin Shi Huanghi tomb is
guarded by an army of over
7,500 life-size model warriors.
New Philosophies from Ancient China
I. New Philosophies Developed in Ancient China.
A. Daoism
1. It is based on study of the Dao, literally translated, "the Way."
a. Taught people to be humble and worship nature.
b. Lao-Tse did not believe in the worship of gods.
2. Daoism profoundly influenced the later development of Buddhism.
B. Confucianism
1. Extreme worship of one's ancestors
2. Established codes for ethical conduct, virtuous governing, and proper
social relationships.
a. “Golden Rule,” what you do not like when done to yourself, do not do unto
others.
3. Emphasized education, honor, loyalty, and duty.
Confucius
Laozi
New Philosophies from Ancient China
C. Legalism (Based on the writing of Hanfeizi)
1. Believed that man would look out for himself first and was therefore basically
evil.
2. Advocated that strong leaders are needed to make a nation easier to control.
a. Creation of a general atmosphere of fear and the law must be strictly
enforced.
1a. Legalism advocated techniques such as maintaining an active secret
police.
2a. Encouraged neighbors to inform on each other.
b. Many of the same tactics that the Legalists approved of were later employed
by Lao-Tse, Hitler, Stalin, and Mao.