Transcript Ch.3 Powerpoint

Sect.1 Indus Valley Civilizations
In the early 1900’s archaeologist began to
dig in the Indus River Valley of Pakistan.
They unearthed small clay bricks, small clay
seals, Figurines, and other artifacts.
A civilization the flourished 4,500 years
before was discoveried
Sect.1 Indus Valley Civilizations
• The Indus valley is
located in South Asia
or the Indian
subcontinent.
• The Indian
subcontinent is the
largest peninsula that
extends into the
Indian Ocean.
Sect. 1 Indus Valley Civilizations
• Present day India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri
Lanka(Island Nation) and the mountain nations
of Nepal and Bhutan.
– The mountain range in the north limited the contacts
with other lands.(Himalayas & Hindu Kush)
• Left India to develop a distinct culture
• Hindu Kush acted as a gateway to migrating and
invading peoples
– People of Indus plains depend on monsoons and
floods for their crops
Sect.1 Indus Valley Civilizations
Natural Features Define
Region
• The Indian
subcontinent is
divided into three
regions
– First in the Gangetic
Plains in the North
– Second the dry
Deccan plateau
– Third the coastal
plains on either side of
the Deccan
Sect.1Indus Valley Civilizations
• The Gangetic plain lies south of the
Himalayas.
• This region is watered by the mighty
rivers: Indus River, Ganges River,
Brahmaputra River.
• These rivers carried snow melt to the
plains
– Allows for farming in the region
Sect. 1Indus Valley Civilizations
• The Deccan in a
plateau
– Raised area of land
• Lacks the snow melt
and other rivers for
irrigation
• With very little water
this region is very dry
Sect 1.Indus Valley Civilizations
• The coastal plains are
separated from the
Deccan plateau by
the Western and
Eastern Ghats
• River and heavy
seasonal rains
provide water for
farmers
Sect. 1Indus Valley Civilizations
Monsoons affect Climate
• A defining feature of Indian are the
Monsoons
• Seasonal winds that blow from a certain direction
for part of the year
– October the winter monsoon blows from the northeast
» Brings hot, dry air that withers crops
– In mid-June, the summer monsoon blows from the
southwest
» Picks up moisture of the Indian Ocean and drench
the land with downpours
Sect. 1Indus Valley Civilizations
• The monsoons shape everyday life in
India
• People welcome the rains to water their
crops.
• If the rains are late, famine and starvation
may occur
• If the rains are too heavy, deadly flooding
will occur.
Sect. 1 Indus Valley
Civilizations
Indus Civilizations
Rises and Falls
• About 2,600 BC, the
earliest South Asian
civilization emerged
in the Indus River
Valley
– Modern day Pakistan.
Sect.1 Indus Valley Civilizations
• The Indus Civilization flourished for about
700 years
• Since the discovery in the 1920’s the cities
began to emerge from beneath the
landscape
• Several Indus sites have been discovered
and no names of Kings and Queens have
been found
Sect. 1Indus Valley Civilizations
• NO Written remains records, literature and
accounts of famous victories
• The Indus Valley civilization covered the
largest area of any civilization until the rise
of the Persia Empire more than a 1,000
years later
Sect. 1Indus Valley Civilizations
Well-planned Cities reveal Organized
government
• Five large cities have been discoveried
since the 1920’s
• Hundreds of smaller cities have also been
studied
• The Indus cities of Mohenjo Daro and
Harappa
– Believed to be twin capitals
Sect. 1Indus Valley Civilizations
• Harappa & Mohenjo-Daro
– Prosperous civilization
along Indus River
(appx. 2500 BCE)
– Had cities w/ grid
patterns, running
water
– Mainly farmers, but did
trade some
– Written records have
yet to be deciphered
– Civilization ended
around 1500 BCE
• Either flood or invasion
Sect. 1Indus Valley Civilizations
• Large cities
– Three mile in circumference
• Each city included large warehouses for
storage
• Mohenjo Daro and other cities were well
ogranized
– Long, wide main streets and large rectangle
blocks
– Houses were built with baked clay bricks
Sect. 1Indus Valley Civilizations
• Harappa sites used unbaked bricks and
mud
• Indus Houses had a complex plumbing
systems
– With baths, drains, and water chute that led
into sewers beneath the streets.
• Evidence showed a well organized
government
Sect. 1Indus Valley Civilizations
Making a living by farming and Trading
• Most people in the Indus civilization were
farmers.
• They grew a wide variety of crops
– Wheat, Barley, melons and dates.
• First people to weave cotton into cloth
• Some people were merchants and traders
– Their ships carried cargo of cotton cloth,
grain, copper, pearls, and ivory combs
Sect. 1Indus Valley Civilizations
• Sailed to the middle east by hugging the
coast of the Arabian Sea
• Develop a writing system that was unique
to the region
Religious Beliefs Develop
• Clue like statues and images on clay seals
gave some views on the religion of the
Indus Valley people
Sect. 1Indus Valley Civilizations
• Believed to be polytheistic.
• A mother goddess of creation
• Viewed certain animals as sacred
– Buffalo and the Bull
Indus Civilization Declines
• By 1900 Bc the way of life began to
decline
• Crude pottery replaced fine works of
earlier days
Sect.1 Indus Valley Civilizations
• The use of writing stopped
• Mohenjo-Daro was abandoned
• The population of the Indus cities declined
• Historians are not sure what happen to the
people of Indus Valley
– Invaders overran Indus cities
– Damage to the local environment
• Cutting down of too many trees
Sect.1 Indus Valley Civilizations
• Tons of river mud was found in the streets
of Mohenjo-Daro
– Suggests a massive flood
• Other evidence points to a massive
earthquake
Sect.1 Indus Valley Civilizations
Aryan Civilization Develops During the Vedic age
• Beginnings
– Indo-European (light skinned) people, invaded from
North of the Black sea between 2000 BC to1500 BC
• Travelled through the passages in northwestern India
Aryans emerge in India
• These nomads belonged to one of many speaker of a
Indo European language
• These nomads intermarried with local people (Aryans)
– Blended the nomad culture with earlier Indian culture
Sect.1 Indus Valley Civilizations
• The early Aryans built no cities and left very little
evidence behind
• Much of what we know comes from the Vedas
– Vedas – “Books of Knowledge” – tell us about Aryan society &
religious beliefs
– A collection of hymns, chants, ritual instructions and other
religious teachings
– The Aryan priest memorized the Vedas thousands of years
before they were ever wrote down.
• This period of time is called the Vedic Age (1500 BC to
500BC)
Sect.1 Indus Valley Civilizations
From Nomadic Life to Farming
• Gave up the nomadic way and settled into villages
• The Aryans spread eastward by 800BC
– They learned how to make Iron axes and weapons
• Loose organization of tribes; led by Rajah (chief)
– Most skilled war leader, elected by a assembly of warriors
– Consider advice from a council of Elders
– Fought with other Rajahs for control of trade
• Cattle was important to early Aryans – used for diet &
trade/economy; eventually cows become sacred
• Paternalistic society (men dominated)
• Sanskrit – early Aryan speech, eventually becomes
writing
Caste System
• Caste System is the rigid social system of India
• Divided into 4 main varnas or social classes
– Brahmans (priest)
– Kshatriyas (warriors/nobles)
– Vaisyas (artisans, common people)
– Sudras (unskilled workers, servants)
• Each varna is subdivided into smaller groups called jati
• Jati formed according to occupation
– Some mobility within the varna, but NO MOBILITY
from varna to varna
• Lowest group (not even identified as a “class”) are the
“untouchables”
Sect 1 Indus Valley Civilization
Epic Literature Tells about Aryan Life
• Indian civilization consisted of many rival
kingdoms
• Sanskrit is used to write sacred texts
began
• Aryans maintained a strong oral tradition
• Two epic poems.
– Mahabharata and Ramayana
Sect. 1 Indus Valley Civilization
Mahabharata tells of warfare and Religion
• India’s greatest epic poem
• Nearly 100,000 verses
• A story of five royal brothers who lose their
kingdom to their cousins
– After a great battle that lasted 18 days the
royal brothers regain their kingdoms and
restored peace to India
– Other versus tell about the importance of
duty over personal desires
Sect. 1 Indus Valley Civilization
Ramayana teaches values of behavior
• Much shorter but just as important
• The story of a hero (Rama) and his bride
(Sita). Sita is kidnapped by the demonking Ravana.
• The rest of the story tell how Rama finally
rescues Sita with the aid of the monkey
general Hanuman
• Rama is the model of virtue and ideal king
• Sita is the model of a loyal and obedient
wife
Sect.2 Hinduism and Buddhism
Thousands of years ago two major religion
emerged from ancient India
– Hinduism and Buddhism
• The ethical and spritual message of both religions
profoundly shaped Indian civilization
The Beliefs of Hinduism Develop
• Hinduism has no single founder
• No sacred text
Sect.2 Hinduism and Buddhism
• It grew out of the overlapping beliefs of the
diverse groups who settled India.
– Aryans added the Indus Civilization to their
own gods and goddess
• Hinduism became one of the most
complex religions of the world
• Countless gods and goddess and many
forms of worship existed side by side.
Sect.2 Hinduism and Buddhism
One Force underlies Everything
• Hindus believe that everything is part of
the unchanging, all powerful spiritual force
called the Brahman
• Each can take many shape human and
animal
• Some hindus also worship various forms
of powerful god, Shakti
Hindu Gods
Brahma – The creator
Hindu Gods
Shiva – The Destroyer
Vishnu – The Preserver
Devi – Mother Goddess
Sect.2 Hinduism and Buddhism
Sacred texts reveal Hindu Beliefs
• Hindu teachings were recorded in the
sacred text of the Vedas
• Upanishads are section Vedas that
address mystical questions related to
Hinduism
• These sacred text use vivid images to
examine complex ideas about the human
soul and the connectedness of all life.
Sect.2 Hinduism and Buddhism
Achieving Moksha is the goal of life
• Every person has a essential self
– Atman
• The ultimate goal of existence, Hindu
believe is achieving moksha
– Union with brahman
• To do this an individual must free themselves from
selfish desires that separate them from brahman
Sect.2 Hinduism and Buddhism
• Most people cannot achieve moksha in
one lifetime
• Hindus believe in reincarnation
– Rebirth of the soul in another bodily form
– Reincarnation allows people to continue
working towards moksha through several
lifetimes
• A person can come closer to achieving
moksha by obeying the laws of Karma
– All actions of a person’s life that affects his or
her fate in the next life.
Sect.2 Hinduism and Buddhism
• To Hindus, all existence is ranked
– Humans are closest to brahman, then comes
animals, plants, and objects like rocks or
water
• People who live virtuously earn good
karma and are reborn at a higher level of
existence
• Those who acquire bad karma and are
reborn into suffering at a lower level.
• The image of the wheel symbolizes this
Sect.2 Hinduism and Buddhism
• Hinduism stresses the importance of
dharma
– Religious and moral duties of an individual
– According to class, occupation, gender, and
age.
• Hindus also follow a key moral principle of
ahimsa
– Nonviolence
Buddhism
• Many Hindus were dissatisfied with their religion (wanted
more spirituality)
• Siddhartha Guatama
– Born as Kshatriyan Prince appx. 566 BCE
– Lived sheltered from pain of the world
– Gives up life of luxury at age 29 and wanders India for
7 years looking for meaning of life
– Gains enlightenment – becomes known as Buddha
(Enlightened One)
• 4 Noble Truths
– Pain, suffering, frustration and anxiety are inescapable parts of
human life
– Suffering and anxiety are caused by human desire and attachments
– People can understand these weaknesses and triumph over them
– This truth is made possible by following a simple code of conduct,
the eightfold path
• Eightfold Path
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Know truth
Resist evil
Say nothing harmful
Respect life
Work to help others
Free mind from evil
Control thoughts
Practice meditation
Buddhist Beliefs
• Buddhists reach nirvana (a state of union with
the universe) by mastering Eightfold Path
• Buddhists reject the caste system, they believe
you can reach enlightenment in any life
• Reincarnation still exists, but only for those that
don’t reach enlightenment – one could escape
the pain of life/rebirth by becoming enlightened
• There are 2 major branches of Buddhism
– Theravada- close in practice to original Buddhism
– Mahayana- they worship Buddha as a divine being &
savior
Classical Indian Empires
• Mauryan Empire (321-184 BCE)
– Began by Chandragupta Maurya
– Largest empire of classical India; had strong army & spy network
– Most famous leader was Ashoka
• Warlike leader who eventually converts to Buddhism
• Provided public support via hospital care, roads & rest stops, etc.
• Laws provided in local languages instead of formal Sanskrit
• Gupta Empire
– Began in 320 CE, lasts until appx. 535 CE
– Gupta rulers used marriage & negotiation to increase empire
– Known as the “Golden Age” due to intellectual accomplishments
• 1st university system w/ 3 libraries, lecture halls, observatory, etc.
• Advances in science including gravity, brain surgery, astronomical
observations, the Earth being round, & smallpox inoculation
• Mathematical advancements of #1-9, 0, pi, decimal system, infinity
Sect.3 Powerful Empires of
India
Northern India was often a battleground for
Rival rajah fought for control of the
Gangetic Plain
– Chandragupta Maurya forged India into a
empire
The Maurya Empire Creates a Strong
Government
Sect.3 Powerful Empires of India
Chandragupta Forges an Empire
• Chandra Gupta first gained control in the
Ganges Valley
• His grandson and his son pushed south,
adding much land to his empire
• Chandragupta maintained order through a
well-organized government
– Official built roads, Harbors, collect taxes and
manage state-owned Factories and shipyards
• Fearful of his enemies, he trained women
as guards
Sect.3 Powerful Empires of India
Asoka Rules by Moral Example
• Most honored Maurya emperor
– Chandragupta’s Grandson
• Fought a long blood war in Deccan region
– Horrified by the slaughter of 100,000 people
• Converted to Buddhism
– Rejected violence and ruled by moral
example
• He sent out missionaries to spread
Buddhism across India and Sri Lanka
Sect.3 Powerful Empires of
India
• Had stone pillars set up across India
– Offered moral advice and a just government
Division and Disunity Set In
• After Asoka’s death in 185 BC, Maurya
power began to decline
– Rival princes fought for power of Gangetic
Plain
• India seldomly remained united for long
Sect.3 Powerful Empires of
India
• The north shared a common culture, but
many rivals
• Distance and cultural difference in the
people of the north and deccan added to
turmoil
• Foreigners pushed through mountain
passes into Northern India
Sect.3 Powerful Empires of
India
Kingdom Arise Across the Deccan
• The Deccan was divided into many
kingdoms with their own capitals
• The Dravidian of the Deccan had a very
different language and traditions.
• Hindu and Buddhist ideas, sanskrit drifted
south and blended with local traditions
• The Tamil kingdom occupied the
southernmost part India
Sect.3 Powerful Empires of
India
• Tamil kingdom left diverse literature about
war, heroic deeds, and festive occasions
and city life
The Gupta Bring About a Golden Age
• The most powerful Indian states arose in
the North
– Gupta Empire
– 500 years after the Mauryas.
– Strong central government
Sect.3 Powerful Empires of
India
• From 320AD to 540 AD India’s golden age
– Period of great cultural achievement
Peace and Prosperity
• Looser control than the Maurya,
– Power left in the hands of Individual villages
and city government
• Elected by merchants and artisans
Sect.3 Powerful Empires of
India
• Trading and farming flourished across
India
– Wheat, Rice, and Sugar Cane
– Cotton cloth, Pottery, and metalware
• Exported goods to East Asia, Middle East,
and Southeast Asia.
Sect.3 Powerful Empires of
India
Indian make Advances in Learning
• Students were educated in religious
schools
• In Hindu and Buddhist centers, learning
was not limited to religion and philosophy.
• Large monastery-university at Nalanda
– Attracted students from many parts of Asia
– Taught math, medicine, physics, languages,
literature, and other subjects
Asoka
Mauryan Empire
Gupta Empire
Sect.3 Powerful Empires of India
• Indian advances in math impact the world
– Concept of Zero
– Decimal system with 10 digits
• Indian doctors used herbs and other
remedies to treat illnesses
• Surgeons set bones and simple surgeries
to repair injuries
• Doctors began to vaccinate for smallpox
1,000 year before the pratice started in
Europe
Sect.3 Powerful Empires of India
Expanding India’s Literature
• Many writers added to the heritage of
Indian Literature
– Collected and recorded fables and folk tales
in Sanskrit
The Gupta Empire Declines
• The Gupta Empire declined from weak
rulers, civil war, and foreign invaders
• The White Huns from Asia began to
overrun the Gupta empire
Sect.3 Powerful Empires of India
Family and Village life shapes Indian Society
• Everyday life revolves around the rules
and duties associated with caste, family,
and village
Joint Family Structure
• Ideal Family structure was the joint family
– Parents, children and their offspring shared a
common dwelling
• Father or oldest male is the head of the
family
Sect.3 Powerful Empires of India
• Adult males continue to live with their
parents after marriage
• Close family ties amongst the males
The Family Performs Certain duties
• Function was to train children in the
tradition and duties of their castes
• Family interest came before the individual
needs
• Important for parents to arrange marriages
based on caste and family interest
Sect.3 Powerful Empires of India
• Dowry a payment to the brides groom.
– Financed the costly wedding festivities
Role of women change over time
• During gutpa times women were began to
be restricted to the home
• If the left they would need to be covered
from head to toe.
• Primary duty was to marry and raise
children
Sect.3 Powerful Empires of
India
Typical Village Structure
• Village sized varied from a few to
hundreds of families
• Clustered house made of earth
• Each villiage had different caste who
performed certain tasks
• Each ran its own affairs
• A village headmen and council made
decisions
Sect.3 Powerful Empires of
India
• Women did serve on the councils
– Became more restricted under Hindu law
Agriculture and Trade Shape Life
• Farming depended on the rains of the
summer monsoons
• Landlords owned much of the lands
– Farmers who worked the land had to give part
of the harvest to the landlord
– Left with hardly enough for their families
Sect.3 Powerful Empires of
India
• Villages usually produced most of the food
and goods they needed
– Had to rely in trade for salt, spices and
various manufactured goods
• People regularly interacted with nearby
villages
– Weddings, shopping at marketplaces
Modern India
• After Gupta
– Years of invasions (Muslims, Mongols, Portuguese, etc.)
– Lasts from 700s-1600s
• British Rule - Imperialism
– British East India Company becomes active in Indian
government
– Hired Indian soldiers (sepoys) – they revolt in 1857
– Revolt suppressed, British officially take over India with Queen
Victoria named “Empress of India” in 1876 (Crown Jewel)
• Colonial Rule
– Queen appoints viceroy to rule in her place
– British try to modernize India
• Schools, telegraphs, railroads, postal system, etc.
• High taxation; Indians forced to farm cotton (US Civil War)
• Millions of Indians starve
– Indians treated as 2nd class people
• Mohandas Gandhi
– Also known as Mahatma Gandhi; Indian nationalist
& British educated lawyer
– Leads independence movement in India with mass
civil disobedience (nonviolent protesting)
– Gandhi was jailed several times for his protests
• Most famous protest was Salt March (1930)
– Led the Indian National Congress
– Supported British in WWI, but refused to support
them in WWII
– Independence movement splits
• Indian (Hindu)
• Modern (Muslim)
– India granted Independence from Great Britain in
1947; western India splits and becomes Pakistan
(Muslim)
– Gandhi assassinated in 1948
Sect.4 Rise of Civilization In China
Geography Influences Civilization
• Long Distance and geographic barriers
separate China from Egypt, the middle
east, and India
• Isolation lead to the view that China was to
sole civilization
– Middle Kingdom
Sect.4 Rise of Civilization In China
Geographic Barriers Set China Apart
• To the west and southwest of China, brutal
mountains and desert
– The Tian Shan and the Himalayas
• To the southeast, thick rainforest divide
China from southeast Asia
• To the North, a desert (Gobi)
• To the East is the Pacific Ocean
Sect.4 Rise of Civilization In China
Sect.4 Rise of Civilization In China
• Despite the barriers, China did contact
with the outside world
• Traded with neighboring peoples, and in
time Chinese goods reached the Middle
East
China includes Varied Region
• Their empire covered a many regions
• The Chinese heartland lays along the east
coast
Sect.4 Rise of Civilization In
China
• Also include valley of Huang and the
Yellow Rivers and Chang River
• This fertile area supported the largest
population
• Rivers provided water for transportation
routes and irrigation
• The outlaying areas are Xinjiang and
Mongolia
– Harsh climate and rugged terrain
Sect.4 Rise of Civilization In
China
– Occupied by nomads
• China also extended influence into Tibet
Settling along the ‘River of Sorrow”
• Chinese history began in the Huang River
Valley
• A need to control the water flow through
large water project
– Led a strong Central government
Sect.4 Rise of Civilization In
China
• Sometimes called the Yellow River
Civilization
• The Huang River get its name from the
Loess
– Windblown silt
– Carried eastward from Siberia and Mongolia
• As the loess settles in the river it rises the
water level
– Chinese peasant build dikes to control the
flood water
Sect.4 Rise of Civilization In China
• If the dikes failed it would flood the fields
and cause mass starvation
China Begins to take Shape Under the
Shang Dynasty
• About 1766 BC the first Chinese dynasty
arose in Northern China
– Remain dominate until 1122BC
Formation of a government
• Walled city of Anyang (capital)
Map of Shang Dynasty & an Oracle Bone
Sect.4 Rise of Civilization In China
• Shang kings only controlled a small area
• Loyal princes and nobles governed most
of the land
– Heads of clans
• Families that share a common ancestor
• Women had a high status in the Shang
Dynasty
Sect.4 Rise of Civilization In China
Social Classes Develop
• Top level of Shang society included the
royal family and noble warriors
• Early Chinese cities supported a class of
artisans and merchants
• Artisan provided goods for noble
– Bronze weapons, silk robes, and jade jewelry
• Merchants traded food and crafts for salt,
and certain shells
Sect.4 Rise of Civilization In China
– Things not found in northeast China
• Majority of people in Shang China were
peasants
– Cluster into small villages
• Houses had thatched roof and earthen
floors
– Dug several feet below the surrounding
ground
• Peasant life was grueling
Sect.4 Rise of Civilization In China
• All family members worked in the fields
– Used stone tool to plant and harvest crops
• Worked to repair dikes when not in the
field
• If a war broke out between noble families,
men had to fight alongside their lords
The Zhou Dynasty Further Defines China
• In 1122BC the Zhou people marched out
their kingdoms in the west to overthrow
the Shang
ZHOU
Sect.4 Rise of Civilization In China
• The Zhou dynasty lasted until 256 BC
Receiving the Mandate of Heaven
• To justify their rebellion against the Shang,
the Zhou promoted the idea of the
Mandate of Heaven
– Divine right to rule
• The Zhou declared the cruel Shang ruler
outraged the Gods
• The Gods passed the Mandate of Heaven
to the Zhou
Sect.4 Rise of Civilization In China
• The Chinese expanded the idea of the
mandate of Heaven to explain the rise and
fall of dynasties
• As long as a dynasty provides a good
government, mandate of heaven would
continue
• The Chinese believed that when the
mandate was withdrawn that floods,
famine would sign the dynasty has lost the
favor of the Gods
Dynastic Cycle
NEW DYNASTY
CLAIMS MANDATE
OF HEAVEN
NEW DYNASTY
• Brings Peace
• (re)Builds
infrastructure
• Land given to
peasants
• People protected
PROBLEMS
•Floods, famines,
earthquakes
• Invasions/Revolts
Dynasty LOSES
MANDATE
OF HEAVEN
AGING DYNASTY
•Ignores
infrastructure
• taxes too heavily
• people unprotected
• government
corruption/neglect
Sect.4 Rise of Civilization In China
• In the resulting chaos a new leader would
seize power and form a new dynasty
• Known as the feudal age of Chinese history
– King gives lands to nobles in exchange for
loyalty
– Empire is too big for King to rule
– Nobles actually ruled local areas – leads to
many wanting to challenge Zhou kings
Sect.4 Rise of Civilization In China
Spurring Economic Growth
• China’s economy began to grow during the
Zhou dynasty
• Knowledge of ironworking reached China by
600 BC
– Iron axes and plows replaced stone, wood, and
bronze tools
– Ability to produce more food
• Peasant began to grow new crops
– Soybeans
• Feudal lords organized irrigation works
Sect.4 Rise of Civilization In China
• The Chinese began to use money for the
first time.
– Copper coins with hole in the center to be
strung on a rope
• Merchants benefitted from new roads and
canals
Zhou Dynasty ends
• By 26BC, Zhou dynasty was wealthy and
very large
Sect.4 Rise of Civilization In
China
– But too weak to control feudal lords
– Battled each other for power
• A ruthless leader who was about political
unity emerged
• He brought an end to the Zhou dynasty
and ushered in the Qin dynasty
Chinese Religion
• Confucianism
– Kongzi (Confucius)
•
•
•
•
Born in 551 BCE
Brilliant Scholar
Hoped to advise local rulers
Never wrote anything down
– Analects – teachings of Confucius
• Teachings focused on order & ethics
• Respect for family & elders are important
• Respect for past & traditions
– 5 Primary relationships
•
•
•
•
•
Ruler & subject
Parent & child
Husband & wife
Old & young
Friend & friend
• Confucianism (con’t)
– “Lower” in relationship owes respect for “upper”; “upper” must set
a good example for “lower”
– Filial Piety – respect for parents
– Reciprocity – golden rule
– Civil Service System
• Used for advancement in gov’t positions (Han dynasty)
• Based on Confucianist ideas
– , light, male, aggressive
Sect.4 Rise of Civilization In China
Confucianism has Great Influence
• Confucian ideas influenced China for
centuries after his death
• Confucian scholars were picked as
officials
• Confucian belief of Filial Piety reinforced
the traditional belief
• Continue ideas of balance in universe
– Yin & Yang
• Yin – Earth, cool, darkness, female, submissive
• Yang – Heaven, light, Male
– Universe depended on maintaining balance
Sect.4 Rise of Civilization In
China
• Hundreds of millions of people accepted
confucian beliefs
– Korea, Japan, and Vietnam
– Eventually a third of the world’s population
followed these beliefs
Daoism Teaches harmony with nature
Sect.4 Rise of Civilization In China
• Daoism
– Laozi (“Old Master”)
• Rejected formal social structure; opposite
of Confucianism
• Little is known about Laozi
– Ideas collected in Dao De Jing
– The Way of Virtue
• Not concerned with human affiars
• Focused on harmony with nature
• People should look beyond everyday cares
and focus on the Dao. (the way)
Sect.4 Rise of Civilization In China
• To know the Dao is to reject conflict and
strife
• Many became hermits, artists and poets
• Daoists viewed government as unnatural
and a cause of problems
– The best government was the one who
governs the least
• Over time Confucianism and Daoism
blended
– Confucianism shows how to behave
– Daoism influences their views of the natural
world
Sect.4 Rise of Civilization In China
Achievements abound in Early China
• The people of Shang and Zhou China are
know for cultural achievement
– Shang astronomers studied the movement of
planet and recorded eclipses of the Sun
• Led to a more accurate calendar 365.25 days
Discovering the secret Silk road
• By 2650BC the Chinese learn how to
make silk from the cocoons of silkworms
• Produced the silkworms and mulberry
trees
Sect.4 Rise of Civilization In China
• Then wove silk in to cloth and colored with
brilliant colors.
• Only royalty and noble could afford silk
• Silk became China’s most valuable export
• The Chinese kept the silk making process
a secret for hundred of years
Establishing a complex system of writing
• Took shape 4,000 years ago
Sect.4 Rise of Civilization In
China
• Oracle Bone, oldest examples
– Animal bone or turtle shells on which Shang
priest wrote questions to addressed to the
Gods
– Which heated the bones would crack, once
interpreted would provide answers or advice
• Over time a writing system with character
developed
– Tens of thousands of character
Sect.4 Rise of Civilization In China
• Has been simplified over the centuries
• A person would have to memorize all the
characters
• Would make it almost impossible to
understand other languages
Creating the first books
• First books appeared in Zhou China
– On thin sheets of wood or bamboo
• Book of Songs; poems about events in
everyday life
Sect.5 Strong Rules Unite China
• The powerful ruler of the state of Qin rose
to unify all of China
• Zheng proclaimed himself Shi Huangi
“First Emperor”.
– Brought the classical era to China
• Government, Philosophy, religion, science, and art
that serve as a framework for future cultures.
Shi Huangi Unified China
• Shi Huangi was determined to end the
divisions that had split Zhou China
Sect.5 Strong Rules Unite China
• Spent the next 20 years conquering most
of the warring state
• Built the strong, authoritarian Qin
government
Legalism Establishes Harsh Rule
• Shi Huangi centralized power with the help
of Legalist advisors
• Legalism was based on the teachings of
Hanfeizi
Sect.5 Strong Rules Unite
China
– The nature of man is evil, his goodness is
acquired
– Greed, was the motive for most actions and
the cause of most conflict
• Hanfeizi insisted that the only way to
achieve order was to pass strict laws and
impose harsh punishments for crimes
• To legalist, strength, not goodness, was a
rulers greatest virtue
Sect.5 Strong Rules Unite China
• Many feudal rulers chose Legalism as a
way to keep order
• Shi Huangi tortured, killed and enslaved
those who opposed his rule
• Feudal and Confucian scholars hated his
laws
• To end the dissent, began a campaign of
book burning, and ordered the destruction
of all manuals except one of Medicine and
Farming
Sect.5 Strong Rules Unite China
• The policy of enslaving people as
punishment for crime lasted through most
of the following dynasty
Unity Imposed
• He replaced the feudal states with 36
military districts
– Loyal official ruled
• Forced noble families to live in Xianyang
– His capital city
• Gave displaced noble’s land to peasants
– Had to pay a high tax
Sect.5 Strong Rules Unite
China
– Supported his armies and building projects
• To promote unity he standardized weights
and measurements
• Replace coins with a single Qin coin
• Had scholars create a uniformity in
Chinese writing
• Extended roads and canals
• New law to require cart to have the width
axles.
Sect.5 Strong Rules Unite
China
Constructing the Great Wall
• Shi Huangdi’s greatest and most costly
achievement
– In the past individual feudal lords built walls to
protection their lands
– Took many years to complete and thousands
died as laborers
Sect.5 Strong Rules Unite
China
• Shi Huangdi died in 210BC
– Anger over heavy taxes, forced labor and
cruel policies exploded a revolt.
– Qin dynasty official ended in 206BC
• Gao Zu, a illiterate peasant defeated rival
armies and founded the Han dynasty
Han Dynasty
• Ruled from 206BC – 220AD
• Wudi
– Ruled from 141BC to 87BC
– Improved canals and roads
– Had professional employees help with administration
of empire (bureaucracy)
• Had to take a test (Civil Service Exam)
• Test based on Confucianism
• Adopted the idea that government should be awarded based
on merit, not family ties
• Trade flourished with the Silk Road
– 4,000 mile long trade route
– Connected China to Middle East and Europe
– Used stages to relay goods along the route
Sect.5 Strong Rules Unite
China
• Han dynasty collapsed when emperors could no
longer control the powerful warlords
• Burdened by heavy taxes, peasant began to
revolt.
Achievements of the Han Golden Age
• Scientist write books on Chemistry, zoology,
botany
• Observed and recorded movement of planets
• Scientific advancements included
– 1st seismograph
– 1st true paper
– 1st watermills (grain)
Sect.5 Strong Rules Unite
China
• Use acupuncture to treat pain and illness
• Pioneered shipbuilding and rudder for
steering
• Other inventions
– Fishing reel
– Wheelbarrows
– Suspension Bridge