Post on 16-Dec-2015
ASIAN CULTURES UNIT
350 BCE – 1400 CE
350 BCE – 600 CEDefenseTradeAdvances
China and India
550 – 1400Technological AdvancesThe MongolsStatus of Women in Asian Cultures
East Asia
Americas: Government, Achievements, ReligionAfrica: Adaption to Environment, Trade & Blending of cultures
Comparisons to Americas & Africa
350 BCE – 600 CE
China & India
First Chinese Empire
221 BCE: Qin became the first unified Chinese empire
LEGALISM: political philosophy taught efficient government key to maintaining order and control
Qin Reforms To strengthen security, workers joined
separate defensive walls in Northern China GREAT WALL OF CHINA
hundreds of thousands of peasants toiled and many died
Trade & Buddhism
China’s most prized possession is: SILK Revealing the secret of its making was punishable by
death Merchants traveling between China and Central
Asia used a series of overland routes SILK ROADS: network of routes stretched from
China to Mediterranean Linked China to India, Middle East, and Roman Empire
Brought Buddhism to China Brought more hope to Chinese than Confucianism or
Daoism
Chinese Advances
Paper – made by grinding plant fibers, like hemp, into a paste and left to dry “books” created by connecting several
sheets to create scroll Iron plow and wheelbarrow Seismograph – measured earthquakes ACUPUNCTURE: inserting fine needles
into skin at specific points to cure disease and relieve pain
Indian Advances
Hindu-Arabic Numerals: first to use the symbol for 0 Without which modern math would not be
possible Numerals we use today
Earth revolves around the sun Circumference of the earth
Accurate to 1%
View map on pages 242-243 Compare insets on Roman and Han
conflicts with Nomads What effects did nomads have on the
Roman empire? The Chinese empire? What was the most extensive empire
between 100-400 CE? Which group of nomads traveled the
farthest?
550-1400
East Asia
China – Inventions & Innovations Porcelain – ceramic known as “china”
Sought after around the world Woodblock Printing
A page of text is carved into a block of wood Wood is coated with ink Pressed to paper
Movable Type – individual letters or characters carved Rearranged and reused
THE DRAGON IS THE IMPERIAL SIGN OF CHINA
China – Inventions & Innovations Paper Money
Facilitated Trade Trade expanded along improved roads
and canals Silk Roads – routes connected china to
markets in Central Asia, India and beyond!
Ship Building advances led to sailing around Asia
Status of Women
Foot Binding: Feet tightly wrapped with pieces
of cloth Restricted growth of feet so
they appeared small and dainty Extremely painful Over time bones deformed Also limited movement
The Mongol Empire
STEPPES: grasslands, stretch across north-central Eurasia Home to nomadic people Too dry for farming Lived as pastoralists, relying on
herds Traded for items they lacked Or, swept through and took what
they wanted
Mongols
Sheep and Goat herders Skilled with horses Divided into clans Each clan led by a KHAN:
CHIEF 1206: Genghis Kahn
“Universal Leader” conquered rival Mongol clans and became leader of all Mongols
Genghis Khan
Built an Empire! Built a powerful military machine Enforced strict discipline Demanded complete loyalty Highly mobile, struck quickly Military leader
Surrounded and trapped enemy Brutality Psychological warfare Burned any town that resisted Sent agents ahead to build fear of approaching forces
Mongol Empire
Over 20 years, Mongols conquered much of Asia Learned the art of siege warfare and gunpowder 1227: at his death, Genghis Khan controlled much
of China and Central Asia Mongols divided his empire into
Khanates: regions Heirs ruled each region
PAX MONGOLIA: Mongols ruled peacefully, tolerated local beliefs, allowed local rulers to stay in power, created stability
Japan
Archipelago: large island chain Japan is the length of the eastern coast of the US Volcanic
Early Japan SHINTO: everything in nature, sun, rocks, trees,
animals has a spirit (kami) No sacred text or structure Build shrines to kami and perform ceremonies for
blessings Shrines located in natural settings dedicated to
unusual trees, waterfalls, etc Red Gateway marks the entrance to a shrine
GovernmentAchievementsReligion
Similarities with the Americas
Government
City-States throughout Mesoamerica (Mexico) formed alliances
Aztecs (1100s) required conquered people to pay tribute – tax
Inca (Peru) put governors throughout their conquered empire
Achievements
Maya and Aztecs kept written records
Incans kept tax records, census, livestock records on QUIPU: knotted, colored
cords Aztecs created a 365
day calendar Accurate calculations of
the movements of the planets
Trade & Architecture
Inca Roads: paved with stone blocks, 14,000 miles, crossed every terrain imaginable (sea level to 12,000 miles high)
First known suspension bridges crossed canyons and rivers
Machu Pichu: as advanced as Rome
Religion
Inca kept mummies of dead kings and worshipped them
Created temples to worship
Polytheistic Ceremonies led by
priestsIn 1999, Archaeologists
found 3 preserved bodies of Inca who were sacrificed to the gods in the mountains,
and preserved thanks to the dry cold.
Adaption to Environment Trade & Blending of cultures
Similarities with Africa
Environment
Large size (3xs the USA) has a wide variety of climates and vegetation Low, wide plains run across
Northern and Western interior: SAHARA DESERT: LARGEST
DESERT IN THE WORLD East is the Great Rift Valley,
Rivers: Congo, Zambezi, Niger, Nile
Outer parts have several mountain ranges
Coastal areas are fertile farmlands, deserts, swamps, sandy beaches
Agriculture & Trade
Hunter-Gatherers, to Pastoralists, to farmers
As farming developed, people needed more land and spread out Women farmed, men raised cattle
Islam spread to Africa through trade Iron, gold, cattle, salt,
Trade led to blending of African, Arab, and Asian cultures SWAHILI: AFRICAN-ARAB
LANGUAGE & CULTURE