Early Civilizations in India and China
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Transcript of Early Civilizations in India and China
Early Civilizations in India and China
India• Geography: The Indian
Subcontinent– Indus valley is located in the
region India– Subcontinent- large landmass
that juts out from a continent• India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh
– Mountain ranges, Hindu Kush and Himalayas are at the Northern border• Limited contact with India and
other lands- Cultural Diversity
Three Regions• Northern Plain– Well watered, just south of the mountains– Many rivers- Indus, Ganges, Brahma putra• Carried melting snow down the mountains
• Deccan Plateau– Dry and triangular shaped, juts into ocean• Lacks snow that come from the mountains, land is dry
• Coastal Plains– Separated from Deccan by low lying mountain
ranges-Eastern and Western Ghats• Rivers and seasonal rains provide water
• Monsoons- Seasonal winds and rain– In Oct. winds flow hot dry air– In June, moisture flows over and drenches crops
• Cultural Diversity – India’s big size & diverse landscapes made it hard
to unite
• Indus Valley Civilization– Emerged in what is present day Pakistan (2500BC)– Flourished for 1000 years– Archeologists discovered the once prosperous
cities• Have not uncovered all• Indus Valley covered largest area of any civilization until
the rise of the Persian Empire
• Well Planned Cities– Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro, twin capitals
• Both large, 3 miles in circumference• Massive hilltop structure (fortress or temple)• Had warehouses to store food surplus • All houses built of uniform oven-fried clay bricks• Modern plumbing systems, with baths, drains, water chutes
that lead to sewer beneath streets
• Farming and Trade– Grew wheat, barley, melons and dates– First people to cultivate cotton and weave fibers
into cloth– Merchants and traders• Ships carried cargos of cotton, grain, copper, pearls and
ivory
• Religion– Finding of many statues shows they were
polytheistic – Mother goddess wildly honored– Worshipped sacred animals, (bull), -Indian beliefs
• Decline and Disappearance – 1750 BC, quality of life was declining, order
became unstable • Causes- Ecological disasters- Volcanic eruptions,
earthquakes, deforestation• Aryans, migrated and overtook land with horse drawn
carriages
Kingdom of the Ganges• The Vedic Age– Aryans migrated across
Europe and Asia seeking water and pasture for horses and cattle
– Early Aryans didn’t build cities
– Most of what we know comes from the Vedas- Collection of prayers, hymns, and other religious teachings
• Aryan priests recited and memorized the Vedas 1000 years before they were written down
• 1500BC-500BC known as Vedic Age
• Aryan Society-Divided people by occupation– Brahmins- Priests, claimed they alone could
conduct ceremonies needed to win favor of the gods
– Kshatriyas- Warriors, first enjoyed highest prestige, priests eventually gained most respect
– Vaisyas- Herders, farmers, artisans and merchants
• Aryans felt superior to the Dravidians, people they conquered – Dravidians descended from original inhabitants of
Indus Valley– Non-Aryans, separated into fourth group, the Sudras-
farm workers, servants, laborers
• Class divisions came to reflect social and economic roles more than racial differences
• Became castes, social groups into which people are born and from which they cannot change
Varna (Social Hierarchy)
Shudras
Vaishyas
Kshatriyas
Pariahs [Harijan] Untouchables
Brahmins
• Aryan Religious Beliefs– Polytheistic– Worshipped Gods and Goddesses that
embodied natural forces – Honored animals– Brahmins offered sacrifices of food and drink – Eventually religious leaders wanted one
spiritual power • Brahman-resided in all things• Mystics- People who devote their lives to seeking
spiritual wealth • Meditation and Yoga- Mystics looked for direct
communication with divine forces
• Expansion and Change – Aryans travelled over
mountain passages into Northwest India
– Aryan tribes were lead by chiefs called rajahs, most skilled war leader
• Colonization of Ganges– Made tools out of
Iron– Made cities in the
jungle, rajahs ruled them
– Developed written language, Sanskrit• Priests began
writing sacred texts
• Heroic Deeds and Morals– Mahabharata
– Ramayana
Early Civilization in China
• Geography: The Middle Kingdom– Ancient Chinese called their land the Zhongguo,
the Middle Kingdom– Very isolated• Long distances and physical barriers kept it from Egypt,
the Middle East and India• Isolation contributed to belief that China was the
center of the Earth– Sole source of civilization
• Geographic Barriers– To the West and
Southwest of China, high mountains, Tien Shan and Himalayas
– Southeast, full of thick jungles divided China from Southeast China
– North, Gobi Desert– East, Pacific Ocean
• The barriers didn’t stop the Chinese from trading with other people, the Middle East
• Nomads and invaders entered China and accepted Chinese superiority
• Main Regions– Chinese heartland
lay along the east coast and the valleys of Huang He (Yellow River) and the Yangtze• Fertile farming
region supported large populations
• Other Regions:– Xinjiang,
Mongolia, Manchuria
– China also extended influence on Himalayan region Tibet and Xizang
• River of Sorrows– Huang He got its name
from the loess, fine windblown yellow soil
– Earned nickname, “River of Sorrows”, as loess settles to the river bottom, it raises water level • Overflowing river killed
many
• Shang Dynasty– 1650BC, people
called the Shang gained control of Northern China, near Huang He
– Dominated region until 1027BC, during this time Chinese civilization took shape
– Government • Archaeologists uncovered
large palaces and rich tombs of Shang rulers• Noble women had
considerable status• King controlled small area,
princes and nobles loyal to King governed most of the land• Heads of important clans,
groups of families that claimed a common ancestor
– Social Classes• Royal Family
• Shang warriors- used leather armor, bronze weapons, and horse drawn chariots
• Artists and Merchants- Produced goods for nobles, organized trade
• Peasants- Clustered together in farming villages, all families worked in the fields, had to prepare damns for the flooding rivers
• Religious Beliefs– In Shang Dynasty the Chinese
developed complex religious beliefs
– Prayed to many Gods and nature spirits• Shang Di- Mother Goddess
– Veneration of Ancestors• Shang Di would not respond to
mere mortals, only to spirits of greatest mortals • Prayed to Ancestors to pray to
God
• Yin and Yang– Delicate balance
between two forces– Yin- Linked to Earth,
darkness and female forces
– Yang- Stood for Heaven, light and male forces• Forces were not in
opposition, depended on harmony
• System of Writing– Ideographs- Signs
that expressed thoughts or ideas
– Consulted ancestors with Chinese writing written on oracle bones, used by priests to predict the future
– Written Chinese took shape almost 4,000 years ago
– Over time, evolved to include tens of thousands of characters
– Most difficult language to learn
– Chinese scholars turn to calligraphy, fine handwriting, into an art form
The Zhou Dynasty • Around 1027BC, the Zhou people overthrew the
Shang dynasty• Zhou dynasty lasted until 256BC
• Mandate of Heaven– The Zhou justified their
takeover of the Shang by declaring they had a divine right to rule
– Declared cruelty of last Shang ruler outraged the gods
– Gods passed mandate of heaven (Devine right to rule)to the Zhou, who then treated the people well
• Dynastic Cycle– The rise and fall of
dynasties– As long as a
dynasty provided good government it would enjoy the mandate of heaven
– If rulers became corrupt, Chinese believed Heaven would withdraw support
• Feudal State– Rewarded supporters by granting them control over
different regions– China became a feudal state– Feudalism- a system of government in which local lords
governed their own lands but owed military service and other forms of support to the ruler
– Zhou kings ruled China and enjoyed great power and prestige for 250 years
– After 771 BC, feudal lords exercised the real power and profited from the lands worked by peasants, within in their domains (rule)
• Economic Growth– China’s economy grew under the
Zhou period– Learned ironworking in 500BC• Iron axes, ox-drawn iron plows, replaces
wooden and stone tools– Peasants grew new crops, such as
soybeans• Feudal lords organized large-scale
irrigation works– Chinese began to use money for the
first time • Copper coins had holes in the center to
be strung on cords • Merchants benefited from new roads
and canals
– Economic expansion lead to an increase in population
– People from the Huang He heartland overflowed into central China and began to farm the immense Yangzi basin
– Feudal nobles expanded their territories and encouraged peasants to settle there
– China increased in size, population and prosperity
• Chinese Achievements– Astronomers studied the
movements of planets and recorded eclipses of the sun• Developed an accurate 365 ¼
calendar– Chinese discovered how to make
silk around 1000BC• Became China’s most valuable
export, trade route between China and Middle East was the Silk Road
– Chinese made the first books • Bound thin strips of wood or
bamboo