First Age of Empires

1570 BC – 200 BC

Ch 4

The Egyptian and Nubian Empires

When We Last Left Egypt

• Middle Kingdom (2080-1640 BC) enriched Egypt through trade with Mesopotamia and the Indus Valley Civilization

• Series of weak pharaohs weakened the country and left them vulnerable

Foreign Invaders

• The weakened kingdom fell to Asiatic invaders called Hyksos.

• The Hyksos used chariots which were unknown to the Egyptians

Hebrews in Egypt

• Around 1650 BC, the Hebrews migrated to Egypt

• Some scholars believe the Hyksos encouraged them to move there because they were racially similar

• The Egyptians resented the Hebrews presence but were powerless to do anything

Expulsion and Slavery

• Around 1600 BC a series of warlike rulers began to push the Hyksos out of Egypt

• Queen Ahhotep and the next pharaoh, Kamose scored huge victories over the Hyksos and drove them across the Sinai Peninsula

• According to some scholars the Hebrews remained and were enslaved by the Egyptians

The New Kingdom

• The New Kingdom – period of Egyptian history following the expulsion of the Hyksos, from 1570 – 1075 BC

• Using bronze weapons and chariots the Egyptians became conquerors

Hatshepsut

• Hatshepsut- ruler of the New Kingdom who made herself around 1472 BC.

• Strengthened the empire by encouraging trade rather than just waging war

Thutmose III

• Thutmose III- much more warlike ruler during the New Kingdom

• May have murdered Hatshepsut

• Led a number of invasions into Palestine and Syria

• Pushed farther south into Nubia- area that straddled the upper Nile River

An Age of Builders

• Built grand buildings but chose to hide their tombs in the remote Valley of the Kings near Thebes

King Tut

• Ruled 1333- 1324 BC• Tomb discovered in

1922 by Howard Carter

•

                           

• original pics

family treemore photos

animals

Ramses II

• Ramses II – great builder of the New Kingdom

• Ruled from approximately 1290 BC to 1224 BC

• Temple to Amon-Re at Karnak

• Temple at Abu Simbel

• valley of the kings

Temple of Ramses II

Karnak

Abu Simbel

Empire Declines

• After Ramses II died the Mediterranean region suffered a wave of invasions

• “Sea Peoples” may have been the Philistines

• Tribes within the empire rebelled

Kushites Conquer the Nile Region

• Kush- Nubian kingdom to the South of Egypt along the Nile River

• During the height of the New Kingdom the Egyptians forced their rule on Kush

• Around 1200 BC Kush gained its independence as the New Kingdom began to fade

Piankhi

• Piankhi- Kushite king who overthrew the Libyan dynasty that had been ruling Egypt in 751 BC

• In 671 BC the Kushites were pushed back south by the Assyrians- invaders from southwest Asia

Golden Age of Meroe

• After the loss to the Assyrians the Kushite royal family moved south to the city of Meroe near the Red Sea

• With their location near the Red Sea and abundant natural resources like iron ore, Meroe became a center for trade and manufacturing

• Meroe began to decline around 250 BC as other African cities became the center of trade

The Assyrian Empire

Sec 2

Describe the geography of the fertile crescent and explain

how it affected the lives of the people who lived there.

Assyria

• Assyria- Southwest Asian kingdom that controlled a large empire from 850 – 612 BC

• The empire was accomplished mainly through military strength

Rise of a Warrior People

• Assyrians came from the flat, exposed open land of northern Mesopotamia

• The Assyrians may have gained their warlike ways in response to frequent invasions from outsiders

Sennacherib

• Sennacherib- Assyrian king who bragged that he destroyed 89 cities and 820 villages

Military Organization

• Society glorified military strength• Advance planning and technical skill allowed

the Assyrians to siege enemy cities• Used pontoons to move the army across rivers• Dug beneath city walls to weaken them• Use archers to support foot soldiers with ladders

going over city walls• Used iron in their weapons and armor• Used massive iron tipped battering rams

No Mercy

• Captives were often killed or enslaved

• Captives sometimes blinded

• Also forced defeated enemies to settle far away in distant provinces to prevent rebellion

• Took anything of value

Assyrian Rule

• At its peak in 650 BC it included almost all of the old centers of civilization and power in southwest Asia

• Assyrian kings controlled the empire by choosing local leaders to lead the provinces

• Military campaigns added territory to the empire and the lands brought taxes and tributes. If the conquered peoples refused to pay they would be destroyed.

Assyrian Culture

• Some of Assyria’s fiercest warriors were also great builders

• Sennacherib was known for establishing the capital at Nineveh

• Nineveh was a walled city about 3 miles long and 1 mile wide

• Nineveh was also home to a large library containing more than 20,000 clay tablets

Empire Crumbles

• Ashurbanipal was the last of the mighty Assyrian kings

• Power was spread too thin

• Brutality earned them many enemies

• Eventually defeated by the Chaldeans

Nebuchadnezzar

• Nebuchadnezzar- Chaldean ruler who restored Babylon around 600 BC

• Famous for the hanging gardens

Persian Empire

Sec 3

Warm Up:If you were the absolute ruler of an empire how would you keep

order?

Rise of Persia

• In contrast to the Assyrians the Persians based their empire on tolerance and diplomacy

• The Persians relied on a strong military to back up their policies

Cyrus the Great

• Cyrus- Persian king who established the Persian Empire between 550 and 539 BC

• Empire spanned 2,000 miles

• Most enduring legacy was his method of governing– Prevented soldiers from looting and burning– Honored local customs and religions

Persian Rule

• After Cyrus’s death in 530 BC his son Cambyses expanded the empire by defeating Egypt

• Did not follow his father’s example

Darius

• Darius- Persian ruler who was successor to Cambyses, brought peace and stability to the empire

• Extended the empire to the river valleys of India

• Empire now stretched from India to Egypt

• Unable to conquer Greece

Provinces

• To rule the huge empire Darius divided the empire into 20 provinces

• Each province lived by their own laws, spoke their own languages and practiced their own religions

Satraps

• Although he was tolerant, Darius still ruled with absolute power

• Each province had a governor called a satrap who ruled locally

• Darius sent our inspectors to be his eyes and ears and make sure the satraps were loyal to him

Royal Road

• The Royal Road ran 1677 miles from Susa in Persia to Sardis in Anatolia

• Helped to hold the empire together by allowing for quick communication

• Royal messengers could travel the length of the road in 7 days

Trade

• Use of metal coins and trade also helped to hold the empire together

• People no longer had to weigh and measure odd pieces of gold and silver to make purchases

Zoroaster

• Zoroaster- Persian prophet who lived around 600 BC

• He taught that the world is a battleground where a great struggle is fought between the spirit of good and the spirit of evil

• Each person is expected to take part in the struggle

Ahura Mazda

• Ahura Mazda- God of Zoroastrianism that will judge everyone according to how well they fought the battle for good

Importance of Zoroastrianism

• Influence on Christianity, Judaism, and Islam

• Monotheistic

• Concepts of Satan and angels

Zoroastrianism Today

• Stilled practiced in several countries including Iran and India

• Followers are called Parsis

The Unification of China

Sec 4

Warm Up:What was the Mandate of

Heaven?

The Warring States Period

• The Warring States Period- period of constant warfare between independent kings that led to the decline of the Zhou Dynasty

• Toward the end of the Zhou Dynasty scholars looked for ways to restore the ancient Chinese values of order, harmony, and respect for authority

Confucius

• Confucius – influential Chinese scholar who spent his life studying history, music, and moral character

• Deep desire to restore the order and moral living of earlier times

5 Basic Relationships

• Social order, harmony, and good government could be restore if society were organized around 5 relationships

• 1. Ruler and Subject

• 2. Father and Son

• 3. Husband and Wife

• 4. Older Brother and Younger Brother

• 5. Friend and Friend

Filial Piety

• Filial Piety- respect for parents and ancestors

• To Confucius this meant devoting oneself to one’s parents during their lifetime

• Also required honoring their memories after death through rituals

Filial Piety

• “Nowadays people think they are dutiful sons when they feed their parents. Yet they also feed their dogs and horses. Unless there is respect, where is the difference?”

Analects

• Analects- book of teachings by Confucius collected by his students

Confucius and Government

• Gentlemen have 4 virtues

• 1. In private conduct he is courteous

• 2. In serving his master he is punctilious (precise)

• 3. In providing for the needs of the people he gave them even more than their due

• 4. In exacting service from the people, he is just

Not a Religion

• Confucianism is not a religion

• It is an ethical system, system based on accepted principles of right and wrong

• Foundation for Chinese government and social order

Other Ethical Systems

Daoism

• Daoism- philosophy of Laozi, emphasizing oneness with nature

• A universal force, the Dao, meaning the Way, guides all things.

• Of all the creatures of nature only humans fail to follow the Dao

• Humans should be in balance with nature and not overly concerned with worldly things

Laozi

             

Legalists

• Legalism- Chinese political philosophy based on the idea that a highly efficient and powerful government is the key to social order

• Rulers should give rich rewards to those who serve them well

• The disobedient should be harshly punished

• Believed in controlling ideas as well as actions

Qin Dynasty

• Qin Dynasty- Chinese dynasty that replaced the Zhou Dynasty in the 3rd Century BC

Shi Huangdi

• Shi Huangdi- founder of the Qin Dynasty who used Legalist ideas to unify his country

• Obsessed with immortality

Terracotta Army

• 2000 soldiers between 6’ and 6’5”

• 100 chariots

• 400 horses

• 300 cavalry horses

• Terra Cotta Soldiers

Strengthen the Trunk and Weaken the Branches

• Commanded all noble families to live in the capital

• Murdered Confucian scholars

• Burned books

• Established an autocracy- government that has unlimited power

Centralization

• Built an extensive highway network

• Standards for writing, law, currency, weights and measures, and length of cart axles

Great Wall of China

• Great Wall of China- defensive barrier to protect China from invaders from the north (Mongolia)

• 1500 miles long• Averages 25 ft in

height• 15-30 ft thick at the

base

Fall of the Qin

• Peasants rebelled 3 years after Shi Huangdi’s death

• His son was just as ruthless but not nearly as good a leader

• By 202 BC the Han Dynasty took over