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
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