Unit 2 Organization and Reorganization of Human Societies c. 600 BCE to c. 600 CE

Key Concepts: 2.1 Development and Codification of Religious and Cultural Traditions 2.2 Development of States and Empires 2.3 Emergence of Trans-regional Networks of Communication and Exchange Chapter 2 – Classical China Chapter 3 – Classical India Chapter 4 – Classical Greece and Rome Chapter 5 – The World at the End of the Classical Period

The Classical Period of World History

Pgs. 30-33 of text

1. Approximately when was the classical period of world history? 2. What sets the classical period apart from earlier human history?

3. What are the three centers of classical civilization?

4. How did the three classical civilizations build on earlier river valley civilizations?

5. Explain how expansion and integration were dominant themes in classical civilizations.

6. What was the extent of contact and interaction among the three classical civilization centers?

Ancient China

Dynasties of Early China

• 2500-2200 B.C.E. Yangshao society

(Huang He River Valley Civilization)

• 2200-1766 B.C.E. Xia dynasty • 1766-1122 B.C.E. Shang dynasty

(first dynasty with written records)

• 1028-256 B.C.E. Zhou dynasty • 403-221 B.C.E. Era of Warring States • Qin dynasty • Han dynasty

The Zhou Dynasty (1028 B.C.E. – 256 B.C.E.)

•Zhou leaders claimed the Shang had lost the Mandate of Heaven.

•The Zhou ruled a vast area of city-states and kingdoms run by local nobles (feudalism.) •During the Zhou period, roads were built, foreign trade increased, and horses were obtained from western nomads.

•Irrigation and flood control systems were improved.

•Method of silk-making developed.

•The Zhou ruled longer than any other Chinese dynasty in history.

•During this period, China became the most densely populated country in the world.

•Both Confucius (Kungfuzi) and Laozi, two important philosophers, lived during the late Zhou Dynasty.

•By the end of the Zhou Dynasty, China was a highly developed and wealthy civilization compared to other civilizations at this time. However, China was still not politically unified.

•There was a great deal of warfare and instability during the late Zhou (a.k.a. The Era of Warring States),thus scholars such as Confucius and Laozi reflected on what would create social harmony and balance.

Classical Chinese Philosophies and Ethical Systems Confucianism

•Confucius (Kong Fuzi) was born in 551 B.C.E., during the late Zhou.

•He lived during a time of social disorder, war, and change.

•Confucius’s teachings were recorded by his students in the

Analects.

•Confucian philosophy is concerned with social order, morals, and good government •

The Five Relationships

set up a social order

1. father to son 2. elder brother to younger brother 3. Husband to wife 4. ruler to subject 5. friend to friend

•

Filial Piety

– respect and obey parents •Leaders need to be virtuous and set a good example for their subjects •The Golden Rule

Sayings of Kungfuzi (Confucius)

“What you do not wish done to yourself, do not do to others.” “Recognize that you know what you know, and that you are ignorant of what you do not know.” "To lead uninstructed people to war is to throw them away." "To see right and not to do it is cowardice." "An oppressive government is more to be feared than a tiger." “To be wronged is nothing unless you continue to remember it.”

After Confucius himself, Mencius is considered the most famous Confucian scholar. He believed that human nature is inherently good, and that education and moral cultivation must awaken the innate abilities of the human mind.

Mencius (c. 372 – 289 BCE)

•

Confucianism was (and some would argue still is) the most influential philosophy in China, and laid the foundation for values, morals, and social structure. Confucianism also spread to Korea, Vietnam, and Japan.

More Images of Confucius

Legalism

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Founded by Hanfeizi (d. 233 B.C.E)

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Based on the belief that human nature is evil and selfish.

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Believed social order was achieved through strict leadership and harsh rules and punishment.

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This philosophy would greatly influence the emperor credited with uniting China, Qin Shihuangdi.

Daoism

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Founded by Laozi during the late Zhou Dynasty.

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Laozi’s teachings are recorded in the Dao De Ching.

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Believed social harmony and order could be achieved by following the “Way” (Dao) of nature.

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Rejected formal social structure and the idea that people must fill specific roles in society.

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Daoists believe in renouncing worldly ambitions to follow the path of least resistance, as nature does. For example, water flows around a rock; it doesn’t make the rock an obstacle.

•

Daoism influenced science, medicine, and the arts in China.

Laozi (Master Lao)

Statue of Laozi

“Taoist Solitude”

Sources from the Past

Laozi on Living in Harmony with Dao Confucius on Good Government

• What is Laozi’s advice to rulers?

2. What is Confucius’s advice to rulers?

3. According to Confucius, what is the most important thing for a leader to provide to the people?

4. What is the main contrast you notice between these two documents/philosophies?

Basic Social Structure in Classical China

• Landowning aristocracy (plus educated bureaucrats, often referred to as

Mandarins.)

• Peasants and urban artisans • Merchants (though merchants could become wealthy, they were generally scorned by Confucian scholars and elites.) • “mean people” (mainly unskilled laborers, performing artists, and household slaves.)

The Qin Dynasty of China (221 B.C.E. – 210 B.C.E.)

•The Qin family ruled a feudal state on the western border of Zhou territory.

•A Qin ruler named Zheng (later called

Qin Shihuangdi)

took advantage of the weakened Zhou, conquering them by 221 B.C.E.

•Qin was a harsh,

legalist

ruler, but an effective administrator.

•He reorganized the empire into military districts, and appointed loyal officials to administer them (this basically ended feudalism by weakening the feudal lords.) He also unified the country and centralized the government.

•Qin ordered the creation of a standard system of weights and measures, coins, laws, and writing.

•Qin used forced labor to connect and extend the

Great Wall

; he also seized land, levied taxes, and censored and burned books.

•Qin died in 210 B.C.E., and was succeeded by his son who was quickly overthrown.

The Boundary of the Qin Dynasty

The Great Wall

The Han Dynasty (202 B.C.E. – 220 C.E.)

•The Han Dynasty was founded by a peasant leader who overthrew the Qin.

•Liu Bang (Emperor Gao Zu) eased the harsh legalist policies of the Qin.

•The Han period is considered a golden age; even after the dynasty, the Chinese referred to themselves as the “people of Han.” •The most famous Han ruler was the emperor Wudi.

•Wudi expanded the Silk Road and trade with the West (including the Roman Empire.) •He expanded China’s borders to include Korea, Manchuria, and parts of Southeast Asia.

•He strengthened the economy. •Wudi also strengthened the civil service system – government officials had to pass an examination – in theory, merit was more important than birth •Han achievements include: paper, watermills, the compass, the seismograph, porcelain, and acupuncture to name a few.

Emperor Wudi

The Boundaries of Han China

Liu Bang (Emperor Gao Zu) Founder of the Han Dynasty

Classical India

India’s Geography

•The Indian subcontinent is somewhat separated from the rest of Asia, with mountains creating a barrier in the northeast and northwest.

•However, India was more open to outside influence and diverse groups than China. •India was influenced by Middle Eastern civilizations, including Persia, as well as the Mediterranean world.

•Differing regions within the subcontinent made unity difficult. Therefore much of Indian history is characterized by regional kingdoms and differing cultures and dialects.

The Foundations of Indian Culture and Society

•Around 1500 BCE, a nomadic Indo-

European group known as the Valley.

Aryans invaded/migrated into the Indus River

•Ancient Indian history from the time of

the Aryan migration is divided into periods: The Vedic Age (about 1500 – 1000 B.C.E.) and the Epic Age (1000 – 600 B.C.E.)

•Archaeologists and historians believe the

Aryans may have encountered and absorbed the Indus River Valley civilization.

•Cultural diffusion between the Aryans and

these indigenous peoples, known as Dravidians, occurred.

•As the Aryans settled down to

agriculture, political structure became based on village organization, with village chiefs initially drawn from the leadership of Aryan tribes.

•The Indian caste system began to

develop in the Vedic and Epic Ages

•Gradually, one’s caste, or social group

became hereditary, and marriage between castes was forbidden.

•The caste system was made up of four

main

varnas

, which are similar to classes, and many sub categories within each class known as

jati.

The Four Varnas of Ancient India (The Caste System)

Brahmins Kshatriyas Vaisyas Sudras Pariahs

Hinduism

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Developed over time; no single founder

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Aryan religious traditions were eventually written down in the sacred Vedas.

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Vedas (and all classical Hindu literature) written in Sanskrit

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Hinduism is cyclical; goal is to achieve release from the cycle of reincarnation; term for this is Moksha

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No missionary activity, but Hinduism is an inclusive religion

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There are many gods, but the trinity of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva is most important; most gods are incarnations of these three

Hinduism continued…

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The Ramayana, Mahabharata, and Bhagavad Gita are important epics which explain religious beliefs and values

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The Upanishads are a collection of philosophical texts which discuss Hindu philosophy, beliefs, and values, and many have a mystical tone.

(Mystical, or mysticism, refers to the individual search for the divine, or the individual’s desire to commune with the divine. Fasting, meditation, and intense prayer are common mystical activities in which people try to get closer to god.)

Images of Hinduism

Brahma – The creator

Vishnu – The Preserver

Shiva – The Destroyer

Rama and Sita (from the Ramayana) Ganesh

The Hindu Creation Story of ‘Purusha the Primal Man’

The Rig Veda (Book X, Chapter 90, verses 1-3 and 9-12) tells the Creation story of Purusha the Primal Man. Purusha is a divine being, a cosmic giant who existed even before time began. He split up, exploded, or spread out into all directions and created the gods and the Universe itself. From him came all the spiritual beings in heaven, as well as all the remainder of everything that is in the earthly world, both the living and the non-living. Here is a slightly edited version of the story:

The Primal Man (Purusha) had a thousand heads, eyes and feet. He filled the earth completely. Indeed his body was larger than this world. The Primal Man fills this universe and represents the past, the present and the future.

He is eternal and outgrows the universe by consuming sacrificial food.

The visible world is only a quarter of his greatness.

The remaining three quarters are hidden in the immortal Heaven.

From the complete explosive self-sacrifice of Purusha came forth all the sacred sounds of creation.

From it also arose all things and lives and minds that are born into the world, including horses and other creatures with teeth in either jaw, like cattle, sheep and goats. When the Primal Man split up, into how many parts was He divided? What represented his mouth, arms, thighs and feet? The Brahmin (priest) was his mouth, the Kshatriya (warrior/king) his arms, the Vaishya (merchant) his thighs and the Shudra (peasants) were born from his feet.’

Buddhism

• Began in northern India during the 6

th century B.C.E.

• The founder,

Siddhartha Gautama , was a Kshatriya prince, born in 566 B.C.E.

• Buddha means “enlightened one” • Buddhism rejected some of the

fundamental principles of Hinduism, including the caste system and power of the priestly Brahmins.

•

The basic philosophy of Buddhism is based on the Four Noble Truths:

1. All people experience sorrow 2. Sorrow is caused by desire 3. Sorrow and suffering will end if desires are eliminated 4. Eliminate desires by following the Eightfold Path: -right views -right goals -right speech -right conduct -right livelihood -right effort -right mindfulness (control thoughts) -right contemplation (meditation)

Images in Buddhism

The Birth of Siddhartha Gautama

Relic depicting Siddhartha Gautama leaving home.

“The Great Departure”

c.1 – 2 nd century.

This is a picture of a wall painting in a Laotian temple, depicting the Bodhisattva Gautama (Buddha-to-be) undertaking extreme ascetic practices before his enlightenment. A god is overseeing his striving, and providing some spiritual protection. The five monks in the background are his future 'five first disciples', after Buddha attained Full Enlightenment.

Dhamek Stupa in Uttar Pradesh, (located in northern India, and built by Ashoka) where the Buddha gave his first sermon.

Where are these Buddha’s from???

1.

2.

5.

4.

3.

Create a Venn Diagram or T-chart comparing Hinduism and Buddhism. Take into account the following components of religion in your comparison: The 10 Components of Religion: 1. Scripture 2. Myths and stories 3.

The “ultimate” or the holy 4. Quest or goal 5. Sacred spaces 6. Community of believers 7. Rituals 8. Beliefs, dogma, edicts, etc.

9. Ethics and moral component 10. Key figures, prophets, martyrs, etc.

1. When did Buddhism begin? 2. When did Buddhism arrive in China? Sri Lanka? Korea? Japan?

3. How long did it take for Buddhism to spread to Japan?

The Spread of Buddhism

• • • • •

The Mauryan Empire of India (321 B.C.E. - 185 B.C.E.) Chandragupta Maurya was a military officer who came to power in 321 B.C.E. after defeating Greek invaders.

Mauryan government borrowed political examples from both Persian and Greek models.

He controlled a large empire by maintaining a strong army.

He enforced harsh policies against dissenters and had a secret police force.

He was a harsh but effective administrator.

Asoka’s Enlightened Rule

• Asoka was Chandragupta’s grandson. • Became ruler in 274 B.C.E. • He expanded the empire to cover 2/3 of

the subcontinent.

• After building the empire, and witnessing

the destruction caused by his wars, Asoka decided to renounce war and follow the teachings of the Buddha.

• Asoka sent missionaries to spread

Buddhism throughout India and into other parts of Asia.

• He also built roads, hospitals, and

veterinary clinics, and had the famous Rock Edicts created.

• The decline of the Mauryan Empire began

after Asoka’s death in 232 B.C.E.

• After the Mauryan Empire fell, India again

split into many small warring kingdoms.

Asoka

The Gupta Empire of India (320 C.E. - 550 C.E.)

•

Began in 320 C.E.

•This period of Gupta rule is known as a

golden age

of Indian history.

•Buddhism declined and

Hinduism became the official religion.

•Many Hindu temples were built during this period.

•Numerous advancements were made during the Gupta Dynasty:

1. principles of algebra 2. the concepts of zero and infinity 3. Arabic numerals 4. astronomers determined the earth is round 5. Gupta doctors set broken bones and perfomed basic operations

•Trade with other civilizations (including Rome and China) flourished during the Gupta period.

•By

600 C.E.

, due to a weakened government and invasions in the Northwest, the Gupta empire broke into small states.