Transcript Chapter 3

Chapter 3
India and China
The Impact of Geography
• Mountains- Himalaya( worlds highest
mountains)
• Rivers- Indus River- served as a major water
source.
• Monsoons- a seasonal wind pattern in southern
Asia. Throughout history, Indian farmers have
depended on the heavy rains brought by the
southwest monsoons. If the rains come early or
late, or too much or too little rain falls, crops are
destroyed and thousands starve.
Indus Valley Civilizations
• Harappa and Mohenjo Daro- were two
advanced civilizations that flourished for
hundreds of years. They used oven baked mud
bricks to build houses and buildings.
• They were run by a well organized government
and their power was based on religion and
political stature.
• Their economy was based on farming. The
Indus River flooded each year which provided
rich soil. ( Does this sound familiar?)
The Aryans
• Moved south across the Hindu Kush mountain
ranges.
• The Aryans lived in tribal groups and had a
strong warrior tradition. Eventually they would
give up their nomadic lifestyle for agriculture.
• Aryans had no written language but did use
Sanskrit, which was an Indo-European language
that was spoken. This allowed them to pass
down stories and keep records.
Daily Life in Ancient India
• Life in ancient India centered around the
“family”, the most basic unit in society.
• Most families were extended: included
grandparents, parents, and children all
under one roof. Families were patriarchal.
Who remembers what that means?
Roles of Men/Women
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Men
Inherit property
Receive education
Serve as priests
Oldest male held
legal authority over
entire family
• Women
• Not allowed to serve
as priests
• Were uneducated
• Family keepers
• Ritual of Sutteerequired a wife to
throw herself on her
dead husbands
flaming funeral.
Children and Marriage
• Children were expected to take care of
their parents as they grew older.
• Marriage was arranged by the parents and
parents had to support their daughter until
their wedding day. Then, the family paid a
dowry ( usually a large money amount) to
the family of the man that she was
marrying.
Social Classes in Ancient India
• Aryan idea of four varnas( social groups
that ranked people from high to low) lays
the basis for the caste system.
• Varnas compare society to parts of a body,
all parts working together.
Diagram of Caste System
Caste System Chart
Body
Part
mouth
Functions
Warriors,
police
arms
Defend,
protect
Vaisyas
Merchants,
farmers
legs
Supply
needs
Sudras
Peasants,
farmers
feet
Support
society
Varnas
Jobs
Brahmins
Priests,
teachers
Kshatriyas
Teach,
advise
Economic/Cultural Changes
• 1- Shift to farming and away from trade.
• 2- Settle in small and more pastoral
villages
• 3- Arts= change in pottery and materials
• 4- Hinduism= dominant religion
• Sanskrit= language used
Religions of India
• Two of the world’s greatest religions,
Hinduism and Buddhism, began in India.
Both played a crucial role in shaping the
civilization of India.
Hinduism
• Had its origins in the religious beliefs of the Aryan people.
• Brahman- belief that a single force in the universe, a form of
ultimate reality or God controlled everything.
• The individual self known as the “atman” was to seek to know this
ultimate reality so the self would merge with Brahman after death. (
Does this sound similar to something we know about?)
• Yoga ( means “union”)- a method of training designed to lead
such a union.
• Goal of Yoga: to leave behind earthly life and join Brahman in a
kind of dreamless sleep.
• Through devotion at a Hindu temple, they seek salvation and a
means of gaining ordinary things in life that are needed.
• ***Hinduism is still the religion of the majority of the Indian
people.***
Hinduism (continued)
Principles of Hinduism
Reincarnation
karma
dharma
Definitions
• Reincarnation- the belief that the
individual soul is reborn in a different form
after death.
• Karma- the force generated by a person’s
actions that determines how the person
will be reborn in the next life.
• Dharma- the divine law (do your duty in
society regardless of status)
Buddhism
• Buddhism appeared in northern India and
soon became a rival of Hinduism. The
founder of Buddhism was Siddhartha
Gautama ( known as “Buddha or
“Enlightened One”
• Nirvana- ultimate reality- the end of the
self and a reunion with the Great World
Soul. ( absolute peace)
Four Noble Truths
1. Ordinary life is full of suffering.
2. This suffering is caused by our desire to satisfy
ourselves. ( Pain/sorrow are caused by your
attachment to things of this world)
3. The way to end suffering is to end desire for
selfish goals and to see others as extensions of
ourselves.
4. The way to end desire is to follow the Middle
Path.
Middle Path/Eightfold Path
1. Right view- We need to know the Four Noble Truths
2. Right intention- We need to decide what we really want.
3. Right speech- We must seek to speak truth and to speak well of others.
4. Right Action- The Buddha gave five precepts: “Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not lie, Do
not be unchaste, and Do not take drugs/alcohol.
5. Right livelihood- We must do work that uplifts our being.
6. Right Effort- The Buddha says: “ Those who follow the Way might well follow the
example of an ox that arches through the deep mud carrying a heavy load. He is tired,
but his steady, forward looking gaze will not relax until he comes out of the mud.
7. Right mindfulness- We must keep our minds in control of our senses: “All we are is
the result of what we have thought.
8. Right concentration- We must meditate to see the world in a new way.
Differences in Buddhism/Hinduism
• Buddhism accepted the idea of reincarnation but
rejected the Hindu practice of the caste system.
(This made Buddhism appealing to the people
on the lower end of the social scale.
• Buddhism also differed from Hinduism in its
simplicity. Buddhism rejected the multitude of
gods that Hinduism followed.
• Many Buddhists see Buddhism as a philosophy
rather than as a RELIGION.
End of Section 3.1
Section 3.2
New Empires in India
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Three New Empires
The Mauryan Empire
The Kushan Empire
The Empire of the Guptas
The Mauryan Empire
• This empire was highly centralized.
• The king divided his empire into provinces that
were ruled by governors that he appointed.
• This empire flourished under the reign of Asoka (
considered to be the greatest ruler in the history
of India)
• He converted India to Buddhism and India
became a major crossroads in a trade network.
• Asoka was known as a “kind” ruler and
developed a prosperous kingdom during his
rule.
The Kushan Empire
• They prospered from the trade that passed
through their empire.
• Most of the trade was between the Roman
Empire and China( known as the Silk Road, silk
being China’s most valuable product)
• The Chinese merchants made large fortunes by
trading luxury goods, such as silk, spices, teas,
and porcelain.
• See page 82-83 in textbook( The Silk Road)
The Empire of the Guptas
• Would become the dominant political force in
northern India.
• The Guptas created a golden age of Indian
culture shown in the flowering of Hindu/Buddhist
arts.
• The Gupta Empire actively engaged in trade with
China,Southeast Asia, and the Mediterranean.
• The good fortunes of the Guptas did not last.
They faced invasions from nomadic groups and
their power was gradually reduced over the
years.
Indian Accomplishments
Literature
• Vedas- earliest known Indian literature
that contains religious chants and stories.
• Mahabharata and Ramayana are two of
India’s greatest epic collections of poetry.
• Most of these stories are based on religion
and/or moral lessons.
• Kalidasa- India’s most famous poet who
wrote the poem The Cloud Messenger(
most famous Sanskrit poem)
Architecture
• The three main types of structures, all serving religious
purposes, were the pillar, the stupa, and the rock
chamber.
• Pillars- weighed up to 50 tons and stood up to 50 feet
high. Each was topped with a carved lion, uttering a
Buddhist message.
• Stupa- these structures were built in the form of burial
mounds and eventually became a place for devotion.
• Rock chamber- were carved out of rock cliffs and
developed to provide a series of rooms to house monks
and to serve as a hall for religious ceremonies.
Examples of Architecture
Science and Mathematics
• Known for astronomy and charting the
movement of stars.
• Recognized that the Earth was a sphere
that rotated on its axis and revolved
around the sun.
• Known to be the first to use algebra.
• Indian mathematicians also introduced the
concept of ZERO and used a symbol(0)
for it.
End of 3.2
3.3 Early Chinese Civilizations
Rivers and Mountains
• Huang He (Yellow River) and Chang Jiang
(Yangtze River) created a river valley that
became one of the great food-producing areas
of the ancient world.
• Farm land was a problem for ancient China (
only 10 percent of the land was suitable for
farming). Much of the land consisted of
mountains and deserts. This forbidding
landscape was a dominant feature that played a
major role in the Chinese life. ( it isolated the
Chinese from other parts of Asia)
Climate
• China’s climate vary from region to region.
• Monsoons bring about rain and creates
significant temperature differences in
winter/summer.
• In the north, winters are long and cold but
the short summers are sunny and hot. In
the south, they have a subtropical climate
with hot summers and mild winters.
• Does this sound similar to us?
The Shang Dynasty
• 1750 B.C.- 1045 B.C.
• Under the Shang Dynasty, China was a
farming society that was ruled by
aristocracy (an upper class whose wealth
is based on land and whose power is
passed from one generation to another)
Political and Social Structures
• The Shang king ruled from his capital and
divided his territories that were ruled by
military leaders known as “warlords”.
• The royal family occupied the top of Shang
society, the aristocracy came next, the
majority of people were peasants who
farmed the land, merchants, artisans, and
slaves were at bottom.
Shang Society
Royal Family
aristocracy
Peasants, merchants
slaves
Religion/Culture
• The Chinese believed in supernatural forces
from which the rulers could obtain help in worldly
affairs.
• Remains of human sacrifices found in royal
tombs are evidence of human efforts to win over
favor by Gods.
• The Shang are best remembered for the
mastery of bronze casting. (religious
ceremonies) Many still survive and are among
the most admired creations of Chinese art.
The Zhou Dynasty
• Was the longest-lasting dynasty in Chinese history, ruled
for almost 800 years ( 1045B.C.-256 B.C.)
• The Zhou king was in charge of defense and
commanded armies throughout the country( similar to
our President)
• The Zhou dynasty claimed that it ruled China because it
possessed the “Mandate of Heaven”( belief that
Heaven was a law of nature that kept order in the
universe through their kingdom) Thus, the king ruled by
a mandate or command from heaven. This became the
basic principle of Chinese government.
• Dao- the proper “WAY” to do something/rule
Effects of rule by “Mandate of
Heaven”
1. Set forth a “right of revolution” to overthrow a
corrupt ruler.
2. Established that the king was not a “divine
being” himself even though they represented
Heaven.
3. The Mandate of Heaven was closely tied to the
pattern of dynastic cycles.( see page 88 and
copy chart in notebook)
4. China was ruled by a series of dynasties which
all went through a cycle of change. Created,
gain power, rule, begin to decline, take over by
new dynasty= new rule
Zhou Social Structure
• The family served as the basic economic/social
unit in ancient China society.
• Families were close and worked together on
large plots of land to farm.
• Male supremacy was a key element in the social
system. Men worked as: warriors, scholars, and
government officials. Women raised the children
and worked in the home.
Zhou accomplishments
1. Use of iron to make iron farming plows (
this created an increase in farm output
which in turn increased the population to
almost fifty million people during the
Zhou dynasty.)
2. Creation/development of Chinese written
language (used pictographs- picture
symbols or characters which represent
an object)
Chinese Philosophy
Confucianism
Daoism
Legalism
Confucianism
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The system of Confucian ideas,
an important part of Chinese
culture.
Confucius was known to the
Chinese as the first teacher.
Confucius interest in philosophy
was political and ethical, not
spiritual. Believed in two major
elements which were (1) Dao or
way of humanity.
Everyone should be governed by
the Five Constant Relationships:
parent and child, husband and
wife, older/younger sibling,
older/younger friend, and ruler and
subject.
The Confucian concept of duty is
often expressed in the form of a
Confucius Part II
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If each individual worked hard to
fulfill his/her duties, then the
affairs of society as a whole would
prosper as well.
Second element was (2)compassion and empathy for
others. ( “ Do not do unto others
what you would not wish done to
yourself.”
Does that saying sound familiar?
Daoism
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Was a system of ideas based on
the teachings of Laozi.
Believe that the way to follow the
will of Heaven is not through
action but inaction. The best way
to act in harmony with the
universal order is not to interfere
with the natural order.
What symbol is that to the right
and what does it mean/represent?
Legalism
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Proposed that human beings were
evil by nature.
Legalists were known as “ School
of Law” because they rejected the
Confucian view of thinking.
Believed that a strong ruler was
needed to create an orderly
society
Believed that only harsh and stiff
punishments would cause the
common people to serve the
rulers. To them, people were not
capable of being good. The ruler
didn’t have to show compassion
for the people.
End of 3.3
3.4 Rise/Fall of Chinese Empires
The Qin Dynasty
• Qin Shihuangdi- ruled at the age of 13.
• Created and ordered the building of the “Great Wall” to
protect against nomadic invasion. ***See page 97 in
text***
• The Qin dynasty dramatically changed Chinese politics.
They adopted Legalism as the ruling body.
• Created the system of Censorate- inspectors who
checked on government officials to make sure they were
doing their jobs. This would become standard for future
Chinese dynasties.
• The fall of the Qin dynasty was followed by a period of
civil war.
The Han Dynasty
• One of the greatest dynasties in Chinese
history.
• They disregarded Legalism and brought
back Confucian principles to rule the new
state.
• The Han rulers chose government officials
on the basis of merit rather than birth.
• The Han Dynasty helped China to expand
its empire during this time.
Han Dynasty (con’t)
• New technologies in textile manufacturing,
water mills for grinding grain are all
credited to the Han Dynasty.
• Rudder and fore-and-aft rigging made it
possible for ships to sail into wind for first
time.
• The Han Dynasty led to a major expansion
of trade with these inventions.
Fall of the Han Empire
• Weak rulers put took advantage of royalty life
and the power of the central government paid
the price. Official corruption and the
concentration of land in the hands of the wealthy
led to widespread peasant unrest, and nomadic
raids continued in the North.
• China again plunged into civil war, made worse
by migrating nomadic people from Central Asia.
The next great dynasty would not arise for 400
years.
The End of Chapter 3!!!!