Ancient India and China Section 1 “Read no history; read nothing but biography, for that is life without theory.” -Benjamin Disraeli If the government has no knowledge of aliens, then why does Title 14, Section 1211 of the Code of Federal Regulations, implemented on July 16, 1969 make it illegal for U.S. citizens to have any contact with extraterrestrials or their vehicles?

Ancient India and China Section 1

Ancient India and China Section 1

Ancient India and China Section 1 Main Idea Early civilization arose in the Indus River Valley, flourished, and then mysteriously died out. Later India’s Vedic civilization developed a culture based on old and new beliefs. Early India

Ancient India and China Section 1 India’s Geography Indus River flows across northwest edge of Indian subcontinent—large landmass, part of a continent Home of one of ancient world’s great river valley civilizations Indian subcontinent includes three major geographic zones –Far north: Himalaya, Hindu Kush mountain systems, separating India from rest of Asia –South: Deccan Plateau, high plateau receiving less rain than other parts of subcontinent –Between mountains, plateau are Northern Plains, where society first developed in India

Ancient India and China Section 1

Ancient India and China Section 1

Ancient India and China Section 1 Summer, monsoon winds from southwest bring warm air, heavy rains from Indian Ocean; most of annual rainfall at this time Winter, northeast monsoons blow cool, dry air from Central Asia, drier months Monsoon Winds Flood deposits from Indus, Ganges, Brahmaputra rivers enrich soil of Northern Plains, make it very fertile Heavy rains also add to fertility of plains Much of rain brought to India by seasonal winds, monsoons Fertile Region Floods and Annual Rainfall

Ancient India and China Section 1

Ancient India and China Section 1 The people of India’s first civilizations depended upon the monsoons to bring the water that their crops needed. Monsoon rains flooded rivers; rivers deposited fertile silt in which farmers could grow crops With abundance of rainfall came threat of devastation Monsoon Rains Monsoon rains too heavy— crops, homes, lives could be lost Monsoon rains too late, did not last long enough—people could not grow crops; famine became danger Devastating Effects Water Critical Factor

Ancient India and China Section 1

Ancient India and China Section 1

Ancient India and China Section 1

Ancient India and China Section 1

Ancient India and China Section 1

Ancient India and China Section 1 Question: What problems could monsoons cause for early Indians? Answer(s): flooding or drought

Ancient India and China Section 1 People have lived in the northern parts of the Indian subcontinent for thousands of years. At first people lived as hunter-gatherers, but slowly people began to settle down in farming communities. Farm communities gave rise to India’s first civilization Developed in valley of Indus River Began 2500 BC, when people first developed writing system First Civilization 1920s,remains of two large cities first ruins found –Harappa –Mohenjo Daro Civilization called Harappan Other cities, towns since uncovered Cities, Settlements Settlements well planned, carefully laid out Streets ran in grid pattern; major avenues twice as wide as minor streets Indus Society Indus Valley Civilization

Ancient India and China Section 1

Ancient India and China Section 1

Ancient India and China Section 1 Harappa

Ancient India and China Section 1 Harappa

Ancient India and China Section 1 Mohenjo Daro

Ancient India and China Section 1 Mohenjo Daro

Ancient India and China Section 1 Mohenjo Daro

Ancient India and China Section 1

Ancient India and China Section 1

Ancient India and China Section 1 Economy Economy likely based on agriculture, trade Most probably farmed, herded livestock In cities, many specialized in crafts like pottery, metalwork, jewelry Indus traded goods with people nearby, distant civilizations Traders from Indus Valley brought goods to locations as distant as Central Asia, Arabian Peninsula, Mesopotamia Life in Towns and Cities Water came from community wells, smaller wells in courtyards of homes Public drainage systems carried away wastewater Walled, elevated citadel—fortress—enclosed buildings like granaries, warehouses Homes, workshops, shrines built outside citadel Uniformity suggests central authority in power

Ancient India and China Section 1 Few Details Archaeologists, historians not able to learn many details about Indus society Had writing system, but historians not able to read it Some say Indus civilization single society, rather than collection of city-states Decline No one knows what led to decline, or if single cause Environmental damage suspected; flooding, disappearance of Sarasvati river Invasion, disease may also have helped end civilization Similarities People shared common tool designs, standard set of weights, measures Suggest single authority in control Civilization thrived from about 2500 BC to 2000 BC, then began to decline Society

Ancient India and China Section 1 Question: Why do historians know relatively little about Indus society? Answer(s): have not deciphered Indus writing

Ancient India and China Section 1 This period in Indian history is often called the Vedic period. Sometime after 2000 BC, a new people took control of India. Historians often refer to this group as the Aryans, from a Sanskrit word meaning “noble.” Eventually the Aryans ruled over most of India, except for the far south. Historians not sure when Aryans arrived, where they came from Some assume they moved from area between Caspian, Black seas Others argue Aryans developed in northern India, did not move into area Origin of Aryans The Vedic Period Little archaeological evidence remains to document early Aryan period in India Most comes from sacred writings called the Vedas Include many details about Aryan history, society Archaeological Evidence

Ancient India and China Section 1

Ancient India and China Section 1 According to the Vedas, people settled in villages smaller than cities of Indus Valley Later groups of villages banded together under regional leaders known as rajas Raja primarily war leader responsible for protecting people; received payments of food, money in return According to oldest of the Vedas, the Rigveda, Vedic society divided into four social classes, varnas Each played particular role in society People of four varnas created from body of single being Social Structure Part of body from which each varna created tied to its duties Brahmins came from mouth, source of speech, wisdom; were priests Kshatriyas: warriors, rulers Vaisyas: common people, farmers Sudras: servants Varnas Vedic Society

Ancient India and China Section 1

Ancient India and China Section 1

Ancient India and China Section 1 Social hierarchy developed, some castes had more privileges than others Not everyone belonged to a caste Untouchables had no protection of caste law, could perform only jobs that other castes did not Social Hierarchy Over centuries, four varnas of Vedic period divided into hundreds of smaller castes Membership in caste determined what jobs one could hold, whom one could marry Castes Jobs and Privileges

Ancient India and China Section 1

Ancient India and China Section 1 Vedic Religion Vedas consist mostly of hymns in praise We know much about Vedic religion as result Fire Sacrifices People worshipped gods through fire sacrifices, chanting sacred hymns Priests offered food, drink by placing on roaring fire Prayer People prayed to many aspects of single eternal spirit One aspect was Indra, who ruled over heaven Complex Rituals grew more complex Priests said order in universe maintained only through rituals Brahmin varna gained more influence in society Vedic Religion

Ancient India and China Section 1

Ancient India and China Section 1 Indra Yama Agni

Ancient India and China Section 1 Question: How was Vedic society organized? Answer(s): into four social classes called varnas

Ancient India and China Section 1 Main Idea China’s river valley civilizations built the foundations of a long-shared Chinese culture. The achievements of the Shang and Zhou dynasties can be felt to this day. China’s First Dynasties

Ancient India and China Section 1 The development of civilization in early China was aided by features like long rivers, fertile soils, temperate climates, and isolated valleys. China’s first civilizations developed in river valleys Two major rivers supplied water for earliest civilizations –Chang Jiang, also called Yangzi –Huang He, or Yellow River –Both flow east from Plateau of Tibet to Yellow Sea Rivers, Soils, Climates Annual floods deposited rich soil, loess, on flood plains Valley of Huang He particularly fertile due to loess –Fine dusty soil –Carried into China by desert winds Loess China’s Geography

Ancient India and China Section 1

Ancient India and China Section 1

Ancient India and China Section 1 Isolation Combination of rivers for irrigation, fertile soil for planting allowed Chinese to thrive, as did China’s relative isolation Mountains, hills, desert protected China from invasion Himalaya Mountains separate southern China from India, rest of southern Asia; vast Gobi Desert prevented reaching China from west Crops Most of eastern China covered with fertile soils; some regions better suited than others for growing certain crops Southern China—warm, receives plenty of rainfall, excellent region for growing rice Further north—climate cooler, drier; suitable for grains, wheat, millet

Ancient India and China Section 1

Ancient India and China Section 1

Ancient India and China Section 1

Ancient India and China Section 1

Ancient India and China Section 1

Ancient India and China Section 1 Legend says earliest Chinese ruled by Xia dynasty No written, archaeological evidence Xia dynasty existed Most historians date beginning of Chinese civilization to rise of Shang dynasty Xia Archaeological discoveries suggest Chinese civilization began in Huang He valley People started growing crops there 9,000 years ago Beginnings of Civilization China’s Geography

Ancient India and China Section 1

Ancient India and China Section 1

Ancient India and China Section 1

Ancient India and China Section 1

Ancient India and China Section 1

Ancient India and China Section 1 Question: What geographic features influenced life in early China? Answer(s): Rivers deposited rich soil for farming; mountains, hills, and desert isolated the area.

Ancient India and China Section 1 According to ancient Chinese records, the Shang dynasty formed around 1766 BC, although many archaeologists believe it actually began somewhat later than that. China ruled by strong monarchy At capital city, Anyang, kings surrounded by court Rituals performed to strengthen kingdom, keep safe Government and Society King’s governors ruled distant parts of kingdom King also had large army at disposal Prevented rebellions, fought outside opponents Order Shang China largely agricultural Most tended crops in fields Farmers called on to fight in army, work on building projects—tombs, palaces, walls Agricultural Society The Shang Dynasty

Ancient India and China Section 1 Leisure Ruling elite had free time to pursue leisure activities, hunting for sport Wealthy enjoyed collecting expensive bronze, jade objects Afterlife Tombs held remains of sacrificed prisoners of war Believed in afterlife where ruler would need riches, servants Artifacts Much of what is known comes from studying royal tombs Contained valuable items made of bronze, jade Ancestor Worship Shang offered gifts to deceased ancestors to keep them happy in afterlife Steam from ritual meals nourished ancestors’ spirits Shang Elite

Ancient India and China Section 1

Ancient India and China Section 1

Ancient India and China Section 1

Ancient India and China Section 1 Oracle Bones As part of worship, Shang asked ancestors for advice Sought advice through use of oracle bones –Inscribed bits of animal bone, turtle shell –Living person asked question of ancestor –Hot piece of metal applied to oracle bone resulting in cracks on bone’s surface –Specially trained priests interpreted meaning of cracks to learn answer

Ancient India and China Section 1

Ancient India and China Section 1

Ancient India and China Section 1 Writing Development of Chinese writing closely tied to use of oracle bones Earliest examples of Chinese writing, questions written on bones themselves Early Shang texts used picture symbols to represent objects, ideas End of Dynasty Shang ruled for more than 600 years, until about 1100 BC Ruling China’s growing population proved too much for Shang Armies from nearby tribe, Zhou, invaded, established new ruling dynasty Bronze Shang religion led to great advances in working with bronze Highly decorative bronze vessels, objects created for religious rituals Also built huge structures like tombs; created calendar, first money systems Shang Achievements and Decline

Ancient India and China Section 1

Ancient India and China Section 1

Ancient India and China Section 1 Question: How did religion influence other aspects of Shang culture? Answer(s): ritual meals for ancestors; oracle bones connected to early writing; bronze work for rituals; built stable tombs

Ancient India and China Section 1 In that case, they said, it was the will of the gods that that dynasty be overthrown and a new one take power. Beginning around 1100 BC, the Zhou rules China for several centuries. The Zhou dynasty is divided into two periods. During the Western Zhou, kings ruled from Xian in a peaceful period. Later conflict arose, kings moved east to Luoyang, beginning the Eastern Zhou period. When Zhou conquered Shang, leaders worried Chinese people would not accept them Introduced idea they ruled by Mandate of Heaven gods would support just ruler, not allow anyone corrupt to hold power Government The Zhou Dynasty Zhou said Shang overthrown because they lost gods’ favor Later rulers used Mandate of Heaven to explain dynastic cycle, rise and fall of dynasties in China If dynasty lost power, it obviously had become corrupt Dynastic Cycle

Ancient India and China Section 1

Ancient India and China Section 1

Ancient India and China Section 1

Ancient India and China Section 1 Before Zhou, Chinese metalwork done almost exclusively in bronze Zhou learned to use iron, became backbone of economy Iron was strong, could be cast more cheaply, quickly than bronze Iron weapons strengthened Zhou army, as did new weapons like catapult and creation of China’s first cavalry Population grew under Zhou Farmers learned new techniques, increased size of harvest, created food surpluses; cities also grew Roads, canals allowed better transportation, communication Introduced coins, use of chopsticks Growth Conflict arose during latter part of Zhou dynasty Clan leaders within China rose up against king As time passed, more and more local leaders turned against Zhou, further weakening rule Decline of the Zhou Zhou Achievements

Ancient India and China Section 1

Ancient India and China Section 1

Ancient India and China Section 1 Small States Fight Result of rebellions was Warring States Period 403 BC to 221 BC, number of small states fought each other for land, power Zhou still nominally in charge, but power almost nonexistent by mid-200s BC Qin, new dynasty, arose to bring end to Warring States Period, Zhou dynasty

Ancient India and China Section 1 Question: How did China change under the Zhou? Answer(s): iron technology, population grew, new farm techniques, more food, cities grew, roads and canals built, coins and chopsticks introduced

Ancient India and China Section 1 The conflicts of the late Zhou period led many Chinese thinkers to question the nature of society and people’s roles in it. Effort to make sense of chaos led to creation of many new Chinese philosophies, or ways of looking at the world Of many philosophies created during late Zhou period, two became influential in later Chinese history: Confucianism Daoism New Philosophies

Ancient India and China Section 1 Confucius Confucianism based on teachings of scholar named Kongfuzi, better known as Confucius, who thought people should treat one another humanely Should express love, respect for others, honor one’s ancestors Analects Ruler should treat subjects fairly; subjects reward ruler with respect, loyalty People should respect members of family, devote selves to public service Confucian ideas spread elsewhere in Asia, including Korea, Japan, Vietnam Love and Respect Believed that love, respect had disappeared and was responsible for violence in society; restoring respect for tradition would make society stable Thoughts on how to improve society collected in book, Analects Confucianism

Ancient India and China Section 1

Ancient India and China Section 1 Daoism embraced Chinese concept of yin and yang, representing balancing aspect of nature—male, female; dark, light; hot, cold Neither can exist without other Important for two to remain balanced for perfect harmony Origins of Daoist teachings attributed to philosopher named Laozi Wrote book called Dao De Jing Laozi worshipped by some as a god Yin and Yang Unlike Confucianism, which focuses on improving society, Daoism encourages people to retreat from laws of society, yield to law of nature Heart of Daoism is concept of the dao, or the way Dao is the limitless force that is part of all creation Through the dao, all things in nature connected Finding one’s place in nature allows person to achieve harmony with universe Definition Daoism

Ancient India and China Section 1

Ancient India and China Section 1 Some Lasting Effects Daoism eventually proved less influential than Confucianism in Chinese history Still played major role in later dynasties Idea of balance key concept in China for centuries as result of Daoist teaching Daoist philosophy led many followers to work for preservation, protection of natural environment

Ancient India and China Section 1

Ancient India and China Section 1 Question: What is one difference between Confucianism and Daoism? Answer(s): Daoism—retreat from society and commune with nature; Confucianism—improve society

Ancient India and China Section 1

Ancient India and China Section 1

Ancient India and China Section 1