“Chuck Norris ordered a Big Mac at Burger King…and got one.” Chuck Norris Fact:

Thoughts on an Empire Empires are large and often control territories with different cultures Empires often produce amazing advancements Empires rely on a strong central government Empires are hard to maintain, especially as they grow larger Empires require the citizens to put allegiance above all else, which is very hard to do Ride’r til she bucks!

Eastern Empires India & China

Map of the East

Indian Empires Aryan Empire The Caste System & Hinduism to India Era ended by Alexander the Great Mauryan Empire Spread Buddhism Improved Roads Built hospitals Encouraged learning Gupta Empire Increased Trade Supported Art & Literature Advances in Math, Science, Astronomy, Medicine Known as the Golden Age of Hindu Culture Era ended by the Huns I’m Awesome! They don’t call me “the Average” for a reason.

Gifts of the Indian Empires Hindusim Buddhism Concept of Zero Infinity Decimal System Earth was NOT Flat Solar Year Setting Bones Skin Grafts

Hinduism Provides a roadmap for life Upanishads & Bhagavad-Gita Religion that combines polytheism and monotheism Belief in reincarnation Karma Both the Ganges River & Cows are sacred Pie! I hate green Check out my tats!

Buddhism Religion based on the life of Siddhartha Gautama Belief in self-denial, meditation & reincarnation No single supreme being or holy book Buddhists follow the Four Noble Truths & the Eightfold Path Buddhists are in search of Nirvana I’m Huge!

Chinese Dynasties Shang First Dynasty, establishes tradition Zhou Establishes Feudalism Builds Empire Confucius & Lao-Tzu Qin First Emperor of China Built Roads & Canals Uniform Systems – Weights & Measures Great Wall of China Terra Cotta Warriors Han Invented Paper Civil Service Exams Creation of the Silk Roads Confucianism Grows Women take a lesser role

Confucius & Other Philosophies Confucius lived during the end of the Zhou Dynasty Wrote about relationships & social order Ideas were the basis for many aspects of Chinese culture Lao-Tsu wrote about Daoism and the natural order of life, using nature as an example Yin-Yang helped to explain the natural order of Life Buddhism entered Chinese culture and became very popular Its all about respect!

Moment of Zen