1. Early South Asia & Early China
Chapter 2 Notes

2. Early South Asia
3rd civilization on the rise = Indus River Valley in South Asia
Arose on the subcontinent of Asia = landmass that is part of a continent but is distinct from it

3. The Subcontinent
3 modern nations there today = India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh
Mountains separate it from the rest of Asia = Himalayas & Hindu Kush
Indus River drains into the Arabian Sea

4. Climate & Seasonal Winds
Mountains block cold air & give the area a warm climate
Monsoons = seasonal winds that affect the climate and way of life
Summer monsoons bring heavy rains, causing flooding that helps the soil
People depended on monsoons to grow crops
Monsoons sometimes unpredictable
- Unusually heavy rains drowned people, animals, whole villages
- Late or light monsoons caused poor crops & starvation

5. The Indus Valley Civilization
Often called Harappan Civilization
Major cities: Harappa & Mohenjo-Daro
Cities were carefully planned – used a grid pattern
A fortress built on a brick platform overlooked each city – probably the center of government and religion

6. The Indus Valley Civilization
Houses were made of oven-baked bricks
1) Each house had at least one bathroom with plumbing to sewers
2) Houses rose to several stories and had enclosed courtyards

7. The Indus Valley Civilization
Most people farmed
Trade = bronze and copper tools; jewelry out of gold, shells, ivory; clay pots; woven cloth; silver containers
Used pictograms – still haven’t been deciphered
Not much is known due to a lack of written records
Collapsed around 1500 BCE

8. Early China
4th civilization on the rise = Yellow River Valley in China (Huang He River)
Oldest continuous civilization in the world

9. China’s Geography 1/3 mountains Vast deserts – Gobi Desert
These factors isolated China from other early civilizations
Prevented cultural diffusion
Promoted strong sense of national identity

10. Shang Dynasty ( BCE)
1st dynasty (line of rulers who belong to the same family) from which there are written records in China
Kings were also high priests
Performed special ceremonies for good weather, crops, etc.
Had special powers to call upon their ancestors
Used oracle bones

11. Shang Dynasty Had a writing system
Characters represented objects, ideas, or sounds
Had to memorize each character to understand script
Few people could read & write in ancient China

12. Shang Dynasty Produced some of the finest bronze objects ever made
Wove silk into beautiful colored cloth for the upper class
7 capital cities
Palace and temple stood at the center of each city

13. Shang Dynasty Collapsed under attack
Shang Dynasty lacked strong leaders
1000 BCE = ruler from the north named Wu marched in his armies and killed the Shang king
Set up his own dynasty called the Zhou Dynasty that ruled China for 800 years

14. Shang Dynasty Paved the way for many other dynasties to rule China
Dynasties ruled China until the early 1900s under the Mandate of Heaven
If rulers were effective, they received the authority to rule from Heaven
If not, they were overthrown & lost this mandate to someone else who started a new dynasty