Ancient India and China
The Subcontinent Huge peninsula Pushes out into the Indian Ocean India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka
Himalaya Hindu Kush Eastern and Western Ghats Mountains
Rivers Ganges Indus Brahmaputra
Regions Indo-Gangetic Plain; aka the Northern Plain Deccan Plateau Coastal Plains
Monsoons Seasonal wind that dominates the climate of South Asia Flooding in Calcutta (NYT 7/6/07) Flooding on the Brahmaputra
Indus River Valley Civilization 2600-1500 BC Well organized government Cities are Mohenjo- Daro and Harappa Grid; streets, houses plumbing, sewers, warehouses Farming; trading; polytheistic
Mohenjo-Daro
Street Scenes
Arrival of the Aryans 1500 BC Aryans migrate into the valley No cities, no physical remains; Iron weapons and tools Nomads who turn to farming Social groups ranked by occupation
Aryan Social Classes Brahmins Kshatriyas Vaishyas Shudras
1500-500 BC; What we know of the Aryans comes from this time Vedas; Hymns; Chants; Religious Rituals; Sanskrit Polytheistic The Mahabharata and the Ramayana The Vedic Age
No single founder, combination of Aryan and Indus Valley beliefs No single sacred text; Vedas Brahman; single spiritual force Polytheistic; Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva Hinduism
What You Need to Know Atman-universal self Moksha-union with Brahman Reincarnation-rebirth Karma-what goes around comes around Dharma-religious or moral duty Ahimsa-non-violence
Social organization Rigid Born, live, and die in it Rules to ensure social purity Stable social order Grown to include thousands of subcastes Outlawed recently Caste
Buddhism Siddhartha (563 BC) Hindu The birth of the Buddha Enlightened One The Four Noble Truths The Eightfold Path Nirvana
The Four Noble Truths All life is full of suffering, pain, and sorrow The cause of suffering is desire, aka non-virtue You must crush desire Follow the Eightfold Path
Basic Beliefs Hinduism Many gods Brahman Caste Priests Karma Dharma Reincarnation Buddhism No gods Nirvana No caste No priests Karma Dharma Reincarnation
Maurya Empire 321-185 BC Chandragupta unifies northern India Taxes; roads; stateowned factories Secret police
The Maurya Empire
Ashoka 268 BC Greatest, most beloved of all rulers Converts to Buddhism; rejects violence; rules by moral example Edicts Sends missionaries
Ashoka s Empire
Ashoka s Law Code Edicts scattered in over thirty places in India, Pakistan, Afghanistan Ten rock edicts on pillars (stupas) 40-50 feet tall Sanskrit; Buddhist principles dominate his laws
The Gupta Empire Golden Age; 320-540 AD Peace and prosperity Math; medicine, physics; philosophy Arabic numerals and the decimal system Decline due to weak rulers, civil war, invaders
The Gupta Empire 320-647
Rise of Civilization in China Center of the Earth Himalayas; Gobi Desert; Rainforest; Pacific all block movement Trade with the Middle East and India Invaders All are absorbed into Chinese civilization
Bronze Age Dynasties Shang; 1766-1122 BC; clan government; social classes Zhou; 1122-256 BC; Mandate of Heaven to justify taking control Zhou establish feudalism; money economy; population growth; expansion of empire
Mandate of Heaven
Belief Systems Confucius; 551-479 BC; Siddhartha and Socrates Social order and harmony-not interested in spirituality; Analects Relationships; Superior/inferior Duties, responsibilities; filial piety; implied contract
Lao-zi Not interested in order of human affairs Live in harmony with nature Dao- the way of the universe Society is unnatural; government is cause of problems Daoism
System of Writing Begins about 4000 years ago Oracle bones Lots and lots of characters; both pictographs and ideographs Calligraphy
221 BC Zheng becomes Shi Huangdi the First Emperor Unifies China under the Qin Based on Legalism Burns books to quiet dissent; tortures, kills, enslaves enemies Abolishes feudalism Great Wall Strong Rulers
The Great Wall of China
More of the Great Wall
202 BC-220 AD Expansionist; Go into Manchuria, Korea, Vietnam, Tibet Silk Road; 4000 miles; network of trade routes from China to India to the Middle East Civil Service; wealthy; male Han Dynasty
By AD 100 missionaries and merchants had brought the religion to China Appealing because it offers an escape from suffering By 400 AD it had spread throughout China Buddhism