Ancient Indian and Chinese Civilizations

1. Ancient Indian and Chinese Civilizations

2. Chandragupta Maurya seized power in India United North India for the first time. Raised a vast army. Relied on Kautilya (an adviser) to run the empire. Built a grand capital city and palace. Mauryan Empire

3. Mauryan Empire • 301 – Chandragupta’s son assumed throne • Grandson Asoka brought empire to its greatest height. • Asoka promotes Buddhism. • Built extensive roads. • Made travel and communication easier. • The death of Asoka left a power vacuum. • The kingdoms of central India regained independence. • Northern India began to absorb a flood of new people fleeing from political instability in other parts of Asia. • Southern India kingdoms were often at war.

5. Chandra Gupta emerged as a strong leader. Indian Lifestyle Most Indians lived in small villages Most Indian families were patriarchal Tax on water India experienced a period of achievement in the arts, religious thought, and science. Over the next 100 years the Gupta Empire broke into small kingdoms from invaders. Empire ended about 535. Gupta Empire

6. The Spread of Indian Trade • India had precious resources and trade expanded even after the Mauryan Empire ended. • Indians learned about the Silk Roads. • Acted as middlemen. • Sea trade also increased. • Traded with Rome, Africa, and Asia. • Effects of Indian trade: • Rise of banking in India. • A number of Indian merchants went to live abroad and brought Indian culture with them. Art, architecture, dance. Also brought religion with them

7. Trade Routes

8. Essential Question:Trace the Rise of River Dynastiesand Culture in Early China 

10. Geographic Effects: Isolated Gobi Desert Sea of Japan Gobi Desert Plateau of Tibet Yellow Sea Himalaya Mts East China Sea South China Sea

11. River Civilizations • Major rivers: Huang He and the Chang Jiang • 10% arable land • Land between rivers is known as the North China Plain

12. First Dynasties • First cities – 2000BC • Shang Dynasty rise to power • Written records • Fancy palaces and tombs • Massive earth walls around cities • Constant warfare

13. Chinese Culture - Family • Importance of groups – family • Males dominate • Arranged marriages – girls between 13 and 16 • Bearing sons would improve a women’s status • Obedience and respect to ruler

14. Social Classes in the Shang Dynasty • Nobles controlled the land • Sharp divide between nobles and peasants • Tribute paid to Shang ruler in exchange for local control • Peasants do the work

15. Writing • Each character stood for one syllable • No link between China’s written and spoken language • One could read Chinese writing without being able to speak a word of it • Advantage: People in all parts of China could learn the same system of writing even if they spoke different languages • Helped to unify a large and different land

16. Zhou (Joh) and Dynastic Cycle • 1027 BC overthrow Shang • Little cultural change • Mandate of Heaven – approval from God to rule • Disasters indicate displeasure of the gods • Mandate may pass to another family

17. Feudalism • Royal family members and trusted nobles control land areas • Loyalty and military service to the king • Protect those on their land • As Lords gained power, they became less loyal to the king

18. Technology and Trade • River control • Roads and canals • Coined money • Blast furnaces • Daggers/axes/swords • Sickles/knives/spades • Improved agriculture

19. Warring States • 1027-256 BC generally peaceful • Nomads attack weakened Zhou and kill king • Warlords fight among themselves for control • Change from love of order, harmony, respect vs. chaos, arrogance, defiance

20. 3rd century BC, Qin Dynasty replaced the Zhou Dynasty. Employed Legalist ideas - a ruler should provide rich rewards for people who carried out their duties well Ruler, Shi Huangdi, meaning “First Emperor.” Introduced a policy called “strengthening the trunk and weakening the branches.” Qin Dynasty

21. Shi Huangdi’s Centralization • 4000 miles of roads • Set standards for: writing, law, currency, weights and measures throughout China • Trade increased • Irrigation projects

22. Shi Huangdi’s Centralization Strict control 120,000 nobles and families move to capital To prevent criticism, murdered hundreds of Confucian scholars; they also ordered “useless” books burned.

23. The Great Wall • Huge defensive wall • Stop northern invaders • Forced labor • Many die

25. Fall of the Qin Harsh taxes • Repressive government • Shi Huangdi’s son not as powerful • Resentment leads to revolution • The Qin Dynasty lasted only a short time; peasants rebelled just three years after the second Qin emperor took office. • Han Dynasty takes over

26. Comparing China and India

27. Describe the early Chinese civilizations. • Physical Features – • Mountains (Himalayas), deserts (Taklimakan and Gobi, plains, and bodies of water (Huang River, Chang River, Xi River, and Yellow Sea) • Government – • Autocracy • Dynasty • Religion – • Early Chinese worshipped ancestors • Confucianism and Taoism • Buddhism • Economy – • Farming (wheat and rice) • Trade (Silk Road – traded gold, silk, and pottery) • Technology – • Paper, collar harness for horses, gunpowder, chess, and compass • Cultural Achievements – • Assimilation • Silk Road spread Chinese beliefs and way of life to other places while adopting other traders’ cultures as well (India, Persia, and Greece)

28. Describe the early Indian civilizations. • Physical Features – • Mountains (Himalayas), desert, forest, jungles, and bodies of water (Indus and Ganges River, Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean, and Bay of Bengal) • Government – • Empire • Dynasty • Religion – • Hinduism • Buddhism • Economy – • Farming (wheat, rice, and cotton) • Trade (Silk Road – traded cloth, diamonds, gold, wood, sapphires, spices and salt) • Technology – • First to grow cotton and create sugar • Advances in science (discovered the earth was round and it rotated around the sun) • Mathematical achievements (pi) • Medicine (discovered diseases and medical plants; performed surgery, even plastic) • Cultural Achievements – • Tamil poems • Dramatic performances

29. How are they similar? How are they different? • In your notes create a Venn diagram comparing China and India. • This is an essential study aid for your test tomorrow so make sure you are thorough and ask for help if you are confused.

30. Create Venn Diagram comparing China and India Think about: • Physical Features – • Government – • Religion – • Economy – • Technology – • Cultural Achievements –