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Unit 3 - The “Classical Era” in the East. Empires of India (Aryan, Mauryan , Gupta) & Dynasties of China (Zhou, Qin, Han). Aryan Empire. Nomadic people who lived by herding cattle & fighting Developed iron weapons & horse-drawn chariots.
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Unit 3 - The “Classical Era” in the East Empires of India (Aryan, Mauryan, Gupta) & Dynasties of China (Zhou, Qin, Han)
Aryan Empire • Nomadic people who lived by herding cattle & fighting • Developed iron weapons & horse-drawn chariots. • Over centuries, they moved into the Ganges River valley & pushing the Dravidian people south.
Aryan Empire • They developed their own form of writing known as Sanskrit. • Sanskrit became a sign of education & wealth since it was only taught to members of the higher caste. • They also brought a new religion to India – Hinduism. • To secure their status they put into effect new social & religious rules. • These new rules allowed only the Aryans to occupy the higher castes.
Mauryan Empire • Shortly after Alexander the Great invaded India, one of the greatest Hindu empires arose. • King Chandragupta challenged the Greeks & established the powerful Mauryan Empire. • His grandson Asoka was the next great ruler of India.
Mauryan Empire • To enlarge his empire, Asoka was involved in constant warfare for nearly 8 years. • Horrified by the bloodshed of battle, Asoka renounced violence & converted to Buddhism. • Promoted the people’s welfare & happiness. • Asoka decreed people of all religions should live peacefully with one another.
Mauryan Empire • He improved roads, built hospitals & promoted education. • To promote Buddhism, he built Buddhist shrines throughout India. • After Asoka’s death, the empire began to fall apart.
Gupta Empire • In 320 A.D., the Gupta family emerged. • They encouraged peace, prosperity & trade with foreign lands, especially China. • The two centuries of Gupta rule is referred as the “Golden Age of Hindu Culture”. • A period of peace & stability. • Strides in the arts & literature. • Built universities
Gupta Empire • Mathematics: • Developed the concept of zero • The idea of infinity & the decimal system • Their system of numerals is used today
Gupta Empire Astronomers: • Idea that the Earth was not flat, but round & rotated on its own axis. • Calculated the solar year
Gupta Empire Medicine: • Physicians set bones • Performed minor skin grafts • The Gupta Empire came to an end when the Huns from Central Asia invaded India.
Zhou Dynasty • Conquered the Shang Dynasty • Set up a system in which land was given to nobles in exchange for military service. • In time, Zhou rulers conquered neighboring peoples & made them part of China. • By the 6th century, local rulers became too powerful for the Zhou rulers to control. • China was plunged into a civil war.
Zhou Dynasty • The greatest legacy of the Zhou dynasty was the work of two Chinese philosophers, Confucius & Lao Tzu.
Qin Dynasty • Pronounced “Chin” • Shih Huang-ti unified all of China through conquest. • Became the first Chinese ruler to call himself “Emperor”. • A very harsh ruler • Believed people were not necessarily good & needed a strong government to punish those who committed bad acts. • Rejected Confucianism, burnt his books & persecuted scholars.
Qin Dynasty • He joined together several existing protective walls to form the Great Wall of China. • The wall stretched 1,500 miles, stood 22 feet high & 15 feet thick. • Built to keep invaders from the north out • He also built an immense army of clay soldiers to surround him in his tomb.
Han Dynasty • The Han emperors kept China unified for over 400 years. • They are credited for: • Inventing paper • Lead-glazed ceramics • Advancements in silk-weaving
Han Dynasty • Encouraged the spread of Confucian ideas. • Candidates for imperial service jobs were tested on their knowledge of history & Confucian ideas. • The examinations strengthened the power of the emperor by weakening the nobles. • Nobles could no longer claim their high status of imperial service as a matter of right. • Only those who passed these tough tests could assist the emperor in government. • This also provided a way for commoners to move up the social ladder.
Han Dynasty • They established overland trade routes, such as the “Silk Road”, which connected China to the Roman Empire & other regions. (Exported silk, iron & bronze) • India introduced Buddhism, which became popular in China.
Han Dynasty Family life: • Wealthy families had many children so their sons could serve in the government & their daughters could marry into wealthy families. • Marriages were arranged • Wealthy women were well-treated & influential. • Schools were for boys only. • Confucian principles were taught: • Respect for elders • Women were subordinate to men
Han Dynasty • The fall of the Han Dynasty • The Han Dynasty ruled over an immense territory. • Han emperors were weakened by a series of rebellions against their authority. • Economic hardships from the population growth. • In 221 A.D., the Han Dynasty finally collapsed into a series of civil wars, & split apart into a series of separate states.
