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Ancient Civilizations Plus India and China unit one world history. CHAPTER TWO WESTERN ASIA AND EGYPT.
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Ancient CivilizationsPlus India and Chinaunit one world history
CHAPTER TWO WESTERN ASIA AND EGYPT • The early civilizations of this region emerged in the river valleys of the Tigris, Euphrates, and Nile Rivers. Farming was the economic base for the growth of civilization. Egyptian civilization was remarkably stable, and ruling dynasties lasted for many centuries. Civilizations between the Tigris and Euphrates were often toppled by invasions. The invaders established their own dynasties and brought new ideas and practices with them.
Civilization Begins in Mesopotamia • Mesopotamia—the region between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers—was the birthplace of several of the earliest known civilizations • Sumerians engaged in wide-spread trade and built walled cities that had economic and political control over the surrounding countryside. Like other Mesopotamians, Sumerians believed gods and goddesses controlled the universe and owned the cities, which were administered by priests and priestesses. Eventually power passed to kings. The Sumerians also created the cuneiform of writing and invented tools and devices such as the wagon wheel. The Akkadians eventually overran the Sumerian city-states and created the first empire in world history. A return to city-states and other rulers followed. One of these rulers, Hammurabi, is remembered for his strict code of law.
Egyptian Civilization: "The Gift of the Nile" • Egyptian civilization shared many features with early Mesopotamian civilization. It grew out of the farming economy along a major river, the Nile. Historians describe three major periods in early Egyptian civilization: the Old Kingdom, the Middle Kingdom, and the New Kingdom. While for a short period the Egyptians were ruled by the Hyksos, they eventually expanded their empire. After the New Kingdom collapsed in 1084 B.C., Egypt was dominated by a succession of other empires. Religion was important for the Egyptians, who lived in a structured society dominated by priests and nobles. Egyptians believed that their kings, often called pharaohs, ruled by divine right. They created an extensive government bureaucracy and built the pyramids as tombs for mummified pharaohs. Art, science, and a form of writing called hieroglyphics also flourished in Egypt.
New Centers of Civilization • The Phoenicians improved their ships and built an extensive trading empire and colonies. They invented an alphabet that was passed on to the Greeks. The Israelites were a minor political force, but they created a world religion known today as Judaism. The kingdom of Israel divided into two separate kingdoms, but successive defeats by invaders ended political independence, and Judaism became a stateless religion. The Jews were monotheistic and believed that a covenant required obedience to the law of God. This law had been revealed to them during the exodus from Egypt. The golden age of Israelite prophecy began in the mid-eighth century B.C. Both within the kingdom and in exile, prophets developed new concepts that became a source for universal ideals of social justice.
The Rise of New Empires • With the help of a large army with iron weapons, the Assyrians established a new empire by 700 B.C. They built an effective system of communication and one of the world's first libraries. After the collapse of the Assyrian Empire, the Persian Empire became the leading power in western Asia. Under Cyrus, the Persians created a state that stretched from Asia Minor to western India. Cyrus ruled with remarkable wisdom and compassion for his subjects and the peoples of the lands he conquered. Cyrus's successors expanded the empire, relying on a system of provincial governments that collected taxes, provided justice and security, and recruited soldiers. A major cultural contribution of the Persians was their religion, Zoroastrianism. The Persian Empire eventually collapsed and was conquered by Alexander the Great.
CHAPTER THREE INDIA AND CHINA • Chapter 3 describes the challenges ancient Indian and Chinese rulers faced as they sought to build large empires. It also discusses the emergence of major religions and philosophies.
INDIA • As early as 3000 B.C., an advanced civilization known as the Indus, or Harappan, civilization, emerged in northern India. It was based around two highly organized cities that provided inhabitants with a sewage system and other public works. • Harappan civilization was toppled when the Aryans, Indo-European nomads, invaded around 1500 B.C. Two enduring features of Indian civilization, Hinduism and the caste system, originated with the Aryans. The Sanskrit written language was also developed by the Aryans. In the sixth century B.C., a doctrine called Buddhism developed as a rival to Hinduism. The founder, Siddhartha Gautama, known as the Buddha, rejected the Hindu belief in multiple deities as well as the rigid caste system. Instead, he preached his Four Noble Truths, emphasizing the need to search for wisdom as a way to end suffering and achieve nirvana.
INDIA CONT… • the Aryans never united the region politically. The Mauryan dynasty was the first to rule a centralized Indian empire. The Mauryas came to power in 324 B.C., a few years after a failed invasion by Alexander the Great. However, periods of prosperity in India often ended in invasion. The Kushan Kingdom in what is now Afghanistan replaced the Mauryan dynasty as the major regional power. The Kushans prospered due to trade along the 4,000-mile Silk Road that passed through their territory. After Persian invaders toppled the Kushans, the Guptas established a new Indian dynasty in A.D. 320. Nomadic Huns eventually put an end to the good fortunes of the Guptas, and the empire dissolved. Despite periods of disunity, early Indian civilization made lasting contributions. Architecture flourished, and the development of Sanskrit made it possible for Indians to record their great historical epics. Indians also advanced the study of astronomy and mathematics. Their advances were later adopted in the Arab world and in Europe.
CHINA • the founding of the Xia dynasty over 4000 years ago as the beginning of Chinese civilization. It was replaced by the Shang dynasty, in which aristocratic warlords helped govern the vast kingdom, while peasants farmed the land. The successors to the Shang, the Zhou, claimed to rule by a Mandate of Heaven. Under the Zhou, irrigation and improved farming methods led to increased food production. The population grew, and manufacturing and trade increased. The Zhou dynasty collapsed after powerful states emerged within the kingdom, equipped with cavalry and advanced weapons. Toward the end of the Zhou dynasty, three major Chinese philosophies developed. Confucianism, Daoism, and Legalism focused on the immediate world and offered alternative paths to an orderly society.
CHINA CONT… • From about 400 to 200 B.C., powerful Chinese states engaged in bloody civil war. The state of Qin eventually defeated its rivals, and its young leader, Qin Shihuangdi, declared a new dynasty. Qin adopted Legalism as his guiding principle, and political power became more centralized and bureaucratic. The emperor created a monetary system and built a vast network of roads. He also expanded the empire and started the building of the Great Wall of China. However, civil war broke out again after Qin's death. Under the Han dynasty China became more stable. The Hans adopted Confucianism, rather than Legalism, as their guiding principle. Yet they built on many of Qin's bureaucratic innovations. New technologies and inventions such as paper and steel brought prosperity. Advances in shipbuilding led to overseas trade. However, many free peasants did not share in the prosperity and were forced to sell their land and become tenant farmers. Peasant uprisings, along with political intrigue, helped bring about the end of the dynasty.
