India & China

1. India &China

2. India • Geography • Himalayas • highest mountains in the world • Ganges River • runs along the Ganges Plain to the south of the Himalayas • Deccan Plateau • covers most of India • hilly and dry • Coastal Regions • rain forests

3. India • Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro • Both cities had c. 30-40K people • Planned straight and perpendicular streets • Had sewage system (first in the world) • Had garbage chutes • Symbols used have lead historians and scientists to believe that they were more advanced than the Mesopotamians • But no one knows exactly what happened to them

4. India • Aryans • from the Russian Steppes • came thru the Hindu Kush • were not a race, but Indo-Europeans • Settled in the Indus River valley (Pakistan) • wrote and spoke Sanskrit • divided land into small kingdoms made up of families ruled by rajas (princes)

5. India • Aryans • Caste System (jati) • Top four of the five castes are called varnas • Top is the Brahmans • priests • Next is the Kshatriyas • warriors and economic upper class • Vaisyas • commoners – farmers and economic middle-lower class • Sudras • most of pop. • lower class workers

6. India • Aryans • Lowest jati level • Untouchables • about 5% of the population • not considered human • Mostly non-Aryans from the Southern most tip on the Indian sub-continent

7. India • Aryans • Family Structure • Male dominant • divorce not allowed • Suttee – when a husband died, his body was burned and the wife usually threw herself into the fire and died with her husband

8. India • Hinduism • Vedas, Bhagavad-Gita, and Upanishads – holy books of Hinduism • Ultimate reality – Brahman • Believed in reincarnation, karma, dharma • The study of yoga • Gods • Brahma the Creator • Vishnu the Preserver • Siva the Destroyer

9. India • Buddhism • Siddhartha Gautama • AKA Buddha, “Enlightened One” • Rich guy who never felt pain, suffering, and hunger. When he did find it, he wanted to get rid of it forever. • starved and mediated until he found the meaning of life

10. India • Buddhism • Principles • The world is simply an illusion and all bad things were because we were attached to this world • Let go of the world and then you have wisdom • To achieve nirvana (ultimate reality) you must come to the end of your self and become one with the World Soul

11. India • Buddhism • Four Noble Truths • I. Ordinary life is full of suffering • II. Suffering is caused by our desire to satisfy ourselves • III. End suffering is to end desire for selfish goals and to see others as extensions of ourselves • IV. To end desire is to follow the Middle Path

12. India • Buddhism • Middle Path • 1. Right View – Know the Four Noble Truths • 2. Right Intention – Decide what we really want • 3. Right Speech – Speak truth and to speak well of others • 4. Right Action – Do not kill. Do not steal. Do not lie. Do not take drugs or drink alcohol. • 5. Right Effort • 6. Right Mindfulness – Keep our minds in control of our senses • 7. Right Livelihood – Do work that uplifts our being • 8. Right Concentration – Meditate to see the world in a new way

13. India • Indian Empires • Mauryan Dynasty • covered most of India and Pakistan • Large army and secret Police • Under Asoka, India became a great empire in the world • Became a Buddhist • Known as India’s Greatest Ruler (ever)

14. India • Indian Empires • Kushan Kingdom • Bactria (present day Afghanistan) • nomadic warriors • rich because of the Silk Road • Silk Road • ran from Changan in China to Antioch in Syria • Chinese silk was traded all over the eastern hemisphere because of the road

15. India • Indian Empires • Literature • Vedas, Mahabharata—Bhagavad-Gita, Ramayana, The Cloud Messenger • Architecture • Pillars – with teachings of Buddha • Stupa – buildings to hold statutes or religious relics • Science • Algebra • Zero (0)

16. China • Geography • Rivers • Yellow River – from Mongolia to the Pacific Ocean • Yangtze River – from the Himalayas in Thailand to Shanghai • Mostly mountainous terrain and deserts

17. China • Dynasties • Shang • King at the capital at Anyang • ruled by an aristocracy • used oracle bones read by priests to help them govern • Three tiered society • King and aristocrats (smallest) • artisans and merchants (still very small) • peasants and slaves

18. China • Shang • Religion • Ancestor Worship • believe that the dead ancestors can help or hurt situations, depending on how you treat them

19. China • Dynasties • Zhou • longest lasting dynasty (800 years) • King ruled over an aristocratic bureaucracy • seen as link between Heaven and Earth • Mandate of Heaven – King is the voice and gives the direction of Heaven

20. China • Dynasties • Zhou • Mandate of Heaven (cont’d) • King was Heaven’s guy on earth • But he had to keep the “way” or the Dao • People could overthrow the king • Technology • irrigation made it easier to farm and increased the harvest • this helped the population grow to 50,000,000 (compared to 1,300,000,000 today)

21. China • Language • pictographic/ideographic • character symbolizes the meaning • Confucianism • “Master Kung” • wrote Analects • political and ethical, not spiritual • Dao (Way) • duty • humanity

22. China • Confucianism (cont’d) • Five Constant Relationships • parent and child • husband and wife • older sibling and younger sibling • older friend and younger friend • ruler and subject • Way to Heaven is through action, good works

23. China • Daoism • Laozi • the Old Master • friend of Confucius • Tao Te Ching (The Way of the Dao) • Does not get into theology • sets up good behavior • way to Heaven is not action but inaction

24. China • More Dynasties • Qin Dynasty • Legalism is the official ideology • Legalism • strong ruler • people inherently bad • need laws to control them • built first part of the Great Wall of China

25. China • More Dynasties • Han Dynasty • terra cotta soldiers • controlled more than other dynasties • height of ancient China