Chapter 2Chapter 2

Early River Valley CivilizationsEarly River Valley Civilizations

Early River Valley Early River Valley CivilizationsCivilizations

Fertile CrescentFertile Crescent – – MesopotamiaMesopotamia Between Between Tigris & EuphratesTigris & Euphrates – Iraq – Iraq Problems:Problems:

Unpredictable floodingUnpredictable flooding No natural barriers for protectionNo natural barriers for protection Natural resources limitedNatural resources limited

Mesopotamia cont.Mesopotamia cont.

Solutions:Solutions: IrrigationIrrigation ditches ditches Mud brick defensive wallsMud brick defensive walls Traded grain, cloth, tools with others for raw Traded grain, cloth, tools with others for raw

materials (wood, stone)materials (wood, stone) Organized into Organized into city-statescity-states

DynastyDynasty (single family of rulers) (single family of rulers) Cultural diffusionCultural diffusion – spread of ideas to other – spread of ideas to other

culturescultures

Other EmpiresOther Empires

PolytheisticPolytheistic – belief in many gods – belief in many gods Sargon – Sargon – Akkadians Akkadians conquered Sumerconquered Sumer Adopted many aspects of cultureAdopted many aspects of culture First First empireempire – brings several groups – brings several groups

under one rulerunder one ruler Babylonians – Babylonians – HammurabiHammurabi

Hammurabi’s CodeHammurabi’s Code – “eye for an eye” – “eye for an eye” First First written code of lawwritten code of law

EgyptEgypt

Nile RiverNile River – “gift” of the Nile; regular – “gift” of the Nile; regular flooding left fertile soilflooding left fertile soil

Predictable but changes led to Predictable but changes led to drought or flooddrought or flood

Upper & Lower EgyptUpper & Lower Egypt Flows north; Flows north; deltadelta Old Kingdom – about 2,600 – 2,100 BCOld Kingdom – about 2,600 – 2,100 BC

EgyptEgypt

PharaohsPharaohs ruled as gods; ruled as gods; theocracytheocracy Belief in afterlife; built Belief in afterlife; built pyramidspyramids

MummificationMummification Economic strength, technology, Economic strength, technology,

public works, strong governmentpublic works, strong government PolytheisticPolytheistic

Egypt Egypt

Women had many rightsWomen had many rights Writing – Writing – hieroglyphicshieroglyphics; developed ; developed

papyruspapyrus (paper from plant) (paper from plant) Calendar, engineering, architecture, Calendar, engineering, architecture,

medicine, surgerymedicine, surgery

EgyptEgypt

Invaders weakened Old KingdomInvaders weakened Old Kingdom Middle Kingdom (2,000 – 1,600 BC) – Middle Kingdom (2,000 – 1,600 BC) –

restored prosperityrestored prosperity Didn’t last – Hyksos took overDidn’t last – Hyksos took over Rosetta StoneRosetta Stone – interpreted – interpreted

hieroglyphicshieroglyphics

Indus ValleyIndus Valley

Indian subcontinentIndian subcontinent Indus RiverIndus River and Ganges River and Ganges River Seasonal Seasonal monsoonsmonsoons (winds) bring dry (winds) bring dry

air but also moist air – floodingair but also moist air – flooding Floods brought rich soil but were Floods brought rich soil but were

unpredictableunpredictable

IndusIndus

Mohenjo-DaroMohenjo-Daro HarappaHarappa – planned city; brick – planned city; brick

buildings, buildings, gridgrid pattern, plumbing, pattern, plumbing, sewagesewage

Peaceful, no sharp class differencesPeaceful, no sharp class differences Collapsed around 1500 BC – possibly Collapsed around 1500 BC – possibly

earthquakes; changed flow of riversearthquakes; changed flow of rivers

Section 4 - ChinaSection 4 - China

Isolated – deserts, mountains, ocean Isolated – deserts, mountains, ocean surroundsurround

Huang HeHuang He (Yellow) & (Yellow) & Chang JiangChang Jiang (Yangtze) Rivers(Yangtze) Rivers

ShangShang – first dynasty; first written – first dynasty; first written records; used wood, not mud-brick; records; used wood, not mud-brick; walled citieswalled cities

China cont.China cont.

Importance of group, not individualImportance of group, not individual Family & respect importantFamily & respect important Writing – symbols stood for ideas, not Writing – symbols stood for ideas, not

sounds; so many different spoken sounds; so many different spoken languageslanguages

Zhou dynastyZhou dynasty – took over but adopted – took over but adopted Shang features; 800 years (longest)!Shang features; 800 years (longest)!

China, cont.China, cont.

Mandate of heavenMandate of heaven – new theory that rulers – new theory that rulers got authority to rule from heaven; got authority to rule from heaven; divine ruledivine rule

Dynastic CycleDynastic Cycle – rise, decline, replacement – rise, decline, replacement cyclecycle

FeudalismFeudalism – lords & nobles use king’s land in – lords & nobles use king’s land in exchange for serviceexchange for service

Nobles protected rulers & peasants – got Nobles protected rulers & peasants – got much power over time and fought constantlymuch power over time and fought constantly