chapter 3 india and china. the impact of geography mountains- himalaya( worlds highest mountains)...
TRANSCRIPT
Chapter 3
India and China
The Impact of Geography
• Mountains- Himalaya( worlds highest mountains)• Rivers- Indus River- served as a major water
source.• Monsoons- a seasonal wind pattern in southern
Asia. Throughout history, Indian farmers have depended on the heavy rains brought by the southwest monsoons. If the rains come early or late, or too much or too little rain falls, crops are destroyed and thousands starve.
Indus Valley Civilizations
• Harappa and Mohenjo Daro- were two advanced civilizations that flourished for hundreds of years. They used oven baked mud bricks to build houses and buildings.
• They were run by a well organized government and their power was based on religion and political stature.
• Their economy was based on farming. The Indus River flooded each year which provided rich soil. ( Does this sound familiar?)
The Aryans
• Moved south across the Hindu Kush mountain ranges.
• The Aryans lived in tribal groups and had a strong warrior tradition. Eventually they would give up their nomadic lifestyle for agriculture.
• Aryans had no written language but did use Sanskrit, which was an Indo-European language that was spoken. This allowed them to pass down stories and keep records.
Daily Life in Ancient India
• Life in ancient India centered around the “family”, the most basic unit in society.
• Most families were extended: included grandparents, parents, and children all under one roof. Families were patriarchal. Who remembers what that means?
Roles of Men/Women
• Men• Inherit property• Receive education• Serve as priests• Oldest male held
legal authority over entire family
• Women• Not allowed to serve
as priests• Were uneducated• Family keepers• Ritual of Suttee-
required a wife to throw herself on her dead husbands flaming funeral.
Children and Marriage
• Children were expected to take care of their parents as they grew older.
• Marriage was arranged by the parents and parents had to support their daughter until their wedding day. Then, the family paid a dowry ( usually a large money amount) to the family of the man that she was marrying.
Social Classes in Ancient India
• Aryan idea of four varnas( social groups that ranked people from high to low) lays the basis for the caste system.
• Varnas compare society to parts of a body, all parts working together.
Diagram of Caste System
Caste System Chart
Varnas Jobs Body Part
Functions
Brahmins Priests, teachers
mouth Teach, advise
Kshatriyas Warriors, police
arms Defend, protect
Vaisyas Merchants, farmers
legs Supply needs
Sudras Peasants, farmers
feet Support society
Economic/Cultural Changes
• 1- Shift to farming and away from trade.
• 2- Settle in small and more pastoral villages
• 3- Arts= change in pottery and materials
• 4- Hinduism= dominant religion
• Sanskrit= language used
Religions of India
• Two of the world’s greatest religions, Hinduism and Buddhism, began in India. Both played a crucial role in shaping the civilization of India.
Hinduism• Had its origins in the religious beliefs of the Aryan people.• Brahman- belief that a single force in the universe, a form of
ultimate reality or God controlled everything.• The individual self known as the “atman” was to seek to know this
ultimate reality so the self would merge with Brahman after death. ( Does this sound similar to something we know about?)
• Yoga ( means “union”)- a method of training designed to lead such a union.
• Goal of Yoga: to leave behind earthly life and join Brahman in a kind of dreamless sleep.
• Through devotion at a Hindu temple, they seek salvation and a means of gaining ordinary things in life that are needed.
• ***Hinduism is still the religion of the majority of the Indian people.***
Hinduism (continued)
Principles of Hinduism
Reincarnation karma dharma
Definitions
• Reincarnation- the belief that the individual soul is reborn in a different form after death.
• Karma- the force generated by a person’s actions that determines how the person will be reborn in the next life.
• Dharma- the divine law (do your duty in society regardless of status)
Buddhism
• Buddhism appeared in northern India and soon became a rival of Hinduism. The founder of Buddhism was Siddhartha Gautama ( known as “Buddha or “Enlightened One”
• Nirvana- ultimate reality- the end of the self and a reunion with the Great World Soul. ( absolute peace)
Four Noble Truths
1. Ordinary life is full of suffering.
2. This suffering is caused by our desire to satisfy ourselves. ( Pain/sorrow are caused by your attachment to things of this world)
3. The way to end suffering is to end desire for selfish goals and to see others as extensions of ourselves.
4. The way to end desire is to follow the Middle Path.
Middle Path/Eightfold Path
1. Right view- We need to know the Four Noble Truths
2. Right intention- We need to decide what we really want.
3. Right speech- We must seek to speak truth and to speak well of others.
4. Right Action- The Buddha gave five precepts: “Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not lie, Do not be unchaste, and Do not take drugs/alcohol.
5. Right livelihood- We must do work that uplifts our being.
6. Right Effort- The Buddha says: “ Those who follow the Way might well follow the example of an ox that arches through the deep mud carrying a heavy load. He is tired, but his steady, forward looking gaze will not relax until he comes out of the mud.
7. Right mindfulness- We must keep our minds in control of our senses: “All we are is the result of what we have thought.
8. Right concentration- We must meditate to see the world in a new way.
Differences in Buddhism/Hinduism
• Buddhism accepted the idea of reincarnation but rejected the Hindu practice of the caste system. (This made Buddhism appealing to the people on the lower end of the social scale.
• Buddhism also differed from Hinduism in its simplicity. Buddhism rejected the multitude of gods that Hinduism followed.
• Many Buddhists see Buddhism as a philosophy rather than as a RELIGION.
End of Section 3.1
Section 3.2 New Empires in India
• Three New Empires
1. The Mauryan Empire
2. The Kushan Empire
3. The Empire of the Guptas
The Mauryan Empire
• This empire was highly centralized.• The king divided his empire into provinces that
were ruled by governors that he appointed.• This empire flourished under the reign of Asoka (
considered to be the greatest ruler in the history of India)
• He converted India to Buddhism and India became a major crossroads in a trade network.
• Asoka was known as a “kind” ruler and developed a prosperous kingdom during his rule.
The Kushan Empire
• They prospered from the trade that passed through their empire.
• Most of the trade was between the Roman Empire and China( known as the Silk Road, silk being China’s most valuable product)
• The Chinese merchants made large fortunes by trading luxury goods, such as silk, spices, teas, and porcelain.
• See page 82-83 in textbook( The Silk Road)
The Empire of the Guptas
• Would become the dominant political force in northern India.
• The Guptas created a golden age of Indian culture shown in the flowering of Hindu/Buddhist arts.
• The Gupta Empire actively engaged in trade with China,Southeast Asia, and the Mediterranean.
• The good fortunes of the Guptas did not last. They faced invasions from nomadic groups and their power was gradually reduced over the years.
Indian AccomplishmentsLiterature
• Vedas- earliest known Indian literature that contains religious chants and stories.
• Mahabharata and Ramayana are two of India’s greatest epic collections of poetry.
• Most of these stories are based on religion and/or moral lessons.
• Kalidasa- India’s most famous poet who wrote the poem The Cloud Messenger( most famous Sanskrit poem)
Architecture
• The three main types of structures, all serving religious purposes, were the pillar, the stupa, and the rock chamber.
• Pillars- weighed up to 50 tons and stood up to 50 feet high. Each was topped with a carved lion, uttering a Buddhist message.
• Stupa- these structures were built in the form of burial mounds and eventually became a place for devotion.
• Rock chamber- were carved out of rock cliffs and developed to provide a series of rooms to house monks and to serve as a hall for religious ceremonies.
Science and Mathematics
• Known for astronomy and charting the movement of stars.
• Recognized that the Earth was a sphere that rotated on its axis and revolved around the sun.
• Known to be the first to use algebra.• Indian mathematicians also introduced the
concept of ZERO and used a symbol(0) for it.
End of 3.2
Rivers and Mountains
• Huang He (Yellow River) and Chang Jiang (Yangtze River) created a river valley that became one of the great food-producing areas of the ancient world.
• Farm land was a problem for ancient China ( only 10 percent of the land was suitable for farming). Much of the land consisted of mountains and deserts. This forbidding landscape was a dominant feature that played a major role in the Chinese life. ( it isolated the Chinese from other parts of Asia)
Climate
• China’s climate vary from region to region.• Monsoons bring about rain and creates
significant temperature differences in winter/summer.
• In the north, winters are long and cold but the short summers are sunny and hot. In the south, they have a subtropical climate with hot summers and mild winters.
• Does this sound similar to us?
The Shang Dynasty
• 1750 B.C.- 1045 B.C.
• Under the Shang Dynasty, China was a farming society that was ruled by aristocracy (an upper class whose wealth is based on land and whose power is passed from one generation to another)
Political and Social Structures
• The Shang king ruled from his capital and divided his territories that were ruled by military leaders known as “warlords”.
• The royal family occupied the top of Shang society, the aristocracy came next, the majority of people were peasants who farmed the land, merchants, artisans, and slaves were at bottom.
Shang Society
Royal Family
aristocracy Peasants, merchants slaves
Religion/Culture
• The Chinese believed in supernatural forces from which the rulers could obtain help in worldly affairs.
• Remains of human sacrifices found in royal tombs are evidence of human efforts to win over favor by Gods.
• The Shang are best remembered for the mastery of bronze casting. (religious ceremonies) Many still survive and are among the most admired creations of Chinese art.
The Zhou Dynasty
• Was the longest-lasting dynasty in Chinese history, ruled for almost 800 years ( 1045B.C.-256 B.C.)
• The Zhou king was in charge of defense and commanded armies throughout the country( similar to our President)
• The Zhou dynasty claimed that it ruled China because it possessed the “Mandate of Heaven”( belief that Heaven was a law of nature that kept order in the universe through their kingdom) Thus, the king ruled by a mandate or command from heaven. This became the basic principle of Chinese government.
• Dao- the proper “WAY” to do something/rule
Effects of rule by “Mandate of Heaven”
1. Set forth a “right of revolution” to overthrow a corrupt ruler.
2. Established that the king was not a “divine being” himself even though they represented Heaven.
3. The Mandate of Heaven was closely tied to the pattern of dynastic cycles.( see page 88 and copy chart in notebook)
4. China was ruled by a series of dynasties which all went through a cycle of change. Created, gain power, rule, begin to decline, take over by new dynasty= new rule
Zhou Social Structure
• The family served as the basic economic/social unit in ancient China society.
• Families were close and worked together on large plots of land to farm.
• Male supremacy was a key element in the social system. Men worked as: warriors, scholars, and government officials. Women raised the children and worked in the home.
Zhou accomplishments
1. Use of iron to make iron farming plows ( this created an increase in farm output which in turn increased the population to almost fifty million people during the Zhou dynasty.)
2. Creation/development of Chinese written language (used pictographs- picture symbols or characters which represent an object)
Chinese Philosophy
Confucianism Daoism Legalism
Confucianism
• The system of Confucian ideas, an important part of Chinese culture.
• Confucius was known to the Chinese as the first teacher.
• Confucius interest in philosophy was political and ethical, not spiritual. Believed in two major elements which were (1) Dao or way of humanity.
• Everyone should be governed by the Five Constant Relationships: parent and child, husband and wife, older/younger sibling, older/younger friend, and ruler and subject.
• The Confucian concept of duty is often expressed in the form of a “work ethic”
Confucius Part II
• If each individual worked hard to fulfill his/her duties, then the affairs of society as a whole would prosper as well.
• Second element was (2)- compassion and empathy for others. ( “ Do not do unto others what you would not wish done to yourself.”
• Does that saying sound familiar?
Daoism
• Was a system of ideas based on the teachings of Laozi.
• Believe that the way to follow the will of Heaven is not through action but inaction. The best way to act in harmony with the universal order is not to interfere with the natural order.
• What symbol is that to the right and what does it mean/represent?
Legalism
• Proposed that human beings were evil by nature.
• Legalists were known as “ School of Law” because they rejected the Confucian view of thinking.
• Believed that a strong ruler was needed to create an orderly society
• Believed that only harsh and stiff punishments would cause the common people to serve the rulers. To them, people were not capable of being good. The ruler didn’t have to show compassion for the people.
End of 3.3
3.4 Rise/Fall of Chinese EmpiresThe Qin Dynasty
• Qin Shihuangdi- ruled at the age of 13.• Created and ordered the building of the “Great Wall” to
protect against nomadic invasion. ***See page 97 in text***
• The Qin dynasty dramatically changed Chinese politics. They adopted Legalism as the ruling body.
• Created the system of Censorate- inspectors who checked on government officials to make sure they were doing their jobs. This would become standard for future Chinese dynasties.
• The fall of the Qin dynasty was followed by a period of civil war.
The Han Dynasty
• One of the greatest dynasties in Chinese history.
• They disregarded Legalism and brought back Confucian principles to rule the new state.
• The Han rulers chose government officials on the basis of merit rather than birth.
• The Han Dynasty helped China to expand its empire during this time.
Han Dynasty (con’t)
• New technologies in textile manufacturing, water mills for grinding grain are all credited to the Han Dynasty.
• Rudder and fore-and-aft rigging made it possible for ships to sail into wind for first time.
• The Han Dynasty led to a major expansion of trade with these inventions.
Fall of the Han Empire
• Weak rulers put took advantage of royalty life and the power of the central government paid the price. Official corruption and the concentration of land in the hands of the wealthy led to widespread peasant unrest, and nomadic raids continued in the North.
• China again plunged into civil war, made worse by migrating nomadic people from Central Asia. The next great dynasty would not arise for 400 years.
The End of Chapter 3!!!!