Classical Civilizations

East and South Asia

Differences between Classical and Preceding Era

Shift in geographical location Larger territories and political structures Increasingly sophisticated religions and philosophies Expansion of scientific knowledge Absorption / integration of diverse populations

Integration caused the growth of empires, trade, and the creation of cultural systems to bind the different peoples together (state ideology)

Differences between Classical and Preceding Era

Expansion resulted from and in population growth. Farmers migrated to new lands, trade centers grew in far-off colonies, and the military established settlements

Each classical civilization was a separate entity though there was trade between them. What occurred within each civilization makes this period what it is, not the interaction between them

The Zhou Dynasty The Qin DynastyThe Han Dynasty

1029 – 258 BCEGeographical shift to Middle KingdomWeak feudal government – ruled

through alliances and nobilityLegitimacy of rule through Mandate of

HeavenEmperors – Sons of Heaven

Unified population through use of language (Mandarin Chinese)

Technologically advanced• Compass• Kite• Mould board plow • Planting in rows versus broadcast

Era of the Warring States• Failure of Zhou feudalism • Last half of the Zhou Dynasty• Emperor – figurehead• Ultimate power gained by Qin

By tradition, society was believed to be comprised of five classes, ranked in order of their value to the state (ideal versus real)

• Scholars- knowledge was revered

• Farmers- they produced what was necessary for life

• Artisans- they produced what was useful but not necessary

• Merchants- they did not produce anything themselves

• Soldiers, beggars, thieves, and bandits- they destroyed or stole what was produced by others

• The lowest class contained the “mean” people, who had no skills, and slaves

Confucius, a poor member of the lesser aristocracy, wandered from state to state attempting to find a lord that would allow him to try out his ideas on reforming society. He failed in his mission

He made his real contribution as a teacher. His conversations with his disciples were recorded in The Analects

Confucianism was profoundly influenced by the chaos wrought by the Era of the Warring States

Confucianism stressed personal virtue, respect for the social hierarchy (the five relationships), duty, obedience, and ethics

Confucianism became the predominate philosophy of China and areas it influenced

Daoism was a more spiritual philosophy that emphasized harmony and the mystery of nature

Established around the same time as Confucianism, it ensured China would not be unified by religion

Daoism was allowed to flourish for it posed no threat to the state. Formal rituals made the religion appealing

Daoism argued against political participation

A third philosophy sprang up around the time of Confucianism and Daoism- Legalism

Legalists believed man was evil by nature and had to be restrained by force and constantly disciplined

Legalism was used by Chinese rulers to justify harsh treatment of the people

It was not a popular philosophy but did influence Chinese development

Dynasty established and ruled by Qin shi Huangdi (first true emperor)

Attempted expansion through conquestAdopted Legalism as state ideology –

persecuted intellectualsBegan construction of the Great Wall

Adopted national census to determine taxes and labor service

Standardized weights, measures, and coins

Adopted a single uniform writing system

Promoted the manufacture of silk

Qin “knife” money

201 BCE to 220 CERetained Qin centralized government

• Expanded and solidified role of bureaucracy

• Established civil service exam• Based civil service on ideals of

Confucianism• Began development of scholar-gentry class

Expanded trade on Silk Road – trade contacts with India and Rome

Expanded into Korea, Southeast Asia, and Central Asia

Great peace and prosperity under rule of Wu Ti

Dynasty based on small independent farmer – changed over time to domination by large landowners

Constant threats by northern tribesIncreasing burdens on poor caused

revoltsCost of maintaining border securityIncreased government corruption

Vedic and Epic AgesMigration of AryansGeographical shift to Ganges RiverEmergence of the Caste System

dominated by the AryansSyncretization of native Dravidian and

Aryan religions creates Hinduism

Aryans shift to the Ganges River

The Vedas were a collection of hymns about the gods, written by various priests

Most of Indian history from the Vedic period comes through oral history that was passed down and later written in Sanskrit

The name Veda comes from the Sanskrit meaning “knowledge.”

Shiva

Later, during the Epic Age, great poems were written that glorified Indian heroes. The Ramayana and Mahabharata are the most famous of these

These epics eventually took on a religious significance and became the “bible for lower castes

The Upanishads took epic poetry to even more mystical and religious heights

Krishna

Originally based on varnaLater based on occupationCaste is hereditaryInter-marriage forbidden Thousands of sub-castes (Jati)Movement in system by group onlyMost content – system offers security

The caste system finally became a rigid social hierarchy.

Level 1: The Brahmins (priests)

Level 2: The Kshatriyas (warriors/nobles)

Level 3: The Vaisyas (traders and farmers)

Level 4: The Sudras (common laborers)

Outcastes: This group evolved to include those that worked at “unclean” occupations and are not officially part of the caste system. They are also known as the Untouchables, Dasa, and Dalits

The Aryans brought with them to India a wide range of gods and goddesses. Eventually, their religion mixed with that of the native population to produce Hinduism

In fact, Hinduism was very flexible and changed as the situation warranted

Hinduism was also tolerant of other religions and several religions sprang from it including Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism

Major Hindu principles include• Brahma - the universal force or essence of which everything

is a part• Atman – the individual soul• Reincarnation - based on your deeds in life you would be

reborn at a higher or lower level until you reached union with Brahma

• Yoga - “union” of mind and spirit through meditation• Dharma - divine law that required different actions by

different people• Karma - the force of a person’s actions that determined their

rebirth in the next life

Tensions within Hinduism sometimes resulted in rebellions

After the Epic Age, around 563 BC, an Indian prince, Siddhartha Gautama, broke off from Hinduism

Called Buddha (the enlightened one), Gautama traveled and spread his ideas

Basic principles of Buddhism: Buddha emphasized the supreme divinity over the

many lesser gods The ultimate goal was the destruction of self and

union with the divine essence called Nirvana Great stress was placed on self-control He believed anyone could reach a holy life despite

caste

Chandragupta seized control of India along the Ganges in 322 BC (Alexander the Great)

Established the Mauryan Dynasty Chandragupta relied on the military to remain in

power much like leaders in Mesopotamia His grandson, Ashoka, became the greatest ruler in

Indian history (269- 232 BC)

The Mauryan Dynasty at its height

Ashoka’s accomplishments• He expanded control over most of India• Converted to Buddhism (emphasis on Dharma- the law of

moral consequences)• While honoring Hinduism, Ashoka facilitated the spread of

Buddhism throughout his realm• He worked for the welfare of his people and built roads with

wells and rest stops

After Ashoka’s death, the Mauryan dynasty declined and finally fell to nomadic invaders called the Kushan (from Turkestan)

The Kushan continued trade links with other civilizations including the Roman Empire

The collapse of the Kushans around 220 AD initiated a period of chaos that lasted until 320 AD and the establishment of the Kingdom of the Guptas

Although no great rulers such as Ashoka emerged, the Kingdom of the Guptas did have an impact

The Guptas used negotiations and intermarriage to expand influence instead of war and their period was one of peace and prosperity

The Guptas did not establish a large bureaucracy, preferring to rule through local elites

This loose governmental structure did not promote cultural unity- no single language emerged

The Guptas did establish a uniform code of law but the government structure was not elaborate and relied more on regionalism

The caste system helped in this for it maintained public order without the need for government

Trade with Rome drained Rome of specie causing the Roman emperor to ban the wearing of silk

Small colonies of Romans, Jews, Arabs, and Christians were established in India

Unlike the other classical civilizations, the Guptas fell mainly due to invasion of the White Huns

Indians astronomers identified seven planets, calculated the daily rotation of the earth on its axis, developed a theory of gravity, and calculated the length of the solar year

They invented inoculation against smallpox They made advances in surgery and bone setting The Indian number system is the one we use today.

They invented the concept of zero and the decimal system

Indians developed the concept of negative numbers, calculated square roots and a table of sines, and computed the value of pi to a greater degree of accuracy than the Greeks

Indian steel was better than any produced elsewhere The Indians were the first to produce cotton cloth,

calico, and cashmere

Angkor Wat - Cambodia

The Indians were lively traders and traveled extensively throughout South and Southeast Asia, China, the Middle East, and the Mediterranean

The Indians did not seek to dominate politically but their influence was felt in all facets of life

Buddhism and Hinduism spread to many areas as did Indian art and architecture

1. How did Chinese emperors legitimize their rule?

2. How did the Zhou unify their peoples?

3. What type of government did the Zhou have?

4. What was the Era of the Warring States?

5. What philosophy stressed a hierarchy of relationships?

6. What was the lowest class in the Chinese social system?

7. What Chinese philosophy argued that man was evil by nature?

8. What dynasty succeeded the Zhou?

9. Who was its ruler?

10. How did he address the issue of China’s perennially weak northern borders?

11. What was his state’s philosophy?

12. How did his government differ from that of the Zhou?

13. How did Han China increase the efficieny of its bureaucracy?

14. What philosophy was used a basis for the bureaucracy?

15. What social class emerged out of the Han bureaucracy?

16. What trade route greatly increased China’s importance in long-distance trade?

17. During what two ages did the Aryan and Dravidian cultures blend to create Hinduism and the Caste System?

18. The Caste System was initially based on…

19. List the castes in their proper order from highest to lowest

20. During the classical period, Indian civilization shifted from the Indus to the…

21. Who founded Buddhism?

22. List two beliefs Buddhism and Hinduism have in common

23. Of the three classical Indian civilizations, which had the most centralized government?

24. Who was India’s greatest ruler?

25. In what Indian civilization did Buddhism reach its zenith?

26. Describe the government of the Guptas

27. What caused the fall of the Guptas?

28. What was most responsible for the spread of Indian culture throughout Southeast Asia?

29. One difference between classical civilizations and river-valley civilizations was that in classical civilizations

a. Most people farmed the land

b. Political organizations were more elaborate

c. Trade was introduced

d. Writing was developed

e. Religious beliefs were widely held

30. Confucian and Hindu values both

a. Focused attention on the afterlife

b. Helped justify and preserve social inequality

c. Urged the importance of political activity

d. Tried to outlaw war

e. Resulted in the building of magnificent temples