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)

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

Classical China

• The Zhou Dynasty (pre-classical)

• The Qin Dynasty

• The Han Dynasty

Zhou Dynasty

• 1029 – 258 BCE• Geographical shift to Middle

Kingdom• Weak feudal government – ruled

through alliances and nobility• Legitimacy of rule through Mandate

of Heaven• Emperors – Sons of Heaven

Zhou Dynasty

• Unified population through use of language (Mandarin Chinese)

• Technologically advancedCompassKiteMould board plow Planting in rows versus broadcast

Zhou Dynasty

• 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:

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.

This class system was more idealistic than realistic and was not uniformly respected. During the era of the warring states, competition was fierce and the best and brightest were drawn from all social levels.

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.

Qin Dynasty

• Dynasty established and ruled by Qin shi Huangdi

• Attempted expansion through conquest

• Adopted Legalism as state ideology – persecuted intellectuals

• Began construction of the Great Wall

Qin Dynasty

• 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

Han Dynasty

• 201 BCE to 220 CE• Retained Qin centralized government

Expanded and solidified role of bureaucracy

Established civil service examBased civil service on ideals of

ConfucianismBegan development of scholar-gentry

class

Han Dynasty

• 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

Decline of Han Dynasty

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

• Constant threats by northern tribes• Increasing burdens on poor caused

revolts• Cost of maintaining border security• Increased government corruption

Comparison of Han China and Rome

• See The Earth and Its Peoples

• Pages 168 – 170 “Imperial Parallels”

Formation of Classical India

• Vedic and Epic Ages• Migration of Aryans• Geographical shift to Ganges River• Emergence of the Caste System

dominated by the Aryans• Syncretization of native Dravidian

and Aryan religions creates Hinduism

Aryans shift to the Ganges River

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

The Caste System

• Originally based on varna• Later based on occupation• Caste is hereditary• Inter-marriage forbidden • Thousands of sub-castes (Jati)• Movement in system by group only• Most 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

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 emperor to ban the wearing of silk.

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

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

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.

Angkor Wat - Cambodia

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