india, china, byzantine empire, the moslem empire, and the...
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India, China, Byzantine Empire, the Moslem Empire, and the Mongols
Chinese history is generally divided into periods
based upon the dynasty, or ruling family, that governed China at that time
From 1027BCE to 220 CE, China was governed by three major ruling families.
Classical China
Zhou Dynasty (1027 BCE- 221 BCE)
Qin Dynasty (221 BCE- 206 BCE)
Han Dynasty (206 BCE- 220 CE)
In 1027, the Shang
were conquered, marking the beginning of the Zhou Dynasty.
This new ruler justified his rule through the Mandate of Heaven
Zhou Dynasty
Role of the
Mandate of Heaven
Strong dynasty establishes peace and prosperity- it has a Mandate of
Heaven
In time, dynasty decline and
become corrupt- taxes raised,
power is weaker
Disasters occur
Old Dynasty has lost the Mandate of
Heaven- Rebellion is
justified
Dynasty overthrown- new Dynasty
emerges
New dynasty gains power,
restores peace and order, claims to
have Mandate of Heaven
Zhou Rulers established a system in which land was
given to nobles in exchange for military service. However, by the end of the 6th century BCE, local nobles
became too powerful for the Zhou rulers to control and China was plunged into Civil war. As a result:
Confucius and Lao Tzu
Confucius Lao Tzu
Sought to bring order to China’s social and political life.
Established a philosophy based on what he believed was he basic order of the universe.
Stressed: Natural order Role of Each Person Relationships- Filial Piety Mandate of Heaven
Sought to bring peace and stability to the individual
Established Daoism (Or Taoism) which is a belief system
Thought that nature had a “way” in which it moved and that people should accept that “way” of nature instead of trying to resist it.
People can only achieve enlightenment by “non-striving”, enjoying nature, and using contemplation to abandon earthly concerns
Shih Huang-ti Provincial ruler who is known as the first
emperor who unified all of China.
Also the first Chinese ruler to call himself “emperor”
Rejected Confucianism
Great Wall of China Joined existing fragments of protective walls to
create the Great Wall of China
This protected China from outside invaders.
He also had his workers build an immense army of Terra Cotta(Clay) Warriors to surround him in his tomb
Qin Dynasty
The people rebelled against the Qin emperor's harsh style of rule after his
death.
After several years of civil war, the Han dynasty emerged. They kept China unified for over 400 years.
The Han created a Bureaucratic system in which candidates were chosen to work for the imperial government.
The Han adhered to Legalist principles
The Emperor would depend on his imperial officers to implement his policies in the provinces
In order to work for the government, you had to be very well educated: Family hired a private tutor
You had to memorize Confucian works
Took a test at Provincial level- If you passed, you moved on to the national level.
Only when you passed National test did you become eligible to work for the government. (Only about 1-3% passed these tests)
Han Dynasty
The Silk Road was developed under the Han Dynasty. This was a trade route that connected Asia to the Roman
Empire and other regions.
Silk Road
Wealthy families had many children so their sons could serve in the government and their daughters could marry into other wealthy families
Marriages were arranged
Under Confucian teachings, women were subordinate to men
In Childhood a woman obeyed her father
In adulthood, a woman obeyed her husband
In old age, she obeyed her son
Society in Han Dynasty
How is Han China Similar to Rome?
Classical India
Classical India went through three major Ruling Empires:
Aryan Invasion
1500 BCE-321 BCE
Mauryan Empire
321 BCE- 232 CE
The Gupta Empire
320 CE- 535 CE
The people who were living along the Indus River after
the collapse of the Indus River Valley Civilization were conquered by the Aryans.
The Aryans were nomadic herders. They developed iron weapons and horse drawn chariots Eventually they pushed the Dravidians completely South. The Aryans developed Sanskrit, a form of writing They introduced Hinduism to India Polytheistic Karma Reincarnation Sacred Texts- Upanishads, Bhagavad-Gita
Caste-System
Aryan Society
Priests
Warriors
Landowners
Peasants
Untouchables
Ruled by Chandragupta Maurya
Unified Northern India
Challenged Alexander the Great and the Greeks in their attempt to conquer Asia.
Asoka followed Chandragupta
After many bloody wars for control, Asoka works for social change:
Religious toleration (between Hindus and Buddhists)
Nonviolence
After his death there is political instability and power-hungry regional leaders- 500 years of instability.
Mauryan Empire
Sometimes referred to as the “Golden Age of Hindu Culture”
Gupta emperors encourage peace, prosperity, and trade with other empires, especially China.
Indians acted as middle men in the Silk Roads
Utilized sea trade with Rome, Africa and SE Asia
Emperors built universities and supported learning, the arts and literature.
Scholars excelled at the sciences and mathematics
Developed the concept of zero
Idea of infinity
And the decimal system
Arabic Numerals
Suggested that the world was not flat
Advances in medicine
Empire ended when the Huns invaded from the north
Guptan Empire
The Western half of the Roman Empire collapsed in the
5th century CE, however the Eastern Empire continued on for thousands of years known as the Byzantine Empire.
Byzantine Empire
It was ruled by all powerful emperors, like Rome had
been.
The capitol was Constantinople and the official language was Greek
Eastern Orthodoxy-a form of Christianity.
These Christians derived from Catholicism, but they did not recognize the Pope as the head of the Church
Orthodox Christians had their own Patriarch, or heirarchy
They decorated their church with icons of Jesus and the saints
Byzantine Empire
Eastern Orthodox V. Catholic Church
The Byzantine empire survived over the Roman empire
for many reasons:
Classical Cultures- infusion of Greek, Roman, Christian and Middle Eastern Cultures
Location- Crossroads of Europe and Asia and a center for trade.
Strong Central Government- Ruled by a series of powerful emperors with a strong centralized administration and single set of laws.
Large Army- taxed merchants and peasants to support their large standing army
Byzantine V. Rome
Church of Hagia Sophia
(Eastern Orthodox) Under Justinian, the
Byzantine Empire reconquered much of the old Roman Empire
Under Justinian, the Byzantines created a law code known as the Code of Justinian The Emperor compiled all
the existing law codes together into a single code.
It required all people to belong to the Eastern Orthodox Christian Faith.
Byzantine Culture
The Byzantine Legacy
The Byzantine
Legacy
New Form of Christianity-
Eastern Orthodox Christianity was
prominent in Eastern Europe.
Preserved Ancient Culture- includes Greek philosophy and science and
Roman engineering
Code of Justinian- Consolidated codes of law. This greatly influence western
legal systems.
The Arts- the Byzantines left
behind beautiful mosaics, painted
icons, gold jewelry, and silks. Also
remembered from Hagia Sophia