Early South Asia

1
Early South Asia Early China

• Chapter 3 Notes

2
Early South Asia

• 3rd civilization on the rise Indus River Valley
  in South Asia
• Arose on the subcontinent of Asia landmass that
  is part of a continent but is distinct from it

3
The Subcontinent

• 3 modern nations there today India, Pakistan,
  and Bangladesh
• Mountains separate it from the rest of Asia
  Himalayas Hindu Kush
• Indus River drains into the Arabian Sea

4
Climate Seasonal Winds

• Mountains block cold air give the area a warm
  climate
• Monsoons seasonal winds that affect the climate
  and way of life
• Summer monsoons bring heavy rains, causing
  flooding that helps the soil
• People depended on monsoons to grow crops
• Monsoons sometimes unpredictable
• - Unusually heavy rains drowned people, animals,
  whole villages
• - Late or light monsoons caused poor crops
  starvation

5
The Indus Valley Civilization

• Often called Harappan Civilization
• Major cities Harappa Mohenjo-Daro
• Cities were carefully planned used a grid
  pattern
• A fortress built on a brick platform overlooked
  each city probably the center of government and
  religion

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The Indus Valley Civilization

• Houses were made of oven-baked bricks
• 1) Each house had at least one bathroom with
  plumbing to sewers
• 2) Houses rose to several stories and had
  enclosed courtyards

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The Indus Valley Civilization

• Most people farmed
• Trade bronze and copper tools jewelry out of
  gold, shells, ivory clay pots woven cloth
  silver containers
• Used pictograms still havent been deciphered
• Not much is known due to a lack of written
  records
• Collapsed around 1500 BCE

8
Early China

• 4th civilization on the rise Yellow River
  Valley in China (Huang He River)
• Oldest continuous civilization in the world

9
Chinas Geography

• 1/3 mountains
• Vast deserts Gobi Desert
• These factors isolated China from other early
  civilizations
• Prevented cultural diffusion
• Promoted strong sense of national identity

10
Shang Dynasty (1700-1000 BCE)

• 1st dynasty (line of rulers who belong to the
  same family) from which there are written records
  in China
• Kings were also high priests
• Performed special ceremonies for good weather,
  crops, etc.
• Had special powers to call upon their ancestors
• Used oracle bones

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Shang Dynasty

• Had a writing system
• Characters represented objects, ideas, or sounds
• Had to memorize each character to understand
  script
• Few people could read write in ancient China

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Shang Dynasty

• Produced some of the finest bronze objects ever
  made
• Wove silk into beautiful colored cloth for the
  upper class
• 7 capital cities
• Palace and temple stood at the center of each city

13
Shang Dynasty

• Collapsed under attack
• Shang Dynasty lacked strong leaders
• 1000 BCE ruler from the north named Wu marched
  in his armies and killed the Shang king
• Set up his own dynasty called the Zhou Dynasty
  that ruled China for 800 years

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Shang Dynasty

• Paved the way for many other dynasties to rule
  China
• Dynasties ruled China until the early 1900s under
  the Mandate of Heaven
• If rulers were effective, they received the
  authority to rule from Heaven
• If not, they were overthrown lost this mandate
  to someone else who started a new dynasty