Early Civilizations in India and China

1
Chapter 3

• Early Civilizations in India and China
• (2500 B.C.-256 B.C)

2
Section 1

• Cities of the Indus Valley

3
Geography

• Indus Valley is located on the subcontinent of
  India.
• Subcontinent a large land mass that juts out
  from a continent
• Rivers of India are considered sacred, especially
  the Ganges
• The monsoon, or seasonal wind, is part of Indian
  life

4
Indus Valley Civilization

• Indus and Ganges Rivers influenced early Indian
  civilization
• Carefully planned cities which suggest a
  well-organized govt.
• First to cultivate cotton
• Disappeared without a trace (Most likely due to a
  natural disaster), but was rediscovered in 1922

5
Section 2

• Kingdoms of the Ganges

6
Aryan Civilization

• Aryans destroyed and looted the civilization of
  the Indus Valley, and built a new Indian
  civilization
• Nomadic Warriors
• Polytheistic
• Religious teachings from the Vedas
• Brahman- a single spiritual power that resides in
  all things

7
Continued

• People were born into castes, or social groups,
  which they could not change (by occupation)
• Learned skills such as iron making
• Fought to control trade and territory
• Mystic devotes his or her life to seeking
  spiritual truth
• Rajahs chief of an Aryan tribe became
  hereditary rulers
• Ideograph- the term for a sign that expresses a
  thought or an idea

8
Epic Literature

• 1. Mahabharata blend of Indian history,
  mythology, and religion
• 2. Ramayana- celebrates a hero and portrays the
  ideal woman as loyal and obedient to her husband

9
Section 3

• Early Civilization in China

10
Geography of China

• Began in Huang He River Valley.
• Huang He nicknamed River of Sorrows because it
  often flooded and destroyed crops

11
Shang Dynasty

• Shang Dynasty (1050 B.C. 1027 B.C.)
• Written language- contains thousands of
  characters
• Calligraphy- an artistic form of handwriting done
  with ink and a brush

12
Zhou Dynasty

• Overthrew the Shang
• Promoted idea of Mandate of Heaven
• Set up feudal state
• Feudalism a system of govt. in which local lords
  governed their own lands but owed militia service
  and other kinds of support to the ruler

13
Dynastic Cycle

• Dynastic Cycle- refers to the rise and fall of
  dynasties
• 1. New dynasty-restores peace, appoints loyal
  officials
• 2. New dynasty becomes aging dynasty- neglects
  govt. duties, loses Mandate of Heaven
• 3. New dynasty claims Mandate of Heaven

14
Cultural Achievements

• Discovered how to make silk thread.
• Trade rout to Middle East became known as the
  Silk Road
• Developed accurate calendar with
• 365 ¼ days