classical civilizations east and south asia. differences between classical and preceding era shift...
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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