Emergence of River Valley Civilizations

4 River Valley Civilizations

• Fertile Crescent – Mesopotamia– Tigris

– Euphrates

• Egyptian Civilization– Nile River Valley (upper and lower Nile)

• Indus River– Harrapan

– Mohen-jo Daro

• Hwang He – Yellow River later civilizations focused on both Yangtze

and Yellow River

– First dynasty is Xia then Shang

Fertile Crescent

• Deserts and mountains surround the

Fertile Crescent to the north but because

grass grew on these mountains it attracted

wandering tribes who often attacked those

living in the River Valley.

• City-states protected and isolated each

group

Natural Boundaries Unfavorable

• Both rivers overflow in an unpredictable

manner

– The time of year could not be predicted.

– The magnitude of turbulence of the flooding could not

be predicted.

• The area is called a "crossroad" because

everyone who traveled or traded between

Europe, Africa, and Asia traveled through this

region, sometimes taking what they wanted

Mesopotamian Trade

“The Cuneiform

World”

Gave rise to multiple empires within the general region

that controlled different territory but had similar culture

Assyria and its rivals

The First Empire Builder

Invasion and conquest were prominent features of the ancient Middle East. About 2300 BC, Sargon, the ruler of neighboring Akkad, invaded and conquered the city-states of Sumer. He built the first empire known to history.

Akkad (in green)

Cuneiform: “Wedge-Shaped”

Writing

Cuneiform Writing

Hammurabi’s Code

Babylonian• Stele or

Stela

Hammurabi

• 282

• Cuneiform

Assyrian (1st Empire)

911 BCE – 612 BCE

Nile River

Valley• Because of its geography Egypt developed to

become a peaceful civilization with a higher standard of living. People as individuals were treated with more respect here than in other civilizations of the time.

• The Nile River Valley is Surrounded on Four Sides by Natural Barriers– Red Sea to the East

– Desert to the West

– Mediterranean to the North

– Mountains to the South

“Gifts of the Nile”

• Predictable flooding

• Mild flooding therefore able to use river for irrigation

• Prevailing winds made trade possible both north and south on the river

• Rich deposits of clay, granite, sandstone & limestone used for building

• Silt deposits rich for farming

• papyrus used for mats, rope, sandals, baskets, paper

Major Pharaohs of Egypt• Menes-

– United upper and lower Egypt in 3100 BC

• Ramses II –– Defeated the Hittites and returned Egypt to Egyptian rule.

• Nefertiti -– influential wife of Amenhotep, mother-in-law to Tutkanamon.

• Amenhotep (later called Akhenaton)-– moved the capital and changed worship from polytheism to

monotheism. The main god became Amon Ra and only the royal family could worship him.

• Tutkanhamon-– young Pharaoh found with his tomb intact.

• Hatshepsut –– female Pharaoh who stabilized Egypt, built many new structures which

provided work for many.

• Cleopatra –– last Pharaoh of Egypt

Rosetta Stone

• We didn’t know as much

about Egypt until the mid-

1800s after the Rosetta

Stone was allowed us to

decipher the hieroglyphics

of Egypt

• Napoleon’s officer

discovered the Rosetta

Stone (late 1700s)

• Deciphered by

Champanion in early 1800s

China

• Himalayas, Kunlun Shan, Tian Shan

• Gobi desert

• Pacific Ocean to east

• rivers

– Hwang Hu (Yellow),

– Chang Jiang (Yangtze),

– Xi Jiang (West)

• yellow silt &favorable climate make good farming

Ancient Dynasties Mandate of Heaven

• Xia (first) 2100 BCE – 1800 BCE

• Shang1500BCE- 1100BCE

Mandate of Heaven

• Zhou (longest)

1100BCE – 256BCE

Confucianism during Axial Age (ca. 500 BCE)

• Qin (Chin)

– China gets its name from

this dynasty

Mandate of Heaven

• Zhou Dynasty

• Family of rulers that have the approval of the

ancestors

• Dynastic Cycle has added element much like a

divine monarch creates a theocracy yet as

earthly events appear and have a negative

impact then it is assumed that the emperor has

lost the approval of the ancestors and they have

created the environment

Are you Sleeping?

• Shang, Zhou, Qin, Han

• Shang, Zhou, Qin, Han

• Sui, Tang, Song

• Sui, Tang, Song

• Yuan, Ming, Manchu

• Yuan, Ming, Manchu

• Mao Zedong

• Mao Zedong

Confucianism and Scholarly-Gentry

• Creates balance

• Yin and Yang

• Filial piety is the final

link in the chain of

continuity of the

civilization

Yin and Yang• The light color area which indicates

more sunlight is called Yang (Sun).

• The dark color area has less sunlight (more moonlight) and is called Yin (Moon).

• Yang is like man. Yin is like woman. Yang wouldn't grow without Yin. Yin couldn't give birth without Yang. – Yin is born (begins) at Summer Solstice

and Yang is born (begins) at Winter Solstice.

– Therefore one little circle Yin is marked on the Summer Solstice position. Another little circle Yang is marked on the Winter Solstice position.

– These two little circles look like two fish eyes.

http://www.chinesefortunecalendar.com/yinyang.htm

Indus River Valley• Harappan

• Mohenjo-Daro

• subcontinent of Asia: water on east and west, mountain ranges on north– Hindu Kush and

Himalayas

• southwest monsoon brings heavy rain and flooding

• enriched soil, but sometimes great erosion

Ancient Geographic Divisions in South Asia

Cities of the Indus

Mohenjo-Daro

“Mound of the Dead”

Indus River Valley

• Destruction

• well-planned, citadels, grid of streets

• clay brick houses, plumbing with sewer system

• bronze and copper tools, gold and silver jewels, clay pots, spun and woven cloth

Development of Region

• Early Food Producing Era (ca. 7000-5500

BC)

• Regionalization Era, (5500-2600 BC)

– Regional cultural development

– Subdivided into various eras

– Emergence of an Early Indus state ca. 2800

BCE and urbanization ca. 2600 BCE

Drains & Sewer Systems

Successors to the region

Vedic Era - Hinduism• Aryans

• Rajas

• Indo-Europeans

• Caste System - called

Varna which translates

to color in the ancient

language)

• Jati – sub-castes

Aryan Invasion Theory

• Sometime between

2500 and 1800 BCE

– Aryans began moving

into India

– Apparently NOT the

cause of the fall of

Indus Civilization

– Farmers without

written language

– Used Khyber Pass

Political and Social Systems

• Tribe led by chief and

tribal council

• Tribes formed small

states

• Each state ruled by king

and council of warriors

• Aryans looked down on

conquered people

• Laws against marriage of

Aryans with original valley

dwellers

• Men permitted more than

one wife

• Sons expected to be

warriors and perform

ritual at fathers funeral

Economic System

• Mostly farmers

• Barley major crop

• Most owned their land

• Handicrafts in villages

• System of barter for goods

• Cattle later used as money

What is Historical Geography?• Environmental determinism – the manner in which humans and

the environment interact.

– Man and his culture are shaped by their environment and

while technology allows them to adapt, their underlying

characteristics have already been shaped by their

environment

• Systems within a civilization are influenced by the environment

• Humans change and adapt their environment with technology

– Technology are methods that are used by man or man’s

attempt “to overcome his environment”

• Possibilism is a different theory that holds that there is an

interdependence between humans and their physical

environment and that while the environment sets certain

constraints, culture is shaped by man