Download Governments and Religions

Types of governments and
religions
 Government
= system for controlling
society
 As
societies grow, common rules must be
set to ensure peaceful society
 Monarchy
• Single person rules
• Usually called king or queen
• Power is passed through from generation to
generation
 Aristocracy
• Government ruled by small, noble land-owning
families
• Rule through heredity
• Power based on social class, wealth
 Oligarchy
• Government ruled by a few powerful people
• Often develops from aristocracy when merchant
class grows due to trade expansion
• Rule based on wealth and/or ability
 Democracy
• Rule of the people
• Only citizens have influence in governments
• Different types of democracy
 Direct Democracy = people decide on laws through
voting
 Democratic Republic = people elect their lawmakers
 Early
statesmen
• Solon: outlawed debt slavery; changes
citizenship based on wealth, not heredity
• Cleisthenes: founder of democracy in Athens;
balanced power between rich and poor; allowed
all citizens to suggest laws
 Rome
establishes a republic
 Patricians = aristocracy of Rome
• Claim birthright gave them power to make laws
 Plebeians
= common citizens
• Could not hold office
 Twelve
Tables
• Rome’s laws written down
• Advantage for plebeians
 Monotheism
= believing in only one God
• Ex: Judaism, Islam, Christianity
 Polytheism
= believing in more than one
God
• Ex: Hinduism
Shiva, a Hindu god
 Judaism
• Religion of the Hebrews
• Torah = religious text
• Moses = leads the Jews out of Egypt
• 10 Commandments given to Moses from God
 Laws with a moral code
 First 4 = relationship with God
 Last 6 = relationship with others
 Islam
• Based on the teachings of Muhammad
• Followers called Muslims
• God = Allah
• Qur’an or Koran = holy book
• Salvation achieved through 5 pillars of Islam
 Faith
 Prayer
 Almsgiving
 Fasting
 Pilgrimage to Mecca
 Christianity
• One God
• Jesus Christ = messiah (savior)
• Bible = holy book
• Christianity spreads due to being banned by
Roman Empire
 Hinduism
• Polytheistic
• Three main gods
• Soul constantly reborn
• Enlightenment occurs when all earthly desires
sacrificed – comes from lifetime of worship,
knowledge, & virtue
 Buddhism
• Buddha = founder
• Nirvana (perfect happiness) = goal
 Reached through elimination of attachment to worldly
things
• Nirvana achieved through eightfold path
 Confucianism
• Based on teachings of Confucius
• Social order based on strong family
relationships
• Respect for parent = paramount
• Education important for individual and society