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Interact with History "Tou are caravan a merchant who to travels greattrade distances J. came] in order sell and goods. with Youryour Me has become increasingly difficult because bandits and thieves plague the roads. They ambush and rob unwary travelers, particularly merchants selling their wares. There is a new military power expanding its empire throughout the region of your travels that is suppressing the worst or the outlaw bands. At the same time that it is putting down lawlessness and disorder, however, the militmy empire is imposing harsh Jaws and heavy taxes on the SETTING regions that it conquers. E:Jnpire --. GOOt{ all' .Bad? caravan cavalry from Mounted of order escort an armed troops bring and safety protects raiding a new STAGE During the Middle Kingdom (about 2080-Hi40 B.C.), trade The New Kingdom of Egypt -~" An armed HiE \vith ~lesopotamia and the Indus Valley enriched Eg)}1L located in nOltheastern Africa. i\leanwhile, up the Nile Hiver, less than GOOmiles south of the Eg)vtian city of Thebes, a major kingdom had clevploped in the region of Nuhia. For centuries, the Nubian kingdom of Klish traded with Eg}1Jt. The two kingdoms influenced each other. After the prosperity of the Middle KingtlOln, EgnJt desccnded into waf and violence. This was caused by a succession of weak pharaohs and power struggles amollg rival nobles. The weakened country fell to im'aclers who swept across the Isthmus of Suez in chariots, a weapon of war unknown to the Eg)})tians. These invaders, nom,lds called Hyksus (IIIIIK·sohs). ruled Egypt from 1640 to 1570 B.C. Tlte Hyksos invasion shook the Egyptians' confidence in the desert barriers that had protected their kingdom. Around 1600 B.C., a sf'ries of warlike rulers began to restore Egypt's power. Among those who helped drive out the Hyksos was Queen Ahhotep (ah.IIOIHehp). The queen took over when her llUsband died in battle. The next pharaoh, Kamose (KAH·mohs), won a great victOl)' over· the helted Hyksos. His successors drovc the H~'ksos completely out of Eg'tl)t and pnrs1led them across the Sinai pCJlinsula into P'-llestine. a party. sense to travelers and merchants. After overthrowing the Ilyksos rulers, the pharaohs of the New Kingdom (about 1570-1075 R.C.) sought to strengthen Eg}1Jt by ]nlilding an empire. Eg)lJt now entered its third period of glory in the New Killgdom. During this time it was wealthier and more powerfiJI than ever before. the ISSUES Merchant caravans, such as this one, cross the Fertile Crescent and travel the Silk Road from often China. raided Such caravans are by thieves. EUypt's Empire Builders in th~ New Kingdom Equipped with • Why might a merchant or other common person f avo!' th8 establishment of a strong empire? • Why might snch a person a strong empire? oppose • Why might a victorious army enslave a subject people? learned about military conquest and As you readEg}1Jtians, empires : the behavior ofabout such the groups as thein this ':j' Sumerians, and Hittites,., chapter, consider how the "vinners • What advantages or ",buses might a strong military power bring to a region? treat the the conquered people under their respond. power and how people ___________ I 1 ~J Kingdoll] rulers, JIatshel;sut Sl)Cnt her reign encouraging rather than just waging war. trade Hatshepsut reigned 1472-1458 Hatshepsut of outstanding made Egypt pharaoh, B.C. was an excellent achievement more prosperous. she sent traders Red Sea to bring baboons, back and myrrh planned down As the gold, ebony, trees. As male pharaohs Hatshepsut ruler who had done, a tomb for her- self in the Valley of the Kings. Carved reliefs on the walls reveal the glories The inscription Hatshepsut's shaft) from obelisk at Karnak and her feelings "I swear of the temple of her reign. (tall stone trumpets about her glory herself: as Re loves me, as my father Amon favors me, as my nostrils are filled with satisfying life, as I wear the white crown, as I appear in the red crown, ... as 1rule this land like the son of Isis. : J 82 Chaptcr 4 bronze weapons and two-wheeled chariots, the E~vtians became con'lncrors. The pharaohs or the Eighteenth D)lJaSty (1570-136.5 B.C.) set lip an army including archers. charioteers, and infantJ)', or f()ot soldit'rs. TIIC symhols of roY-'ll power had always heen the red Crowll amI the white CroWH. Now the pharaoh.,:; added a TICW piece' of ro:'al headgear-the bluc Cro\\11,a war crown shaped like a battle helmet. Among the rulers or the New Kingdom, Hatshcpsut (hat·SIlEIIP·sour). \\'ho boldly clcclared herself pharaoh arolilid 1472 B.C., was uni(lue. She took oyer because her stepson, the Illale heir to the throne, was a young chiJd at the time. Unlike other New HISTORY~IAKEHS First Age of Empires 83 :15~~~",.·-4~'.' .:....: •••••~;.:«..-:•••-.•.,".~.,.-"'-~- Hatsbepsut's stepson, Thutmose III (thoot.MOIl.suh), proved to be a much more warlike ntler. In fact, in his eagerness to ascend to the throne, Thutmose III may even have murdered his stepmother, Hatshepsut. Bet\veen the time he took power and his death around 1425 B.C., Thutmosc III led a number of victorious invasions into Palestine and Syria. Under Thutmose's rule, Egyptian armies also pushed farther south into Nubia, a region of Africa that straddled the upper Nile River. From the Blue Nile, the soutbern hOl\ndary of Nubia, to the shores of the Mediterranean was a distance of in the Bible. Whoever they IVere, the People of the Sea cansed great destruction. From the east, the tribes of Palestine often rebellcd against their Egyptian overlords. From the west, even the vast <.lesert 110 longer stopped Libyans froill raiding Egyptian villages. ! Egypt's Empire Fades After these invasions, Egypt never recovered its previous power. Egypt broke apart into regional units. Isolated rural populations erected their own waJIed defenses. In Egypt's former empire numerous small kingdoms arose. Each was eager to protect its independence. As the empire faded to a distant memory, princes of these small kingdoms treated Egyptian officials with contempt. Powerless at home and abroad, E!,rypt fell to its neighhors' invasions. Libyans crossed the desert to the Nile delta. There they established independent dynasties. From 950 to 730 II.C., Lihyan pharaohs ruled Egypt and erected cities. Far from imposing their own cnltnre, the Libyans emhraced the Eg)ptian way of life. When the Nubians came north to seize power, they, too, would adopt the Egyptian religion, manners, and culture. approximately 1,000 miles. From Nubia, Egyptian soldiers returned carrying gold, cattle, ivory, and many captives whnm they enslaved. The destinies of Egypt and Nuhia would be connected for hundreds of years. Egypt was noW a migbty empire. It controlled lands around the Nile and far beyond. In addition, it drew boundless wealth from them. Contact with other cultnres brought The Kushites Conquer the Nile Region Egypt ne"\' ideas as well a.<;j materhll goods. Egypt had never before-nor has it since--commallded such pov,rer and For centmies, Nubia, the area along the upper Nile River south of Egypt, had been a source of products and slaves for Egypt. Eg)pt's domination of Nubia and the Nuhian kingdom of Kush lasted for nbout a thousand years, betweeu 2000 B.C, and 1.000 B.C. During this time, Egyptian armies raided and even occupied Klish for a brief period. But as Eg)pt fell into decline around lOOO B.C., Kush was emerging as'a regional wealth as during the reigns of the New Kingdom pharaohs. The Egyptians and the Hittites By ahout 1400 B.C., Egyptian armies had crossed the Sinai Peniusula and conquered In this wall painting from an Egyptian tomb, Nubians bring tribute to the pharaoh. parts of Syria and Palestine, These conquests brought the Egyptians into conflict with the Hittites. The Hittites had moved into Asia Mioor around 1900 B.C. and later expanded southward into Palestine. After several battles, the Egyptian and Hittite anrties met at the Battle of Kadesh around 1285 B.C. There the two armies fought each other to a standstill. The pharaoh, Ramses II (RAM'SEEZ), and a Hittite king later made a treaty that promised "peace and brotherhood between us forever." Their alliance lasted for the rest of the century. An Age or Builders Like the old Kingdom with its towering pyramids, rulers of the New Kingdom erected magnificent palaces, temples, and tombs. In search nf security in the afterlife, they hid their splendid tomhs beneath desert cliffs. In this way, they would not be plundered by grave robbers and looters. The site they chose was the remote VaHey of the Kings near Thebes. Besides royal tombs, the pharaohs of this period also built great palaces aud magnificeut temples. Indeed, the word pharaoh means "great house" and comes from this time period. The word became a royal title. H.amses 11, whose reign exteuded from aI'proximately 1290 tn 1224 ILC" stood out among the great builders of the New Kiugdom. lIe lived to the age of 99 and was the father of 150 children. At Karnak, he added to a momU11ental temple to Amon (AIl.muhn), Egypt's chief god. H.amses also ordered a temple to be carved into the red sandstone cliffs above the Nile River at Abn simbe1 (AIl·boo SIIIM·buhl). Egypt's last great pharaoh ordered these temples decorated with enormous statnes of himself. The ears alone measured over three feet. Although these buildings are huge and ~ THIIIK THROUGH ~I power, Nubia would now establish its own Kushite d)11asty on the ilironeo[E~. III ~~~~ ,U • __ A. Recognizin~ Effects What v some 01 the pol; and economic e of Egypt'scOnQl Background wordpharaoll a royal titleb\ the rU\8!'s ow wasconsiden sacfed to use Napata, the capital of Kush, was a center of trade in Hte Nubian and Egyptian empires. Goods traded in Napata included pottery such as the vessel with giraffes shown above. This jug was probably used for wine storage. impressive, they were not as skillfully built as those of the Old Kingdom. The Empire Declines ps The empire that Thutmnse III had built and Ramses II had ruled came apart slowly after 1200 B.C. ," other strong civilizatious rose to challenge Eb'YI't's power. Shortly after Ramses died, the entire eastern Mediterranean suffered a wave of invasions arollnd 1200 B.C. These invasions destroyed many kingdoms. Invasions by Land and Sea Both the Egyptian empire and the Hittite kingdom were attacked by "the People of the Sea," Scholars have not conclnsively identified these iovaders, although they may well have been the Philistiues often mentioned 84 Chapter 4 Fir,,! Age of Em!,iI'e" 85 A Kenna's kings were hnried in ch,lmbers larger than those in any Egn)tian PIANKHI. monument Eg)-Vtian gods, They adopted the customs and clothing styles of the Eg)1)tian npper class. \Vhen they returned hOlIlC, the Kl1shite nobles brought back royal rituals and hierogl)1")hicwtiling, They built pyramids based on Eg)1)tian models, hut witb steeper sides. \Vith Egypt's decline, beginning about 1100 B,C., Kush regained 'its independence, The Knshites viewe<.llhemselvcs as the gl1ardians of Egyptian values. They sought to restore the Egyptian way of life. They tried to do this by conquerin~ Eg}1't and oust- enough a~vay from Eg)1Jt to provide security, I\..·Ier?eJay closer to the Hed Sea than Napata did. It became active THIIiKTHHOUGIIHIITORY 13. Making Inferences in the booming trade between Africa, ~rabia, and India. The Wealth of Kush It was here that Kush made use of Why might the Kushites nave viewedthem- rich natural resources to thrive independently of Eg)'pt for several hundred years. Unlike Egyptian cities along the Nile, Meroe enjoyed significant rainfall. And, unlike Eg}1't, Merne boasted abundant snppHes of iron ore. I\:leroe became a major center for tbe manufacture of iron weapons and tools. In Merae, ambitious merchants loaded iron bars, tools, and spearheads onto their donke)'s. They then transported the goods to the Hed Sea, where they exchanged these goods for jeweh)', fine cotton cloth, silver lamps, and glass bottles. As the mineral wealth of the central Nile valley flowed out of Merae, Inxur)' goods from India al1d Arabia flowed in. The Kushite kings lived like pharaohs, nl1ing from palaces and spending the afterlife in splendid stone-faced p)'ramids. Unlike the Egyptian pharaohs, their succession was determined by the agreement of the leaders and nobles. selves asguardiar:s of Egvptianvalues? Captures the Egyptian Throne In 751 B.C" a Kl1shite king named led an army down the Nile and ovelthrew the Libyan dynasty that had ruled Eg}'Pt for o\'er 200 years. He uniled the entire Nile Valley from the delta in the north to NapLlta in the south. Piankhi and his descendants became Egypt's Twenty-fifth D)11asty. After his victory. Piankhi erected a monument in his homeland of Kush. It tells the stOlY of his military hiumph, which he \'iewed as the restoration of Egypt's glory. ,;:,'\.i., " . 0 -- ';,'. ' •• ' ••• '. ", '~". -, ',' ' Section TERMS 8. NAMES portraits? What qualities do they suggest in the rulers? ~1:·:i,;:;:'0\:t'."f\i:'\~ Connect to Today 111of Egypt as a sphinx dates back to the Twelhh Dynasty, 1844-1797 B.C. Planning a Portrait What are some elements that you would include in a portrait of a poweriul This granite sphinx of King Taharqa of Nubia comes from the Amon Temple at Kawa, 690-664 2. TAIliNG • New Kingdom • Hatshepsut Egypt 1510 • • • • person in today's society? Ramses II Kush Piankhi Meroe and Kush. A,D.350 B.C. III ODD Egyptian New Kingdom o 0 0 0 gold with fusedglass inlays. hinge is a goddess On the wearing a vulture headdress and a double crown, Assessment 3, RECOGNIZING Create a time line showing important events in the history of • Nubia B,C. NOTES Identify • Hyksos " Thutmose of Amenemhat in the late firstcenturv B.C, his made of Centl11ies earJiel~ around the time the Kushite pharaoh sat on Egypt's throne, a new empire had gathered in the north. Like Kush, AssyIia would come to dominate Eg)-pt. Comparing What similarities can you see between the two sculpture dates from Meroe A.D. the Egyptian pharaoh to the left is over a thousand years older than that of the Nubian king to the right. Granite This armlet The Decline of Meroe After four centuries of prospelity, from about 250 R.C. to 1,50, Merae began to decline. The rise of Aksum, a rival power located 400 miles soutbeast, contJibuted to Meroe's fall. With a seaport along the Red Sea, Aksum now dominated North Aflican trade. Aksum defeated Meroe around A.D. 350. The interaction of Egypt and Nubia can be seen in the art and sculpture of the two kingdoms, The portrait of ~ in Cairo Museum Alier their defeal b)' the Assyrians, the Kushile ro)'al famil)' eventunllv moved sOllth to ~'1er()e (MEIlRob'EE), Far ing its Libyan rulers, ,n.'.-;i _:.'::.:_ ..'"."."('..~.<,.. -:.::.:.: ..~,: PAST The Golden Age of Meroe of Egyptian C.'ultureto Kush's other Allican trading partners. Kushite princes went to Eg)Vt. They learned the Eg)·vtian language amI worshiped HISTORY:TMROIJ~H:ART:"SC~"ptut~<:':,,'V(':; THE HOIVever, Piaukhi's d)o1asty proved short-lived. In 671 B.C., the Ass)'rians, a warlike people from Southwest Asia, conquered Eg}1)t. The Kushites fought bravel)', hut they were forced to retreat south up the Nile by the Assyrians. There the Kushites would experience a golden age, despite their loss of Eg}1)t. pharaohs forcefllHy imposed Eg:VtiaH rule on Nubia's next grel\t kingdom, Kush. During a long period, Eg)Vt ruled Kush. Eg)1)lian governors, priests, soldiers, and artists strongly influcnced the Nl1bians, In<.h-·ecl,Knsh's capitaL Napata. became the center for the spread i"(~', _.'. ,".~""""':' ,_. ,'~ . :' '_ . ~_.-'-. --"'.;'", ',..:"' FROM p:T<-1- Hobles. Kcrma prospered during Eg)1)l's Ilyksos period. \ mid. Hed-and-black Kenna pottel} of ~real beal1ty fetc·hed hi~h prices frum Eg}1)lial1 The Interaction of Egypt and Nubia \Vith Eg)lJfs rC\'ival d1.1ling the Nc\\' Kingdom, Piankhi l)iankhi VOICE Then the ships were laden with silver, gold, copper, clothing, and everything of the Northland, every product of Syria and all sweet woods of God's-Land. His Majesty sailed upstream [south], with glad heart, the shores on his either side were jubilating. West and east were jubilating in the presence of His Majesty. They linked Eg)Vt and the !\lccliterranean world to the north \,·ith the interior of Aft;ca to the south amI to the Heel Sea. Along the liver, goods and ideas flowed back and forth for centuries. The first N llhian kiugcloJ}l, Kenna, arose shortly afh.>r 20()O . R,C. , On the monument he had words inscribed that celebrated his victOlY.The insCliption provided a catalog of the riches of the north, including those of Eg}pt and S)'lia: The People of Nubia Nubia lay sOllth of Eg:1)t 1Jl-'twcen the first c,\taract of the Nile and the division of the river into the Blue and \\'hite Niles. Despite se\'eral cataracts around whicb boats had to be carried, the lengthy Nile provided the best north-south trade route. Several Nubian kingdoms (including KlIsh) served as a trade corridor. Aksum defeats Meroe Which empire was invaded more often? Why? BIAS 4, ANALYZING THEMES Empire Building Read the temple inscription written by Piankhi and quoted at the top of this page. Explain how an Egyptian might have written the inscription differently. THINK ABOUT THINK ABOUT • the role of trade and the • what bias Piankhi had movement of goods • the impact of military movements • the influence of cultural • how Egyptians benefited from Piankhi's invasion • why Egyptians might have disagreed with Piankhi How did Egypt and Nubia strengthen each other at various times in their histories? developments First Age of Empires 87 86 L Chapter 4 ~ Assyrianwarriors were ferocious in combat.In this relief-sculpture that has figures standing out froma flat background-they are shown launching an assault on a fortifiedcity.The Assyrianwar machine includeda variety of weapons and methods of attack. o Ladders While Assyrianarchers launched waves of arrows against their opponents defendingthe city walls, Assyriantroops threw their ladders up against the walls and began their climbinto the enemy's stronghold. SE1TII\1G THE STf\GE For more than two centuries, the Assyrian arm)' advanced across Southwest Asia. It overwhelmed foes \dlh its military strcngth. After the .I i! Q 'Nenpow:; Troopswere armed with the best weapons of the time, iron·tipped spears, as well as iron daggers and swords. They were also protected with armor and large shields. Assyrians seized coutrol of Eg}l)t, the Assyrian king Esarh;uldoll proclaillled, "I ton: up the root of Kush, amI not one therein escap(->dto suhmit to !IIc." The last Kushite pharaoh retreated to Napata, Kush's capital city. i!i) r"clics A Mighty Military Machine The Assyrianswere savage in their treatment of defeated opponents. Those who weren't slaughtered in the initial attack were often impaledor beheaded, whilewomen and childrenwere sometimes murdered or sold intoslavery. Beginning arou1lt18.50 B.C., Assyria (uh·SEEH·ee·nh) acquired a large empire. It accomplished this hy Illeans of a sophisticated military organization and state-of.·the-art weaponry. For a time; this campaign of conquest o made Assyria the greatest power in Sonthwest Asia. 1"'),;. :If \j:«~, part of I\lesopotamia. Their flat, exposed ['lnnlamllllade them easy to attack. Invaders swept down from the nearby mountains. The Assyrians may have developed their warlike behavior in response to these invasions. Lacking natural baniers such as 1ll00mtains or deserts, they repelled invaders by developing a strong army. Through const,mt warfare, Assyrian kings built an empire that streldJPt1 from east and north of the Tigris Hiver all the way to central Egypt. One of these Assyrian kings, Sennaeherib (sih.NAK.uhr.ihb). nWIKTIIROUGliliiSIOH1 together, they connected these pontoons to the shore with beams. Then they erected a raised dirt roadway at both ends. An armed guard protected the soldiers who installed a support structure of stones, brush, and clay. Before attacking, the Assyrians ring beneath the city's walls to weaken them. Then, with disciplined organization, foot soldiers marched shoulder to shoulder. A trained A.Analvzing Causes WhatC<3used t!leAssyriansto develop a strong iJrmy andlargeempire'l cavalry, or troops ricling horses, galloped into battle, following their generals, who rode in chariots. \\lith courage and coordination, foot soldiers approadled to within an arrow's shot of the city walls. At a signal from their commander, they stopped, strung ~heir haws, and reJeased a shower of arrows. \Vave upon wave of arrows hissed over the bragged that he had sacked 89 cities and 820 \'iJlages, humeri Bahylon, and ordered most of its inhabitants killed. Ccntllries Iat('r, in the 1800s, the English poet G(>orge Gordon, Lord Byron, romanticized the A~S}Tians' bloody exploits ill a poem: A VOICE ABOUT TilE ,valls of the besieged city. Meanwhile, another group of troops hammered the city's with massive, iron-tipped battering rams. \"hen at last the city gates splintered, Assyrians showed no mercy. They killed or enslaved their victims. Because soldiers eived a bounty for severed heads, many of the defeated \'vere beheaded. PA51 The Assyrian came down like a wolf on the fold, And his cohorts were gleaming in purple and gold; And the sheen of their spears was like stars on the sea, When the blue wave rolls nightly on deep Galilee. GEORGE GORDON, LORD BYRON, "The Destruction This detail of a sandstone relief shows an Assyrian soldier with a shield and iron- tipped spear. 88 ~ r. .'!.!!; T.-,· ,-.~,. 'n~'f "'y~n;U"'! One Assyrian king bragged of burning 3,000 captives to death. Another told how of Sennacherib" the chiefs who had revolted I flayed, with their skins I covered the pillar, some in midst I walled IIp, others on stakes I impaled, still others r arranged arollnd the r on stakes." To prevent later rebellions, the Assyrians forced groups of captives to their homelands. They were forced to settle f~lraway as exiles in the empire's ant provinces and dependent states. Assyria was a soddy which glorified ll1i1ihllY strengtll. Its soldiers W<:'I"(, weB equipped f(H' ('oIHlllering an l'11Ipirc. Making Ilse of tlw iron-working ted,nology of tIle tilllC, the soldiers covered thclnsc'l\'cs in stilT Jeathcr and J}letal armor. They wore copper Of iron hd1l1ets, padded loincloths, and leal her skirts laYl'rl'd with metal scales. Thdr weapolls WCr<'iron swords and iron-pointed spears. InfantJ)', archers, and spear throwl'rs protected thelllsl~l\'cs with hllge shi(']ds. Advance planning amI technical skill allowcd the Assyrians to lay sie~(' to em'IIIY cities. \Vhcn deep water blocked their passagc', enginecrs wOllld hridge the rin:'fS with pontoons, or floating strnctllres \lsed to support ,1 bridge. ~lYjng inflated animal skins Tunnels The Assyrian army used sappers-soldiers who dug tunnels to sap, or undermine,the foundations of the enemy'swalls so that they would fall. ·'.'?-npl;; The Ass\Tians came from the llorthern Expanding Vocabulary Empire 'een 850 and 650 B.C., the kings of Assyria defeated Syria, Palestine, and siege: a military blockade to force a Reaching beyond tlie Fertile Crescent, Assyrian rule extended into Eg)pt Anato]ia. With the conquest of Eg}pt, the Assyrian Empire had estahlished itself rth Africa. Iylonia. city to surrender c:ltapter 4 First Age of Empires ~ J 89 Many people in the region rejoiced at Nineveh's destruction, NahnlO (NAY·hulnn) gave voice to the feelings of mallY: Assyrian Ru\e At its peak around 6'sO H.C., this empire included almost all of tIle old centers of ci\ilizalioll and power in Southwest Asia. \ Vith great efficiency, THE BIBLE And it shall come thee? themselves with Ass)'lia. Assyrhm armies protected the dependent lerritolies from invasion by other enemies. 1n adclitioll, tl)c 111ilitary canlpaigns added neW territory to the empire. This brought in ta.xes and tJilmte to the ,lligued B. Recognizing Causes What odsenab\ed met\1- tt1e 'I Assyrians toruletheir! empile effectivel,,? ii I 1 Assyrian Culture Some of Assyria's most fearsome warriors e~lfneda reputation as great builders. For example, the same King Sennacherib who bad burned Babylon also established Assyria's capital at Nineveh (NIHN.uh.nrh) aloug the Tigris !\iver. This great walled city, about three miles long and a mile wide, was famous as the largest city of its day. Iu the ruins of Nineveh and other Assyrian cities, archaeologists fonnd finely caf\"cd scnlptnres. Two artistic subjects particularly fascinated the Assyrians: brutal militmy campaigns and the lion hunt. In addition to the treasures of empire, Niueveh also held oue of the ancient world's lHlIIK1KROUuHKlS10R' largest libraries. King Ashmhanipal (AH.shllr.BAIl-nuh.PAHL) prided himself on his ability to read in several1angnages: "The beantifnl writings in Sumerian that are obscure, in Akkadian tl",t are diflkult to bear in mind, it was my joy to repeat:' This kingly reader cllHected more tban 25,000 clay tablets from thronghout tbe Fertile Crescent. Some were dictionaries containing the same words in severallangoages. When archaeologists uncovered the library's remains in the mid- ISOOs. the dictionary tablets enahlc'>(lscholars to better lIiHlerstaJltl1\'1csopot~11llian writing. \1\ C. Making Inferences Why migt1ttheAssyrian warriorkingsh8ve had such a great interesl in writing a 0 S~~C\~f)n reading? 2.T.l\IOrJG N01 ES Create a diagram showing the causes of the rise and of the decline of Assyrian power. Aslmrbanipa1 proved to be one of the last of the mighty Assyrian kings. Ass)'Tian power \,ad spread itself too thin. Also, tbc crnelty displayed by thc Assyrians bad earned them many enemies. Shortly after Asbnrhanipal"s death, Nineveh fell. Causes Oecline and Fall just as Assyrialls had tlestrllyed so mallY cities, Assyria's enemies demolished Nilleveh. III 612 I1.C., a combined anllV of Medes (lllee,1z). ChaMeans (kal.DEE.uhuz). ami others rammed open the cit/s gates. Their armies burned and leveled Nineveh. The [ire glazed the tablets in the hhrary, which preserved them for archaeologists to stmlv centllries later. So thoroughly did the armies destroy Nineveh that t\'\-'ocenturies later on1)' mounds remained. I' j f,~.! I,It 'I ~ 90 Chapter 4 thee shall flee from thy nobles shall dwell thee, and in the dust: missed the flmvering shrubs of her mountain homehmd. To please her, the king had fragrant trees and mountain sh11lbs plmlted on terraces. They rose 75 feet above Babylon's Rat, dry plain. Slaves watered the plants from hidden pumps. Indeed, the entire city \vas a wonder. Its walls were so thick that, according to one report, a four-horse chariot conld wheel around on top of them. To ensure that the world knew who ruled Babylon, even the bricks were inscribed, "1 am Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon." The highest building in Babylon was a great, seven-tiered ziggurat more than 300 feet high. It was visible for miles. At night, priests obsef\"ed the stars from tlte top of tltis tower and others in the city. They kept detailed records of how the stars and planets seemed to change position in the night sky. The Chaldeans' observations formed the basis for both astronomy and astrology. Nebl1chadnezzar's empire fell shortly after his death. The Persians who next came to power adopted mauy Assyrian military, political, and artistic inventions. The Persians would use the organization the Assyrians had developed to stabilize the region. The Empire Crumbles l'i upon of the World. According to legend, one of Nebuchac1nezzar's wives lKlIIK1HROUuHHlS10Rl i 1\ look gardens. Greek scholars later listed them as one of the Seven \Nonders Assyrian treasury. These beeal!le an instrument of control. If a conquered and Thebes? 2. Location What is the southernmost part of the Assyrian Empire and to what other empire did it previously belong? that 0 king of Assyria: Rehirth of Bcbyl'CJn Under the Chaldeans After defeating the AssyIians, the Chaldeans made Babylon their capital. AronmlGOO B.C., Babylon became tlte center of a new empire, more than 1,000 years after IIammurabi had ruled there. A Chalclean king named Nebuchadnezzar (NEIlB·ult·kuhd·NEIIZ·ultr) restored Babylon. The most impressive part of his palace may have been the Eunous hanging dependent re~ions by choosing their rulers. Or, they supported kin~s \vho GEOGRAPHY SKILLBUILDER: Interpreting Maps 1, location What is the approximate distance between Nineveh slumber, NAHUM 3:7,18 provinces and Blade them dependent lerlitones. Assydan kings inflnenced these people into exi1e. By tliese means the AssyJians developed an effectiw~ method of governing ,m extended empire. . Thy shepherds thy people is scattered upon the mountains, and no man gathereth them. govenll'u bn<1s closest to Assyria as people refused to pay, the Assyrians destroyed their cities and sent the all they say, Nineveh is laid waste: who will bemoan her? Whence shall I seek comforters for the Assydans organize(l their conquered territoIies into an empire. AssyIian officials to pass, that The Hebrew prophet of Declining Power r 2. 3 lions made of glazed bricks decorated walls along the broad road that passed the Ishlar Gate of Nebuchadnezzar in Babvlon. l:\53'2::;'3i"j1en~ 3. roruV!lrM; I\f>JD f,;UPPOHTlr'IG oprN10!'J$ The Assyrians relied almost exclusively on military power in building, maintaining, and ruling their empire. Explain whether you think this was a good strategy . 4. 'T~IEr'!lEActnnn' Scien<:e and Technology Work with a partner to draw a mural highlighting how developments in technology influenced the rise and decline of the Assyrian Empire. . I THINK ABOUT I • the causes of Assyrian military power • the stability of the empire • the methods that empires use to become stronger First Age oJ Empires 91 I Under Persian rule, subject peoples enjoyed remarkable edom. Indeed, Babylon peaceful1y opened its gates for rus in 539 B.C. Thankful for the bloodless victory, Cyrus cred prayers to Babylon's chief god, Marduk. According to rsian accounts, "all the inhabitants of Babylon ... princes .\ governors included, bowed to Cyrus and kissed his feet, ,ilant and with shining faces." Cyrus also al10wed the Jews, who had been deported from ,ir homeland by the Babylonians, to return to Jemsalem in 3 B.C. Under Persian mle, the Jews rebuilt their city and nple. They also resumed their sacred rituals. Many portions the Old Testament first appeared in written form dming this iod. The Jews were forever grateful to Cyms, whom they lsidered one of God's anointed ones. The Hebrew prophet ra te]]s of Gyms's kindness: SF-TTiNG HJE STt~(iE The Medes, along with the Chaldeans, helped to overthrow the Assyrian Empire in 612 B.C. The Medes marche(l to Nineveh from their homeland in the area of present-day northern Iran. Meanwhile, the Medes' close neighbor to the south, Persia, began to expand its horizons and tenitorial ambitions. HE The Rise of Persia The Assyrians employed military fence to control a vast empire. In contrast, the Persians would base their empire on tolerance and diplomacy. They relied on a strong military to back np their policies. Ancient Persia included what is ~~hw .. NNECTtoTODAY Natural Wealth of Iran always had substantial minealth and natural resources. have attracted invaders 3S hout the ages. In the past, its Jposits of iron, copper, and 3zuli attracted bands of invadmads and warriors, including an raiders. Equally important, mineral wealth encouraged Nith the outside world. lay, huge reserves of oil lie th the surface of Iran. Various 1 powers compete for these I fields. The Iranian govern,wards contracts to compa,develop oil fields in Iran and rsian Gulf. Iran's economy heavily on revenue from its oil es. ,apter 4 The tomb of Cyrus the Great still with other royal tombs of the :RA 1 :2-3. ancient world. stands. It is notable 'or its simplicity wilen compared This wise and tolerant ruler was above all a warrior. Cyrus lost his life in battle, 1ting nomadic invaders on the eastern border of his empire. According to the eek historian Anian, his simple, house-shaped tomb bore these poignant words: man, 1 am Cyrus the son of Cambyses. I established the J>ersian Empire and was g of Asia. Do not begrudge me my memorial." ! About 1000 B.C., Imlo-Europeaus first migrated from Central Europe aud southern Russia to the mountains and plateaus east of the Fertile Crescent. This area extended from the Caspian Sea in the north to the Persian Gulf in the south. In addition to prosperous farmland, ancient Iran boasted a wealth of minerals. These included copper, lead, gold, silver, and gleaming blue lapis lazuli. A thriving trade put the settlers iu contact with their neighbors to the east and the west. At first, dozens of tiny kingdoms ruled in the region. The Medes and others joined lorces to overthrow the Assyrian Empire in 612 B.C. Eventually two major powers emerged: the Medes and the Persians. A remarkable ruler would soon lead Persia to dominate not only the Medes but also a huge empire. 'I I I' ,I ~rsian Rule and Religion e task of organizing and unifying conqnered territoties fell to rulers who followed rus. They succeeded by combining IJersian control \vith local self-government. ,.",,,1 u,·,·;" .... , Cyrus died in 530 B.C. His son Cambyses (kam·BY·seez), ned after Cyms's father, extended the Persian Empire by conquering Egypt. 'wever, the son neglected to follow his father's wise example. Cambyses publicly rned the Egyptian religion. He ordered the images of Egyptian gods to be burned. er mling I,)r only eight years, Cambyses died. Immediately, \videspread rebellions ,ke out across the empire. Persian control had seemed strong a decade earlier. It now med surprisingly fragile. Cambyses's successor, Darius (duh·HY·uhs), a noble of the ruling dynasty, had begun his career as a member of the king's bodyguard. An elite group of Persian soldiers, the Ten Thousand Immortals, helped Darius seize the throne iu 522-521 n.c. Darius spent the first three years of his reign putting down revolts. He spent the next lew years establishing an unusual1y emdent aud we]]organized administration. Soon the new king extended Persian conquests in the east. He led armies up into the mounlains of present-day Afghanistan and down into the river valleys of India. The immense Persian Empire now embraced Egypt and Ana- !11t,Y"~:; The rest of the world paid little attention to the Persians l1nti1550 B.C. That year, Cyrus (SY'lllhs), Persia's king, began his couquest of several neighboring kingdoms in Iran. A new power was rising in the region. Eventually, the Persians extended their rule [i'on, the Indus Hiver in the east to Analolia in the west. This empire spmmecl over two thollsal1dmiles. Cyms's soldiers wore leather pants andlhiek fell boots. Hiding n,onntain ponies, they shot arrows Ii'om the short bows that their al1cestors had used on lhe steppes of HlIssia. Their leader proved to be a milit,uy genius. IIe led his army li'om victoty to victmy between ,5,50and 539 B.C. Cyms and his armies cOllquered the entire Fertile Crescenl and most of Anatolia. Even more than his milit,uy genius. though, Cyrus's most emlming legacy was his method of governing. I-lis kindness toward conqnered peoples revealed a wise and tolerant view of empire. For example, when Cyrus's army n,arched into a dty, his generals enforced slrict discipline against looting and burning. Unlike other conquerors, Cyrus helieved in honoring local cnstoms and religions. Instead of destroying the local temple, Cyrns would kneel there to pray. BIBLE 1is is the word of Cyrus king of Persia: The Lord the God of heaven has given me all the ngdoms of the earth, and he himself has charged me.to build him a house at Jerusalem I Judah. To every man of his people now among you I say, God be with him, and let im go up to Jerusalem in Judah, and rebuild the house of the Lord the God of Israel, 1e God whose city is Jerusalem. Vocabularv legacy: something handed the past down from Crescent in the center. This vast empire extended over 2,500 miles from east to west. Darius's only failure, and that of his son, was his inability to conquer Greece. First Age of Empires tolia in the west, part of India in the east, and the Fertile j• , , I I 93 . I .. II Royal Road 'ys in which societies build and maintain empires : systems of communication and transportation. built by the Persian Empire n Persia to Sardis in Anatolia. oad royal commands Ich ;no;t parts of '"I'll f/ecr/1 )rse chariot dates lrom the Itury B.C. It is the type 01 vehicle have traveled the Royal Road in Darius. The studs on the wheels ned to help prevent the chariot .g. The large wheels provided a de over rough ground. \ GEOGRAPHY SKlllBUllDER: Interpreting Maps I 1. Region What part of the ancient world did Cambyses add to the Persian Empire? I 2. Region Compare the map of the Persian Empire with that of the Assyrian Empire. What areas 1\.. did the Persians t~~~s,!~a~s~i~~.O.t? I.'--.-.---'----'... -- ru/~that - ·-.~ .. ---.' ..-- - -'---'- ."'''---- ,- _ .'-- _,.•_ . ---.'- , ' . -------'-.-.--.,~~ .._ _.., pro\linces and Satr ••ps Although a great warrior, Darius's greatest genius lay ill The Ride administration. To govern his sprawling empire, the king clh~ded it into 20 provinces. These provinces were roughly similar to the homelands of the lmUlYgronpS of people within the Persian Empire. Uncler l'ersian rule, the people of each pro\~nce still practiced thcir own religion. They also spoke their own langm\ge and followe,1 m,my of their own laws. This administrative po\icy of nmny gronps_sometilnes called "nation' alities"-li0ng by their own laws within one empire wonkl be repeatedly practice,l in Southwest Asia. This eontinned in the early \.\)00, in the Ottoman Empire. Althongh toleranl of the many groupS withill his empire. Darius still rnkd with absolute power. In each proviuce of the Persian Empire, Darius installed a governor calle<l a satrap (SAY.TIIAP), who ruled locally. To enSllre his salrapS' loyally. Dalius sent out inspcctors known as the "Killg's Eyes amI Ears." They chec\w,l np on the administration of each province in every coraer of lhe kingllo1n. Darins also appointed an army leader amI a tax colledor for each province. 'I\vo other tools helped ti,e Persian king ho1<lhis empire together. An exceHent road Relay stations were equipped with fresh horses for the king's messengers. Royal messengers could cover the length of the Royal Road in seven days. Normal travel system and the nse of stamh\rd 1noney helped nnite the empire. The famous Hoyal Hoae\ of the l'ersiall El11pire raU [rom Susa in Persia to Scu'dis in Anatolia, a distance of 1,677 miles. Darins borrowed his second idea. n"Ulubduring metal COillS,fronl the Lydians of Asia Minor. For lhe first time, coins of a standard valne dreuhttecl thronghollt an extended empire. No longcr ,lid people have to weigh aud measure odd pieces of gold or silver to pay for wlmt they bought. Like the road system, the \\~der nse of standardized coins promoted trade. Trade, in tU111,helped to hold the empire together. . Chapter 4 time along the road was longer. A caravan, for example, might take three months to travel the whole distance. of Interaction hing in the world which travels faster than these Persian couriers," rote about the messengers of the Royal Hom!. Strong road works like the Ho)"!1Hoad enabled empires to expand and jntain control over people and places. Like the Persians, , the Inca of South America created a road svstem thonsands {~, of miles long. These roads allowed the Inc,{ to extend their \':. rule over as many as ] 6 million people. Empires throughout histOlY have shared characteristics such as efficient communi, cation ;ystems, efleetive leaders, and powerful armies. • ., )III[ I--t"'!l'~'I~]1. Recognizing Effects How would the Royal Road enable the ruler to maintain power in the empire? ,. Connect to Today Comparing What systems of communication and transportation today might be compared to the Royal Road of the Persians? It:iLY;:Ii¥.~J Building Empires: The Rise of the Persians and the Inca First Age of Empires 95 By the time of Darius's rule, about 2,,500 years had passed since the first Sumerian city-states had been built. Dnring those years, people of the Fertile Creseent had endured war, conquest, and (,unine, This gave rise to a basic question: Why should so much suffering and chaos exist in the world? A Persian prophet ami religious reformer named Zoroaster (ZA\VH,oh,AS,tuhr), who lived around GOO B.C., olTered an answer. Zoroastcr taught that two spiritual armies fight for possession of a person's soul. The god of truth and light, Ahnra Mazlla (ah-IlUH·nh MAZ,duh), lealls one army. The gOlI of evil and darkness, Ahriman (AH,rih.muhn), leads the other. At the end of time, Zoroaster Background Scholars nothing know almost about of Zoroaster. the life Even the date of his birth is unknown, with historians dating some it as early as the 11 ODs 8.C .. although most date it around sixth century the RC preached, all souls would be judged according to which side they had choscn, Followers of Ahura Mazda would be lifted into THE STAGE The Zhou D)~1asty, as you read in Chapter 2, endured for at least eight centuries, from approximately 1027 B.C. to 256 B.C, For the first 300 years of their long reign, the Zhou kings controlled a large empire, including both eastern and western lands, Local rulers represented the king, but he had the ultimate power, By the latter years of the Zhou Dynasty, the lords of dependent territories began to think of themselves as independent kings, Their bloody wad'ire led to the decline of the Zhou Dynasty. SETTING paradise. Followers of Ahriman would suffer forever in a fiery pit. A collection of books called the Auesta became the holy writings of the Zoroastrian religion. In Zoroaster's reli- gion, people's own choices controlled their Elte. At the final jmlgment, those who had chosen the side of goodness would not be doomed to a dismal undenvorld. Instead, Philosophy and the Social Order China's ancient values of social order, harmony, and respect for authority were put aside toward the end of the Zhou Dynasty, To restore these values, Chinese scholars and philosophers developed different solutions. they would ascend to paradise. The Zoroastrian religion developed ideas ,.f""""'" ~~. ~._- ~-- about heaven, hell, and a final judgment that ""',,,,;;,;., were similar to concepts in Jndaism, Chlistianity, and Ishun. The faith of Zoroaster spread eastward into India, There, it became the Parsi sect, the largest gronp of ZoroastJians in the world today. Zoroastrianism also was an impOltant inflnence in the devclopment of Manicheanism, a religious system that competed with early Christianity I(JI'believers, The cult of Mithra, a Zoroastrian god, spread westward to become a pop- 1HlliK 1HROUGii HISTDRY B. Comparing What ideas and world view other religions? the Persians brought political order to Southwest Asia. They prescrved ideas from earlier civiliza· tions and f()tlnd new ways to live and mle. Their respect for other cultures helped to 4. 3. 2. Create a Venndiagramto show the similaritiesand differences between Cyrusand Darius. Why do you think Persians and other peoples were able to turn their thoughts to religion? TIlINK I fHNK AOOIJT • past history of peoples in the Fertile Crescent , livingconditionsin the Persian Empire • role of leaders in the Persian Empire Which ofthe differences do you consider most important?Why? A ~/" ~'Jt;~'j" i,q";~~.!l~':$ Empire Building Howdid Darius's methods of administration give stabilityto his empire? AOOUT VOICE FROM THE CONFUCIUS, , the structure of the empire • policyoftolerance • the role ofthe satrap 1 This 18th-century painting shows Chinese students taking an examination on the Confucian classics. They wish to advance in the government. PAST Written In serving his parents, a filial son renders utmost respect to them at home; he supports them with joy; he gives them tender care in sickness; he grieves at their death; he sacrifices to them with solemnity ... tests for civil servants in China go back to the Han Dynasty, the Analects Confucius was not content to be merely a great teacher, He wanted to reform Chinese society by showing a prince or duke how to govern wisely. Impressed by Confucius's ,,1sdom, the duke of Lu appointed him Minister of Justice, According to legend, Confucins so ovenvhelmed people by his kindness and courtesy that almost overnight, crime vanished from Ln, vVhcn the ,hIke's ways changed, however, Confucius felt compelled to resign. \ I •• == Born in 551 brother and younger brother, and 5) friend and friend. A code of proper conduct regulated each of these relationships, For example, rulers should practice kindness and \irtuolls living. In return, subjects should be loyal and law-ahiding. Thrce of Confucius's five relationships were based lip on the family. Confucius stressed that children should practice what he called filial piety, or respect for their parents and eldcrs: preselve those cultures for the fnture. The powerful dynasty Cyms cstablished in Persia lasted 200 years and grew iuto a huge empire. Likewise in China, as you will kart! ill Section 4, great empires arose that dominated their regions. o China's most influential (kulmFYOO·shuhs). Confucius lived at a time when the Zhou Dynasty was being torn apart by waning lords. He led a scholarly life, studying and teaching history, music, m1d moral character. Confucius believed that social order, harmony, and good government could be restored in China if society was organized around fivc basic relationships, These were the relationships between: 1) ruler aud subject, 2) father and son, 3) husband and wife, 4) older ular religion among the militmy legions in the Homan Empire, Throngh their tolerance and good government, ,., B.C" did Zoroastrianism share with "'. d"" scholar was Confucius .-1 First Age of Empires 97 Confucius spent tbe remainder 01' his life kaching. The onlv record of his ideas are the writings of his studellts. His stndents bter collected his words in a book called the Analects. A disciple named ]\Ieucius (MEHN·shee.nhs) also spread Confucins's ideas. Both Confucins and Mencins tanght that leaelers shonld be virtuous. Background An,/i;cts The traditional COli fudall Ideas /.\bo"t Government Conl1,cius "litl tbat educatiou ! Was compiled around 4QQ B.C. It became a fUndamental pa~ of could trans- education in China. The word analects means form a humbly born pcrson into a gentleman. [n saying this, he laid the gronnclwork for the creation of a bureaucracy, a traiued civil service. or those who rnll the "selections from a literary \\Iork." • Thinkersand their ideas should be strictly controlled bythe government. government. According to Confucills, a gentleman had four virtues: "In liis private condnel he was courteous, in serving his master he was punctilious [precisc], ill providing for the ueeds of the people he gave them even more than thcir due; in exacting service from the people, be was jnst." Edllcation became critically importaut to career advancement ill the bureallcracy. Confucianism was never a religion, but it was an etbical system. It bec",nc the foundation for Chinese government Conhlcius spread beyond China ami inflnenced Danis!s 5e,,'< lIarmony I was most important. 5 K ILL BUll D ER: Interpreting and social ordcr. In addition, the ideas of civilizations throughout East Asia. For Confncius, the social order of hunily aud govcrnment For another Chinese thinker named Laozi, who may have lived during the sixth centmy B.C., only the natural order was ilnportallt. His book Dcw De Chillg (TllC Waf} Vocabulary socia! order: ~aving to do with relations between people. natural order: having to do with relations between al\ living i- things. expressed Laozi's belief. He said tlu;t a uuiversal l(nTe called the Dao (tow), meauing "the \Vay," ojVi,-tllC) Laozi Confucius 551-479 B.C. Legendhas it that Laozi'smother carried himin her womb for 62 years and that he was born with \' 6th century B.C. 1 I white followersclaimedthat hair and wrinkledskin. he wasLaoz;'s a , us won a post as minister 1mestate. j contemporaryof Confucius. UnlikeConfuciusandthe Legalists,however,Laoz;believed Jrding to legend, he set ,irtuous example that a j that governmentshoulddo as littleas , possibleand leavethe people alone: ringin the middleofthe Therefore in governing the ,ould lie untouched for , s Confuciussaid, "Ifa ruler people, the sage empties their minds but fillstheir bellies, is upright,allwillgo well weakens their wills but : orders. But if he himselfis strengthens their bones. He ight,even though he gives always keeps them innocent of they willnot be obeyed." renfrom officeby political knowledge and free from desire, and ensures that the J, Confuciusreturned to clever never dare to act. 19. He considered himself 'e because he had never Laozithoughtthat people could gh office.YetConfucius's do littleto influence the outcome of lave moldedChinese events. Daoism offered communion Itfor centuries. with nature as an alternativeto politicalchaos. a poorfamily,Confucius lis livingas a teacher. )nged to put his principles on byadvising political Finally,at around age 50, ! !! "'pter 4 i Ii ! the Dao or way. Of all the creatures of nature, according to Laozi, only hnmans fail to follow th~ Dao. They argne about <[nestions 01 right and wrong, gOOlI manners aml had. According to Laozi, snch argnments are pointless. The philosophy of Laozi came to be known 'LS Daoism, lts search ror knowledge, and undcrstanding of natnrc led DaoisIll's followers to pmsne scicntific studies. Daoists made contribntions to the sciences or alchcIllY, astronomy, and me(licinc. Legalists Urge Harsh Rule In shmV contrast to the followers or Conrncins was a gronp or practical political thinkers called the Lcgalists. They believed that a highly efficient and powerfnl go\'el1lment was the key to restOling order. They got their uame from their restore harmony. The Legalists carried out their belicf that government shou]d use'the law to end ci\'il disordcr and Among the I(Jlmders of Legalism were llanleizi and Li Si. taught that a ruler should provide rich rewards for people who duties well. Like\\~se, the disobedient should be harshly punished. In practice, thc Lcgalists stressed punishment more than rewards. Fo,- example, anyone caught outside his own \'illage without a travel permit should have his ears or nose chopped ofl, said the Legalists. The Legalists believed in controlling ideas as well as actions. They suggested that a ruler burn all wlitings that might encourage people to think critically about govenunent. After all, it was for the plince to ~~~_Sppf,.t....l"~.<".:n ... govern ancl the people to obey. Eventually, Legalist ideas gained favor \\~th a prince of a new dynasty that replaccd the Zhou. That power/ill rnler was soon to put an end to China's long period of disorder. guides all things. If yon seek order and harmony, said Laozi, go up into the hills, sit by a stream, and observc a drifting cloud or a soft breeze. Observe that nothing in nature strives {()rl'l1ne, power, or even wisdom. The clond, the hreeze, and the stream move withont effort hecause they follow Charts 1. Which of these three systems stress the importance of government and a well-ordered society? 2. Which system emphasizes the natural order over the social order? 3. Which of these systems seems to be most moderate and batanced? Explain. ·.,,.r.·· .. 0.' rJ: ~',~t I Ching and Yin and Yang People \\~th little interest in these Vocabulary legend: handed a story down from earlier times, espe- cially one believed be historical. to philosophical debates consulted a book of oracles calledl Ching (also spelled YiJil1g) to answer ethical or practical problems. Readers used the book by tlmming a set of coins, intelvreting the results, and then reading the appropliate oracle. The I Chil1g (The Book of Changes) helped people to lead a happy life by dispensing good aeh~ce and simple commou sense. Ancieut thinkers developed the concept of yin and yang, two powers that together representeel the natural rhythms of life. Yang represents the masculine qnalities in the universe, yin the feminine. Both forccs represent thc rhythm of the universe and complement each othcr. Both the I Chillg and yin and yang helped Chinese people uuderstand how they fit into the world. The Qin Dynasty A short-lived dyuasty replaced the Zhou D)'llasty in thc thircl centUlY B.C. It emerged Ii-om the western state of Qin (cllihn). The 13-year-old Qin Dynasty mler who caUle to the thronc in the third century B.C. employed Legalist ide'L>to subdue warriug states aud unify his countJy. A New Emperor Takes Control After rnling I()r over 20 years, in 221 B.C., the Qin ruler assumed the name Shi Huangdi (shihr hwalmg.dee), which means "First Emperor." Yin and Yang The symbolofyinand yang is a circle dividedintohalves;as shown in the emblemabove.The circle represents the harmonyofyinlearth, female,passivel and yang Iheaven, male,active).Yinis represented by the tiger and the colororange;yang is represented bythe dragon and the color blue. Ancient Chinese thinkers believed that pain is caused by an imbalance in the body between the forces of yinand yang. They believed that acupuncture helped to restore this balance byreleasing blocked energy. The new emperor had First Age of Empires 99 ---------------------"'.....-! begun his reign by halting the internal battles that had sapped China's strength. Next he turned his attention to defeating invaders and crushing internal resistance to his From the Yellow Sea in the east to the Gobi Desert in the west, the Great Wall twisted like a dragon's tail for thousands of miles. Watch towers rose every 200 to 300 yards along the wall. rule. Shi Huangdi's armies attacked the invaders north of the Yellow River and south as far as what is now Vietnam. His victories doubled China's size. Shi Huangdi was determined to unify China. The Qin emperor acted decisively to crush political opposition at home. To destroy the power of rival warlords, Shi Huangdi instituted a policy called "strengthening the trunk and weakening the branches." He commanded all the noble families to live at the capital city under his suspicious gaze. This edict, according to tradition, uprooted 120,000 noble families. Seizing their land, the emperor carved China into 36 administrative districts. He sent Qin officials to control them. To silence criticism, the emperor and his prime minister, the Legalist philosopher Li Su, murdered hundreds of Confucian scholars. They also ordered "useless" books burncd. These books were the works of Confucian thinkers and poets who disagreed Slabs of cut stone on the outside of the wall enclosed with the Legalists. Practical books about medicine and fanning were spared. Through measures such as these, Shi IInangdi established an autocracy-a government in which the ruler has nnlimited power and. uses it in an arbitrmy manner. a heap of pebbles and rubble on the inside. Each section of the wall II Pm{)',~m nf C"••I.ralizillion Shi Huangdi's sweeping program of centralization rose to a height of 20 to 25 feet. included the building of a highway network of over 4,000 miles. He forced peasants to work on roads against their will. He also set uniform standards for Chinese writing, law, currency, and weights aod measures, down to the length. of cart axles. This last standard ensured that all vehicles could fit into the ruts of China's main roads. Under Shi Huangdi's rule, irrigation projects increased farm production. Trade blossomed, thanks to the new road system. Trade pushed a new class-merchantsinto prominence. Despite these social advances, harsh taxes and repressive government made the Qin regime unpopular. Shi Huangdi had unified China at the expense of human freedom. THIlIK TllROUuH HISlORY B. Recognizing Effects What were the positive and nega· Shi tive effects of In the time of Shi Huangdi, hundreds of thousands of peasants collected, hauled, and dumped millions of tons of stone, dirt:and rubble to fill the core of the Great Wall. Many who died working on the wall were buried in the core. Huangdi'srule' G,,,,,,t Wail of China Scholars hated Shi Huangdi for his book bnrning; poor people hated him for their forced labor in building a unified wall. Earlier, Zhou rulers had erected smaller walls to discourage attacks by northern nomads. Shi Huangdi determined to close the gaps and unify the wall 1,400 miles to the west. Now enemies would have to gallop halfway to Tibet to get around it. The Great Wall of China arose on the backs of hnndreds of thousands of peasants. The wall builders worked neither for wages nor for love of empire. They faced a terrible choice: work on the wall or die. Many of the laborers worked on the wall and died anyway, victims of the crushing labor or the winter winds. The Great Wall of China f is so huge that it is one of the few human-made features on Earth visible ,[ from space. i RA PHY SK I LLB U I LD ER: Interpreting m How far south did the Qin empire extend? an-Environment ct Jts function? Interaction How does the wall's location lhe ['"II <,f the Qin The Qin Dynasty proved short-lived. Though fully as cruel as his father, Shi H uangdi's son proved less able. Peasants rebelled just three years after the second Qin emperor took office. One of their leaders, a peasant from the land of I-Ian, marched his troops into the capital city. By 202 B.C., the harsh Qin D)~lasty gave way to the Han D)~last)'. \Vhile the Chinese explOl-ed the best ways to govern, ancient Greece was experimenting with different forms of government, as you will read in Chapter ,5. ,..,"'I,.;.,'•...~"v'~~ <;","·j"o.·, IES 2. TJ\I<IPJG !\IOTES Create a web like the one below, and indicate how the chaos of the warring states affected Chinese philosophy, politics, and the growth of cities. 0 " ;1!,~, •...•:,_, ,.~._I~~ A<c"p~"iPpn1- 3. IIYPOHIESlZI"'G In 1776, the American Declaration of Independence declared that "all men are created equaL" How would followers of the three philosophical traditions in China react to that statement? THINK ABOUT • their views on equality • views on opposition to government 4. 'rHU,qE l\CH\/lTY Interaction with Environment Make a chart that compares and contrasts the monumental projects of the Persian Royal Road and the Great Wall of China. Include their purposes, how they changed the environment, and how they affected the peoples living there . First Age of Empires 101 "