Download 9. What was the first empire?

Mesopotamia was a succession of
societies
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Sumeria (Sumer)
Akkad
First Babylon
Assyria
Second Babylon
 Geography
• Unpredictable rivers (Tigris and Euphrates)
• Delta region extremely fertile
• Flat land open to invasion – no natural barriers
• By 4,000 BCE at least four major groups had
migrated into Sumeria: Hamites from North Africa,
Semites from Arabia, Indo-Europeans from
Russia, and Caucasians from Georgia
• Semi-arid climate required extensive irrigation
projects
Growth of the state
• Irrigation projects required cooperation on
a grand scale and leadership
• Farmers banded together in settlements to
manage the environment and for protection
• These settlements became compact cities
surrounded by high mud-brick walls
• These cities were independent from one
another hence they were city-states
The city-states were often built around
existing religious structures – enhancing
the close relationship between
government and religion
The ziggurat became the focal point of
these city-states
Ziggurats - stepped towers topped by temples
Ziggurats were the focal
point of the city-state
The Tower of Babel is
believed to have been a
ziggurat
 Sumeria lasted about 1,300 years (3360 – 2400 BCE)
 There was constant warfare between city-states and
invaders and between city-states themselves
 Each city-state controlled an area about 100 square
miles
 There were about 12 major city-states including Ur,
Eridu, Lagash, and Uruk
 Each city-state was ruled by a priest/leader called a
Patesi who was the highest political, religious, and
military authority
 Religion
• People felt utterly dependent on will of gods due to
harsh life
• Originally, each city-state had its own patron god
but later all gods were collected into a hierarchy
reflecting Sumerian values
• As male gods became dominant = strengthening
of patriarchy
• Afterlife – sad and gloomy place (later used as
model for Hell)
 Religion and Politics
• All land belonged to the gods and kings were their
representatives
• Kings and priests afforded special place in society
• Theocracy – rule by gods or priests
• By the end of Sumeria’s influence, kings were
becoming separate from the priest class
 Class System
• Kings / priests
• Commoners: farmers, artisans, merchants
• Slaves
 Sumerian Life
• Marriage was based on a contract
• Males were dominant but females had more freedom than
they do today
• Females exerted influence through sexuality
• Due to property inheritances, women would be put to death
for adultery
 Cuneiform
• Oldest writing
system
• Original purpose was
economic
• Used to record
memoranda, lists of
goods, receipts,
contracts, etc
• One of first uses was
to record beer recipe
Cuneiform- first system of writing
Cuneiform tablet
with envelope
Writing was reserved for the wealthy classes
 Writing systems beget
literature
 Oldest literature was
epic poem The Epic of
Gilgamesh
 Poem relates story of
Gilgamesh, ruler of
Uruk, who seeks out
survivor of great flood in
quest of eternal youth
 Trade links with Egypt and Harappa
 Adopted use of silver as means of exchange
 “Invented” the wheel and pioneered use of carts and
chariots
 Sumerian mathematics based on 12, 60, and 360
(clock and circle)
 Sumerian astronomical charts basis for modern
astronomy
 Invented quadratic expressions
 Conquered Sumeria
= Akkad first empire
 Some centralization
of power
 Sargon I = first
emperor
 Absorbed / took on
Sumerian culture
 Political
• Akkad was overthrown
by Amorites
• Sumerian language
disappeared – replaced
by Amorite Semitic
language
• Made capital at Babylon
• Old Babylon overthrown
by invading Kassites and
Hittites
• Period of chaos followed
for about three centuries
 Hammurabi
• Founder of the Old
Babylonian Empire
• Most known for his
code of laws
o based on two 282
laws
o principles: lex talonis
and class
 Political
• Conquered Kassites and
brought all of Mesopotamia
under their control
• Noted for brutality and
ruthlessness
• Largest Mesopotamian
empire in landmass
• Conquered Egypt for short
period
• Assyria brought down by
invading Medes and
Chaldeans
 Political
• Established by
Chaldeans who
made capital at
Babylon
• King
Nebuchadnezzar
• Hanging gardens
• Continued
Sumerian culture
• Conquered by
the Persians
Other Middle Eastern Societies
 Hittites
• Iron
 Israelites
• Two kingdoms
• Judaism
 Phoenicians
• Alphabet
• Trade colonies
(Carthage)
1. What was the world’s first writing system?
2. What was it developed for?
3. Who were literate in Mesopotamia? Why?
4. What was the first piece of literature? What
was it about?
5. What was the basic political unit of
Mesopotamia?
6. What was the focal point of the Mesopotamian
city-state?
7. How did geography affect the development of
Mesopotamian religion?
8. How did geography affect the development of
Mesopotamian civilization?
9. What was the first empire? Who created it?
10. What was the Code of Hammurabi? What was it
based on?
11. Who laid the foundations for our modern
alphabet?
The characteristic political organization of the
Tigris – Euphrates civilization was
a. Democracy
b. Large, durable empires
c. Village-level government
d. Regional city-states
e. Hunting bands
 Geography
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Isolated
Huang He (“China’s Sorrow”)
Vulnerable northern borders
Western desert
Himalayas
Vietnam
Pacific Ocean
Arable land – culture of conservation
 Yangshao
• Slash-and-burn agriculture
• Domestication of animals
• Silk production
 Longshan People
• Permanent settlements with walls
• Occupational specialization
 Xia Dynasty – mythical?
 Writing
• Oracle Bones
• Ideographic symbols
• Primary purpose was
religious
 Bronze
• Sophisticated
metallurgy skills
• Controlled by
elites
• Used for
religious rituals
and weapons
1. What was an early form of Chinese writing?
7. What area of China was most conflicted?
8. What form of art was used in Chinese religious
rituals?
9. What is considered the first major Chinese
civilization?
10. On what major river was Chinese civilization
first established?
Which river valley civilization was most
completely destroyed by invasion?
a. Huang He
b. Indus
c. Nile
d. Tigris-Euphrates
e. Mekong