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Chapter
India & China
BIG IDEA #1
Physical Geography had an
important effect on the
growth of civilizations in
India and China
BIG IDEA #2
The Ancient Religions of
India and China share
many similarities, but are
all fundamentally different.
Geography of India
• In the far north are the
Himalayas – the highest
Mountains in the world.
• South of the Himalayas is
the Ganges River.
• West of the Ganges River
is the Indus River, which is
in modern-day Pakistan.
Monsoons in India
• A Monsoon is a seasonal wind pattern in
southern Asia that blows warm, wet air from
the southwest during the summer, bringing
heavy rains.
• Monsoons cause heavy rainfall across India,
which farmers depended for growing of
crops.
• Heavy rainfall helped farmers develop a
surplus of food which lead to growth of
civilization.
Arrival of the Aryans
•Around 2,000 B.C.E. a group of IndoEuropean speaking nomads started to move out
of Western Europe towards Iran and later to the
Indus Valley.
•One group of nomads, known as the Aryans
settled in northern India.
• From 1,500 B.C. to 1,000 B.C. Aryans moved
across the rest of India and interacted with the
Dravidians (who were descendents of the
Social Structure in Ancient India Part 1
• Males in Indian society were superior to
women:
–Only Men could inherit property
–Women did not work outside the home
–Only Men were educated
• During the ritual of suttee, where bodies
of the dead are set on fire, women were
expected to throw themselves on their
husbands bodies.
Social Structure in Ancient India Part 2
• The Aryans believed that society was divided
up into four varnas – social groups
– The Brahmins: The Priests and Teachers
– The Kshatriyas: Warriors and Police
– The Vaisyas: Merchants and Farmers
– The Sudras: Peasants and Servants
• The Aryan system eventually became caste
system, where every Indian was believed to be
born into a caste, a group defined by that
person’s job. Caste determined what job a
person could have and who they could marry.
RELIGION IN INDIA
• Two of the world’s great religions,
Hinduism and Buddhism, began in
India.
Hinduism
• Hinduism formed as a mix
of Aryan and Dravidian
beliefs.
• Hinduism has three chief
gods
– Brahma the Creator
– Vishnu the Preserver
– Shiva the Destroyer
Beliefs of Hinduism
• Hindus believe in re-incarnation, the
idea that a person’s soul will be reborn.
• Hindus practice Yoga, training to
become one with god.
Buddhism
• In the sixth century B.C.,
Buddhism appeared in
Northern India and
became a rival of
Hinduism
• Buddhism was founded
by Siddhartha Gautama,
known as the Buddha or
the “Enlightened One.”
Beliefs of Buddhism
• Siddhartha believed that human
suffering was caused by an attachment
to material goods, and that cure was to
let go of those material goods.
• Siddhartha taught that all humans
could reach nirvana (the ultimate
reality) as a result of their behavior in
life on earth.
Geography of China
• China has two major rivers:
-The Yellow River (or Huang He) in the north.
- The Yangtze River (or Chang Jiang) in the
south.
•Much of the rest of China
is deserts and mountains.
Only 10% of China is good
for farming.
•The mountains and deserts
kept China isolated.
The Shang Dynasty
• From about 1750 B.C. to 1045 B.C. The land
between the Yellow and Yangtze Rivers was
controlled by the Shang Dynasty.
• The Shang Dynasty was farming society ruled
by an aristocracy . An Aristocracy is an upper
class whose wealth is based on land whose
power is passed from generation to generation.
• The Shang King ruled from the capital of
Anyang
The Shang Dynasty pt. 2
• China was divided into many territories
that the Shang King picked warlords to
run. The King could chose those
warlords and also remove them.
• The King was also in responsible for
defending China and was in control of
large armies.
The Zhou Dynasty
• In 1450 the leader of the state of Zhou lead a
revolt against the Shang King and established a
new dynasty that lasted almost 800 years.
• The Zhou Dynasty continued the system of
dividing the kingdom into territories, but it
claimed that it possessed a Mandate of
Heaven.
•The Mandate of Heaven meant that the laws of
nature kept order through the Zhou King.
The Zhou Dynasty pt. 2
• Because of the Mandate of Heaven the
king was expected to rule the proper way,
called the Dao.
• The Zhou Dynasty was also known for
accomplishments like large-scale irrigation
used for crops such as rice.
• The Zhou Dynasty also
Chinese written language.
established
Written Language in China
• Chinese Language makes use of
Pictographs which are picture symbols.
The Character for Sun is
The Character for Trees is
The Character for East is the sun
coming up behind the trees.
The Qin Dynasty
• Eventually, just like the Shang Dynasty
before it, the Zhou Dynasty became weak,
and a civil war broke out between the many
states.
• The State of Qin took control and started
a new dynasty in 221 B.C.
•The Qin Dynasty is best remembered for
the Great Wall of China.
CHINESE PHILOSOPY
• Between 500 B.C. and 200 B.C. Three
major philosophies developed in Chinas.
• A Philosophy is an organized schools of
thought.
• Unlike
India’s
Religions,
China’s
Philosophies were concerned with
creating a stable society.
CHINESE PHILOSOPIES
• The
Three
Major
Philosophies are:
– Confucianism
– Daoism
– Legalism
Chinese