Download Chapter 2 World History notes

Chapter 2 World History notes
Early Societies in Southwest Asia and the Indo-European Migrations
I.
The Quest for Order
A. Mesopotamia the Land Between the Rivers
1. Sumer- Artificial irrigation led to increased food supplies, which
in turn supported a rapidly increasing human population and
attracted migrants from other regions. By about 5,000 B.C.E. the
Sumerians were constructing elaborate irrigation networks that
helped them realize abundant agricultural harvests.
2. Semitic Migrants- Were nomadic herders who went to
Mesopotamia from the Arabian and Syrian deserts to the south
and west. Semitic migrants often intermarried with the
Sumerians, and they largely adapted to Sumerian ways.
3. Sumerian City States
1. From 3200to 2350 B.C.E
2. Eridu, Ur, Uruk, Lagosh, Nippur, Kish
3. Organized projects from government
a. Jobs for people without work
4. Irrigation systems
4. Sumerian kings- the earliest Sumerian governments were
assemblies of men who made decisions for the whole
community. During crises assemblies yielded their power to
individuals who had full authority. By 3000 B.C.E. all Sumerian
cities had kings who claimed absolute authority.
B. The Course of Empire
1. Sargon of Akkad
a. creator of the empire in Mesopotamia
b. talented administrator and excellent warrior
c. organized a coup against the king, recruited an army, and
conquered Sumerian city-states one by one.
d. was resented among conquered cities for cruel treatment
e. controlled trade routes and supplies of natural resources
f. at high point of reign, controlled all of Mesopotamia
2. Hammurabi and the Babylonian Empirea. fair ruler
b. capital was Babylon
c. had a regular tax system that spread the cost of
government across the land
3. Hammurabi’s Lawsa. King Hammurabi’s laws were the most extensive
and thorough laws of ancient times.
b. lex talionis-Latin for “law of retaliation”
c. set high standards for the people of Babylon and
criminals were punished severely.
d. Social standing also affected the amount of
punishment
C. The Later-Mesopotamian Empire
1. The Assyrian Empire- After 1300 B.C.E Assyrians extended
power to southwest Asia; made use of iron weapons to
strengthen armies; followed laws set by Hammurabi
2. Nebuchadnezzar and the New Babylonian Empire- Babylon
dominated Mesopotamia during new Babylonian Empire;
Nebuchadnezzar lavished wealth on capital city; thick walls
around cities to protect from invasions
II.
The Formation of a Complex Society and Sophisticated Cultural Traditions
A. Economic Specialization and Trade
1. Bronze Metallurgy- Mesopotamian metal workers discovered
that mixing copper and tin made much stronger and harder
implements. Bronze had a huge impact on military affairs and
agriculture.
2. Iron Metallurgy- Around 1000 B.C.E. Mesopotamian metal
workers discovered that they could use iron to make strong,
effective weapons. The iron in the weapons was cheaper to buy
than the copper and tin it took to make bronze.
3. The Wheel- The first use of wheels probably took place about
3500 B.C.E. They allowed people to haul heavy loads over long
distances. They became the standard means of transportation.
4. Shipbuilding- Allowed trade with people from the Indus River.
They shipped wooden textiles, leather goods, sesame oil, and
jewelry to India.
5. Trade Networks- Assyrian merchants traveled regularly by
donkey caravan some 1,000 miles from home. Assyrians traded
with Assur in Northern Mesopotamia to Kanesh ( modern
Kultepe) in Anatolia.
B. The Emergence of a Stratified Patriarchal Society
1. Social Classes
* became distinct after agriculture allowed humans to become
wealthy.
1. Ruling classes
~ kings- first started to be elected then became hereditary.
~ Nobles-members of royal family and close supporters of
the king.
2. Priests and priestesses
~ intervene with the gods to ensure good fortune.
3. Free commoners
~ Land owned by family
~ Farmers, builders, craftsmen, physicians/ engineer
~ Paid taxes
4. Dependent clients
~ possessed no property
~ worked in fields owned by others
~ Paid taxes
5. Slaves
~ Prisoners of war, convicted criminals, heavily indebted
individuals
~ can be freed or earn money to buy their freedom
2. Temple Communities
a. generated income for vast tracts of land that they
owned and large workshops that they maintained
b. one community near city of Lagash employed 6000
textile workers between 2150 & 2100 B.C.E.
c. others cultivated grains, herded sheep and goats,
and manufactured leather, wood, metal, and stone
goods.
d. Functioned as banks where people could store
wealth.
3. Slaves –
A. - There were three types of slaves; convicted criminals,
prisoners of war, and heavily indebt individuals.
B. – Slaves would do jobs such as agricultural related jobs,
building temples and other objects, and being servants for
wealthy people.
C.- Masters would free slave after several years of hard
work. There would be a financial gift to go along with there
freedom.
4. Patriarchal Society-Men of the household controlled public and
private affairs. Men dominated public life. They decided what
work family members would do and arranged marriages.
Hammurabi’s code recognized men a superior to women and
children.
5. Women’s Roles
A.-Advised kings and their governments
B.- Wielded power as priestesses
C.-Managed huge estates belonging to their temples
D.- Obtained an education and worked as scribes
E-Had careers as midwives, bakers, brewers, etc.
F.- Men tightened control over women, and forbade married
women from socializing with men outside of their families.
G.- Around 1500 B.C.E women started wearing veils out side of
their houses
C. The Development of Written Cultural Traditions
III.
1. Cunieform writing-Earliest form of writing in Mesopotamia.
Sumerians invented a writing system for record keeping. They
first experimented with simple pictographs, and later developed a
more flexible writing system.
2. Education-Mesopotamians established formal schools. People
who learned to read and write became scribes or government
officials. Mesopotamians relied on writing to communicate ideas.
3. Astronomy and Mathematics- accurate calendars; scientist
divided the year into 12 months, and divided days into hours,
minutes, and seconds
4. The Epic of Gilgamesh – centered around a heroic figure;
explored themes of friendship, relationships between gods and
humans, and the meaning of life and death
The Broader Influence of Mesopotamian Society
A. Hebrews, Israelites, and Jews
1. The Early Hebrews- Hebrews settled in Palestine after 1200
B.C.E. Jews descended from Israelites who inhabited the
kingdom of Judah.
2. Migrations and Settlement in Palestine- Hebrews migrated
from Egypt to Palestine. They formed the twelve tribes of
Israel
3. Moses and Monotheism
-Moses taught all to embrace monotheism, the worship of one
god.
-Yahweh, the all-powerful, all-knowing God, creator of the
world.
-Announced Ten Commandments to Israelites.
-Included religious and ethical principles from Yahweh.
4. Assyrian and Babylonian Conquests
~ followed King Solomon
~in 722 B.C.E. the Assyrian conquered the north kingdom
~Babylonian conquered Judah
~Destroyed Jerusalem in 587 B.C.E.
B. The Phoenicians
1. The Early Phoeniciansa. migrated to the Mediterranean coast in 3000 BCE
b. independent city states ruled by local kings
c. city states: Tyre, Sidon, Beirut, Byblos
2. Phoenician Trade Networks
a. maritime trade and communications networks
influenced societies
b. traded cedar, furnishings, metals, textiles, pottery,
glass, art, and dyed fabrics
3. Alphabetic Writing
a. Phoenicians used cuneiform writing to keep record
b. Spread through trade
c. Modified by Greeks and other groups
d. First form of writing
IV.
The Indo-European Migrations
A. Indo-European Origins
1. Indo-European Languages – Spoke many ancient languages.
As the Indo-Europeans migrated, their languages slowly evolved
and eventually became many completely different languages.
2. The Indo-European Homeland – The original homeland of the
Indo-Europeans was the steppes of the Ukraine and southern
Russia. They built their society there by herding cattle, sheep,
and goats.
3. Horses- first used as a source of food, horses were domesticated
around 4000 b.c.e . used for military and traveling. Horses are
just plain awesome!
B. Indo-European Expansion and Its Effects
1. The Nature of Indo-European Migrations- was not a mass
migration but made in small increments over time. Population
explosion caused them to move.
2. The Hitittes- most influential of the Indo-Europeans, ruled
Anatolia. Their language was still used during the era of
Assyrian Empire
3. War Chariots- Hittites invented at about 2000 B.C.E. much
lighter than old chariots and helped them establish a campaign in
Anatolia.
4. Iron Metallurgy- Around 1300 B.C.E. Hittite ironworkers
discovered that if iron was heated then hammered then it could
be turned into strong weapons and tools. The past way of
making cast iron made the tools and weapons to brittle. The
knowledge diffused to the rest of the world around 1200 B.C.E.
when the Hittite empire fell.
5. Indo-European Migrations to the East
1. Central Asia
a. As far as Tarim Basin
6. Indo-European Migrations to the West
A. 2300 BCE – 1000 BCE
-Indo-European speakers migrate into Greece, Italy, and
France.
-Migrants depend on agricultural economy.
-Social classes include: Military, priests, and commoners.
7. Indo-European Migrations to the South
A.- About 1500 B.C.E. Medes and Persians
migrated to the Iranian plateaus.
B.- Medes, Persians, and Assyrians were herders of
animals, who cultivates grain, and divided into
social classes.
C.- They built strong military systems on horse
based armies and later be know for there weapons
made of iron
8. Hebrews, Israelites, and Jews
A. preserved historical experiences
B. spoke Hebrew
C. were pastorial nomads
D. believed in the Old Testament
E. used the law of retaliation
F. told stories about a great flood