Ancient Egypt
•
Centered along the Nile River and its
tributaries
•
Nile River is 4,000 miles long flowing from
Khartoum to the Mediterranean
•
Flood cycle of the Nile helped shape ancient
Egyptian life
•
Protected by location
•
Originally divided into two kingdoms
– Upper
Egypt – river valley
– Lower
Egypt – river delta
•
Menes unified Upper and Lower Egypt in appx.
3000 BCE, establishing the first Egyptian Dynasty
•
Capital located at Memphis
•
King or Pharaoh was considered divine
•
Entire society was organized under the Pharaoh –
trade, labor, religion…
•
Old Kingdom (2700-2200 BCE)
•
Adopted the pictograph form from the
Mesopotamians
– Hieroglyphics
•
Had intricate religious and afterlife detail
•
Instituted magnificent burial practices to
evidence the power of the Pharaoh
Indus Valley Civilization
Dravidians (native people)
Dravidians (native people)
•
2500-1500 BCE
•
Settled Indus River valley
– Pakistan/Western
India
•
3-season climate gave plentiful food
•
Archeological digging complicated by ground
water
•
Language can not be deciphered
•
Most writing on small “seals” (not animals)
•
Cities were well planned
– City
laid out in grid
– City
probably housed over 100,000 people
– Many
smaller towns also in the area
– Oven-baked
bricks (versus sun-dried of Mesopotamia)
– Sewer
systems
– Great
baths
– Unfortified
•
Religion was polytheistic
•
Civilization declined over many years
– Isolation
problem
ANCIENT CHINA
•
Great Wall
•
Began 2000 B.C.E.
•
Mandate of Heaven
•
Dynasties
•
Silk
•
astronomy
As in Egypt, Mesopotamia, and along the Indus River, Chinese
civilization began within a major river valley. Modern China itself is a huge
geographical expanse. Around 4000 BCE, this huge area contained an almost
infinite number of ethnic groups and languages. This history, in which a vast
area populated by diverse ethnic groups became, over time, a more or less
single culture, began in the Yellow River Valley.
Yellow River Civilization
•
Ancient China was formed around the Yellow
River.
•
The color yellow symbolized “centrality”, as in
China is the center of the world.
Chinese accomplishments
•
During the Zhou and Shang periods, the
Chinese made remarkable achievements in astronomy and bronzework, learned to
make silk and create books, and developed a complex system of writing
Chinese invented silk
•
Silk was exotic and expensive, so it was good
for trading with the rest of the world.
•
It is made from silk worms.
•
Silk also makes “paper”
- A new ruler unites China and founds a new dynasty.
- China, under the new dynasty, achieves prosperity and a new golden age.
- The royal family of the dynasty begins to decay, corruption becomes rampant in the imperial court, and the empire begins to enter decline and instability.
- The dynasty loses the Mandate of Heaven, their legitimacy to rule, and is overthrown by a rebellion. The Mandate of Heaven is then passed to the next dynasty
Neolithic “China”
•
Chinese” civilization developed around two main
rivers: the Yellow (Huang He) and Yangtze.
•
Around 7000 B.C.E.
•
Cultivation of agriculture led to the
development of urban areas.
•
Yangshao and Longshan cultures.
•
Development of dynasties.
Early Dynasties
•
Xia Dynasty (c. 2070 – c. 1600 B.C.E.)
– Not
much known, mostly legend verified by some archaeological findings.
– Records
of the Grand Historian (109 – 91 B.C.E.) by Sima Qian.
– Early
writing found on bones and shells.
•
Shang Dynasty (1600 – 1046 B.C.E.)
– Chinese
culture as we discussed earlier begins to develop during this period.
– History
pieced together from oracle bones.
– What
is an oracle bone?
Politics and Society of Shang
•
Primarily agricultural society ruled by a king
and aristocratic class.
•
King (王; wang) was an intermediary
between “heaven” and earth.
– Religious
system revolved around gods in early Shang period.
– Human
sacrifice evolves into ancestor veneration by end of Shang Dynasty.
– Emergence
of idea of Mandate of Heaven (天命)
•
Differentiation of classes: aristocrats,
peasants, and slaves.
•
Writing system disseminates throughout East
Asia.
Last Shang King
•
King Di Xin (aka Zhou Wang; 紂王).
•
Added territory to Shang empire.
•
According to Sima Qian, he was given to
drinking, women, festive orgies, and “songs with crude lyrics.”
•
Ignored affairs of state.
Fall of Shang Dynasty, 1046 B.C.E
Zhou Dynasty
•
Zhou Dynasty (1045 – 256 B.C.E.), named after
the Zhou province, emerged in western Yellow River as a principality of the
Shang Dynasty.
•
Founded by Ji Chang, son Ji Fa (aka King Wu)
first Zhou emperor; claimed Mandate of Heaven.
•
Battle of Muye (1046 B.C.E.), Zhou army attacks
Shang capital; Di Xin sets his own palace on fire and is burned alive.
•
Dynasty divided into Western Zhou and Eastern
Zhou dynasties.
Zhou Politics
•
Zhou Dynasty becomes “feudal”: Fengjian
system.
– Decentralized
rule, emperor appoints lords and vassals as territorial governors.
– Eventually
results in instability.
•
Mandate of Heaven elaborated on.
– Not
only justifies rule, but also overthrow.
– “He
who wins is the king; he who loses is the rebel.”
– Permanent
rule of statecraft.
Zhou Economy
•
Feudal economy and land divisions: “well field
system” from Chinese character for well, jing (井); slavery decreased.
•
Development of an artisinal and merchant class
in the walled towns and villages.
•
Improvements in agriculture = improved crop
yields = rise in population.
•
Silk trade begins with ancient Mediterranean and
Middle East cultures.
•
Barter system transitions into money system.
Confucianism
•
How did Confucius (Kung Fuci) explain Dao?
•
First, duty to family and community.
•
Second, “human-heartedness” compassion or
empathy for others.
•
Third, deemphasize gods, death, and the
afterlife.
Daoism
•
Founded by Laozi (4th c. B.C.E.),
contemporary of Confucius.
•
Similar to Confucianism, except:
– Inaction
over action.
– Let
nature take its course.
– Stress
on deities and spirits.
