Differences between Classical
and Preceding Era
• Shift in geographical location
• Larger territories and political
structures
• Increasingly sophisticated religions
and philosophies
• Expansion of scientific knowledge
• Absorption / integration of diverse
populations
Integration caused the growth of empires, trade, and
the creation of cultural systems to bind the different
peoples together (state ideology)
Expansion resulted from and in population growth.
Farmers migrated to new lands, trade centers grew
in far-off colonies, and the military established
settlements
Each classical civilization was a separate entity
though there was trade between them. What
occurred within each civilization makes this period
what it is, not the interaction between them
Classical China
• The Zhou Dynasty (pre-classical)
• The Qin Dynasty
• The Han Dynasty
Zhou Dynasty
• 1029 – 258 BCE
• Geographical shift to Middle
Kingdom
• Weak feudal government – ruled
through alliances and nobility
• Legitimacy of rule through Mandate
of Heaven
• Emperors – Sons of Heaven
Zhou Dynasty
• Unified population through use of
language (Mandarin Chinese)
• Technologically advanced
Compass
Kite
Mould board plow
Planting in rows versus broadcast
Zhou Dynasty
• Era of the Warring States
 Failure of Zhou feudalism
 Last half of the Zhou Dynasty
 Emperor – figurehead
 Ultimate power gained by Qin
By tradition, society was believed to be
comprised of five classes, ranked in order of
their value to the state:
Scholars- knowledge was revered
Farmers- they produced what was necessary
for life
Artisans- they produced what was useful but not
necessary
Merchants- they did not produce anything
themselves
Soldiers, beggars, thieves, and bandits- they
destroyed or stole what was produced by others.
The lowest class contained the “mean” people,
who had no skills, and slaves.
This class system was more idealistic than realistic
and was not uniformly respected. During the era of
the warring states, competition was fierce and the
best and brightest were drawn from all social
levels.
Confucius, a poor member
of the lesser aristocracy,
wandered from state to state
attempting to find a lord that
would allow him to try out
his ideas on reforming
society. He failed in his
mission.
He made his real
contribution as a teacher.
His conversations with his
disciples were recorded in
The Analects.
Confucianism was profoundly influenced by the
chaos wrought by the Era of the Warring States.
Confucianism stressed personal virtue, respect
for the social hierarchy (the five relationships),
duty, obedience, and ethics.
Confucianism became the predominate
philosophy of China and areas it influenced.
Daoism was a more spiritual philosophy that
emphasized harmony and the mystery of nature.
Established around the same time as
Confucianism, it ensured China would not be
unified by religion.
Daoism was allowed to flourish for it posed no
threat to the state. Formal rituals made the religion
appealing.
Daoism argued against political participation.
A third philosophy sprang up around the time of
Confucianism and Daoism- Legalism.
Legalists believed man was evil by nature and
had to be restrained by force and constantly
disciplined.
Legalism was used by Chinese rulers to justify
harsh treatment of the people.
It was not a popular philosophy but did
influence Chinese development.
Qin Dynasty
• Dynasty established and ruled by Qin
shi Huangdi
• Attempted expansion through
conquest
• Adopted Legalism as state ideology
– persecuted intellectuals
• Began construction of the Great Wall
Qin Dynasty
• Adopted national
census to determine
taxes and labor
service
• Standardized weights,
measures, and coins
• Adopted a single
uniform writing
system
• Promoted the
manufacture of silk
Qin “knife” money
Han Dynasty
• 201 BCE to 220 CE
• Retained Qin centralized government
Expanded and solidified role of
bureaucracy
Established civil service exam
Based civil service on ideals of
Confucianism
Began development of scholar-gentry
class
Han Dynasty
• Expanded trade on Silk Road – trade
contacts with India and Rome
• Expanded into Korea, Southeast
Asia, and Central Asia
• Great peace and prosperity under
rule of Wu Ti
Decline of Han Dynasty
• Dynasty based on small independent
farmer – changed over time to
domination by large landowners
• Constant threats by northern tribes
• Increasing burdens on poor caused
revolts
• Cost of maintaining border security
• Increased government corruption
Comparison of Han China and
Rome
• See The Earth and Its Peoples
• Pages 168 – 170 “Imperial Parallels”
Formation of Classical India
•
•
•
•
Vedic and Epic Ages
Migration of Aryans
Geographical shift to Ganges River
Emergence of the Caste System
dominated by the Aryans
• Syncretization of native Dravidian
and Aryan religions creates
Hinduism
Aryans shift to the
Ganges River
Most of Indian history
from the Vedic period
comes through oral
history that was
passed down and later
written in Sanskrit.
Shiva
The name Veda comes
from the Sanskrit
meaning “knowledge.”
The Vedas were a
collection of hymns
about the gods,
written by various
priests.
Krishna
Later, during the Epic Age,
great poems were written
that glorified Indian heroes.
The Ramayana and
Mahabharata are the most
famous of these. These
epics eventually took on a
religious significance and
became the “bible for lower
castes.
The Upanishads took epic
poetry to even more
mystical and religious
heights.
The Caste System
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Originally based on varna
Later based on occupation
Caste is hereditary
Inter-marriage forbidden
Thousands of sub-castes (Jati)
Movement in system by group only
Most content – system offers security
The caste system finally became a rigid social
hierarchy.
Level 1: The Brahmins (priests)
Level 2: The Kshatriyas (warriors/nobles)
Level 3: The Vaisyas (traders and farmers)
Level 4: The Sudras (common laborers)
Outcastes: This group evolved to include those that
worked at “unclean” occupations and are not
officially part of the caste system. They are also
known as the Untouchables, Dasa, and Dalits
The Aryans brought with them to India a wide range
of gods and goddesses. Eventually, their religion
mixed with that of the native population to produce
Hinduism
In fact, Hinduism was very flexible and changed as
the situation warranted
Hinduism was also tolerant of other religions and
several religions sprang from it including
Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism
Major Hindu principles include:
Brahma- the universal force or essence of which
everything is a part
Reincarnation- based on your deeds in life you
would be reborn at a higher or lower level until
you reached union with Brahma
Yoga- “union” of mind and spirit through
meditation
Dharma- divine law that required different actions
by different people
Karma- the force of a person’s actions that
determined their rebirth in the next life
Tensions within Hinduism
sometimes resulted in
rebellions
After the Epic Age, around 563
BC, an Indian prince,
Siddhartha Gautama, broke off
from Hinduism
Called Buddha (the enlightened
one), Gautama traveled and
spread his ideas
Basic principles of Buddhism:
Buddha emphasized the supreme divinity over
the many lesser gods
The ultimate goal was the destruction of self
and union with the divine essence called
Nirvana
Great stress was placed on self-control
He believed anyone could reach a holy life
despite caste
Chandragupta seized control of India along
the Ganges in 322 BC (Alexander the Great)
Established the Mauryan Dynasty
Chandragupta relied on the military to
remain in power much like leaders in
Mesopotamia
His grandson, Ashoka, became the greatest
ruler in Indian history (269- 232 BC)
The Mauryan Dynasty at
its height
Ashoka’s accomplishments::
He expanded control over most of India
Converted to Buddhism (emphasis on Dharma- the law
of moral consequences)
While honoring Hinduism, Ashoka facilitated the
spread of Buddhism throughout his realm.
He worked for the welfare of his people and built roads
with wells and rest stops.
After Ashoka’s death, the Mauryan dynasty declined
and finally fell to nomadic invaders called the Kushan
(from Turkestan)
The Kushan continued trade links with other
civilizations including the Roman Empire
The collapse of the Kushans around 220 AD initiated
a period of chaos that lasted until 320 AD and the
establishment of the Kingdom of the Guptas
Although no great rulers such as Ashoka emerged,
the Kingdom of the Guptas did have an impact
The Guptas used negotiations and intermarriage to
expand influence instead of war and their period
was one of peace and prosperity
The Guptas did not establish a large bureaucracy,
preferring to rule through local elites
This loose governmental structure did not promote
cultural unity- no single language emerged
The Guptas did establish a uniform code of
law but the government structure was not
elaborate and relied more on regionalism.
The caste system helped in this for it
maintained public order without the need
for government.
Trade with Rome drained Rome of specie
causing the emperor to ban the wearing of
silk.
Small colonies of Romans, Jews, Arabs,
and Christians were established in India.
Indians astronomers identified seven planets,
calculated the daily rotation of the earth on its axis,
developed a theory of gravity, and calculated the
length of the solar year
They invented inoculation against smallpox
They made advances in surgery and bone setting
The Indian number system is the one we use today.
They invented the concept of zero and the decimal
system
Indians developed the concept of negative
numbers, calculated square roots and a table
of sines, and computed the value of pi to a
greater degree of accuracy than the Greeks
Indian steel was better than any produced
elsewhere
The Indians were the first to produce cotton
cloth, calico, and cashmere
The Indians were lively
traders and traveled
extensively throughout
South and Southeast
Asia, China, the Middle
East, and the
Mediterranean.
The Indians did not seek
to dominate politically
but their influence was
felt in all facets of life.
Angkor Wat - Cambodia
Buddhism and Hinduism
spread to many areas as
did Indian art and
architecture.
1. How did Chinese emperors legitimize their
rule?
2. How did the Zhou unify their peoples?
3. What type of government did the Zhou have?
4. What was the Era of the Warring States?
5. What philosophy stressed a hierarchy of
relationships?
6. What was the lowest class in the Chinese
social system?
7. What Chinese philosophy argued that man
was evil by nature?
8. What dynasty succeeded the Zhou?
9. Who was its ruler?
10. How did he address the issue of China’s
perennially weak northern borders?
11. What was his state’s philosophy?
12. How did his government differ from that of
the Zhou?
13. How did Han China increase the efficieny of
its bureaucracy?
14. What philosophy was used a basis for the
bureaucracy?
15. What social class emerged out of the Han
bureaucracy?
16. What trade route greatly increased China’s
importance in long-distance trade?
17. During what two ages did the Aryan and
Dravidian cultures blend to create Hinduism and
the Caste System?
18. The Caste System was initially based on…
19. List the castes in their proper order from
highest to lowest
20. During the classical period, Indian
civilization shifted from the Indus to the…
21. Who founded Buddhism?
22. List two beliefs Buddhism and Hinduism
have in common
23. Of the three classical Indian civilizations,
which had the most centralized government?
24. Who was India’s greatest ruler?
25. In what Indian civilization did Buddhism
reach its zenith?
26. Describe the government of the Guptas
27. What caused the fall of the Guptas?
28. What was most responsible for the spread
of Indian culture throughout Southeast Asia?
29. One difference between classical
civilizations and river-valley civilizations
was that in classical civilizations
a. Most people farmed the land
b. Political organizations were more elaborate
c. Trade was introduced
d. Writing was developed
e. Religious beliefs were widely held
30. Confucian and Hindu values both
a. Focused attention on the afterlife
b. Helped justify and preserve social
inequality
c. Urged the importance of political activity
d. Tried to outlaw war
e. Resulted in the building of magnificent
temples