Persian Charts
Mesopotamia 3000 BCE
Sumerian: 3000- 2350 BCE
Akkadian: 2350-2230 BCE
Sumerian: 2112- 2004 BCE
Semitic; Babylonian: 1900-1600 BCE
Kassite: 1500- 1150 BCE
Political
-
Centralized Government
Comprised of many city states (early Mesopotamia)
Land was constantly at war and dominated by different groups
Hammurabi’s code
Economic
-
Wheel
Lots of trade
Iron
Religious
-
At mercy of gods; gods controlled nature
Built ziggurat in every town
Polytheistic
Social
-
-
Three classes: Free landowning class; class of dependent (legally attached to land); slaves
Women lost social standing & freedom
o Bearing & caring for children became primary occupation for women
o No political role; were able to own property, maintain control of their dowry, and trade.
Monogamous – one spouse at a time
Intellectual & Arts
-
Cuneiform
12 month calendar
Base 60
Near
-
Fertile crescent
1
Persian Charts
-
Dev. Into Persian Empire
Egypt 3000 BCE – 1070 BCE
Early Dynastic: 3100-2600 BCE
Old Kingdom: 2600 – 2150 BCE
Middle Kingdom: 2150- 2040 BCE
New Kingdom: 1532- 1070 BCE
Political
-
Pharoah; priests; nobles; merchants & skilled artisans & physicians; peasants; slaves
Pharaoh owned whole kingdom
Economic
-
Timber & stone; gold & spices
Religious
-
Polytheistic
Afterlife
Social
-
First female ruler
Women relatively high status
o could buy & sell property, & will their property & dissolve marriages
o still subservient to men
Intellectual & Arts
-
Hieroglyphics
Astronomy
Medicine (learned a lot about body)
Lunar calendar
Near
-
Nile River
2
Persian Charts
Shang 1600-1100 BC
Political
-
Powerful military
Built walls around towns
Economic
-
Bronze
Spoked wheel
Experts of pottery & silk
Religious
-
Thought they were at center of world
Believed they were superior to others
Believed ancestors could help please gods
Believed gods controlled all aspects of life
Social
-
Patriarchy
Gave extended family significance
Intellectual & Arts
-
Chariots
Decimal system
Highly accurate lunar calandar
Near
-
limited contact, though it did trade
Olmec 1400-1200 BCE
Political
-
Kinship + religious & secular roles
Economic
-
Supported by corn, beans & squash
3
Persian Charts
-
Irrigation
Minerals: obsidian, quartz & jade
Religious
-
Polytheistic
Large scale buildings
Stone heads
Jaguars
Social
-
Religious & political elites found ways to organize people to dig irrigation, develop raised fields,
and contruct buildings
Intellectual & Arts
-
Developed system of writing & calendar
Contructed large – scale buildings
Ritual ball game
Stone head
Jade carvings
Near
-
Mexico
No River
Chavin 900-300 BCE
Political
-
Military force regulated trade
Enormous amount of cultural diffusion
Imposed on neighbors by political integration
Economic
-
Near coast; seafood
Metal tools & weapons
Use of llamas
Coastal eco. Linked with quinoa (grain), potatoes, & llamas
Religious
4
Persian Charts
-
Polytheistic
Religious buildings built on multistory platform
Jaguar man
Social
-
Class distinction
o Priests direct religion
o Local chiefs + more powerful king ruled
o People distinguished from each other by what they wore
o Skilled artisans
Intellectual & Arts
-
Large complex of multilevel platform
Most buildings decorated with carvings
Metallurgy
Gold + gold alloy
textiles
Near
-
Urban civilization
Andes
No river
Zhou 1100 BCE – 200 BCE
-
Maintained many of the Shang traditions
Political
Economic
Religious
-
Mandate of Heaven: Zhou rulers would remain in power as long as it could keep blessing of
heaven
Social
-
Feudal system
King was controlling whole empire, nobles were given power over smaller regions
5
Persian Charts
-
Nobles given protection as long as they were loyal
Worked for a period of time, but then rich nobles split apart from kingdom
Intellectual & Arts
Near
Qin 221-209 BCE
Political
-
Powerful army with iron weapons
Conquered surrounding territories
Unified region under single emperor
Great Wall of China
Centralized & territorial
Totalitarian structures
Standardization
Economic
-
Agriculture
Standardized laws, currencies, weights, measures & writing
Religious
-
Ancestors were important part of culture
Loyalty, obedience, respect, honor
Believed in gods
Social
-
Very organized
No disagreement was tolerated
Patriarchal
Legalism
Harsh life on peasants
o Revolt after Shihuangdi died
Intellectual & Arts
-
6
Persian Charts
Near
-
Yangzi River Valley + northern plain
Han
Political
-
Those involved in gov. were highly capable
o Given a test
Weaken rural aristocrats
Economic
-
Silk Road
Bronze
Crossbow
Quick transport
roads
Religious
-
Diffusion of Buddhism
Confucius & his teaching
Social
-
About the same as Qin
Intellectual & Arts
-
Invented paper
Sundials
Broadened use of metals
Near
-
Yangzi River Valley
Rome
Political
Economic
7
Persian Charts
Religious
Social
Intellectual & Arts
Near
Indus Valley (2500-1500 BC)
Political
Economic
-
Potter’s wheels
Cotton & cloth (to Mes.)
Religious
-
polytheistic
Social
-
large cities (up to 100,000 people)
Intellectual & Arts
-
Cities were master-planned, uniformly constructed & had sophisticated sewage system
Near
-
Contact with outside was more limited
Mauryan 321- 180 BCE
Political
8
Persian Charts
-
Chandragupta Maurya & Ashoka Maurya
Arthashastra: how to rule
Large army
Punished those deserving of it without hesitation
Economic
-
Silk, cotton & elephants to Mes. & Rome
25% tax
Had coins
Religious
-
Hinduism  Buddhism (Ashoka)
Social
Intellectual & Arts
-
Rock & Pillar Edicts
Near
Gupta 320 - 550
Political
-
More decentralized
Smaller Empire
Chandra Gupta saved Empire
Golden age 415-550; very peaceful
Economic
-
25% tax on agriculture
Religious
-
Hinduism
Caste system
Social
9
Persian Charts
-
Rigid Caste System
o Decline of Women status during this time
 Could not own property anymore
 Could not study
 Could not participate in rituals
 Treated like shudra class
 Was expected to always obey males
 Escaped this harsh control by moving to Buddhist or Jainist society
 Child marriage
Intellectual & Arts
-
Pi & zero
Decimal system
(Arabic numerals)
Near
-
North India
Greece
Political
-
Many city states
Athens: monarchy  aristocracy  Democracy
Delian league & Peloponnesian League
Powerful military
Economic
-
Coastal position aided trade
Sea trade
Money system
Land was tight
Religious
-
Polytheistic
Many myths
Social
-
Citizens; free people (no political rights); noncitizens
Male Dominance
Intellectual & Arts
10
Persian Charts
-
Much advancement in philosophy
Drama
Near
-
Mediterranean Sea
Not too many raw resources
11