River Civilizations
Questions that need to be answered.
(essential questions)
Why would people move around rivers?
 What did they consider technology?
 Why do some civilizations fail?
 What would have happened if the Chinese
didn’t invent things?
 What made religion spread?
 Why did people shape their lives around
religion?

geography
the study of the earth and its inhabitants
 physical geography had a major impact on
the world’s early settlements

prehistory
time period before writing
 important developments that led to the
forming of small villages:

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agriculture
domestication of animals
civilization

a complex culture with
five characteristics:
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advanced cities
advanced technology
complex institutions
 government
 organized
religion
 education

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record keeping
specialized workers
Mesopotamia
land near the Tigris
and Euphrates
Rivers (mostly
modern-day Iraq)
 includes the land of
Sumer

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site of the world’s
1st civilization
invented writing
(cuneiform)
empire

a political unit in which a number of
different peoples or nations are controlled
by a single nation
Hammurabi (c. 1810 - c. 1750 BC)
king of Babylon
(Mesopotamian
city)
 developed one
of the world’s
first law codes
 Eye for an eye

Phoenicia (1500-500 BC)
located along the
Mediterranean
coast (modern-day
Lebanon)
 expert sailors
 developed a large
trading network
 developed the
alphabet

Egypt

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civilization that
developed along the
Nile River in North
Africa
Used symbols to
write- Hieroglyphics
ruler was a god-king
called a pharaoh
some early pharaohs
were buried in giant
pyramids
Egyptian civilization
lasted about 3000
Indus River Valley (India)
India’s 1st civilization developed along the
Indus and Ganges Rivers
 Has grown to over 1 billion people

China
China’s 1st
civilization
developed along
the Huang
(Yellow) River
 Chinese
government
became
dominated by
dynasties
 Has grown to over
1 billion people

dynasty

a series of rulers from a single family
Qin Dynasty

unified Chinese culture

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currency
roads
measurement
language
The people weren't treated well

overtaxed
Han Dynasty
China’s longest
dynasty
 created a highly
structured society

Han Dynasty
Also gave us:
 Iron technology
 The Plow
 Wheelbarrow
 Seismograph
 Compass
 ships rudder
 Hot air balloon
 Embroidery
 and the…
Silk Road


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ancient interconnected trade routes across and
around Asia
trade along the Silk Road was a major factor in
the development of most of the great ancient
civilizations of Asia, Africa, and Europe
Cultural diffusion-sharing between cultures
World Religions
Monotheism
belief in one god
Most religions today believe this way
Polytheism
belief in many gods
Hinduism
 India’s
major religion
 no known founder
 main beliefs:
polytheism- many gods
 caste system - hereditary
social system
 karma - action and reaction
 reincarnation - literally "to
be made flesh again"

Vedas
 Hinduism’s oldest holy
texts
Siddhartha Gautama - Buddha

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Indian born in warrior caste
attained enlightenment & given the title of
Buddha
founder of Buddhism
religion that broke away from Hinduism
main beliefs:

polytheism- many gods
reincarnation- come back as something else
living
the Four Noble Truths - how to obtain
happiness and enlightenment
Eightfold Path - instrument of discovery

Middle Way - practice of non-extremism

nirvana - state of perfect peace

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Sutras
 holy texts in Buddhism
Confucius (Confucianism)


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Chinese philosopher
ethical system based on the
teachings of Confucius
main beliefs:
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social and civic responsibility
Five Relationships
Analects
 text that contains the words
and acts of Confucius

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religion of the Jews
founded by Abraham
main beliefs:
 monotheism (world’s 1st)

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Jews are God’s chosen people
Ten Commandments

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a list of religious and moral
guidelines
foundation of Judaism, Christianity,
and Islam
Abraham
 Middle Eastern prophet
 founder of Judaism
Jerusalem
 Judaism’s, Christianity, and Islam’s
holy city
Torah

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Judaism’s holy book
written by Moses
Judaism
Christianity

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Jesus- founder of Christianity
executed by the Jewish leadership for
creating the split between Christianity
and Judaism
religion that broke away from Judaism
main beliefs:
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Ten Commandments
monotheism
Jesus is the son of God
resurrection of the dead
Bible
 Christianity’s holy book
 made up of 2 parts:


Old Testament (Jewish text)
New Testament (lives and teachings of
Jesus and his followers)
Church of the Holy Sepulcher
Jerusalem
Paul
Jew who converted to Christianity
 Roman citizen
 brought Christianity to Europe through
missionary travels ( missionary)

Muhammad (Islam)

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Arab warrior and prophet
founder of Islam
religion that began in
modern-day Saudi Arabia
followers of Islam are called
Muslims
main beliefs:
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monotheism- one god
Muhammad is God’s greatest
and last prophet
believe that Jesus was a
prophet, not as the son of
God)
Five Pillars
Qur’an
 Islam’s holy book
 contains the teachings of
Muhammad
Mecca
 Muhammad’s birthplace
 Islam’s holiest city
 Ka’bah- temple of Abraham
Big Ideas
The environment caused the early
civilizations to settle around rivers.
 The Chinese were inventive and were
responsible for major technological
advancements that influenced civilizations
other than their own.
 Each world religion had specific
foundations and affected different areas of
the world.
