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Chapter Introduction
Section 1 Early Civilization in India
Section 2 New Empires in India
Section 3 Early Chinese Civilizations
Section 4 Rise and Fall of Chinese
Empires
Chapter Summary
Chapter Assessment
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Key Events
As you read, look for the key events in the
history of the early civilizations of India and
China. 
• Buddhism, Hinduism, Confucianism,
Daoism, and Legalism profoundly
affected the way of life of the early
Indians and Chinese. 
• The Silk Road provided a means for
prosperous trade. 
• The ruler of the Zhou overthrew the
Shang dynasty and established the
longest lasting dynasty in Chinese history.
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Key Events
As you read, look for the key events in the
history of the early civilizations of India and
China.
• The Great Wall of China was built to keep
out enemies.
The Impact Today
The events that occurred during this time
period still impact our lives today. 
• The well-organized government of the
Harappan culture provided a public water
supply, wastewater treatment, and trash
disposal similar to what many cities
provide today. 
• The difficulties the ancient Chinese
experienced in maintaining a strong
central government are similar to those
facing modern governments.
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The Impact Today
The events that occurred during this time
period still impact our lives today.
• The early Chinese created a written
language and made lasting technological
advances.
Chapter Objectives
After studying this chapter, you should
be able to: 
• explain how geography influenced the
development of civilizations in India and
China. 
• identify characteristics of these
civilizations. 
• explain political and social structures in
these countries. 
• describe the role of religion. 
• list the contributions of each civilization.
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Early Civilization in India
Main Ideas
• India’s earliest cities provided the foundation
for the Aryans. 
• The caste system was a set of rigid social
categories in Indian society. 
Key Terms
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
monsoon 
Sanskrit 
raja 
caste system 
caste 
Hinduism 
reincarnation 
•
•
•
•
•
•
karma 
dharma 
yoga 
Buddhism 
ascetic 
nirvana
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Early Civilization in India
People to Identify
• Aryans 
• Sudras 
• Brahmans 
• Untouchables 
• Kshatriyas 
• Siddhartha
Gautama 
• Vaisyas 
Places to Locate
• Indian subcontinent 
• Deccan 
• Himalaya 
• Persian Gulf 
• Ganges River 
• Hindu Kush
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Early Civilization in India
Preview Questions
• How did geographic factors impact the
civilization that arose in India? 
• What is a patriarchal family?
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Early Civilization in India
Preview of Events
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During the twentieth century there arose
a notion of an “Aryan race”–a Germanic
people who supposedly were responsible
for all the progress that mankind had
made. Anthropologists have repudiated
this notion. Nonetheless, it became the
basis of the Nazi policy of exterminating
“non-Aryans” during the 1930s and 1940s.
The Land of India
• The Indian subcontinent is located along
the southern edge of Asia. 
• Its diverse geography has a number of
core regions. 
• In the north are the highest mountains in
the world, the Himalaya. 
• Just south of the Himalaya is the rich
valley of the Ganges River, one of the
most important regions of Indian culture. 
• The relatively dry Indus River valley lies to
the west. It runs through modern-day
Pakistan.
(pages 71–72)
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The Land of India (cont.)
• The Deccan lies south of these two river
valleys. 
• It is a hilly and dry plateau extending from
the southern Ganges valley to the
southern end of India. 
• Lush plains, historically the most densely
populated regions in India, lie on the east
and west coasts.
(pages 71–72)
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The Land of India (cont.)
• The monsoons are the most important
feature of the Indian climate. 
• Monsoons are seasonal wind patterns. 
• The southwest monsoons bring the heavy
rain on which Indian farmers have
depended to grow their crops. 
• If the rains are too light or heavy, early or
late, crops are destroyed and thousands
of Indians likely starve.
(pages 71–72)
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The Land of India (cont.)
An area of America in the twentieth century
suffered a devastating drought, as portions
of India do if the monsoon rains are
insufficient. What was this drought, when
did it happen, and what were its effects?
The drought created the Dust Bowl in the
early 1930s, during the Great Depression.
The drought was principally in the Great
Plains. It ruined thousands of family farms
and caused many Americans to go west in
search of work.
(pages 71–72)
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India’s First Civilization
• Early civilization in India developed in the
Indus River valley. 
• A civilization flourished there from 3000 to
1500 B.C. 
• Archaeologists have found remains of
over a thousand settlements in this area. 
• Two sites have ruins of the major cities
Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro. 
• The advanced civilization that flourished
for hundreds of years in these cities is
called the Harappan or Indus civilization.
(pages 72–73)
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India’s First Civilization (cont.)
• Each of these cities had around 35,000
people and each was planned carefully. 
• The cities had a grid of streets and were
divided into walled neighborhoods. 
• Some houses were as high as three
stories. Buildings were constructed of
mud bricks. 
• Public wells supplied water, and
bathrooms used an advanced drainage
system. 
• A chute system took household trash to
public garbage bins.
(pages 72–73)
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India’s First Civilization (cont.)
• The careful structure of these cities
showed that this civilization had a wellorganized government. 
• Harappan rulers based their power on a
belief in divine assistance. 
• As in all ancient civilizations, religion and
political power were linked closely. 
• Priests probably performed rituals to a
fertility goddess to guarantee a good
annual harvest.
(pages 72–73)
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India’s First Civilization (cont.)
• The Harappan economy depended on
agriculture. The chief crops were wheat,
barley, and peas. 
• The Indus valley civilization traded
extensively with Mesopotamia. 
• They traded copper, lumber, and various
luxury goods for Sumerian textiles and
food. 
• Much of the trade was by ship through the
Persian Gulf, which lies between
present-day Saudi Arabia and Iran.
(pages 72–73)
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India’s First Civilization (cont.)
What elements of an advanced civilization
appeared in Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro?
Carefully planned streets, public wells,
advanced drainage and trash systems,
and extensive trade of imports and
exports were evidence of an advanced
civilization.
(pages 72–73)
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The Arrival of the Aryans
• Aryan invaders ended the civilization of
the Indus River valley by conquering the
Harappans. 
• The Aryans were a nomadic IndoEuropean people living in central Asia. 
• Around 1500 B.C. they moved south
across the Hindu Kush mountain range
into northern India.
(pages 74–75)
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The Arrival of the Aryans (cont.)
• The Aryans created a new Indian society. 
• Like other nomadic people, the Aryans
excelled at war. 
• By 1000 B.C. they had extended their
control throughout India. 
• In India these nomadic warriors gave up
the pastoral life for regular farming. 
• The introduction of iron helped make this
change, especially the introduction of the
iron plow, which could be used to clear
the dense jungle growth along the
Ganges.
(pages 74–75)
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The Arrival of the Aryans (cont.)
• Irrigation systems turned the area into
productive farmland. 
• Wheat, barley, and millet were grown in
the north. 
• Rice was grown in the fertile river valleys. 
• Vegetables, grains, cotton, and spices
such as cinnamon and pepper were grown
in the south.
(pages 74–75)
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The Arrival of the Aryans (cont.)
• As nomads, the Aryans had no written
language. 
• They developed their first written
language, Sanskrit, around 1000 B.C. 
• They wrote down the religious rituals,
legends, and chants that previously had
been passed down orally. 
• Early Aryan writings also reveal that
between 1500 B.C. and 400 B.C., Aryan
leaders known as rajas (princes)
dominated India. 
• Each carved out a small state and fought
other Aryan chieftains.
(pages 74–75)
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The Arrival of the Aryans (cont.)
The most ancient cultures passed on their culture
orally. After the invention of writing, people wrote
down their ideas, traditions, norms, and stories to
pass on to future generations. What are the
advantages and disadvantages of these two ways
of passing on cultural knowledge?
The advantages of one method tend to be the
disadvantages of the other. Possible advantages of
the oral are that people remember better what is
passed on, and this method tends to create more of
a sense of community. Possible advantages of the
written are that the knowledge is available to more
people, and it is not the possession of a class of
special interpreters.
(pages 74–75)
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Society in Ancient India
• The Aryan conquest had a lasting effect
on India. 
• The meeting of conquered and conqueror
created a set of social institutions and
class divisions that last to this day. 
• The caste system was one of the most
important Indian social creations. 
• It set up a rigid hierarchy of classes that
determines a person’s occupation,
economic potential, and social status. 
• In part it was based on skin color.
(pages 75–76)
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Society in Ancient India (cont.)
• There were five major classes, or castes. 
• The top two castes were the Aryan ruling
elites, the priests and warriors. 
• The highest were members of the priestly
class, or Brahmans. 
• The warriors were called Kshatriyas. 
• The third caste was made up of
commoners, who for the most part were
merchants. 
• Members of this caste were called the
Vaisyas.
(pages 75–76)
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Society in Ancient India (cont.)
• Below this were the Sudras, who made
up most of the Indian population. 
• They were the darker-skinned natives the
Aryans had conquered. 
• Most were peasants who did manual
labor, and their rights were limited.
(pages 75–76)
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Society in Ancient India (cont.)
• The Untouchables made up the lowest
rung of Indian society. 
• They performed jobs considered
degrading by Indian society, like collecting
trash and handling the dead. 
• They made up about 5 percent of ancient
India’s population.
(pages 75–76)
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Society in Ancient India (cont.)
• The life of an Untouchable was difficult. 
• They were not considered human, and
their presence was considered harmful.

• They lived in separate areas. 
• When they traveled, they had to tap sticks
together so others would know they were
coming and could avoid them.
(pages 75–76)
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Society in Ancient India (cont.)
• The family was the basic unit of ancient
Indian society. 
• The ideal was to have an extended family
of three generations under one roof. 
• The oldest male had legal authority over
the entire family, which made the family
unit patriarchal. 
• Generally, only males could inherit
property and were educated.
(pages 75–76)
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Society in Ancient India (cont.)
• Women could not be priests. 
• Divorce was forbidden, but men could
take a second wife if the first was not able
to bear children. 
• Children were important primarily
because they were to take care of their
aging and elderly parents. 
• Marriages were arranged. 
• Men married after 12 years of study. 
• Girls married young because they were
an economic drain on the family.
(pages 75–76)
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Society in Ancient India (cont.)
• Perhaps the strongest instance of male
domination in India was the ritual of
suttee. 
• In India the dead were burned on funeral
pyres. 
• Suttee required a wife to throw herself on
her dead husband’s funeral pyre and die
herself. 
• Those who refused were disgraced.
(pages 75–76)
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Society in Ancient India (cont.)
Many modern Westerners believe that
suttee was a barbaric custom. Yet at one
time suttee was important in Indian
culture. Do people have a right to judge
the cultural practices of a different
culture? Why or why not?
(pages 75–76)
Hinduism
• The religion of Hinduism is based on
Aryan religious beliefs. 
• We know about Aryan religious beliefs
from the Vedas, a collection of hymns
and ceremonies. 
• The Vedas make up the oldest Hindu
sacred text.
(page 77)
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Hinduism (cont.)
• Hinduism is the religion of most of the
Indian people. 
• Early Hindus believed in an ultimate
reality (God) called Brahman. 
• The individual self, or atman, had the duty
to come to know this ultimate reality. 
• Then the self would merge with Brahman
after death.
(page 77)
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Hinduism (cont.)
• The idea of reincarnation came into
Hinduism by the sixth century B.C. 
• Reincarnation is the idea that after death
the individual soul is reborn in a different
form. 
• After many existences the soul may unite
with Brahman, the goal of all individuals.
(page 77)
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Hinduism (cont.)
• Karma is an important part of this
process. 
• Karma refers to the idea that people’s
actions determine their form of rebirth and
the class into which they are reborn, if
reborn as a person. 
• The divine law, or dharma, rules karma. 
• This law requires all people to do their
duty. 
• Duties vary with one’s caste. The higher
the class, the higher the social duties and
expectations.
(page 77)
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Hinduism (cont.)
• The system of reincarnation provided a
religious basis for the caste system. 
• For example, the fewer privileges of the
lower classes were justified by saying
they were less deserving due to their
karma. 
• Reincarnation also gave hope to the lower
classes, however. 
• They had a way to move up in the caste
system.
(page 77)
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Hinduism (cont.)
• Yoga (“union”) was developed as a
practice to achieve oneness with God. 
• This union was a kind of dreamless sleep. 
• Hinduism has hundreds of deities. 
• The three chief ones are Brahma the
Creator, Vishnu the Preserver, and Siva
the Destroyer. 
• The many gods and goddesses give
ordinary Hindus a way to express their
everyday religious feelings.
(page 77)
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Hinduism (cont.)
• Through devotion at a temple, they seek
not only salvation but also a way of getting
the ordinary things of life.
(page 77)
Hinduism (cont.)
All societies have had a social hierarchy.
The Indian caste system is only one of
the most rigid. Why do human beings
have this need to structure society in
terms of higher and lower classes?
Possible answers: Human beings have
the need to structure society to create
social order, to exploit others, and to feel
valuable, if one is a member of a higher
class.
(page 77)
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Buddhism
• In the sixth century B.C., a new doctrine
called Buddhism appeared in northern
India and rivaled Hinduism. 
• Its founder was Siddhartha Gautama,
known as the Buddha (“Enlightened
One”). 
• Siddhartha lived a privileged, sheltered
life among great wealth. 
• Then he became aware of life’s
sufferings–death, disease, and old age. 
• He gave up his rich life to find the
meaning of life and the cure for human
suffering.
(pages 78–79)
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Buddhism (cont.)
• At first he was an ascetic and practiced
self-denial. 
• Abusing his body did not bring Siddhartha
enlightenment, however. 
• He entered a period of intense meditation
and one evening reached enlightenment. 
• He spent the rest of his life teaching what
he learned.
(pages 78–79)
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Buddhism (cont.)
• These teachings are the basis of
Buddhism. 
• The physical realm is illusion. 
• Desire’s attachments to the physical
cause suffering. 
• Giving up these attachments leads to
wisdom, or bodhi. 
• Achieving wisdom is a key step in
achieving nirvana, or ultimate reality,
in a reunion with the Great World Soul.
(pages 78–79)
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Buddhism (cont.)
• The essential Buddhist teachings concern
the Four Noble Truths and the way to
achieve these truths by taking the Middle,
or Eightfold, Path. 
• Siddhartha accepted reincarnation but
rejected the Hindu caste system. 
• For this reason Buddhism appealed to
those in the lower castes. 
• After Siddhartha’s death in 480 B.C., his
followers spread the message throughout
India. 
• Monasteries were established to promote
(pages 78–79)
Buddhism.
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Buddhism (cont.)
Buddhism teaches that humans suffer
due to desire’s attachments. What do
you think this means?
Possible answers: According to
Buddhists, people create a false idea of
their reality by identifying themselves with
the objects of their desires. Living with a
false idea of human reality causes people
suffering.
(pages 78–79)
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Checking for Understanding
Define Match each definition in the left column with the
appropriate term in the right column.
__
B 1. an Aryan leader or prince
A. karma
__
D 2. a method of training developed
by the Hindus that is supposed
to lead to oneness with God
B. raja
C. caste
D. yoga
__
E 3. a person who practices
E. ascetic
self-denial to achieve an
understanding of ultimate reality
__
A 4. in Hinduism, the force generated by a person’s
actions that determines how the person will be
reborn in the next life
__
C 5. one of the five major divisions of Indian classes
in ancient times: Brahmans, Kshatriyas, Vaisyas,
Sudras, and Untouchables
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Checking for Understanding
Describe the relationship that exists in
Hinduism between the caste system
and the dharma, or divine law.
Dharma determined and justified caste
membership.
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Critical Thinking
Evaluate How did Arjuna’s decision
to fight illustrate the importance of
Hinduism’s concept of dharma in
Indian life?
Dharma requires one to do one’s duty
despite consequences.
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Analyzing Visuals
Examine the photographs on page 76
of your textbook. Explain how the
photos represent the caste system in
India. What photos would you take to
represent the class system in your
community?
Brahmans pray, while Untouchables
do degrading tasks.
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Close
Identify the central beliefs of Hinduism
and Buddhism. Explain the differences
between Hindu and Buddhist beliefs.
New Empires in India
Main Ideas
• The Mauryan dynasty flourished under
Asoka. 
• The Kushan kingdom prospered. 
• The Gupta Empire left a lasting legacy through
literature, architecture, and science. 
Key Terms
• Silk Road 
• pilgrim
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New Empires in India
People to Identify
• Asoka 
• Kalidasa 
• Faxian 
• Aryabhata 
• Huns 
Places to Locate
• Persia 
• Syria 
• Changan 
• Mediterranean Sea
• Antioch 
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New Empires in India
Preview Questions
• How did the Kushan kingdom become
prosperous? 
• In what way did early Indian literature influence
the Indian people?
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New Empires in India
Preview of Events
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listen to the audio again.
Committed to spreading impartiality,
cheerfulness, truthfulness, and goodness
throughout his kingdom, Asoka once said,
“All men are my children. As for my own
children, I desire that they may be
provided with all the welfare and
happiness of this world and of the next,
so do I desire for all men as well.”
The Mauryan Dynasty
• After 400 B.C., India faced new threats
from the west–first from Persia, then from
Greece and Macedonia, under Alexander
the Great. 
• Alexander invaded northern India in 327
B.C.

• He left quickly, but his invasion gave rise
to the first Indian dynasty.
(pages 81–82)
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The Mauryan Dynasty (cont.)
• Chandragupta Maurya, who ruled from
324 to 301 B.C., founded the new Indian
state. 
• This first Indian Empire was highly
centralized and governed by an ideal of
exercising power impartially. 
• The empire was divided into provinces,
ruled by governors. 
• The king had a large army and secret
police.
(pages 81–82)
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The Mauryan Dynasty (cont.)
• The Mauryan Empire flourished under the
reign of Asoka, Chandragupta Maurya’s
grandson. 
• Most consider Asoka the greatest Indian
ruler ever. 
• He converted to Buddhism and governed
in accordance with Buddhist ideals. 
• His kindness was legendary. 
• He set up hospitals for people and
animals, and he ordered a system of
shade trees and shelters for travelers.
(pages 81–82)
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The Mauryan Dynasty (cont.)
• India flourished economically under
Asoka. 
• It became an important crossroads in a
commercial network from the Pacific Rim
to Southwest Asia and the Mediterranean
Sea. 
• Asoka died in 232 B.C. 
• The empire then declined. 
• The last Mauryan ruler was killed in 183
B.C., and India fell into disunity.
(pages 81–82)
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The Mauryan Dynasty (cont.)
The Buddha taught that people should
have compassion for all sentient (feeling)
creatures and always try to not harm
them. What in Asoka’s way of governing
embodies this idea?
Compassion motivated him to set up the
hospitals for people and animals, and to
provide shelter and shade for travelers.
(pages 81–82)
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The Kushan Kingdom and the
Silk Road
• In the first century A.D., nomadic warriors
established the Kushan kingdom in what
is now Afghanistan. 
• It spread south as far as the central
Ganges Valley.
(pages 83–84)
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The Kushan Kingdom and the
Silk Road (cont.)
• The Kushans prospered by the trade that
went through their country. 
• Most of the trade was between the
Roman Empire and China, along a 4,000
mile route called the Silk Road. 
• It reached from Changan in China to
Antioch in Syria on the coast of the
Mediterranean Sea.
(pages 83–84)
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The Kushan Kingdom and the
Silk Road (cont.)
• Because camel caravans were dangerous
and expensive, merchants shipped only
luxury goods on the Silk Road. 
• Chinese merchants traded silk, spices,
tea, and porcelain. 
• Indian merchants shipped ivory, jewels,
and textiles. 
• The Romans traded glass, jewels, and
clothes. The Romans especially desired
silk. 
• The Roman name for China was Serica,
(pages 83–84)
or “Land of Silk.”
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The Kushan Kingdom and the
Silk Road (cont.)
What are the most important trade routes
for contemporary America? Why?
(pages 83–84)
The Kingdom of the Guptas
• Persian invaders ended the Kushan
kingdom in the third century A.D.
Chandragupta, a local prince, established
a new kingdom in 320. 
• His son, Samudragupta, expanded the
empire. 
• He was famous for his physique and
exploits in war.
(pages 84–85)
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The Kingdom of the Guptas (cont.)
• The kingdom of the Guptas became the
dominant political force in northern India. 
• It created a new age of Indian civilization,
especially under its greatest ruler,
Chandragupta II, who ruled from 375 to
415. 
• A Chinese Buddhist monk named Faxian
spent several years in northern India, and
he admired the Gupta rulers, their
tolerance of Buddhism, and the region’s
economic prosperity.
(pages 84–85)
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The Kingdom of the Guptas (cont.)
• The Gupta Empire prospered principally
from mining and trade. 
• The Gupta rulers owned gold mines, silver
mines, and vast lands. 
• They traded salt, cloth, and iron
domestically and as far away as China
and the Mediterranean.
(pages 84–85)
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The Kingdom of the Guptas (cont.)
• The Gupta Empire profited greatly from
religious trade with pilgrims. 
• Pilgrims travel to religious sites to
worship. 
• Cities famous for their temples and as
religious centers rose up along the main
Indian trade routes.
(pages 84–85)
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The Kingdom of the Guptas (cont.)
• Later Gupta rulers lived extravagantly,
which weakened the people’s loyalty. 
• In the fifth century A.D., invasion by
nomadic Huns from the northwest
weakened the empire. 
• It finally died out completely by the end of
the seventh century. 
• North India would not be reunited for
hundreds of years.
(pages 84–85)
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The Kingdom of the Guptas (cont.)
Empires and dynasties often declined in
part because the rulers increasingly lived
lives of great luxury. How might this lead
to a government’s decline?
This tendency of ancient rulers to concern
themselves with opulent living caused
them to increase taxes unjustly to support
their extravagance, caused the lower
classes to resent their rulers, caused the
rulers to lose touch with their subjects, and
caused powerful lords to covet the throne.
(pages 84–85)
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The World of Indian Culture
• India has one of the richest cultures in
world history. 
• Indian civilization has made contributions
in the arts and sciences. 
• Consider literature, architecture, and
science. 
• The Vedas are the earliest known Indian
literature. 
• These Aryan texts are religious. 
• Originally passed down orally, eventually
they were written down in Sanskrit.
(pages 85–86)
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The World of Indian Culture (cont.)
• With writing came the early Indian epic
poems, the Mahabharata and the
Ramayana. Both recount the legendary
deeds of great warriors. 
• The Mahabharata was probably written
around 100 B.C. 
• It is the world’s longest written poem. 
• It describes a war between cousins for
control of the kingdom.
(pages 85–86)
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The World of Indian Culture (cont.)
• The most famous part of the poem is the
Bhagavad Gita, in which the god Krishna
on the eve of a battle expresses an
important idea of Indian society: When
deciding how to act, do not consider
success or failure, but only the action’s
morality.
(pages 85–86)
The World of Indian Culture (cont.)
• The Ramayana recounts how the fictional
ruler Rama is banished from his kingdom
and has to fight a demon that kidnapped
his wife. 
• This text also teaches moral lessons. 
• Rama stands as the ideal Aryan hero, and
Sita embodies perfect wifely loyalty to her
husband. 
• These books remain important in Indian
culture to this day.
(pages 85–86)
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The World of Indian Culture (cont.)
• Kalidasa is one of ancient India’s most
famous authors. 
• His poem, The Cloud Messenger, remains
one of the most popular poems in
Sanskrit. 
• Early Indian architecture flourished during
the Mauryan Empire, especially under
Asoka. 
• He wanted to spread the ideas of
Buddhism, and so he built many religious
structures.
(pages 85–86)
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The World of Indian Culture (cont.)
• The three principal religious structures
were the pillar, the stupa, and the rock
chamber. 
• The pillars marked sites pertinent to the
Buddha’s life. 
• A carving with a Buddhist message
topped these huge pillars. 
• Stupas were built like burial mounds and
held relics of the Buddha, such as a lock
of hair. 
• Stupas rose quite high, and each was
surrounded by a spire.
(pages 85–86)
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The World of Indian Culture (cont.)
• Legend said that in order to spread
Buddhism, Asoka ordered the construction
of eighty-four thousand stupas. 
• Rock chambers carved out of
mountainsides served as houses for
monks and halls for religious ceremonies. 
• Ancient Indian scientists were most known
for astronomy. 
• They charted the movements of the
heavenly bodies, recognized that Earth
was a sphere, and believed rightly that
Earth rotated on its axis and revolved
around the sun.
(pages 85–86)
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The World of Indian Culture (cont.)
• Ancient Indian mathematicians were very
important. 
• Aryabhata was the Gupta Empire’s most
famous mathematician. 
• He was one of the first scientists known to
have used algebra. 
• Indian mathematicians also introduced
the concept of zero.
(pages 85–86)
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The World of Indian Culture (cont.)
Most ancient people believed mistakenly
that the sun revolved around the earth.
Why did they believe this, and what does
this show about knowledge?
Ancient people believed the sun revolved
around the earth because this is how it
appears to everyday perception. This fact
shows that knowledge often comes from
looking beyond or behind appearances.
(pages 85–86)
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Checking for Understanding
Define Match each definition in the left column with the
appropriate term in the right column.
__
A 1. a route between the Roman
Empire and China, so called
because silk was China’s
most valuable product
__
B 2. a person who travels to a
shrine or other holy place
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A. Silk Road
B. pilgrim
Checking for Understanding
Explain what sorts of goods were
carried on the Silk Road, and why.
Luxury goods were carried on the Silk
Road because of expense.
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Checking for Understanding
List three examples of early Indian
architecture.
Pillars, stupas, and rock chambers
are three examples of early Indian
architecture.
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Critical Thinking
Analyze How do the historic epics
Mahabharata and Ramayana reflect
real life in early India?
Strong moral lessons reflect religion’s
importance in real life.
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Analyzing Visuals
Examine the painting of Krishna
shown on page 85 of your textbook.
How does this painting reflect Aryan
culture? What fundamental ideas are
represented in the picture?
The painting shows that Aryan culture
stressed social hierarchy. The idea that
some serve, while others are served is
represented in the picture.
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Close
Speculate on why Hindu religion,
social structure, and customs remain
deeply embedded in Indian life.
Early Chinese Civilizations
Main Ideas
• Chinese dynasties followed a rise and fall
pattern. 
• Three schools of thought about the nature of
humans and the universe emerged. 
Key Terms
• aristocracy 
• Confucianism 
• Mandate of Heaven 
• Daoism 
• Dao 
• Legalism
• filial piety 
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Early Chinese Civilizations
People to Identify
• Confucius 
• Laozi 
Places to Locate
• Huang He 
• Chang Jiang 
• Mongolia 
• Yellow Sea
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Early Chinese Civilizations
Preview Questions
• Why was family important in ancient China?
• What are the major ideas associated with
Confucianism, Daoism, and Legalism?
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
Early Chinese Civilizations
Preview of Events
Click the Speaker button to
listen to the audio again.
Confucius established teaching as a
vocation in China. Before Confucius,
aristocratic families hired tutors to educate
their sons in specific arts, and government
officials instructed their subordinates.
Confucius, however, believed that all
human beings could benefit from selfcultivation.
The Geography of China
• One of the greatest food-producing areas
of the ancient world developed in the
valleys of two rivers in China–the Huang
He (Yellow River, so named for its rich,
yellow silt) and the Chang Jiang (Yangtze
River). 
• The Huang He, which flows from
Mongolia to the Pacific Ocean, is more
than 2,900 miles long. 
• The Chang Jiang, which stretches across
central China to the Yellow Sea, is about
3,400 miles long.
(pages 88–89)
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The Geography of China (cont.)
• Only 10 percent of China can be used for
agriculture. 
• Mountains and deserts cover much of the
remaining countryside. 
• These forbidding features isolated the
Chinese from other Asian people. 
• The Mongolian, Indo-European, and
Turkish peoples who lived along China’s
frontiers often warred with the Chinese.
(pages 88–89)
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The Geography of China (cont.)
What geographical features have helped
protect the United States from invasion?
The chief geographical features are the
Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, and the
distance they put between the United
States and most of the world.
(pages 88–89)
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The Shang Dynasty
• Chinese history begins with the Xia
dynasty over four thousand years ago. 
• Not much is known about this dynasty. 
• The Xia was replaced by the Shang
dynasty (about 1750 to 1122 B.C.). 
• An aristocracy–an upper class whose
wealth is based on land and whose power
is passed on from one generation to
another–dominated this farming society.
(pages 89–91)
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The Shang Dynasty (cont.)
• The king ruled over a system of territories
run by aristocratic warlords and was
expected to defend the empire. 
• There was a strong central government.

• The king’s importance is shown by the
ritual sacrifices performed at his death.
Corpses of servants were placed in the
king’s tomb.
(pages 89–91)
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The Shang Dynasty (cont.)
• The Chinese believed that supernatural
forces could help with worldly life. 
• To get this help, priests read oracle
bones. 
• A king’s question to the gods would be
etched on a bone. 
• The bones were heated until they
cracked. 
• Priests would interpret the meaning of the
cracks. 
• These bones are a valuable source of
information about the Shang period. (pages 89–91)
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The Shang Dynasty (cont.)
• Most of the Shang were peasants, with
much smaller groups of artisans,
merchants, and slaves. 
• The Chinese believed strongly in life after
death. 
• This belief is the basis for the Chinese
veneration of ancestors, known in the
West as “ancestor worship.” 
• The Chinese believed that the spirits of
family ancestors could bring good or bad
fortune to the living family, so they treated
the spirits well.
(pages 89–91)
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The Shang Dynasty (cont.)
• The annual festival called Qingming
(“Clear and Bright”) was for the
ancestors. 
• Families cleaned the family graves and
brought food for their ancestors’ spirits. 
• The Shang’s bronze objects are among
the most admired creations of Chinese
art.
(pages 89–91)
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The Shang Dynasty (cont.)
Many ancient religions performed
sacrifices to win the favor of the gods or
spirits. How was sacrifice supposed to
influence them favorably?
The basic idea is twofold: The person
sacrificing is giving up something for the
deity or spirit as well as giving it a gift.
(pages 89–91)
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The Zhou Dynasty
• The leader of the Zhou territory revolted
against the Shang king and established
the Zhou dynasty, which lasted from
1045 to 256 B.C., making it China’s longest
dynasty. 
• The Zhou king continued the Shang
political structure and royal duties, but the
bureaucracy expanded. 
• The king was believed to connect Heaven
and Earth. Among the king’s most
important duties was performing rituals to
strengthen the link between Heaven and
Earth.
(pages 91–94)
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The Zhou Dynasty (cont.)
• The Chinese began to develop a theory of
government. 
• The Zhou dynasty claimed it ruled by the
Mandate of Heaven. 
• This view stated that Heaven, an
impersonal law of nature, kept order in the
world through the Zhou king. 
• This concept became a basic part of
Chinese political theory.
(pages 91–94)
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The Zhou Dynasty (cont.)
• Under the Mandate of Heaven, the king
was expected to be virtuous and to rule
with goodness and efficiency. 
• The king was expected to rule according
to the proper “Way,” called the Dao. 
• If he did, the gods would be pleased.
(pages 91–94)
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The Zhou Dynasty (cont.)
• Events like a bad harvest were signs that
the gods were not pleased and grounds
for overthrowing the king. 
• The Mandate of Heaven, then, set forth a
right of revolution. 
• It also implied that the king himself was
not divine. 
• The Mandate of Heaven was closely tied
to the dynastic cycles that governed
Chinese history from its beginning to
A.D. 1912.
(pages 91–94)
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The Zhou Dynasty (cont.)
• Later Zhou rulers were weak and corrupt.
Civil war finally broke out in 403 B.C. 
• Thus began the period known as the
“Period of the Warring States.” 
• Warfare had changed in China. Armies
used iron weapons and were divided into
infantry and cavalry. 
• Cavalry was armed with the powerful
crossbow, which the Chinese invented.
(pages 91–94)
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The Zhou Dynasty (cont.)
• Peasants worked on land owned by the
aristocracy, along with a little land of their
own. 
• Artisans and merchants lived in walled
towns. 
• The merchants were the local lord’s
property. 
• Slaves also existed. 
• Trade was principally local but grew to
include imports such as salt, cloth, iron,
and luxury goods.
(pages 91–94)
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The Zhou Dynasty (cont.)
• By the sixth century B.C., farmers were
using large-scale water works for their
fields. 
• Using iron plowshares increased food
production because farmers could
cultivate more land. 
• The Chinese population reached fifty
million people in the late Zhou dynasty, in
part due to the increased food production.
(pages 91–94)
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The Zhou Dynasty (cont.)
• Silk was one of China’s most important
exports. 
• Chinese silk from this period has been
found all over central Asia and as far as
Athens, Greece.
(pages 91–94)
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The Zhou Dynasty (cont.)
• The Chinese had, and have, strong beliefs
about the family. 
• It was both the basic economic unit and a
symbol of the social order. 
• Most important to Chinese family life is
the concept of filial piety. 
• Filial piety refers to the duty of family
members to subordinate their needs to
the male head of the family and the older
generations. 
• It is an important Confucian concept.
(pages 91–94)
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The Zhou Dynasty (cont.)
• Men dominated Chinese society. 
• Men were considered so important
because they were responsible for
providing food for the family and caring for
their parents later in life. 
• Men governed society, and were warriors
and scholars. 
• Women raised children and stayed at
home.
(pages 91–94)
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The Zhou Dynasty (cont.)
• Perhaps the most important cultural
contribution of ancient China is the
Chinese written language. 
• It was primarily pictographic and
ideographic.
(pages 91–94)
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The Zhou Dynasty (cont.)
• Pictographs are picture symbols, called
characters. 
• Ideographs combine two or more
pictographs. 
• Each character is associated with a
sound. 
• Generally, this step leads cultures to
replace character writing with phonetic
(sound) writing. 
• The Chinese language, however, has not
completely abandoned its original form.
(pages 91–94)
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The Zhou Dynasty (cont.)
The Chinese concept of filial piety says
that grown children have an obligation to
take care of their elderly parents at the
expense of their own needs. What
important Western concepts seem to
conflict with this ideal of filial piety?
Possible answer: The Western concepts
of self-sufficiency and individuality
conflict with the ideal of filial piety.
(pages 91–94)
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The Chinese Philosophies
• From 500 to 200 B.C., three schools of
thought about human nature and the
universe developed in China–
Confucianism, Daoism, and Legalism. 
• Chinese philosophers were concerned
with how to live best in this world. 
• Confucius was known to the Chinese as
the First Teacher. 
• He was born in 551 B.C. Motivated by
Chinese society’s moral decay and
violence, Confucius tried to convince those
in power to follow his ideas; his followers
wrote down his sayings in the Analects.
(pages 94–97)
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The Chinese Philosophies (cont.)
• Confucianism, the system of Confucius’s
ideas, has been a basic part of Chinese
history. 
• Confucius tried to show the Chinese how
to restore order to society. 
• His ideas were political and ethical, not
spiritual. 
• If people followed the Dao (Way) and
acted in harmony with the universe’s
purposes, people would prosper.
(pages 94–97)
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The Chinese Philosophies (cont.)
• Confucius’s ideas of duty and humanity
are perhaps his most important. 
• Duty dictates that individuals subordinate
their needs to the needs of family and
community. 
• Further, everyone should be governed by
the Five Constant Relationships. 
• Most important is duty to parents. 
• Finally, rulers must set a good example if
society is going to prosper.
(pages 94–97)
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The Chinese Philosophies (cont.)
• Confucius’s idea of humanity emphasizes
compassion and empathy towards others
because “all men are brothers.” 
• One of Confucius’s most historically
important political ideas was that
government service should not be limited
to the rich and noble, but of those with
superior talent and virtuous character.
(pages 94–97)
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The Chinese Philosophies (cont.)
• Daoism was a system of ideas based on
the teachings of Laozi. 
• Daoism’s chief ideas are in the book Tao
Te Ching (The Way of the Dao). 
• It expresses the proper forms of behavior
for people on Earth. 
• Daoists believe that the way to follow the
Dao is inaction, not action. 
• People should act spontaneously and let
nature take its course.
(pages 94–97)
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The Chinese Philosophies (cont.)
• Legalism was a third philosophy. 
• Unlike Confucianism or Daoism, Legalism
believed human beings were essentially
evil. 
• Legalism’s formula for social order was
having a strong ruler and harsh,
impersonal laws, both of which made
people obedient through fear.
(pages 94–97)
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The Chinese Philosophies (cont.)
Is human nature basically good or evil?
If so, which?
Possible answer: Human beings may
naturally be born with the potential for
good and evil. How people are raised
and educated will influence how they
develop. So the question may not be
one of a fixed trait, but of human
development.
(pages 94–97)
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Checking for Understanding
Define Match each definition in the left column with the
appropriate term in the right column.
__
A. Mandate of
B 1. “Way,” the key to proper
behavior under Confucianism
Heaven
__
D 2. an upper class whose wealth
is based on land and whose
power is passed on from one
generation to another
B. Dao
C. filial piety
D. aristocracy
E. Legalism
__
E 3. a popular philosophy
developed in China toward
the end of the Zhou dynasty,
it proposes that human beings
are evil by nature and can only
be brought to the correct path
by harsh laws
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Checking for Understanding
Define Match each definition in the left column with the
appropriate term in the right column.
__
C 4. the duty of family members
to subordinate their needs
and desires to those of the
male head of the family, a
concept important in
Confucianism
A. Mandate of
Heaven
__
A 5. claim by Chinese kings of
the Zhou dynasty that they
had direct authority from
heaven to rule and to keep
order in the universe
E. Legalism
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B. Dao
C. filial piety
D. aristocracy
Checking for Understanding
Explain the importance of filial piety to
the Chinese. How does the concept of
filial piety relate to the Confucian view
of how society should function?
Filial piety refers to the duty of family
members to subordinate their needs to
those of the male head of the family.
It is a system in which every family
member has its place, and it is the
basis for Confucianism.
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Checking for Understanding
List some of the agricultural advances
developed in ancient China and explain
how they increased food production.
The Chinese used irrigation to spread
water evenly to the fields. They also
used iron plowshares, which increased
farmland.
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Critical Thinking
Evaluate What are the advantages and
disadvantages of a society based on
Legalism?
An advantage is that it would be a
stable society. Disadvantages are that
there is harsh punishment and no
compassion for people.
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Analyzing Visuals
Analyze the Shang bronze vessel
shown on page 90 of your textbook.
What artistic or cultural ideals are
represented? Why are these bronze
vessels considered to be among the
greatest cultural achievements of the
ancient world? How were these vessels
used by the Chinese people?
Ancestor veneration is represented.
These vessels are considered to be
great cultural achievements because of
their rich decoration and the use of the
casting method.
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Close
Organize the class into two teams.
Appoint one person as scorekeeper.
Have the teams take turns challenging
each other by giving specific names or
occurrences and having the other
team identify the ruler or dynasty
under which the person lived or the
event occurred.
Rise and Fall of Chinese Empires
Main Ideas
• The Qin and Han dynasties established
strong central governments that were the
basis for future dynasties. 
• Technical and cultural achievements during the
Qin and Han dynasties included the invention
of paper and written literary classics. 
Key Terms
• regime 
• censorate
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Rise and Fall of Chinese Empires
People to Identify
• Qin Shihuangdi 
• Liu Bang 
• Xiongnu 
• Han Wudi 
Places to Locate
• Gobi 
• Indian Ocean
• South China Sea 
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Rise and Fall of Chinese Empires
Preview Questions
• Why was the Great Wall of China built? 
• How did nomadic peoples affect Chinese
history?
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Rise and Fall of Chinese Empires
Preview of Events
Click the Speaker button to
listen to the audio again.
The Han government collected songs–
ceremonial verses and folk ballads–and
their musical scores through its Music
Bureau. The longest of the folk ballads tells
the tragic tale of a young married couple
that committed suicide because of the
cruelty of the husband’s mother.
The Qin Dynasty (221–206 B.C.)
• The Qin dynasty emerged in 221 B.C. from
China’s bloody civil wars between 400 b.c.
and 200 B.C. Qin Shihuangdi established
the dynasty. 
• The Qin dynasty adopted Legalism. 
• Political opponents of the regime (the
government in power) were imprisoned or
executed. 
• Books that opposed the official views
were burned.
(pages 98–100)
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The Qin Dynasty (221–206 B.C.)
(cont.)
• The Qin made the central government
stronger. 
• The government was divided into three
ministries: the civil, the military, and the
censorate. 
• Members of the censorate checked on
government officials to make sure they
were doing their jobs. 
• Future Chinese dynasties adopted this
practice and kept this structure.
(pages 98–100)
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The Qin Dynasty (221–206 B.C.)
(cont.)
• Qin Shihuangdi unified the Chinese world
by creating a monetary system and a road
system. 
• He extended the empire south to modernday Vietnam. 
• The harsh rule of the Qin dynasty angered
many people. 
• The dynasty fell in 206 B.C.
(pages 98–100)
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The Qin Dynasty (221–206 B.C.)
(cont.)
• The Qin emperor was concerned with the
Xiongnu, a nomadic people who lived
near the Gobi. 
• The Xiongnu had mastered warfare from
horseback. 
• They attacked the Chinese living in the
north. 
• To protect these people, Qin Shihuangdi
built a system of walls called the Great
Wall of China. 
• The Great Wall standing today was built
1,500 years later.
(pages 98–100)
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The Qin Dynasty (221–206 B.C.)
(cont.)
Qin Shihuangdi unified the Chinese
world in part by creating a monetary
system. How would this unify a region?
What else might unify a region?
Possible answers: The monetary system
unifies a region by making its people
economically interdependent. Other
things that might unify a region are a
common language, religion, or enemy.
(pages 98–100)
Click the mouse button or press the
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The Han Dynasty (202 B.C.–A.D. 220)
and Culture in Qin and Han China
• The Han dynasty was one of China’s
greatest dynasties. 
• It emerged in 202 B.C. and was founded by
Liu Bang, who was of peasant origin. 
• He replaced Legalism with Confucianism.

• He kept the division of the central
government into three ministries and the
division of the empire into provinces.
(pages 100–103)
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The Han Dynasty (202 B.C.–A.D. 220)
and Culture in Qin and Han China
• The Han rulers continued to choose
government officials by merit and not
birth. 
(cont.)
• The Han instituted the civil service
examination and established schools to
train candidates for government service. 
• This system for training officials influenced
China for two thousand years. 
• Students learned Confucius’s teachings,
Chinese history, and Chinese law.
(pages 100–103)
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The Han Dynasty (202 B.C.–A.D. 220)
and Culture in Qin and Han China
(cont.)
• Han Wudi added land to the south to
the empire, as far as the South China
Sea, in what is today northern Vietnam. 
• The free peasants suffered during the
Han period. 
• Military service and a month’s forced labor
each year were required. 
• The tripling of the population shrank the
size of the individual farm plot to about
one acre a person–barely enough to
survive. Free farmers became tenant
(pages 100–103)
farmers.
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The Han Dynasty (202 B.C.–A.D. 220)
and Culture in Qin and Han China
(cont.)
• Technology progressed under the
Han. 
• There were advances in textile
manufacturing, water mills, and iron
casting, the latter leading to the invention
of steel. 
• The invention of the rudder and fore-andaft rigging made sailing into the wind
possible for the first time. 
• Chinese traders were able to sail into the
Indian Ocean, expanding trade
tremendously.
(pages 100–103)
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The Han Dynasty (202 B.C.–A.D. 220)
and Culture in Qin and Han China
(cont.)
• Paper was developed in the Han
period. 
• Over time, Han rulers too involved with
pleasure weakened the government. 
• The aristocratic families filled the power
void, often corruptly and brutally. 
• Peasant revolts became common. 
• The Han dynasty fell in A.D. 220. 
• Civil wars followed, and the next dynasty
was not established for four hundred
years.
(pages 100–103)
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The Han Dynasty (202 B.C.–A.D. 220)
and Culture in Qin and Han China
(cont.)
• The Qin and Han dynasties were
known for their cultural achievements. 
• The key Confucian works were printed in
a set. 
• Generations of Chinese schoolchildren
learned the forms of proper behavior from
these texts.
(pages 100–103)
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The Han Dynasty (202 B.C.–A.D. 220)
and Culture in Qin and Han China
(cont.)
• The most remarkable artistic discovery
was of a burial pit containing thousands
of life-size, lifelike, terra-cotta (hardened
clay) soldiers. 
• Archaeologists believe they are replicas
of Qin Shihuangdi’s imperial guard
accompanying him to the next world. 
• Their most striking feature is the
individuality of the faces, which reflect the
different ethnic types in the army.
(pages 100–103)
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The Han Dynasty (202 B.C.–A.D. 220)
and Culture in Qin and Han China
(cont.)
Historical changes often follow
technological changes. What modern
technological changes have had an
impact on history?
Possible answer: A prime example is the
invention of the internal combustion
engine, which expanded trade, affected
war, and closed distances among
people in all countries.
(pages 100–103)
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Checking for Understanding
Define Match each definition in the left column with the
appropriate term in the right column.
__
B 1. part of the Chinese
bureaucracy that made
sure government officials
were doing their jobs
__
A 2. the government in power
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A. regime
B. censorate
Checking for Understanding
Explain how free farmers sometimes
became tenant farmers.
As the population increased, the
average farm size decreased, and
many peasants were forced to sell their
land and become tenant farmers.
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Checking for Understanding
Discuss Qin Shihuangdi’s actions for
unifying the Chinese world.
Qin Shihuangdi established a single
monetary system and built roads
throughout the empire.
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Critical Thinking
Explain What is the importance of the
technological advancements in sailing
that were made during the Han
dynasty?
The rudder and fore-and-aft rigging
let ships sail into wind. These
advancements aided trade to
faraway places.
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Analyzing Visuals
Examine the illustration on page 99 of
your textbook. What is the significance
of the political decision the emperor
made to burn books? What else is
being depicted?
The emperor would not tolerate
conflicting ideas. Scholars are being
killed.
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Close
As a class, divide into two groups: one
represents the Qin dynasty and the
other represents the Han dynasty.
During a class discussion, analyze
these examples of major dynasties
and empires by asking members from
each group to state their policies,
social and economic problems, and
cultural and artistic achievements.
Chapter Summary
Chinese and Indian civilizations are
remarkable for their achievement and
innovation. The chart below shows their
accomplishments in several areas.
Using Key Terms
Insert the key term that best completes each of the following
sentences.
rajas
1. Aryan leaders known as _______________
(princes)
fought other Aryan chieftans and seized their property.
2. The belief that the individual soul is reborn in a
different form after death is _______________.
reincarnation
nirvana
3. In Buddhism, reaching _______________,
or ultimate
reality, is the end of the self and a reunion with the
Great World Soul.
4. According to Confucius, the key to proper behavior
was to behave in accordance with the
Dao
_______________
(Way).
5. The Qin bureaucracy had civil and military divisions
censorate
and a _______________.
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Reviewing Key Facts
Geography Describe the diverse
geography of the Indian subcontinent.
The Indian subcontinent has mountain
ranges, river valleys, a dry interior
plateau, and fertile coastal plains.
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Reviewing Key Facts
History Identify the physical changes
that occurred in the Indus River valley
that contributed to the collapse of the
once-flourishing civilization there.
Floods, earthquakes, changes in
climate, and the river’s course in the
Indus Valley all contributed to the
collapse of the civilization.
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Reviewing Key Facts
Culture Discuss the connection
between the Four Noble Truths and
the Eightfold Path.
The Buddha’s message was based
on the Four Noble Truths, the fourth
of which is to follow the Middle Path.
Because it consists of eight steps,
it is also called the Eightfold Path.
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Reviewing Key Facts
Science, Technology, and Society
Identify the ways in which warfare
changed in China near the end of the
Zhou dynasty.
Iron weapons that replaced bronze,
foot soldiers (infantry) and soldiers
on horseback (cavalry), and the
development of the crossbow are all
examples of how warfare changed in
China.
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Reviewing Key Facts
Government The dynastic cycles in
China meant each dynasty would
eventually fall. What factors caused
this to happen?
Each dynasty was established by a
powerful ruler. Eventually, the dynasty
would begin to decline. As the central
government began to collapse, there
would be rebellions or foreign invasion
that would eventually cause the dynasty
to collapse and be replaced by a new
one.
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Critical Thinking
Evaluating How might Chinese
society and culture have evolved
differently if there had been more
contact with other civilizations?
If they had not been so isolated
because of geography, there might
have been more cultural diffusion and
less conflict.
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Critical Thinking
Analyzing What do Chinese art
forms tell us about technological
development in ancient China?
Bronze objects crafted during the
Shang dynasty are among the most
admired creations of Chinese art. The
huge terra-cotta army of the Qin period
is also remarkable for the high quality
and individuality of the pieces.
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Analyzing Maps and Charts
Study the map below and answer the questions on the
following slides.
Analyzing Maps and Charts
Compare this map to
the maps of the
Fertile Crescent and
Egyptian civilizations
in previous chapters.
What geographic
features are common
to each of these
civilizations?
Early cities were
established along
rivers.
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Analyzing Maps and Charts
In what mountain
range does the
Indus River
originate?
The Indus River
originates in the
Himalaya.
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Analyzing Maps and Charts
What major rivers
empty into the
Yellow Sea?
The Chang Jiang
and the Huang He
empty into the
Yellow Sea.
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Analyzing Maps and Charts
Name the river
valley civilizations
studied thus far.
Mesopotamia,
Egypt, India, and
China are the river
valley civilizations
studied thus far.
Click the mouse button or press the
Space Bar to display the answer.
Standardized Test Practice
Directions: Choose the best answer to the following
question.
In general, women in ancient India
A could not get an education or inherit property.
B passed down the Vedas to the younger generation.
C traded with Chinese merchants.
D became a force in politics.
Test-Taking Tip Even if you don’t know the correct
answer, you still may know which answer choices are
wrong. Eliminating only one or two answer choices
improves your chances of answering the question
correctly. Using all of your knowledge about ancient India,
eliminate the answer choices you know are wrong. Then
choose the best answer from the choices that remain.
Click the mouse button or press the
Space Bar to display the answer.
Explore online information about the topics
introduced in this chapter.
Click on the Connect button to launch your browser and go to
the Glencoe World History Web site. At this site, you will find
interactive activities, current events information, and Web sites
correlated with the chapters and units in the textbook. When
you finish exploring, exit the browser program to return to this
presentation. If you experience difficulty connecting to the Web
site, manually launch your Web browser and go to
http://wh.glencoe.com
Science
Education
Click on a hyperlink to view the corresponding slide.
Science Recently, historians have begun comparing
the impact of the Silk Road on ancient cultures to the
impact of the Internet on modern cultures. Silk Road
travelers encountered and then spread different
beliefs, cultures, languages, and technologies.
Education Learning in the Gupta Empire was
furthered by several fine universities in northern
India. One of them, the university at Nalanda, with
eight colleges and three libraries, attracted students
from all over Asia.
Architecture
Indian Music
Religion
Literature
Click on a hyperlink to view the corresponding slide.
Architecture The city of Mohenjo-Daro seems to
have been carefully planned. Its architecture reveals
the remains of an advanced civilization that had a
public water supply and sophisticated drainage and
trash disposal system. Historians theorize that the
city government must have been well organized to
support such services.
Indian Music Indian music sometimes sounds
strange to European and American listeners because
it uses a different scale than that of the West.
Westerners are used to listening to music based on
chords and harmonies, elements not present in
Indian music.
Religion Probably the world’s oldest religion,
Hinduism is not identified with the teachings of a
single individual, as is the case with Christianity,
Buddhism, and Islam. It has evolved over may
centuries, and today has about 800 million followers
most of whom live in India.
Literature Hermann Hesse’s novel Siddhartha,
published in 1922, is a poetic expression of Indian
philosophy. Hesse, a German, narrates how his
young hero, the Brahman Siddhartha, after
encountering the Buddha, sets off in search of selffulfillment. His goal is to conquer suffering and fear,
to attain serene contentment, and to see the unity in
seeming contrasts–in short, to reach nirvana.
Politics–The Shang State
Economics
Politics–Family Ethics
Literature
Click on a hyperlink to view the corresponding slide.
Politics Discuss ways in which the leaders of the
Shang state may have used the Chinese belief in
supernatural forces to help them govern. Do you
see any evidence that leaders of modern states
rely on similar means?
Economics Write a paragraph that explains why
economic wealth often replaces noble birth as the
primary source of power in nations that are
experiencing economic growth and prosperity.
Politics Most ancient Chinese would have agreed
“straightness” meant being loyal to family first. The family
was the most important social unit in China, not only
supplying basic human needs, but also serving as the focus
of religious practice through ancestor worship. Confucius
was once asked why he did not take part in government. In
response, he quoted from an ancient classic, the Shu Jhing
(Classic of History): “Simply by being a good son and friendly
to his brothers a man can exert an influence upon
government!” He thus made clear his belief that the public
good is served by the practice of family ethics. Write a
paragraph about someone they know who exemplifies this
quote.
Literature Laozi was a scholar at the royal court of
the Zhou dynasty. When he realized that the Zhou
dynasty was in decline, he made a legendary
voyage to the state of Qin. The guardian of the pass
to the Qin state begged Laozi to write a book for
him. The result was Tao Te Ching.
The word yoga mans “discipline” in Sanskrit. This
system of physical and mental exercises was
developed to achieve isolation of the soul from the
mind and body and union with the universal spirit.
Today many people outside India practice yoga for
exercise and relaxation.
The Silk Road For more than 2,000 years the Silk
Road and its westward extensions into Roman
territory formed the world’s longest road. As the
main trade route for the Kushan kingdom, the road
extended from China to Southwest Asia. In addition
to being a route for transporting luxury items, the
Silk Road provided the means for spreading the
religions of Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam.
Qin Shihuangdi Although the Chinese had built
protective walls since the 600s B.C., Qin ruler
Shihuangdi was, according to tradition, the first
Chinese ruler to build a Great Wall to deter invasion.
Most of the Qin wall, however, was north of the Great
Wall tourists visit today, which was built mostly during
the Ming dynasty (A.D. 1368–1644).
Zhou Technology
Silk
Click on a hyperlink to view the corresponding slide.
Zhou Technology The Zhou dynasty made many
technological advances: building roads, riding
horses, inventing the crossbow, creating an
improved writing system, and using iron plows,
irrigation systems, and flood control channels. Did
these advances lead to increased populations? If
so, how?
Silk According to legend, in about 2700 B.C.
Chinese emperor Huangdi ordered his wife to find
out what was killing his mulberry trees. She found
white worms eating and spinning shiny cocoons on
the leaves. When she accidentally dropped a
cocoon into hot water and removed it, a thin thread
unwound from the cocoon. She discovered silk.
How did Confucianism influence history?
Finding Exact Location
on a Map
Why Learn This Skill?
A friend tells you that she lives at the northwest corner of
Vine Street and Oak Avenue. By giving you the names of
two streets that cross, she has pinpointed her exact location.
We use a similar system to identify the exact location of any
place on Earth.
This feature can be found on page 80 of your textbook.
Finding Exact Location
on a Map
Learning the Skill
Over many centuries, cartographers developed a grid system
of imaginary lines–lines of latitude and lines of longitude.
Lines of latitude run east and west around the earth. Because
they always remain the same distance from each other, they
are also called parallels. The parallel lines of latitude measure
distance north and south of the Equator, which is located at 0
degrees latitude. Each line of latitude is one degree, or 69
miles (110 km), from the next. There are 90 latitude lines
between the Equator and each pole. For example, New York
City lies 41 degrees north of the Equator, or 41ºN.
This feature can be found on page 80 of your textbook.
Finding Exact Location
on a Map
Learning the Skill
Lines of longitude, or meridians, run north and south from
pole to pole. Unlike lines of latitude, lines of longitude are not
always the same distance from each other. Lines of longitude
are farthest apart at the Equator, and they intersect at the
North and South Poles. The prime meridian marks 0 degrees
longitude and runs through Greenwich, England, and western
Africa. Longitude lines are measured by their distance east
and west of the prime meridian up to 180 degrees. New York
City, for example, lies 74 degrees west of the prime meridian,
or 74ºW.
This feature can be found on page 80 of your textbook.
Finding Exact Location
on a Map
Learning the Skill
With this system we can pinpoint the “grid address” of any
place on Earth. For example, if we wanted to find a grid
address for New York City, we would first find the line of
latitude closest to it. Then, by following this line, we would
locate the nearest line of longitude to cross it. The point
where the lines intersect is the grid address. New York City’s
grid address would be 41ºN, 74ºW.
This feature can be found on page 80 of your textbook.
Finding Exact Location
on a Map
Practicing the Skill
Use the map on the right
to answer the questions
on the following slides.
This feature can be found on page 80 of your textbook.
Finding Exact Location
on a Map
Practicing the Skill
What is Babylon’s approximate grid address?
Babylon’s grid address is 32N, 44E.
This feature can be found on page 80 of your textbook.
Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the answer.
Finding Exact Location
on a Map
Practicing the Skill
What city sits at approximately 30ºN, 31ºE?
Memphis sits at 30ºN, 31ºE.
This feature can be found on page 80 of your textbook.
Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the answer.
Finding Exact Location
on a Map
Practicing the Skill
What is Nineveh’s approximate grid address?
Nineveh’s approximate grid address is 36N,
43E.
This feature can be found on page 80 of your textbook.
Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the answer.
Finding Exact Location
on a Map
Practicing the Skill
What is Tyre’s approximate grid address?
The approximate grid address of Tyre is 33N,
35E.
This feature can be found on page 80 of your textbook.
Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the answer.
Confucius
Buddha
Read Two Great Leaders on page 70 of your
textbook. Then answer the questions on the
following slides.
This feature can be found on page 70 of your textbook.
When did this story take place?
This story took place in the sixth century B.C.
This feature can be found on page 70 of your textbook.
Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the answer.
The Buddha and Confucius were both _____.
The Buddha and Confucius were both
teachers.
This feature can be found on page 70 of your textbook.
Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the answer.
Why are people who are thought to be wise often
those who listen and watch the best?
This feature can be found on page 70 of your textbook.
Why might a great teacher teach only those who
want to learn?
He does not want to waste his time or force his
ideas upon others if they are not receptive.
This feature can be found on page 70 of your textbook.
Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the answer.
Click the images on
the right to listen to an
excerpt from page 87
of your textbook. Read
the information on
page 87 of your
textbook. Then answer
the questions on the
following slides.
This feature can be found on page 87 of your textbook.
Click the Speaker button to listen to the audio again.
What was good about life in Gupta India?
The climate, the freedom to come and go, the
prosperity of the people, and the lack of taxes
made life in Gupta good.
This feature can be found on page 87 of your textbook.
Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the answer.
Is there anything that the monk viewed as
positive about life in Gupta India that you view
as negative? Explain your answer.
Possible answers: The punishment for
rebellion, the people’s diet, or the separation
of the Untouchables from others are negative
aspects of life in Gupta India. Though the
monk thought it was nice that local residents
could be spared contact with the lowly caste,
life certainly was not good for the
Untouchables.
This feature can be found on page 87 of your textbook.
Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the answer.
Analyze your high school community (students,
teachers, administrators, and other staff). Is there
a caste system? What is the high school good
life? Is school life equally good for everyone?
Develop your ideas.
Possible answer: The high school community
could be viewed as a caste system, with the
principals and teachers at the top, other staff
and students below. High school is not equally
good for everyone.
This feature can be found on page 87 of your textbook.
Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the answer.
Ancestral Rites
Shang bronzes are one of the great
cultural achievements of the ancient
world. One reason for the unusual
quality of Shang bronze work is the
method of casting used. Clay molds
made in several sections were
tightly fitted together before the
liquid bronze was poured. This
technique enabled artisans to apply
their designs directly to the mold. In
this way they could use intricate
motifs in a rich surface decoration.
Read the excerpt on pages 90–91
of your textbook and answer the
questions on the following slides.
This feature can be found on pages 90–91 of your textbook.
Drawing Inferences Did death sever familial
ties for the Chinese?
No, they venerated their dead ancestors,
believing that the dead could bring good or
evil fortune to the living.
This feature can be found on pages 90–91 of your textbook.
Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the answer.
Writing about History Why would rituals and
festivals be important to Chinese families? Do
you have any family traditions? If so, explain
what they are and how they evolved.
Rituals provide a sense of continuity, a link
between past and present generations. Your
families may have similar rituals, such as visits
to the cemetery on Memorial Day to place
flowers on graves.
This feature can be found on pages 90–91 of your textbook.
Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the answer.
Papermaking in Han China
The ancient Chinese were
responsible for four remarkable
inventions that were crucial to the
development of modern
technology: the magnetic
compass, paper, printing, and
gunpowder. How to make paper
was one of their early
discoveries.
Read the excerpt on page 102
of your textbook and answer the
questions on the following slides.
This feature can be found on page 102 of your textbook.
Describing What did the Chinese use to make
paper?
The Chinese used hemp or linen rags soaked
in water, then mixed with potash.
This feature can be found on page 102 of your textbook.
Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the answer.
Ancient Writings of India
and China
Objectives
After viewing “Ancient Writings of India and China,” you
should: 
• Realize that India and China had a very sophisticated poetic
tradition in ancient times. 
• Appreciate how ancient writings
illuminate the everyday lives of
people who lived long ago. 
• Know that the ancient literatures
of India and China are still enjoyed
today, and that they influence
present-day culture in both nations.
Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information.
Click in the window above to view a preview of the World History video.
Ancient Writings of India
and China
From what time period do the poems quoted in
the video date?
The poetic literature presented by Noble and
Wang Dongcheng dates from the fifth to the
first centuries B.C.
Click the mouse button or press the
Space Bar to display the answer.
Ancient Writings of India
and China
What popular Chinese traditions honor the poet
Qu Yuan?
Chinese people around the world eat tzungtzu
and conduct dragon boat races every year on
May 5th to commemorate the death of Qu
Yuan.
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Space Bar to display the answer.
Maps
Mauryan Empire, 250 B.C.
Trade Routes of the Ancient World
Click on a hyperlink to view the corresponding slide.
Map
Zhou Empire, 1045–256 B.C.
Chart
Chinese Numbering System
Click on a hyperlink to view the corresponding slide.
Siddhartha Gautama’s
eight
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not carrying out harsh
or mean thoughts
232 B.C.
Chandragupta II
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Chandragupta
Maurya becomes
founder of Mauryan
Empire
Wu
1750 B.C.
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Xia
paper and silk
paper bags
books, magazines,
art paper, computer
paper, etc.
Click the mouse button or press the
Space Bar to display the answers.
socks, shirts,
dresses
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