Similarities
• Captain Obvious! They were all located along or
near rivers providing them with fertile soil for
farming
• The rivers flooded annually (although not all
were regular seasonal floods like Egypt)
allowing for more land to be fertile
• To deal with flooding or heavy rains (Monsoons
in India) each civilization developed irrigation to
capitalize on the water sources allowing for
more farming to occur
• Each developed a complex government system
that revolved around Dynasties ruling for
generations-started at first to manage food
supply and irrigation systems
• Each Civilization:
– was Polytheistic
– saw the emergence or creation of social classes or a caste system
– Adapted to their surrounding environment in order to thrive and
improved upon every aspect of life to make things better for
themselves
– Experienced conflict, internally or externally, over competition for land,
resources, power, etc.
– Saw the development of empires where many city states/civilizations
were brought under one ruler or group of rulers
– Eventually collapsed, faded away, or were conquered
• Each Civilization:
– had a system of writing/record keeping
– Built large structures to appease their gods or
show of their wealth/power
– Was advanced in some form of another, be it
technology, government, cities, religion,
economy, etc.
– Contributed to future civilizations through their
inventions and ideas
Empires
• Bring several people/states together under 1 ruler to spread their
influence
• Responsible for expanding trade, increasing wealth, and increasing
conflict
• Could promote Cultural Diffusion or bring about destruction of other
cultures to impose their culture
• Early Empires stretched from Africa to the Mediterranean to Asia
• Usually built grand structures to show off wealth and power
• Rise to power based on Conquest and fall from power due to hardships
of governing such a large territory (inside or outside competition for
power or poor economy)
• Usually marked by some form of accomplishment, in government,
economics, warfare, sciences, social life, etc
China
Early River Valley Civilizations
to
Early Empires
Mesopotamia
Egypt
Indus Valley
China
Mesopotamia
• Also called the Fertile Crescent
• Located between the Tigris and Euphrates River
(Present Day Iraq)
• Yearly floods were unpredictable but also
provided source of fertileness for good farming
• Developed City States or Independent cities
within a large area ruled independently
• Developed irrigation, built city walls, and
developed trade among city states
• Developed Arithmetic, geometry, and a
number system based on 60 units-like our
60 seconds (parts) makes a minute
• Developed ramps and pyramids called
Ziggurats
• Developed a system of writing called
Cuneiform, often considered the first
writing
• First governments were run by religious leaders
(Theocracy) but in times of war they gave power
to military leaders. In time military leaders took
over and passed down their rule within their
family (Dynasty)
• Instituted a form of taxes through crops
• Several cultures would rule Mesopotamia
including the Babylonians, Assyrians, and
Hittites. Each would expand the empire and
contribute
• Babylonians built the Hanging Gardens (run by
slaves) and Hammurabi is famous for posting
the first set of written laws for all to see and
know
Assyria
• Well organized government with a military
machine
• Initially developed military to protect from
invasions (flat land) but turned aggressive
to seek expansion and resources
• Brought death and destruction to those
they conquered
• Iron Weapons-Leather/Metal ArmorSwords/Spears
• Pontoon boats/bridges-ladders-tunnelsbattering rams-employed military strategy
• Trained soldiers
Assyria
• Once conquered set up provinces with appointed
kings to act as governors for Assyrian Ruler
• Became a model for administration with a central
authority at capital and local officials at other towns
to lead and report back to Central Government
• Not a model of how to rule, cruel and harsh-created
enemies, some of whom would eventually
overthrow them (Menes/Chaldeans)
Assyria
• While a destroyer of culture they did collect prizes
and actually created a library that had 20,000 clay
tablets from various peoples they conquered. This
provides us with much of our knowledge about
early history
• Use of sculptures and sculpted art to display
military conquests and big hunts
• Chaldeans would defeat Assyria but most of Library
was saved
• Chaldeans invented Astronomy and Astrology
Persia
•
•
•
•
Governed with tolerance and wisdom
Practiced cultural diffusion
Started in modern day Iran
Location gave it access to many trade
items
• Persia would fight to conquer an area
if necessary but once it did ruled with
an open mind
Persia
• King Cyrus began conquering-Military
Genius-hardly lost
• Would not let soldiers loot, burn, or
rape upon conquest
• Allowed citizens to honor local
customs and religions, he even
prayed in their temples
• Allowed Jews to return home and
rebuild
Persia
• Cyrus established local self governments
called provinces run by people he
conquered
• Darius expanded the empire to stretch
2,500 miles but never conquered Greece
Persia
• Darius created 20 Provinces run by local
leaders who practiced their own culture
• Darius did leave behind a Satrap or
Governor, a tax collector, and a military
leader to ensure power
• Darius was an absolute ruler and if
provinces got out of line he would punish
• Installed the use of local coins across
empire that had a standard or common
value so they could be used anywhere in
empire-this bolstered trade
• Also built a Royal Road to move goods and
army more easily and communicate
quicker-1,677 miles
Persia’s Decline
• Persia will go down to Macedonia during
King Phillip's reign and later Alexander the
Great
– Macedonia will stretch from NW India to Egypt
and Greece
• While harsh at times Alex responsible for
spreading and mixing cultures of
conquered people
• Upon his death the empire split into 3
kingdoms ruled by his generals who
competed for power
Egypt
• Located in the Nile Valley of Northeast Africa
and relied on the Nile River for life
• Nile flows North and would flood regularly on
schedule
• Surrounded by deserts so exposed to little
warfare from outside but also little trade from
outside
• Boat travel was possible but only between
cataracts or areas of elevation change/rapids
• Divided into Upper and Lower Egypt by Cataract
• Two Egypts were united either by Scorpion King
or Narmer
• Run by Pharaohs or god kings (Theocracy)
• Built Pyramids for rulers and believed in afterlife.
• Used a form of writing called Hieroglyphics and
wrote on papyrus, the first form of paper
• Developed a calendar of 12 months with 30
days per month and an extra 5 days for holiday
and feasts
• Developed taxes, geometry, math, medicine,
and used scribes
• 3 periods of dominance by ruling
Pharaohs (who passed down their rule)
– Old Kingdom-Middle Kingdom-New Kingdom
• Each time a kingdom declined due to in
fighting or outside invasion but between
individual city states ruled themselves
• During Middle Kingdom trade was
increased by building of canals. Dikes or
dams controlled the river better, irrigation
developed, they even drained swampland
to create farmland
Egypt
• Egypt formed commercial, cultural, and
political connections with Kingdom of Nubia
to the south
• After Hyksos, Pharaohs had knowledge of
new weapons (bronze) and new
techniques (chariot) and were able to
conquer their neighbors in the period
known as the New Kingdom
• Military now used divisions: archers,
chariots, and infantry
• Pharaohs/Kings used priests and
governors to help rule
Egypt
• Begins to expand in all directions,
even into Mesopotamia where it
encounters the Hittite Empire who
had expanded from Asia, neither side
can best the other
• Continued to build tombs, palaces,
statues and statues to honor leaders
and gods (Valley of Kings)
– (See Next Slide for Pictures)
Egypt's Decline
• Attacked/Invaded by Sea Peoples
(Phoenicians and others) and from
Libyans whom they had controlled
previously
• Split into several kingdoms again but all
adopted Egyptian Culture
• Assyrians would take over Egypt but the
Kingdom of Kush in Nubia was able to
migrate south and avoid Assyrian
control
• Kush would set up a kingdom on the
coast and not only save Egyptian
Culture but also establish a strong trade
network
Egypt’s Decline
• Kush’s rule became known as the
Golden Age of Meroe-based on iron ore
deposits they used for iron
weapons/tools, also had more rainfall
and grew more food
• Traveled by sea and land and goods
were traded globally, also brought in
goods from afar (India, China, Africa)
and luxury goods began to be in
demand
• Kush eventually conquered by Aksum,
an East African Empire (More on them
Semester 2)
Indus Valley
• Located in Northern part of Indian subcontinent
relying on Ganges and Indus rivers
• Seasonal monsoons would create unpredictable
flooding in summer which could create fertile soil
but also destroy crops but if they floods didn’t
come severe drought could destroy crops
• Not as much is known about these people b/c no
one has been able to translate their language
• From cities like Mohenjo-Daro and Harrapa we
know they were advanced
– Cities were built on grids, even elevated to protect
from flooding, and they had plumbing
• Isolated by major mountains like Himalaya and
Kush ranges-cut off from trade and invasion
• Appeared to have limited contact due to lack of
weapon artifacts
• Evidence of social classes
• Evidence of Theocracy and spirituality with belief
in animals and gods
– Linked to early Hinduism
• Mysterious end or disappearance but accepted
theory is major earthquake destroyed civilization
altering environment enough to cause its
collapse
India
• Mauryan Empire started by Chandragupta
Maurya-a military leader who seized power
• Withstood attack by Macedonian generals
• Maintained a huge army and relied upon
taxes to pay for it, sometimes people had
to give up ½ their yearly crops to gov.
• Relied on advisors from priestly caste
• Created 4 provinces run by royal princes
– Each province split into districts run by local
officials who taxed and enforced laws
India under Asoka
• After several weaker rules Asoka takes
over and continues warlike ways
• Later discovers Buddhism and changes to
peaceful ways
• Inscribes his new edicts or laws/policies on
pillars and erects these throughout empire
– Focus is on religious toleration and fairness
• Asoka built roads and wells along roads to
ease the traveling of his people
• After his death turmoil ensured
India under Gupta
• Chandra Gupta restores order and
establishes the Gupta Empire
• Returns to warlike ways but also uses
marriage to expand empire
• Focus on the family
– Northern India Patriarchal
– Southern India Matriarchal
• Like other empires at its height flourished
in trade, military, arts, thinkers, and
sciences
• Benefited from trade along Silk Road
• Eventually faded into small kingdoms and
overrun by outsiders
India
Indian Astronomers theorize
the earth is round
Mathematicians calculate
value of Pi
Determine length of solar
year
China
• Located between/around the Yellow and
Yangtze rivers
• Unpredictable flooding could be disastrous but
again provided fertile soil
• Isolated by deserts and mountains but still prone
to invasions, this forced them to create b/c there
was no outside trade
• Ruled by families or Dynasties according to
Mandate of Heaven-approval of gods
– Dynastic Cycle-when Dynasties lost favor of gods
their replacement or overthrow was just
• 1st Dynasty was Xia introduced irrigation,
math, and engineering
• 2nd Dynasty was Shang-provided first
written records
– Nobles lived inside city walls with peasants
living outside
– Believed in a supreme god (Shang Di) and
lesser gods
– Believed in Family with respect of elders
central to respecting all authority
– In death spirits could influence family
members
• Developed character writing that was not
dependent on language-one could read Chinese
but not speak it
– This helped to unify the area b/c all peoples could
read the same language
– It was so hard to learn only nobles kids were taught
• 3rd Dynasty Zhou
– Developed feudalism, roads, canals, cast iron, and
coined money
• After Zhou dynasties collapsed and China was in
a period of “warring state” where much of culture
and belief system were lost, especially family
values
China
• After Zhou Empire collapsed the chaos
caused by the Warring States Period led to
the development of 3 main ethical systems
aimed at restoring order
• Confucius-Harmony-Filial Piety-5 basic
relationships
– Focus on the family-honoring parents while
alive and in after life
– Established Bureaucracy-a trained/educated
civil service or gov.
– Established a system of right and wrong
adopted by governments to establish order
China
• Daoism-created by Laozi
– Only natural order is importantrelationships between all living things
– Dao is universal force-means “the way”
and guides all things
– Only humans fail to follow Dao-must
work to be disciplined
– Led to scientific pursuits in alchemy,
astronomy, and medicine
Legalists
• A highly efficient and powerful gov. is key
to social order
• Punishments are useful to maintain order
as are rewards for following duty
• Thinkers and their ideas should be
controlled by the gov.
• Encouraged book burning of opposing
ideas or criticisms
• Ruler governs and people obey
I Ching and Yin & Yang
• Others grew tired of debates between big 3
and turned to other philosophies for
answers about life
• I Ching was a book of oracles comprised of
good advice and common sense
• Yin & Yang represent natural rhythms of
life: Yin=cold, dark, mysterious while
Yang=warm, bright, hard, clear
– Balancing helps you live life and understand
where you fit into the world
Qin Dynasty
• Qin Dynasty used Legalism to subdue warring
states and unify China
• Qin ruler adopted name “Shi Huagndi” or “First
Emperor”
– Defeated inside resistance and outside invaders-doubling
size of China
– Ruled harshly
– Brought all nobles to live at capital under his watchful
eye-seized their land
– Divided empire into 36 districts run by officials of his
choosing
– Murdered Confucian scholars, burned books about
thinking and poetry-kept practical books about farming
and medicine
– Establish Autocracy-a government with unlimited power
and uses it in an arbitrary manner
China
• Built a highway network of more than 4,000
miles
• Established common standards for writing,
law, money & weights/measures
– Even cart axles so they all fit in ruts of roads
• Forced poor people to work on Great Wall
earlier built by Zhou
– Work or die
• Peasants eventually rebelled and
overthrew Qin Dynasty
• Han Dynasty would take over
China under Han Dynasty
• Based on a strong central
government
• Benefited from Silk Road
• Lasted for 400 years
• Would collapse once due to
economic, political, and social
instability but restore itself; only to
collapse again for same reasons
• Established hundreds of local
provinces or commanderies who
reported to emperor
Han Dynasty
• Moved away from Legalism
• Lowered taxes but added mandatory
1 month of labor or military service
• Known for palace politics-family
executions and assassinations to gain
power and control of empire
• Expanded the empire-used archers
on horseback
• Used a feudalistic approach to govern
empire
Han Dynasty
• Adopted Confucianism
• Created a bureaucracy and many civil service
jobs that required an exam
• Rulers also handed out gov. jobs as rewards
• Education increased as did social order due to
confucionist values
• Technology increased-paper was invented
(A.D. 105)
– 2 blade plow, collared harness for horses,
wheel barrow, iron tools, water mills
• Gov. expanded commerce and manufacturing
and competed with private owners
– Mining, minting, brewing
Han
• Population increased so agriculture was
deemed the most important job and an
honorable one above commerce
• Practiced assimilation-as they expanded
made conquered peoples part of Chinese
culture
– Sent Chinese farmers to live in new
communities, often intermarried
– Set up schools and made local scholars part of
gov.
• Chinese history begins to be recorded
under Hans
• Life for women got a little better
• Eventually got too big and weak and split
into 3 kingdoms