Development and
Interaction of Culture
Religions
belief systems
Philosophies
Ideologies
Early Societies and their Religions

Mesopotamia
Polytheistic
Worshipped their gods at Ziggurats

Early Hebrew
Also worshipped Mesopotamian Gods until
Moses introduced monotheism to them
Israelites and Jews then worshipped Yahweh
Early Societies and their Religions

Egypt and Nubia
Polytheistic, worshipped
deities, their main ones
being Amon and Re
Egyptians built pyramids
in honor of their gods
Nubians built temples in
honor of their Gods
Egyptian Cult of Aten was
one of the World’s first
expression of
monotheism
Sudanic and Niger-Congo
peoples held monotheistic
religious beliefs
Early Societies and their Religions

Harappan society
◦ Consisted of fertility
cults
◦ Aryan religion
 Polytheistic, Indra was
main deity
 Ritual sacrifices

China
◦ Relied on early myths
and legends

The Mayan Society
Polytheistic
Used Popol Vub as a
creation myth
Bloodletting rituals

Early Societies and
Persia
Zarathustra’s dualist
teachings
Other religions that
promised salvation were
practiced as well
Judaism
Christianity
Buddhism
their
Religions
Manichaeism

China
◦ Philosophies
include:
 Confucianism
 Daoism
 Legalism

Confucianism
Daoism
India
◦ Main religions
 Jainism
Classical
 Buddhism Societies
 Mahayana
Religions
Hinduism
and their
Legalism

Greece
Polytheistic
Had religious cults such as
the Cult of Dionysus and the
Egyptian cult of Osiris which
promised salvation
Hellenistic philosophies
include:
Stoicism, Epicureanism, and
Skepticism

Rome
 Polytheistic
 Embraced religions of salvation
and stoicism
 Christianity arose in Rome after
the life of Jesus
Classical Societies and their
Religions

Silk Road

Byzantine
 Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism and Manichaeism (dualist
religion) diffused throughout the route
 Christianity held a close relationship with the imperial
government
Classical Societies and their
Religions
Art & Architecture

Sumerians
Constructed massive religious
temples called ziggurats

Mesopotamia
King Nebuchadnezzar built
defensive walls around new
Babylonian Empire: The Hanging
Gardens of Babylon

Egypt
Built cities and pyramids
Produced fine linen textiles

The Olmec Society
◦ Constructed
ceremonial centers

Teotichucan
◦ consisted of a
marketplace,
apartments, temples,
etc.

Persia
◦ Persian Royal Roads
were developed – 1600
miles long

China
 The Great Wall was started
under the Qin Dynasty
 Terra cotta warriors were
buried in the first emperor’s,
Qin Shihuangdi, tomb.
 Silk textiles were huge in
China
 Introduced sheets of paper
to the world
 Ceramic art

Greece
 Myceaneans built heavy
fortifications to protect their
settlements
 Used fresco art

Rome
 Roman temples
 Paintings from Etruscan tombs which represented
scenes from everyday life
 Roman roads spread throughout their empire
The trade routes connected cross cultural exchanges on
the Silk Road
 Coin currency
 Glass blowing techniques
 Roman mosaics
Science & Technology

Sumerians
Created the wheel
Lead to transportation
methods

Mesopotamia
Mesopotamian scholars
were devoted to science and
mathematics
Prepared accurate calendars
Divided hours of the day,
minutes and seconds

Hittites
Refined the technique of
iron metallurgy

Egypt and Nubia

China

Mayan Society
Bronze and Iron metallurgy
was slowly introduced into
their society
Not able to control the
production of bronze
metallurgy
Used iron metallurgy
Priest constructed the most
elaborate calendar of the
ancient Americas

600-1450 Dar al Islam Middle East, West
Europe,Sub-Saharan Africa, South/SE
Asia
Post=classical

Middle East

Sharia ,Umma, Caliphate, Dhimmi,5
Pillars
House of Wisdom

West Europe

Battle of Tours Caliphate of Cordova,
Crusades, Cannon, cathedrals
Conflict between cultures
South/South East Asia
Indian Ocean/Silk Route trade,Delhi
Sultanate, Hindu/Islamic conflict, Sufi
mystics
A clash again

Sub-Saharan Africa

Mansa Musa,Islamic scholarship, tradinng
network, mosque of Timbuktu
Islamic Kingdoms

East Europe

Great Schism, St. Cyril in Russia, East
Orthodox Domed architecture
Byzantium continued

East Asia

Buddhism, Neo-Confucianism, Tang
sponsored Buddhism,
Sinification of Korea, Vit Nam and
Japan

Latin America

Monumental architecture, sacrifice, Inca
theocracy
Priests wielded tremendous
polythistic power
1450-1750 West Europe
Protestant Reformation, Reconquista, 30
years war
Divine Right of Kings Absolutism
East Europe
 “Westernizing” campaign of Peter the
Great, Czarism, pogroms, Catherine’s
Enlightened despotism

Russia becomes absolutist

Sub-Saharan Africa

Animism, Islam, Conversion of Kongo
royalty
Europe remains coastal

Latin America

Jesuits, forced conversion, encomiendas
God of the Gold and glory

East Asia

Catholic and Protestant European
missionaries, Matteo Ricci in Ming Dynasty
In comes Europe

South Asia

Tolerance of Akbar, Taj Mahal, Sufi Islam,
Din Ali Din
Mughal Empire

Middle East

Ottoman, Safavid, mosque building,
Janissaries, millett system
Mighty Muslim Gunpowder
Empires

1750-1900
Age of revolutions
 Industrial age
 Age of reason
 Age of imperialism

A movement away from religion

West Europe

Communism, Capitalism, imperialism,
socialism,
A civilizing and Christianizing
mission