World Civilization
The period of human being
1. Age of stone ( Prehistoric period )
2. Age of metal ( Historical period ) – learn language
Age of stone
1. Paleolithic age ( Old Stone Age )
-
No words
-
Used sound similar to animals
-
Hunting equipments were made by stone
-
Caveman
-
Weather changed a lot
Evidence of human being
1. Homo Habilis or man with ability
-
Big skulls ( different form animals)
2. Homo erectus
-
Start to walk with two legs
-
Java man ( Indonesia )
-
Peking man ( China )
3. Homo sapiens
-
Can think and imagine
-
Find clothing by hunting for skin, make fire to keep warm
4. Homo sapiens sapiens
Achievements
-
Clothing
-
Fire
Belief: Animism; spiritual power, superstition, ghost ( cant be fixed)
-
Artwork; cave painting ( >1,000 years ago )
-
Ex. Lascaux, France
2. The Neolithic age (New Stone Age) covered with ice
The implements: big size of stones
o
o
o
The importance of agriculture revolution

Living in permanent places (plants, settle)

Practicing new concepts of public property (have leader)

Setting up regulations of society
Religion (Systematic belief, symbol)

Polytheism: believe in many gods and goddesses ex. Hindu

The Mother Earth ( Goddess of the Earth)

Sculpture of woman (Venus)
Art
3. Age of metal (have continents)
The implements; metals
-
Copper
-
Iron
-
Copper + tin=bronze
The way of life: food producers
The characteristic of society; river valley societies
4. Achievements
-
Smelting metals
-
Irrigation system (water management sys., dam)
-
System of writing (pictograph: first form of writing)
The Ancient River Valley Civilizations
1. The Tigris-Euphrates ( Mesopotamian Civilization)
2. The Nile (The Egyptian Civil)
3. The Indus (The Indus Civilization) in Pakistan
4. The Yellow river or Hwang ho River ( The Chinese Civilization- successful)
Periods of the world
1. Ancient period
2. The middle period ( Middle Age) ; Muslim
3. The modern period from Renaissance
Mesopotamia Civilization
(Fertile Crescent)
1. Geographical & Historical Background
-
Mesopotamia (Greek word) = a land between the rivers (The Tigris and The
Euphrates)
-
Problems:
o
The regions: deserts and no natural barriers (no mountains, cannot plant)
o
The Tigris and the Euphrates are unpredictable rivers
2. Groups of people
2.1 Sumarians
-
The political system : city-states
-
The leader : priests
-
Theocracy ex. Vatican
2.2 Akkadians
-
Sargon the Great
-
The political system : empire
2.3 Amorites (Babylonians)
-
Great leader : Hammurabi (first spoken law)
2.4 Assyrians
-
Great fighters or warriors
2.5 Chaldeans
-
Nebuchadnezzar : Hanging Gardens
2.6 Persians
-
Warriors
3. Religion & the Afterlife
-
Religion: Polytheism (believe in many gods and goddesses)
-
View of life: Pessimistic concept (pessimism) don’t like god
-
Afterlife: no concept of afterlife (diebe with the god)
4. Achievements
4.1 Irrigation system
4.2 Mathematics: number sixty (time)
4.3 Lunar calendar (by Sumarian but failed)
4.4 System of writing: Cuneiform writing (wedge-shaped characters)
4.5 System of law: Code of Hammurabi (An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth)
5. Art
5.1 Architecture
-
Ziggurat : Sumarians
-
Invention of the arch, the vault, and the dome ex. St.Peter Church
5.2 Literature
-
Epic (long poem): the epic of Gilgamesh
-
The adventures of the Amorite leader
-
Decision-making of God to destroy the world with flooding
-
The secret of immortality (through natural disaster) Noar
Egypt Civilization
Geographical Background
-
The center of Egypt: The Nile River
-
The regions: natural barriers
-
The Nile: gentle and predictable river
Historical Background
-
-
-
Egyptian region
o
Upper Egypt (southern Egypt)
o
Lower Egypt (northern Egypt)
Narmer (Menes) unite Egypt
o
Unification of upper and lower Egypt
o
Establishment of the first dynasty
o
Egyptian ruler: Pharaoh (great house of palace)
o
Pharaoh: Human-being
Zoser (start civilization)
o
Establishment of the Old Kingdom
o
The building of the first pyramid
o
Pharaoh: the son of the sun god (god-king), unlimited power
o
The custom of marriage (marry with his own sister)
-
o
Egyptian political system: bureaucracy
o
Egyptian government

Pharaoh

Vizier: Pharaoh’s advisor

Nomarch: leader of province (collect tax)
Ancient Egyptian
o
The Old Kingdom
o
The Middle Kingdom
o
The New Kingdom
1. The old kingdom
-
Social and economic stability
-
The great period of architecture
-
The decline of the old kingdom
-
Problem of governmental revenue (Momarch)
-
Political chaos
2. The middle kingdom ’The Golden Age of Ancient Egypt’
Achievements
-
The growth of trade
-
Democratic religion
o
Middle class (official and merchants) can help for eternal life (pyramid)
The end of the middle age
-
Hyksos attacked the middle kingdom
3. The new kingdom (shortest, weakest)
Religion
-
Pharaoh Ahmose (declare independent)
-
Pharaoh Akhnaton and Tutankhamen
-
Invasion of Ethiopians, Nubians and Persians
-
Alexander the great (Greek Civilization) – set Greek civil in Egypt (Alexandria)
-
Ptolemy: Ptolemy dynasty
-
The last pharaoh of ancient Egypt: Cleopatra (Juliet Cecar’s wife)
1. Polytheism
-
Amon or Ra (god of the sun)
-
Isis (Goddess of the Nile and fertility) wife
-
Osiris (god of the afterlife) husband
2. Monotheism
-
Akhnaton (New Kingdom) introduced the only one god named ’ Aton’ (Sun god)
3. Polytheism
-
Tutankhamen or ’ Tut’ changed to polytheism
-
View of life: optimism
-
Afterlife (eternal life)
Achievement
1. Astronomy
-
Perfect calendar
-
The appearance of Sirius (dog star = flooding)
2. Mathematics
-
Arithmetic and geometry
-
Triangles, rectangles and hexagons
3. Medicine
-
Simple operations
-
Material Medica or catalogue of medicines
-
Mummy
Art
1. Architecture
-
Pyramids
-
The great pyramid of khufu or Cheops at Gizeh
2. Sculpture
-
The Sphinx (power of Pharaoh)
3. System of writing
-
Hieroglyphic: pictographic system (use pictures)
-
Papyrus
4. Literature
-
The Pyramid text or Coffin text (talk about death)
Comparison between Mesopotamia and Egypt
1. Mesopotamia had no natural barriers
Egypt was protected from invaders by many natural barriers
2. Mesopotamians’ rivers were unpredictable rivers, whereas Egyptians’ river was predictable
one
Indus Valley and Indian Civilization
The Indus Civilization
- Location: The Indus River
- Native people: Dravidians
- The remains of Mohenjo-Dan and Harappa
- The political system: Theocracy
- The system of writing: pictographic system
The decline of the Indus Civilization
- Landslides (lives in forest)
- Malaria
- Invasion of Nomads or Normadic people (travellers) : Aryans
Indian civilization
Historical background
-
Native people: Aryans (central Asia)
-
Center: the Ganges River
-
Indian caste system
-
The invasion of Greek: Alexander the Great (lost but bring unity)
-
The Periods of Indian Empire
o
The Maurya Empire
o
The Kushan Empire
o
The Gupta Empire
1. The Maurya Empire
-
Chandragupta Maurya
-
Ashoka the Great
o
He expanded territories
o
He believed in Buddhism
o
He practiced the Buddhist ’ middle way’, non-violence or ahimsa
o
His state was rules with ’ law’ and ’ morality’ (dharma)
o
His empire had internal prosperity and external peace
o
His empire was attacked by invaders
2. The Kushan Empire
-
Christianity
-
The growth of trade (silk way)
3. The Gupta Empire
-
Astronomy: Solar Eclipse
-
Theory of zero
Literature
-
Ramayana, Mahabharata
-
Persian, Turks, and Afghan Muslims (invade Indian civilization) bring Islam to India
The relationship between India and China
1. Religion: Mahayana Buddhism
2. Trade: the silk road
Social Structure
The caste system (caste: varna = colour)
-
Brahmans (the priests)
-
Kshatriyas (the warrior, the leader) + the king (ruler)
-
Vaishyas (the farmers, the traders)
-
Shudras (the unfree or slaves) only Dravidian
The main concept of caste system
-
The status cannot be changed
-
Each caste was special duties and privileges
-
The outcastes are called pariahs or untouchable
Religion
1. Polytheism (God of the sky, God of the storm, etc.)
2. Hinduism (Brahmanism)
-
The principles of Hinduism
o
Reincarnation (Samsara) die  soul goes to other place  born again
o
Karma – it is the tally of good and bad committed in a given life
o
Code of morals (Dharma) - Buddha’s teaching
o
Caste system
o
Polytheism
Three Great Gods
1. Brahma (the creator)
2. Vishnu (the preserver)
3. Shiva (the destroyer)
Texts:
-
The vedas (hymns) – songs for god (read by Brahmans)
-
The Upanishads (moksha) – holyscripter of Hinduism (about ultimate goal)
The ultimate goal of Hinduism
- Moksha (freedom)
The method
- Training of Yoking (Yoga) – torture themselves
Moksha
- The individual soul (Atman)
- Brahman (the soul of the universe)
- The situation that the individual soul is reunited with the Brahman, Moksha(don’t born again)
Buddhism (reformation)
-
The founder: Prince Siddhartha Gautama of the Shakya tribes
-
Text: The Tripitaka – Upanishads
-
The ultimate goal of Buddhism: Nivvana (emptiness)
-
The method: meditation
-
The sects of Buddhism
o
Hinayana (Theravada) : The narrower vechicle
o
Mahayana : The larger vechicle
1. Hinayana (Theravada)
-
Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, etc.
-
Buddha’s teaching
-
It emphasizes individualism
-
Cannot have female monk, etc.  rule
2. Mahayana (The practical sect)
-
China, Korea, Vietnam, Japan, etc.
-
Tripitaka is a sort of first step rather than the ultimate word
-
It emphasizes other people
Achievements
1. Sculpture
-
Hindu sculpture
-
Buddhist sculpture
2. Architecture
-
Temple, buildings
Chinese civilization
Geographical and Historical Background
-
Location: the Yellow River (Hwang Ho River)
-
Chinese people: Mongoloid or yellow-skinned race
Period of Ancient Chinese Civil
1. Shang Dynasty
- Two characteristics of chinese
o Conservative society
o Unique society
 Chinese people had their own lifestyle ex. Ancestor worship, Family name,
chopsticks
 Ideographic (idea-in-signs): a written symbol that represents an idea or a word
2. Chou Dynasty
The political system: feudalism
-
Landlords (local rulers)
-
People
3. Chin Empire
’ First Emperor’ or Shin-Huang-Ti
-
Establishment of centralized empire
-
Unification of Chinese society
-
The Great Wall of China
-
’Burning of the Books’ : Burn all books excepts books about medicine before he died
4. Han Empire (Golden Age of Chinese Civilization) – longest
-
-
-
Wu Ti (Martial Emperor)
o
The greatest expansion of China
o
The growth of trade: silk (Han Empire and Kushan Empire)
Bureaucracy
o
Emperor
o
Two senior officials (Prime minister and head of civil service)
Chinese governor
o
-
Competitive public examination (Confucianism)
Wang Mang (a powerful minister)
o
Economic problem
o
Civil wars (Rebellion)
Philosophy
1. Confucianism (Chou dynasty)
-
Founder: Confucius (Master Kung)
-
Book: Confucian classic ( Five classic)
-
Classic of Changes
-
Classic of Poetry
-
Classic of Rites (ceremony)
-
Classic of History
-
Spring and Autumn Annals
-
The main principle
- Ethical knowledge
- Responsible works to society (Five relationships)
-
father and son
-
husband and wife
-
elder and younger brother
-
ruler and official
-
friend and friend
- characteristic of gentleman
-
integrity
-
righteousness
-
loyalty
-
altruism (unselfish)
-
human-heartedness
2. Taoism (Chou dynasty)
-
Founder: Laozi (Lao-tzu)
-
Book: Dao De Jing or Tao-te Ching (Book of changes)
-
Main principles
- Ethical knowledge
- Individualism
- Harmony with nature
- Search for balance between opposites ( Yin and Yang)
3. Mandate (order) of Heaven (Chou dynasty)
-
The ruler was the deputy of heaven (a good ruler)
-
If the ruler misruled, he would get the punishment from heaven (revolution or
rebellion)
4. Legalism (Chou dynasty)
-
Legalism was practiced by statesmen or governors
-
Most people were selfish
-
Leader should guide people to do good
-
Leader got law to control people
-
Leader should force and order people to do their works
Greek Civilization (Hellenic = Ancient Greece)
Historical Background
-
The region: mainland and many islands
-
The political system: city-states (Polis)
-
The outstanding cities: Athens & Sparta
The political evolution of Greek city states
1. Monarchy (king)
2. Oligarchy (few people make decision together)
3. Tyranny (Tyrant) dictatorship
4. Democracy (power to people)
Sparta (Militarian)
- The main character: warrior
- The class system



The Spartiates
-
Citizens of Sparta
-
All male Spartiates were full-time soldiers
The Perioeci
-
Non-citizen inhabitants of Sparta
-
They had the right to own lands
-
No political involvement
The Helots (serfs)
-
An unfree population group
-
The political rights: male citizens
Athens
- The first Athenian who issued the law code was Draco (Monarchy)
- Solon

Reformation of Draco’s law

Establishment of Oligarchy

Sharing power of Athenians
- Pesistratus: the first of the Athenian tyrants
- Hipplas
- Cleisthenes: Father of Athenian democracy

Democracy = the power to people

Introduction of ostracism
-
Voting to expel someone from community for ten years
- Dericles: the Golden Age of democracy
- Athenian democracy introduced: Freedom, Equality, Citizenship
Athenian Democracy

Women & foreigners were excluded from the political rights

Direct democracy: Representative democracy
An outstanding war of Athens
The Peloponnesian War (Athens VS Sparta)
-
The Growth of Athenian imperianlism (power of colonization)
-
The social and cultural differences between Athens and Sparta
-
The economic factor

The result: Sparta won and the power of Athens declined
-
The Macedonians: Philip of Macedon
-
Alexander the Great
-

The growth of trade

The great expansion

The introduction of Hellenistic civilization
Hellenistic is a new civilization that combines western and eastern civilization together
Religion
-
Polytheism
-
Gods and goddesses: anthropomorphic character
-
Humanism

Dignity of man

Value of man

Ability of man
God and goddesses
-
Zeus (the sky god and father of gods and men)
-
Hera (Zeus’ wife)
-
Poseidon (the sea god)
-
Ares (god of war)
-
Aphrodite (goddess of love)
-
Athena (goddess of wisdom and goddess of Athens)
The Greek temples:
-
House of gods and goddesses
-
Religious places
Greek Art
-
Literature

The outstanding epics: the Iliad and the Odyssey of Homer

The Iliad  Trojan war

It presented the abduction of Helen, the wife of Menelaus, by prince Paris of Troy

It was the war between Agamemnon and Troy

Troy was destroyed

The Odyssey presented 10-year journey home of Odysseus after the Trojan war

Greek drama


Tragedy

Comedy
The purpose was to worship Dionysus (god of wine and spring)

-
-
Theatre: Amphitheatre (semi-circle)
Architecture

Doric: the Parthenon of Athens

Ionic

Corinthian (Hellenistic period)
Sculpture

Greek sculptures: human figures
Greek philosophy
-
Sophist

Individualism (answer the questions about human-being)

The arts of debate
Greek Sophist
-
-
Socrates

He emphasized on human ethics

Socrates’ method of learning is questioning

It consists of asking questions and analysing the answers to get the truth

He was interested in political theory

He was executed by the Athenian court
Plato (Socrates’ student)

His school: Academy

He was not interested in politics

Idealism
Outstanding works
1. Theory of Ideas
-
Human world

Material world (tangible world = changeable)

Ideal world (never changed)

Ideal world is the most important part of human world
2. The republic
-
Plato’s ideal state
-
Three classes of people: Philosophers, soldiers, and farmers
-
Good ruler was a philosopher-king
-
Aristotle (Plato’s student)

His school: Lyceum

He believed in human reasons (rationalism)

Theory of ideas

Agreement of material world and ideal world of Plato

Both material world and ideal world were equally important

Geocentric (earth is the centre of system)
Roman civilization
Geographical background
-
Location: Italian peninsula
-
The center: Rome
-
Groups of people

Italic people: the ancestor of Roman

Etruscans (Asia Minor): Northern and central Italy


Achievements of Etruscans

Architectural styles (the arch, the vault, dome)

Gladiatorial combats (entertainment and punishment)
Greeks: the southern Italy

Greek language
Historical background
-
The founder of Rome was Italic people
-
Etruscans took over Italic’s power in Rome
The political system (first political record)

Monarchy
- King
- Assembly (all male citizens of military age)

Votes for a charge in the law
- Senate (Council of elders)

Leader of each family

The highest power of the state

(they can become king, can vote for the king)
- Italic people expelled the Etrascan king.
2. Republic
- 2 consuls (elected leader)
- Assembly
- Senate
- Classes of people (2 classes)

Patricians: aristocracy, land owners (members of the Senate)

Plebeians: common people (merchants, farmers and artisans)
- The struggle of the Orders (a political conflict between Patricians and Plebeians)
- Rebellion of Plebeians
- Tribunes

Establishment of the first written law (Law of the Twelve Tables)

The equal rights of Romans
Two great consuls were Pompey (father in law of Julius Caesar) and Julius Caesar
Pompey was killed in Egypt. (by Cleopatra)
-
’ I come, I saw, I conquered’ (veni, vidi, vici)
-
Caesar controlled all powers as a dictator for 10 years
-
He expanded Roman territories
-
He reformed the Egyptian calendar to the calendar of 365.25 days
-
He was assassinated by Brutus and Cassius
Two consuls
-
Octavian: Caesar’s grandnephew (gain popularity)
-
Mark Antony: Caesar’s friend (envy Octavian)
-
Conflict between Octavian and Antony
-
’ The battle of Actium’ Octavian won
-
Octavian became a leader of Roman civilization
-
He accepted the title of Augustus by the Senate
3. Principate
-
The leader is Princeps or first citizen of the state
-
All people get the same rights
-
Golden Age of Roman Civilization
-
’ Pax Romana’ or Roman peace
-
Achievement

Latin literature

Scientific achievement

Ptolemy: Geocentric theory (wrote down with Latin language)

The growth of trade

Expansion
4. Empire (head of state)
-
The great emperor was Marcus Aurelius (last emperor)
-
The power of Rome’s decline


Internal factors

Lack of manpower

Plague (black death)

Lack of civic concerned
External factor

Germans
Religion
-
Polytheism

Jupiter (the sky god)

Mars (god of war)
Achievements
1. Engineering (buildings, roads, bridges, aqueducts)
2. Literature

Latin language

Ciero (the greatest master of Latin prose style)

Introduction of Stocism

Emphasis on duty and self-discipline of people to society (¬Confucianism)
3. System of Law

The law of the Twelve Tables

Code of Justinian (Roman Emperor)

European Law
4. Architecture

Arch, vault, and dome

Etruscans

3 famous buildings

The Pantheon in Rome

The Colosseum in Rome

The Forum in Rome
5. Sculpture

Equestrain statue (a statue of a person on a horse) : statue of Marcus Aurelius
Islam (Religion)
Historical Background

The birthplace : the middle East (Arabia)

The native people : Arabs

The early Arabs worshiped many gods

Founder : Mohammed

One God : Allah (only god)

Islam : submission to the will of God

Moslems : surrender to God or those who submit

Those who submit to the will of Allah will live forever in heaven and will not suffer in
hell.

Mohammed is the last prophet (the massager of the God) of Islam

Koran : the holy text


The direct word of God and basic religious obligations

Five pillars : 5 religious obligations (must do)
The-basic ideas of Islam came from Judaism and Christianity
Judaism

The founder : Abraham

The Holy text : The Ten Commandments

God : Jehovah
Christianity

The founder : Jesus

The holy text : The Bible

God : No name

Mohammed ordered Moslems to pray and turn their face towards Mecca (city) 5 time a
day

Jihad is the holy war of Moslems

Moslems who die to defend their religion, they would automatically attain heaven

The political system : Caliphate

The leader : Caliph
The first caliph is

Abu Bakr

Omar

Otsman

Ali (relative of Mohammed)
Two sects of Islam
1. Shi'ites (minority)
- Shi'ites believe in Ali as the only caliph
2. Sunni (majority)
- Believe in 4 caliphs
The battle of Tours
-
It is war between Abu Bakr and Charles Martel (French leader)
-
Martel won and stopped the expansion of Moslems in western European countries
The Basic Obligation of Islam
-
The 5 Pillars of Islam
1. Only one god : Allah
2. Praying at five different times/ day and facing Mecca City
3. Fast of Ramadan
4. Charity
5. Pilgrimage : Hadj (Mecca)
Art
1. Architecture : Dome, arches and towers (of Mosque)
Middle Age of Western Civilization
-
Middle Ages (medieval period) of western civilization is located in Western European country
-
The centre of Christianity is Italy
-
The centre of Islam is Spain
Historical Background
-
After the collapse of Roman Civilization, many invaders moved to this society.
-
The Carolingians (a royal family) moved to northern France, Belgium and Western Germany
-
The outstanding leaders were Charles Martel and Charlemagne ( Charles the Great)
-
Charlemagne established Holy Roman Empire
-
After Charlesmagne's death, his empire was divided into 3 portions
-
The rise of independent states such as England, France, Germany
Religion
-
Christianity : The age of Faith Dark Age
-
The leader of Catholic : church is the pope ( now is Pope Francis 260th )
-
Canon Law – law of catholic people/ church
The political System
-
The manorial system or Feudal System
-
It consists of Landlord and vassal
King
•Overlord (the greatest landowener)
Vassals in
chief
Vassals
Serfs
•The people who the king gave the land and
titles
•Must be royal to the king
•The people who were given the land
by the vassals-in-chief and worked for
them
•Vassals - knight training
•The people who were hired
to farm on the land that the
vassals held - serfs
Palena – King's house
Castle – Vassals in chief's house
Religious war
-
Crusade war was a religious war between Christianity and Muslims
-
Christian military recovered Jerusalem (the holy land) from Muslims
Philosophy
-
The knowledge of philosophers
o
Catholic : faith
o
Aristotle : human
-
Thomas Aquinas introduced a new programme of study called scholasticism ( a combination of
Catholic faith and human reason)
Art
1. Architecture : Gothic style (France)
Characters of Gothic style
o
Towers
o
Arches
o
Vault
o
Stained glass window
2. Literature
o
Latin Language
o
Vernacular languages