Unit 2 Study guide

India

Geography Indus Valley is the area in Southeast Asia – including modern-day India,

Pakistan, and Bangladesh Ganges River is the most sacred river in India Himalayas are a large mountain range to the North of India, which created a

trade barrier and slowed the spread of ideas in Ancient times. Monsoons are seasonal winds that blow from different directions during

different times of the year. They greatly affect agriculture and climate patterns.

Indus River is the site of the FIRST Indian civilizationo Between 3000-1500 BC TWO major cities were founded – Harappa and

Mohenjo-Daro

Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro Population: 35,000 in each city These cities were very carefully planned

o Streets laid out in gridso Walled neighborhoods with multi-story buildingso Mud brick housingo Water and sanitation systems **PLUMBING**

We do not know what happened to these civilizations, maybe an earthquake, flood, or environmental damage

Aryan Invasion Aryans: Indo European nomads who migrated south to India through the

Hindu Kush using the Khyber pass during the Vedic Age. Polytheistic – worshiped gods and goddesses that embodied natural forces such

as sky and sun, storm and fire

Caste system – social groups into which people are born and cannot change out of

o The Indian caste system functioned as a political institution by enforcing rules about social behavior.

[Helped Aryans gain power over other groups]

[Reinforced through Hinduism and still present in Indian culture]

Hinduism

A major world religion was not founded by one human being, and is called the “oldest living religion”

Sanskrit is the ancient language used to record religious texts All beings, from the smallest organism to man, are considered manifestations of

Brahman: the all-powerful spiritual force The Vedas – Hindiusm’s book of laws explain expectations of daily morality

based on the following:o Dharma – your duty, the rules you must follow for good karmao Karma – all of the actions in this life that affect your next life o Societal norms – the Caste system (untouchables are bottom)

Hinduism and Buddhism share the idea that the soul is reborn after death.

Buddhism Founded by Siddhartha Gautama

o Began his life as a prince, and denied his wealth and privilege. When he went outside the palace, he observed human suffering and pain for the first time.

o He started searching for WISDOM and ENLIGHTENMENT

Four Noble Truths: Main ideas of Buddhist teachingso All life is full of sufferingo We suffer because we desire thingso The way not to suffer is to overcome desireo To do that, we must follow the Eightfold Path

Eightfold Path o Right viewo Right Intentiono Right speecho Right Action

o Right livelihoodo Right efforto Right mindfulnesso Right concentration

Buddhism teachingso REFUSED the Caste system – all people are capable of reaching

Enlightenment, or the highest level of wisdom o Promoted Meditation and Yoga - mindfulness to find clarityo Borrowed karma and dharma from Hinduismo Reincarnation – people with go through a cycle of death and life – reborn

into a new life based on good or bad things you doo Nirvana – ultimate goal of enlightenment – released from cycle of death

and rebirth

Indian Dynasties

Mauryan Dynastyo Aryan influenced the development of Hinduism and Buddhismo Founded by Chandragupta Maurya (324 – 301 BC)o King set up his government with governors and secret police

Asoka – the greatest emperor of this time o Most influential in the spread of Buddhism throughout India

Missionaries, gave up war and violence, civil improvemento Architecture – Asoka built temples and sculptures to teach about

Buddhism Stupa: a shrine that houses Buddhist relics

Gupta Dynasty – the golden age of India o Learning, art, and literature flourished o Mathematics: Arabic numeral system and the concept of zero o Preserved the Hindu tradition o Traded with China, Southeast Asia, and the Mediterranean

ChinaGeography

2 major rivers contributed to ancient developmento Huang He - The Yellow River, aka China’s sorrow because of

frequent floodingo Yangtze (Chang Jiang)

Surrounded by deserts – Gobi and Taklimakan Bordered by mountains – Himalayas and Tian Shan

o Deserts, the Pacific Ocean, mountains, and jungles kept China isolated

Culture Language

o Pictograms: Written Chinese is made up of thousands of characters. These are symbols that represent things.

o Although Chinese people spoke many different dialects, they all used the same written language.

Trade o The agriculture surplus led to an increase in trade. The most important

item was silk, and it was a closely guarded secret. The Chinese were the first to spin silk into thread.

o SILK ROAD – the trade route that connected China to the West Covered 4,00 miles – carried goods across land and water

DynastiesShang Dynasty (1750 – 1122 BC)

o Economy was based on agricultureo Known as master bronze makerso Aristocracy – rich upper-class land owners who ruled

Constantly at waro Ruled as independent city states – much like Sumero Strong belief in the afterlife

Used oracle bones as a way to communicate with ancestors. Questions were carved into the bones, then heated or broken.

Early Chinese religion can be described as praying to deceased ancestors of kings as middlemen to the gods.

Zhou Dynasty (1045- 256 BC) 900 years, longest lasting dynasty

Rulers said their powers came from the godsEconomy based on agriculture and trade with Mesopotamia

o Used the Mandate of Heaven/ Dynastic Cycle to justify their rule and overthrow of the Shang:

Heaven, the law of nature, kept order in the universe by choosing the king.

Was used to explain the rise and fall of different dynasties. When a ruler took over, they claimed they had earned the mandate of heaven

The dynastic cycle helped describe the rise and fall of dynasties. o King ruled over an imperial Bureaucracy – government organized so that

most decisions are made by state officials rather than elected representatives

o Feudalism: nobles owned the farmland and had peasants to work for them. These workers paid the nobles for the use of the land and the nobles paid part of that to the king.

Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC) Shi Huangdi- first emperor of China o Unified china under a single leadero Legalism: philosophy that taught that rulers should be strong and

government with absolute power - strict laws, and enforce them with strong punishments

People who opposed his rule were punished or executedo DRAMATICALLY CHANGED LIFE IN CHINA

Centralized government Built roads and canals for travel and trade Single currency Unified written language

o Great Wall of China: built to defend the country from invaders in the North

Longest man-made structure – over 3,948 mileso His tomb was filled with life-size terra cotta soldiers to protect him in the

afterlife

Han Dynasty (206 BC – AD 220)

o Adopted Confucianism as philosophyo Rulers were chosen by merit, not by birth.

They took civil service exams to earn government positions. o Advancements

Expanded the silk road Paper – made with hemp/linen and bamboo Acupuncture Textiles – weaving cotton into cloth

ConfucianismLess concerned with afterlife, more about improving present life Earth

Confucius was a famous Chinese thinker and social philosopher. He wanted to be a political advisor but was rejected, so he became a teacher.

Teachings o people were born good and that bad behavior, or evil was learned behavioro Filial Piety: personal interests were subordinate to the needs of the

family and community – RESPECT YOUR ELDERS

Daoism Founded by Laozi, the “ Wise Old Master” o People should be ruled by instinct an conscienceo Simplicity is the key to truth and freedom o Worship all living things and speak with ancestors through oracle bones

Yin and Yang – interdependent forces that keep the universe in balance

Name ______________________________

Study Guide Practice

India

1. Aryans traveled to India during a time period known as the

____________________.

2. The ____________ dynasty was also known as the “Golden Age of India”.

3. ____________ and Mohenjo-Daro were very carefully planned ancient cities with walled neighborhoods and sanitation systems.

4. The ancient language of India is _____________.

5. Social groups into which people are born and cannot change out of are

known as the _________________ system.

6. In Hinduism, ______________ is the concept of having a duty in life, and rules to follow to earn good karma.

7. Asoka built many ____________ around India to reinforce the spread of Buddhism around his territory.

8. Hinduism and Buddhism both respect the concept that there is a cycle

Harappa Dharma Gupta

Vedie Period Stupas

Sanskrit Caste Reincarnation

Name ______________________________

of life and death we go through called ________________________. China

______1. Feudalism

______2. Daoism

______3. Legalism

______4. Great Wall of China

______5. Civil Service Exams

______6. Han Dynasty

______7. Silk Road

______8. Mandate of Heaven

______9. Aristocracy

______10. Filial Piety

______11. Bureaucracy

A. trade route connecting China to the West

B. king chosen by heaven, used to explain rise and fall of dynasties

C. upper-class land owners

D. King gave land to nobles in exchange for military service

E. strict laws enforced with punishment

F. a system of government divided into differnt levels where decisions are made by officials instead of elected representatives

G. well known for terra cotta soldiers

H. worship all living things

I. Help give government jobs based on merit and skill rather than favors

Name ______________________________

J. personal interests subordinate to needs of family

K. built to keep out barbaric invaders