WEEK 2 Egypt & China Standard 2 EGYPT & CHINA VOCABULARY Mummification Wudi Pharaoh Hieroglyphics Monopoly Dynastic Cycle Confucius Hatshepsut Dynasty Bureaucracy Shi Huangdi Clan Rosetta Stone Warlord Feudalism EGYPT- GEOGRAPHY Nile River (Worlds Longest R iver)- Gift of the Nile Regular, clockwork flooding controlled through irrigation ditches & reservoirs Used for travel & trade Two Regions- Upper & Lower (Divided by cataracts ) United by King Menes in 3100 BCE EGYPT- RELIGION Polytheistic with thousands of deities (supernatural beings) Tied to politics Pharaoh (king) is seen as a living god Strong influence on treatment of the dead (mummification) Gods Amon-Re- Chief God Osiris- God of the Dead & the Nile EGYPT- SOCIAL ROLES Egyptian Society had a hierarchy like most others Pharaoh & Royal Family Government Officials, High Priests/Priestesses Merchants/Scribes/Artisans Land-Working Peasants (Largest Group) Women were treated better than most in the ancient world They could inherit land, work in business, & obtain divorces Many could not read or write & were prohibited from holding government jobs EGYPT- POLITICAL STRUCTURE A very well-organized bureaucracy System of govt with different job functions and authority levels Many govt functions were overseen by a vizier (chief master) Egyptian govts strength can be measured in the vast buildings they built that still stand today Powerful Rulers Hatshepsut- Egypts first female ruler Ramses II EGYPT- CULTURAL CHOICES Mummification Process for drying out & preserving the bodies of the dead Reflects Egyptian beliefs about the afterlife (paradise) Pyramids Built to memorialize pharaohs and rulers Over 130 still stand in Egypt today EGYPT- TECHNOLOGY Hieroglyphics- Egyptian writing using symbols Hieratic Writing- Simplified version of writing used for daily life Rosetta Stone- A stone with 3 ancient languages written on it Allowed scholars to decipher hieroglyphics Developed a calendar that became the basis for our modern calendar (with some changes) Medical innovations such as complex plastic surgery (Nose & foot repairs) CHINA- GEOGRAPHY Isolated by barriers (mountain- west & southwest, rainforests- southeast, desert- north, Pacific Ocean- east) Civilization began along the Huang River Valley (Yellow River) AKA- River of Sorrows because of its massive flooding that has killed thousands CHINA- CHINESE DYNASTIES History of China has been traced through the various dynasties from the ancient world until the present century Shang, Zhou (Joe), Qin (Chin), Han, Sui (Swee), Tang, Song, Yuan (Yoo-wan), Ming, Qing, Republic, Mao Zedong These dynasties rose and fell through a process known as the dynastic cycle Old Dynasty falls on hard times (crisis) Loses the Mandate of Heaven New Dynasty promises change & brings it Over time, the New Dynasty becomes the Old & process repeats CHINA- RELIGION Shang/Zhou Dynasties Mix of animism, some ancestor veneration (respect) & polytheism As the Zhou was beginning to fall, 2 major belief systems rose Confucianism- Founded by Confucius (Famous teacher) Believed society could be reformed through five key relationships for social harmony as well as filial piety (respect for elders) Also believed king has to be a strong moral example Not actually a religion, more of a philosophy Daoism- Founded by Laozi More focus on harmony with nature and less with humans Many Daoists became artists, hermits CONFUCIUSLAOZI CHINA- ECONOMICS Money economies had been present in the Zhou Dynasty, but they were wide and diverse because the region was broken into many different feudal states Under the Qin Dynasty (China was unified as one state), Shi Huangdi issued one standard set of coins During the Han Dynasty, Emperor Wudi opened up the Silk Road, linking China to the West Silk Road eventually stretched for 4,000 miles (all the way to the Fertile Crescent) and dominated trade in the region. Led to a new flow of goods and ideas CHINA- SOCIAL ROLES Shang Dynasty Hierarchy much like other societies (King/Warriors, Merchants/Artisans, Peasants) Foot Binding Painful tight binding applied to a womans foot to discourage foot growth during the Song Dynasty Way to symbolize male dominance of the period CHINA- POLITICAL STRUCTURES Shang Dynasty- Clan-based govt with limited kings Zhou Dynasty- Feudalism ruled System where rulers govern their own lands but offer service and support to a central ruler Qin Dynasty- Founded by Shi Huangdi First central unification of China Ruled by strict legalism Belief that man is evil and needs strict laws to be controlled Han Dynasty - Most famous leader was Wudi Adopted civil service system based on merit (Opposed to family ties) Used a grueling exam process that continued into the 1900s CHINA- TECHNOLOGY Written language almost 4,000 years old Current writing system is one of the most difficult to learn Need to know several thousand characters just to read a newspaper Also began calligraphy (art of beautiful handwriting) First books created under the Zhou Dynasty Manufactured paper created under the Han Dynasty Also innovated printing/movable type (Song Dynasty), Gunpowder (Song Dynasty), compass (Han Dynasty), and playing cards (Tang Dynasty)