Shamelessly Stolen from http conaapwh weebly comclasspowerpoints html

Shamelessly Stolen from: http: //conaapwh. weebly. com/classpowerpoints. html ASIAN EMPIRES 600 BCE TO 600 CE

BELL WORK � Review 10/13 your religion notes � Turn in your DBQ, make sure your name is on it. Highlight or underline your thesis statement before turning in.

CHINESE EMPIRES � From 1100 BCE until the 200 s CE -> 3 great dynasties ruled China � Zhou (JOH) � Qin (CHIN) � Han (HAHN)

THE ENDURING ZHOU � Ruled China for more than 800 years -- more than any other dynasty � Zhou dynasty conquered the Shang dynasty � Claimed rule under Mandate of Heaven � Said Shang lost mandate by ruling poorly

� To control their land, the kings set up an agricultural system in which nobles owned the land & peasants worked it � Each of these lords had total authority over their city & had their own armies � Eventually, the lords had more power than the king � City-states warred with each other -- locked in a struggle that ended the Zhou era

THE ENDURING ZHOU � Technological advances of the Zhou Dynasty: � Built roads & expanded foreign trade � New weapon: the crossbow � Iron plows � Irrigation & floodcontrol systems

THE MIGHTY QIN � Conquered the Zhou � “First Emperor” = Qin Shi Huangdi

� United much of the nation under 1 strong government � Organized the empire into military districts -1 official per district � Created a universal system of weights & measures � Standardized coins, created a uniform writing system & set up a law code throughout China � Used forced labor to dig canals & build roads

TERRA COTTA ARMY

THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA � � Built in northern China to prevent attacks from the north Connected a series of walls that already existed Took several years & over 300, 000 Chinese peasants --> thousands died Stretches over 4, 000 miles

THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA

QIN’S STRICT RULE � Imposed a tax on landowners � Appointed only educated men as officials to run his government � Censored & burned books � People couldn’t write about the past

� Subjects saw Qin as a cruel tyrant � 210 BCE = Qin died & dynasty soon came to an end � Lasting Legacy = new ways of organizing & unifying the nation

THE GLORIOUS HAN � Ruled China for more than 400 years until 220 AD � Used same forms of centralized power as the Qin, but not as harsh � Rivaled Roman Empire in its power & achievement

THE GLORIOUS HAN � Reached its peak during the reign of Wudi � Extended the empire � Sent armies against nomadic invaders � Interested in the West -especially the Roman Empire

THE GLORIOUS HAN � Trade routes to the West developed � Major trade route = Silk Road � Linked East & West � Allowed traders to exchange Chinese silk for Middle Eastern & European products

PAX SINICA � Chinese Peace = 400 year period of prosperity & stability � China fed its population by storing grain during times of plenty & selling it when harvests were poor

INVENTIONS Silk � Paper � Gunpowder � Wheelbarrow � Printed books � Suspension bridge � Compass � Iron drill bits �

PAX SINICA � Talented, intelligent people were appointed to government jobs -- NOT family � They were given tests to see if they were qualified � Evolved into civil service system = a system that allowed anyone with ability to attain public office --> unfortunately, this usually favored the wealthy because education was expensive � Created a new class of well-educated civil servants = called mandarins � Controlled government until early 1900 s

LEGACY OF THE HAN Han power declined & dynasty fell apart after Wudi’s reign ended � Modern Chinese refer to themselves as Han � Modern day Chinese is written in Han characters �

SOCIAL HIERARCHIES: CHINA AND INDIA

PATRIARCHY IN CHINA Women considered subordinate to men � Hierarchy within the family: � Fathers � Sons (oldest to youngest) � Mothers � Daughters (oldest to youngest) �

� “Men go out, women stay in. ” Men = public and political roles � Women = domestic roles at home � � 3 Obediences: women obedient to first their fathers, then their husbands, then their sons

INFLUENCE OF DAOISM � Yang = superior principle = masculine and related to rulers, heaven, strength, rationality, and light � Yin = inferior principle = feminine and related to subjects, earth, weakness, emotion, and darkness � The yin and yang are permanent and embedded within the universe � Gave justification to the natural superiority of

LOOSENING OF STRICT PATRIARCHY � Collapse of Han Dynasty (400 s CE) � Nomadic people invaded northern China � Their women = far less restricted � This influenced native Chinese women Elite women started to handle legal and business affairs � More women rode horses, played polo, wore men’s clothing, etc. �

CHINESE SOCIAL STRUCTURE Emperor Elite Government Officials Landlord Class (Scholar-Gentry Class) Peasants (90% of population) Merchants

CHINA’S LANDLORD CLASS � Threatened state authority � Avoided paying taxes � Decreased state revenues � Increased tax burden on the peasants � Raised their own militaries � Benefited from: � Wealth they gained from their land � Power and prestige that went with the education they paid for

CHINA’S PEASANT CLASS 90% of the population � Suffered from: famines, floods, droughts, hails, pests, etc. � State authorities demanded that they: � Pay high taxes � Provide one month’s labor every year on public works projects � Serve for 2 years in the military (men only) �

YELLOW TURBAN REBELLION Peasant uprising around 184 CE � In response to floods along Yellow River, resulting epidemics, and general misery & poverty � Wanted a “Great Peace” with social harmony, equality, and common ownership of property � Suppressed --> but weakened the Han dynasty �

CHINA’S PEASANT CLASS � Though oppressed, peasants were still honored in a way because they provided for their country � Backbone of China � Hard-working � Provided food = survival for all

CHINA’S MERCHANT CLASS � At the bottom of society � Seen as unproductive and as profiting off of the hard work of others � Seen as greedy and materialistic � This went against Confucian values

CASTE SYSTEM IN INDIA � Similarities with China’s Social System: � Social status determined at birth � Little (if any) social mobility � Sharp class distinctions and great inequalities � Inequalities justified by religious/cultural traditions as natural and inevitable

CASTE SYSTEM IN INDIA � “Caste” = comes from Portuguese word casta, which means “race” or “purity of blood” � 4 varnas = ranked classes in the Indian caste system � Each varna had its own duties � Born into and remained in your varna for life

CASTE SYSTEM IN INDIA Brahmins = Priests Study & teach the Vedas; perform religious ceremonies to please the gods & ensure welfare of people Kshatriyas = Warriors; Rulers Study the Vedas; lead government; head army Vaisyas = Common people: merchants, artisans, farmers Tend herds, care for land; make & sell useful products Sudras = Native, non-Aryan people = Unskilled laborers, servants Serve other varnas Untouchables = Outside of Caste System Perform tasks considered unclean These 3 classes = regarded as pure Aryans

CASTE SYSTEM IN INDIA: FORMED FROM THE BODY OF PURUSHA Kshatriya = from the shoulders Sudras = from the feet Brahmins = from the head Vaisya = from the thighs

THE UNTOUCHABLES Outside of the varna system � It was believed that if people in higher castes came into contact with the untouchables, then their ritual purity would be “polluted” � Untouchables used separate wells, separate bathrooms, separate temples for worship, etc. � Many untouchables had to wear wooden clappers to alert others when they were approaching �

THE UNTOUCHABLES � Common jobs of the untouchables: � Clean bathrooms � Handle and cremate corpses � Clean and skin dead animals � Butcher animals � Executioners

CASTE SYSTEM IN INDIA � Each varna was further divided into sub-castes called jatis � Jatis were typically formed according to occupation --> ex: shoemakers, weavers, etc. � Each jati had its own rules for daily life -- including diet, marriage, and social customs

� People were not allowed to mix with others outside of their jati � Could only eat with others in your jati � Could only marry someone in your jati

� Dharma = the faithful and selfless performance of one’s present caste duties � Karma = determined which caste you would enter at birth � Adhering to dharma and subduing your ego ensured spiritual progress, good karma, and possible birth into a higher caste when reincarnated

INDIA’S GREAT CIVILIZATIONS

ARYANS Developed a new civilization in modernday India � Located in the Ganges Plain & the Indus River Valley �

WAYS OF LIFE � Loosely organized into tribes of nomadic herders � � Cattle were the basis of their diet & economy � � Each tribe was led by a rajah = chief Also served as money Tribes were often at war; raided each other’s cow herds

� Indus River Valley was ideal for farming --> so people eventually settled down into agricultural communities � People also hunted game; ate bananas & cucumbers � Men dominated the society � Women � Boys didn’t challenge their authority & girls of high rank attended school

MAURYAN EMPIRE � Led by Chandragupta Maurya Strong leader � Developed a postal system � Maintained a strong army � � Located in northern & central India

� Ashoka = Chandragupta’s grandson � � � Indian civilization blossomed under his reign His empire covered 2/3 of the subcontinent Gained this land with fierce wars of conquest & merciless armies After witnessing the horrors of battle, he vowed to never go to war again Followed the teachings of Buddha

ASHOKA � Created laws called the Rock Edicts --> laws were carved on rocks throughout the empire � � Stressed concern for other human beings Set up free hospitals, roads, and rest houses

� Empire declined after Ashoka’s death His successor’s charged heavy taxes � Also took crops from poor workers � People turned against them �

GUPTA EMPIRE � � Developed 500 years after the Mauryan Empire (around 310 AD) Started by Chandragupta I (no relation to the other) Ruled northern India for more than 200 years This period is called India’s Golden Age � � Arts & sciences flourished Maintained authority with trained soldiers, spies, & assassins

Hinduism was the official religion � Built Hindu temples � Temples decorated with brightly painted sculptures of Hindu epic tales �

GUPTA LIFE Empire reached its height under Chandragupta II who gave people more freedom � However, status of women declined � Parents chose husbands/wives for their children � Child marriages were common �

Court welcomed poets, playwrights, philosophers, and scientists � Learning & education promoted � Writing focused on religion & folktales �

GUPTA ACHIEVEMENTS � Made advances in mathematics --> mostly algebra Invented concept of zero � Explained concept of infinity � Created Arabic Numberals (#s 1 -9) �