India

Geographic Geographic Setting of Setting of

IndiaIndia

Indian subcontinent is a large peninsula

Surrounded on three (3) sides by the Arabian Sea, Indian Sea, and Bay of Bengal

In north, the Himalayan Mountain Ranges separate India from the rest of Asia

Hindu Kush Mountains on the northwest also present barriers to travel

This barriers allowed first Indian civilization to develop mostly on its own, yet India was not totally isolated

Indian subcontinent has diverse geographic features

Three major regions are the Northern Plain, Deccan Plateau, and Coastal Plain

Three great rivers the Indus, Ganges and Brahmaputra

The chief feature of the Indian climate is the monsoon,a seasonal wind system

Indus Valley covered an area larger than te Old Kingdom of Egypt (1,500 sq km)

Physical Map of Physical Map of IndiaIndia

The Two CitiesThe Two Cities1. Harappa2. Mohenjo-daro The ruins of Harappa and Mohenjo-daro revealed that they were products of careful planning

Excavated were houses, granaries, and public halls, which suggest a high level of civilization

HarappaHarappa

Mohenjo-DaroMohenjo-Daro

Government and Government and ReligionReligion

Scholars assume that a priest-king headed the government and that the rulers must have a considerable power

The two cities were polytheistsThey also worshipped animals such as the bull and certain sacred trees

Economic LifeEconomic LifeAgricultural economy thrived in the Indus Valley civilization

Food surpluses supported the large population and prompted the growth of trade

Merchant classes acquired wealth from trade and commerce in the cities

End of Indus Valley End of Indus Valley CivilizationCivilization

Finally it ended in 1500 BCEScholars believe that in 1500 BCE, Aryans invade Indus Valley

Dravidians were the survivors of the Indus Valley civilization

Their civilization, as revealed from the remains of the Mohenjo-daro, showed a static society

Geographic Setting of Geographic Setting of Ancient ChinaAncient China

Four outlaying regions Manchuria, Mongolia, Sinkiang, and Tibet surrounded the heartland of china

Geographic barriers surrounds china1.Himalayas in Tibet, world's highest mountain ranges2.Deserts such as Gobi3.Pacific Ocean to the east

Chinese considered themselves unique and believed that their land was at the center of the world. They called it Chung-kuo, which means the "Middle Kingdom"

Huang Ho or Yellow River provides water for irrigation, fishing, and transportation

Rainful is not regular, so the area suffers from both drought and floods

Chinese called this as the River of Sorrows

The Shang CivilizationThe Shang Civilization

The first ruling family in china, and it survived until 1122 BCE

They were political leadersThey prayed made offerings

Performed sacrifices to gain good harvest

They had also special powers of calling upon their ancestors

The emperor ruled over their capital city and the surrounding regions

Early Chinese Early Chinese CivilizationCivilization

System of WritingSystem of Writing

During the shang dynasty that the chinese developed a system of wrting

Early chinese wrote pictograms like the Egyptians and Sumerians

They also added ideograms as symbols that expressed ideas

Under Shang dynasty, Chinese writing included over 3,000 symbols or characters

Religious BeliefsReligious Beliefs

They believed that many gods and spirits lived in nature

Main god is Shang-ti presided over heaven and the other gods

They believed their gods to be powerful that they could caused flood

As Chief priest shang king made daily sacrifices

Shang priest also tried to tell the future

A priest scratched a question on an ox bone, then he carved notches on the bone and touched the notches with a heated bronze rod. The heat caused the bone to crack.

The priest interpreted the cracks to find an answer to the question. Bones used for telling the future were called "oracle bones"

Daily LifeDaily LifeExtended family was the focus of village life

Family members of different generations lived in the same household

Headed by the eldest male, this is because they respect their anestors and they have great respect for age and a deep feeling of duty to family

Among the royal families and nobles, men often have more than one wife

Her sons were the most important

Among peasant families, men normally married only one woman