The Main Societies, Kingdoms, Empires, 8000 BCE-600 CE

RIVER VALLEY CIVILIZATIONS

Mesopotamian Societies

-3500 to 2000 BCE river systems in Middle East, India, China made the first four civilizations-Sumerian Babylonian civilization in Mesopotamia-Sumerian Babylonian lay between Fertile Crescent, the Tigris and Euphrates rivers-Sumerian Babylonian practiced large agriculture and started settling in 8000 BCE-Sumerians were first in Mesopotamia followed by Babylonians that had political dominance-Mesopotamians had many cities and were governed by a small class of priests and kings-Sumerians had first written language, Cuneiform-wedged characters in clay -King Hammurabi had first law code, harsh punishments, but valued rules and regulations to be followed-people of Mesopotamia built ziggurats-temples to honor gods and goddesses-polytheistic religion-Mesopotamians developed base-60 number system-great with trading and had economy into the Middle East and Indian Ocean

Egypt

-civilization was found on the banks of the Nile River-dependency of the water of the Nile River-agriculture settling, 5500 BCE-King Menes in 3100 BCE united Southern and Northern Egypt-Political breakdown in Egypt: Old Kingdom, First Intermediate, Middle Kingdom, Second Intermediate, New Kingdom-900 BCE most of Egypt had no independence-women subordinate to men and had domestic responsibilities of money and teaching children-women owned property, could divorce-Queen Hatshepsut was the pharaoh of Egypt-polytheistic religion-Egyptian book of the dead-talks about Egypt’s afterlife and the tombs-written script hieroglyphics developed 3100 B.C.E. -good metalworking-great knowledge about medicine, math, and astronomy

Indus Valley Civilization

-Indus river civilization developed on coast of the Arabian sea and is present day Pakistan and Northwestern India-developed around 2600 BCE-little knowledge about their religion, culture, declines-very widespread and urban-thought to be very unified and centralized-lots of cities –largest: Mohenjo and Harappa-trade extended beyond the civilizations borders-metalworking was strong-thought to have declined due to invasion from Aryans or to environmental factors

Early China and the Yellow River

(Shang then Zhou)

-this river valley civilization came about along the Yellow River-Yellow and Yangtze rivers centered on agriculture, and they held social and political unity-2000 BCE China had bronze working-Shang dynasty-started in Yellow river 1750 BCE, warrior aristocracy-traded jade, ivory, silk-pictograms were the Shang system of writing- worship of ancestors and fortune telling was in religion-King Wu was ruler of longest lasting Zhou Dynasty 806 years-overthrew the Shang-Zhou considered to be “the warring states period” and had internal decline-Zhou had innovation, some conserving of the Shang-600 BCE , Chinese had iron tools-Zhou had Mandate of Heaven-if a ruler governed fairly he would have a divine right to rule-Confucianism and Daoism developed during this time

THE CELTS

-not civilized and not politically united-first ethnic group in Europe that was large scale-strongest influence was in Spain, France, British Isles-no written language-practice oral tradition -polytheistic and priests were called druids

THE ANCIENT MIDDLE EAST

-Hitties dominated Mesopotamian region in 1200’s BCE-Assyrians made the world’s first empire had new weapons-Nebuchadnezzar was the ruler of the Neo-Babylonians (Chaldeans) who conquered Assyrians-Nebuchadnezzar made hanging gardens of Babylon-Persians made the Persian Empire one of the largest ever before Alexander the Great conquered-Cyrus the great, first Persian ruler-single currency, postal system, network of roads-Zoroastrianism-faith of the Persian people, Persians had religious tolerant-Macedonia and Alex the Great conquer Persia, 331 BCE -Hebrews in Israel under Abraham were first monotheistic religion-Jews were enslaved by Egypt, conquered by Assyrians, taken over by Neo-Babylonians (Chaldeans)-Phoenicians were on the east coast of Mediterranean, had economy based on purple dye and timber-Phoenicians had first alphabet and city of Carthage rivaled Rome-Lydians invented metal coins

GREECE AND ROME

Early Greek History

-Aegean civilization (island of Crete) and the Mycenaean civilization (Greek mainland)-both civilizations were trading societies-Mycenaean fought in the Trojan War-the two civilizations joined to be called the Greeks, or Hellenes-joining of two were the “Greek dark ages”

Greek City States

-Greeks were on islands and couldn’t make a single united nation-city states were all independent of each other and were created to compensate for the island locations-Corinth, Thebes, Sparta, Athens all city states-Sparta had strong slaveholding dictatorship, had Greek’s most effective and feared army-Athens was politically and culturally advanced, had trade and power from naval work-most politics in Greek city states were family oligarchies-slavery common in Greek city states-subordinate women-Athens had first democracy and Pericles was the peak of democracy, no women involved

The Classical Period (500-338 BCE) and Age of Alex the Great

-Two major wars between Persians and Greeks where Persia invaded Greece and Spartan and Athens fought back-Peloponnesian War-civil conflict for power of Greek world between Spartans and Athens-Sparta won the war over Athens -Greek city states were weakened significantly by the outcome of the war-Alexander conquered the Greeks (creating Macedonia-Greek kingdom preserving Greek culture) then crossed Asia to conquer the Persian Empire-Alexandria, city in Egypt became center of learning and trade under Alex the Great

Hellenic (Greek) Culture

-Greeks were polytheistic-emphasis on science-celebrating life, humanism-literature-Socrates, Plato, Aristotle-Aristotle-developed parts of current scientific method

Early Roman History

-City of Rome developed in the Mediterranean-Rome had a long lasting empire that dominated the Mediterranean and its bordering places-Rome had monarchy and foreign rulers, Etruscans-Romans retaliated making Roman Republic

Roman Republic

-during the period there were issues with the lower and higher classes-Senate was ruled by the upper class-executive power within consulsExpansion into Mediterranean power-Rome v. Carthage-Punic Wars-Rome won Punic wars and was strongest state in the Western Mediterranean-Rome moved into Asia and Egypt and into Europe after victory in Punic wars

Collapse of Roman Republic

-small farmers went bankrupt because of the fall of grain prices-increased use of slave labor by large landowners caused problems-poverty increased-civil wars 91-30 BCE-Julius Caesar, had dictatorial power in Rome’s 2nd Civil War-Caesar was assassinated in 44 BCE

The Roman Empire

-Roman Empire developed after Roman republic and remained for almost 5 centuries-Caesar Augustus was Julius Caesar’s grandnephew who ruled first in Roman Empire-Augustus renewed wealth and strength and had long reign (Rome’s Golden age)-300 CE, Eastern Roman empire broke away and was called Byzantine Empire-military was stretched and politics couldn’t sustain the remaining Western half or what was left of the Roman Empire-army gained lots of control over imperial government, economy had troubles-476 CE, Western Roman Empire and the city of Rome were taken over by gothic tribes and had fallen

Roman Society

-distinction between citizens and non citizens-subject peoples were still respected as long as they obeyed Roman law, they had no civil rights-overtime divisions between upper and lower class weren’t as strict-wealth determined place in society-heavily relying of slave labor -strictly patriarchal, but became more accepting to women to divorce and have economic rights by the late republican roman period

Rome’s Cultural Legacy

-Romans admired Greek culture-Romans were builders and engineers-aqueducts: efficient transfers of water-Eastern part of Roman Empire where Christianity was created-Christianity was Roman Empire’s official religion

CHINA THROGUH THE HAN AND SUI DYNASTIES

-Qin dynasty made dictatorial by leader Huangdi-Qin had Great Wall that did not always keep invaders out of China-strong emperor, legalism, large bureaucracy

The Han Dynasty

-long lasting in China, efficiently governed empire-Emperor Wu Ti ruled Han-Han armies expanded-Han had tributary system that gained payments from neighbors-monopoly of silk production in China-government corruption, economy slumped, bad agriculture production contributed to fall-Sui reestablished order in 589 CE way after 220 CE when Han fell

CENTRAL ASIA

-origin of many nomadic groups-Tartars, Seljuks, Ottomans origins-Mongols and Gupta Empire of India originated

EARLY JAPAN

Origins of Japanese State

-unknown not found/proven

The Nara State

-first imperial state under rule of Yamato family-Shinto religion made the emperors valid under the Sun god-Nara, Japan’s capital-Chinese had impacts on Japanese art, religion, literature

CLASSICAL INDIA

Aryan Invasion

-Northern India was invaded by the nomadic group of the Aryans-Aryans set up a warrior aristocracy-Aryans and the current Indians were blended in culture making Indian culture-Sanskirt in India for religion and reading-Vedic and Hindu religion-strict and complex caste system

The Mauryan Empire

-brought India together as a single state-strong military-extensive trade-cotton was a key good-Ashoka was emperor and converted to Buddhism-trade with India-Ashoka pushed for harmony between Buddhists, Hindus, and other Indian religions

The Gupta Empire

-collapse of Mauryan empire by outside attacks-Gupta controlled northern and central India-smaller and less centralized than Mauryan but had strong culture and economy-religious toleration amongst rulers- trade with China and S.E.A.-concept of pi and the decimal system-Huns created the fall of the Gupta Empire -India was decentralized when the Gupta fell

BYZANTIUM

-Eastern Roman Empire when it separated-capital built at Constantinople-provided commercial and cultural connections among Europeans and people of the Middle East and Asia-preserved Christianity in middle east and Eastern Euro-Emperor Justinian had built the church of Hagia Sophia which is now a mosque-Corpus Juris Civils-reiterating Roman law code under Justinian -Byzantine empire captivated most of Western Roman Empire’s holdings before it collapsed-lost some ground to Islam spreading in Africa and Middle East

EARLY MEDIEVAL EUROPE

The Concept of “Middle Ages”

-collapse of Western Roman Empire caused the middle Ages or medieval period

Barbarian Invasions

-Europe was invaded by various barbaric tribes-Germanic invaders and Asiatic (Huns) were prominent invaders-sometimes settled in Europe’s lands

The Bantu

-Bantu people came from the Niger River basin of West Central Africa-helped shape sub Saharan Africa’s culture-depended upon cattle for economy

Nubia and Ghana

-besides Egypt, first major civilization in Africa was in Nubia and Ghana-Nubia helped link trade from north and south -powerful nation of Kush in 1750 BCE -Ghana, on the Atlantic Coast was the land of gold- Ghana was part of the trans-Saharan trade network

EARLY CULTURES IN THE AMERICAS

Mexico and Central America

-Olmecs located on Coast of the Gulf of Mexico -were not near a major river system-Teotihuacan was one of the world’s biggest cities-City of Teo. Was taken over by the Mayans

Andean Societies in South America

-Andean cultures were skilled with weaving and metalworking-heavily urban-the plains in the lands were ideal for nomads

North American Cultures

-Anasazi-ancient one -cliff dwellings of North Americans