Ancient Civilizations:Ancient Civilizations:China and IndiaChina and India

The Indus River Valley/ HarappaThe Indus River Valley/ Harappa•Located in ancient Located in ancient IndiaIndia•People were the People were the HarappansHarappans•Not much is known Not much is known about themabout them•We cannot We cannot decipher the writing decipher the writing they left behindthey left behind

Mohenjo Daro and HarappaMohenjo Daro and Harappa•Mohenjo DaroMohenjo Daro and and HarappaHarappa were the were the major citiesmajor cities

–Indoor plumbing, Indoor plumbing, bathrooms, bathrooms, underground sewageunderground sewage

•AryansAryans–From northFrom north–religious beliefs blend religious beliefs blend with the Indus cities to with the Indus cities to form the basis for the form the basis for the HinduHindu religion religion–Brought Brought VedasVedas and and SanskritSanskrit language language

Caste System • Brought a

system of classes called “Vedas”, basis for the caste system

More History

• Maurya Empire (321 – 184 BCE)

– First great Indian empire

– Drove out the last of the Greeks (Alexander the Great)

Ashoka Maurya

– great warrior

– conquered ⅔ of India

– eventually decided that peace was better way of life and converted to Buddhism

Gupta Empire

• Restored law and order

• “Golden Age” of prosperity, literature, art, math, science; India became a center of learning

The Huang He /ChinaThe Huang He /China•Huang He; “Yellow Huang He; “Yellow River”River”

–gets its name from the gets its name from the yellow soil of the yellow soil of the region: region: loessloess–Population center of Population center of ChinaChina

•The Huang He was the The Huang He was the most isolated most isolated of the of the early civilizationsearly civilizations

•WHY?WHY?

•China has China has the longest the longest continuous continuous civilization civilization in the worldin the world

Chinese Dynasties (ruling Chinese Dynasties (ruling families)families)

•Shang Dynasty is first Shang Dynasty is first to unite Chinato unite China

–And WRITE about itAnd WRITE about it

•Zhou DynastyZhou Dynasty–During the Zhou During the Zhou Dynasty-war among Dynasty-war among rivals…BUT also rivals…BUT also economic growth economic growth

•TRADETRADE

•Chinese PhilosphersChinese Philosphers–Confuscious alive during Confuscious alive during the Zhou Dynastythe Zhou Dynasty

•Not well known until much Not well known until much laterlater

•China no longer unitedChina no longer united–Dynastic CycleDynastic Cycle

Qin DynastyEventually China is united Eventually China is united under the warlike Qin under the warlike Qin Dynasty 221BCDynasty 221BC

–This empire gives This empire gives ChinaChina its its namename

•reorganized the reorganized the government government •Standardized money, Standardized money, weights & measuresweights & measures•Burnt books containing Burnt books containing different ideasdifferent ideas•Began The Great Wall of Began The Great Wall of China to keep out hostile China to keep out hostile neighbors to the north (214-neighbors to the north (214-208 BC)208 BC)•Built extensive roads and Built extensive roads and canalscanals

•Major achievements:Major achievements:–GunpowderGunpowder–Moveable type and paperMoveable type and paper

“ A common man marvels at uncommon things; a wise man marvels at the commonplace.”

- Confucius