Classical Civilizations

World History HonorsUnit 2

Unit 2

▪ India

▪ China

▪ Ancient Greece

▪ Ancient Rome

Hinduism

▪ One of the oldest religions on earth today

▪ Probably created by combining traditions from Vedic gods with the traditions of Central Asia

▪ Archeologists studied artifacts throughout the Indus Valley that relate to Hinduism that were not found in Vedic civilizations.

Hinduism

▪ Worship of several gods and Hindus allows individuals to choose a religious path that best suits:– Social Needs

– Intellectual Needs

– Emotional Needs

– Spiritual Needs

▪ No central deity

▪ No single founder

▪ No single book of authority

Brahma – The Creator

Vishnu – The Sustainer

Shiva

The destroyer

Ganesha

God who can overcome any obstacle

Yama

▪ God of death

▪ Judges the souls of dead

Hindu Beliefs – Life Cycle

▪ Believe in reincarnation – notion that a soul goes through many births and deaths before reaching its ultimate state.

▪ Ultimate goal is to reach moksha– This is a state of extreme enlightenment

and reuniting with Brahman.

▪ Traditionally done by moving up through the Caste System

Hindu Beliefs - Karma

▪ Karma translates as – “deeds”

▪ Measure of everything he/she has ever done and the effects of those deeds

▪ Karma carries over from one life to the next and determines your destiny. – Good Karma = Higher Form

– Bad Karma – Lower Form

Hindu Beliefs - Dharma

▪ Dharma refers to the religious and moral rights and duties governing individual conduct.

▪ The collection of these laws are known as the dharmasutras

▪ Refers to social order or Right Conduct

Buddhism

▪ Emerged in India

▪ Is an outgrowth from Hinduism

▪ All began with one man – Siddhartha Gautama – More commonly: Buddha or the Enlightened

One.

▪ He kept a lot of the Hindu beliefs except those surrounding the Caste System

Reaching Enlightenment

▪ Nirvana – state of complete enlightenment –essentially moksha

▪ Must follow the Four Noble Truths

▪ Derived from this is the Eightfold Path

▪ By following the above steps you create a lifestyle

Four Noble Truths

First Noble Truth

▪ Suffering and misery exist all around us and affect absolutely everything that lives.

1. There is suffering.

Second Noble Truth

▪ Desire creates suffering because people become attached to material objects. If people do not desire material objects, they will not suffer.

2. Suffering has an origin.

Four Noble Truths

Third Noble Truth

▪ If one can learn to see the material world as an illusion or a false image, then one can achieve nirvana or enlightenment.

3. Suffering can end.

Fourth Noble Truth

▪ There is a method of achieving nirvana and this bringing suffering to an end. This method is called the Eightfold Path.

4. There is a path out of suffering.

Buddhism Today

▪ One of the most famous Buddhists today is the Dalai Lama.

▪ Recognized at age 2 as the reincarnation of Buddha. He is the 14th Dalai Lama.

▪ He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989

Spreading of Religions

▪ Both religions started in northern India, but only Buddhism spread far across Asia. This was because:

▪ Emperor Asoka, an advocate of Buddhism, sent out religious emissaries throughout his empire.

▪ They traveled along trade networks like the Silk Road which helped spread the religion throughout Asia and the Middle East.

Maurya Civilization

▪ Established by Chandragupta Maurya in 320 B.C.

▪ He controlled most of Northern India and pushed Alexander the Great out of the Middle East.

▪ He created a strong government.

Maurya Civilization

▪ After Chandragupta died his grandson, Asoka, took power.

▪ He started his rule by conquering territories and going to war.

▪ Over time he got tired of all these battles and became a Buddhist, in turn making his people Buddhist.

Rich Through Trade

▪ B0th the Maurya and Gupta Empires flourished because of trade

▪ Used camels on land and boats on the Indian Ocean

▪ Allowed the government to promote the architecture, math and science

Created a Rigid Caste System

▪ Priests and Teachers

▪ Kings and Warriors

▪ Merchants

▪ Peasants

▪ Untouchables – no one had anything to do with them and did menial jobs that were degrading

Unit 2

▪ India

▪ China

▪ Ancient Greece

▪ Ancient Rome

Confucius

▪ One of two of the biggest contributors to Eastern Asian ways of thinking (philosophy)

▪ He was the biggest proponent of the “Golden Rule” which many religions adopted

Confucius

▪ He believed that education and self-improvement would improve (bringing order to human life) – Social Order

– Political Stability

– Universal Peace

▪ Big supporter of family and respecting your parents (filial piety)

Confucius – Important Relationships

1. Ruler and ruled

2. Father and son

3. Older/younger brother

4. Husband and wife

5. Friend and friend

Lao-tzu & Taosim

▪ Unlike Confucius he was not concerned with order in human life but with how humans can live in harmony with nature.

▪ The Tao – mysterious force that flows through the entire universe

Qin (Ch’in) Dynasty

▪ Before the dynasty China was broken up into a variety of feudal states– System of government in which local lords governed

their own lands but owed military service and other support to a greater lord

▪ They were at war and eventually the Qin emerged as the strongest and became leader over the others

Cheng’s Rule

▪ First leader was named Cheng. – He had unlimited authority

(autocrat) and outlawed feudalism.

– Expanded empire

– Created the Great Wall

▪ He was ruthless and supported the idea of Legalism which stated:– Human nature not to be trusted

– Strict laws

– Severe punishment

Fall of a Dynasty

▪ What do you think lead to the fall of this dynasty?

▪ Cheng died and his son took power, but was weak.

▪ Most people did not like the ruthlessness of Cheng and eventually the peasants revolted and put a new dynasty into power.

Han Dynasty - Peasant to Ruler

▪ Liu Bang was a peasant and became ruler after the fall of the Qin Empire.

▪ He disagreed with the existing harsh policies

▪ Instead took the philosophies of Confucius and incorporated them into society.

Government

▪ Confucius philosophy

▪ Kept some views of legalism –ex. “rule of law”

▪ System of provincial governments that controlled different areas of China

Civil Service

▪ Created a system of civil service based on merit and not corruption

▪ People selected based on their ability to perform (YAY)

▪ Created different tests and skill abilities to determine whether you could do the job (huge influence today)

Question:Is merit important?

Silk Road

▪ Emperor Wu Ti had heard rumors of powerful and wealthy lands in the West

▪ Sent an explorer and group of 100 men to explore the west– Only 2 returned with amazing stories

▪ Wu Ti later sent gifts to establish trade with the West and Silk Road became one of the most widespread trade routes.

Fall of the Han Dynasty

▪ Corruption in government

▪ Different political ideologies

▪ Loss “Heavenly Mandate” –emperors given authority by religion