Phoenicians

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Phoenicians

• Who were they?
• They were a group of powerful traders.
• Where did they settle?
• An area around modern day Lebanon
• What are they known for?
• Remarkable shipbuilders and seafarers, first
  people to go beyond the Strait of Gibraltar.

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Phoenicians Cont

• What did they trade?
• Cedar wood, dyed red-purple cloth, oil wine,
  weapons, etc.
• What legacy did the Phoenicians leave behind?
• The Phoenician alphabet
• Why did they develop this system?
• They needed a way of recording transactions
  clearly and quickly.

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Geography of India

• Referred to as a Subcontinent because the Hindu
  Kush, Karakorum, and Himalayan ranges separate it
  from the rest of Asia - Geographically isolated
• Having the tallest mountains in the world
  protects the Indus Valley (fertile plain formed
  by the Indus and Ganges rivers)

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Monsoons

• Seasonal winds
• October-February (winter monsoons from the
  northeast blow dry air westward across the
  country.
• June-October (winds shift, blow eastward from the
  southwest, carries moisture from the ocean often
  resulting in flooding when it doesnt drought
  usually occurs)

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Environmental Challenges

• Yearly floods deposited rich soil over a wide
  area (unpredictable)
• Rivers sometimes changed course
• Cycle of wet and dry seasons brought by the
  monsoon winds was unpredictable (drought and
  floods)
• Mountains and deserts

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Major Indus Valley Cities

• Kalibangan, Mohenjo-Daro, Harappa
• Strong central government
• Sophisticated city planning built on a grid
  (plumbing and sewage systems)
• System of writing has not been deciphered
• Religious (believe to be a theocracy)
• Trade began around 2600 B.C. (gateway to the sea)
• Earthquakes and floods ended the reign in the
  Indus Valley

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Maurya Empire

• Chandragupta Maurya was able to support his
  successful war efforts by levying high taxes
  against his citizens. Ie. Farmers had to pay ½
  the value of their crop to the king.
• Used the Arthasastra rulers handbook
• tough policies
• spying on people
• political assassinations

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Chandragupta Maurya

• Chandragupta created a highly bureaucratic
  government, divided the empire into 4 provinces,
  each headed by a royal prince. Each province was
  divided into local districts, whose officials
  assessed taxes and enforced the law.
• Capital was a vast, lavish city

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Asoka (Chandragupta Mauryas Grandson)

• Asoka wages war early in his campaign in order to
  expand his empire
• Converts to Buddhism (after a bloody conquest),
  so he treats his subjects fairly and humanely,
  nonviolently, engaged in religious toleration
• Asokas death is the downfall of the Mauryan
  Empire (period of turmoil) because there is a
  power vacuum created from his absence. The
  different provinces split and rule themselves
  independently. Wars frequently fought b/w them
  in a struggle for power.
• India is invaded by Greeks, Persians, and Central
  Asians.

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Gupta Empire

• Chandra Gupta emerges (c. 320 A.D.) and
  establishes the Gupta Empire
• Most communities were farming, patriarchal
  societies. (northern India)
• Southern India was organized into matriarchal
  societies.
• Height of the empire includes territorial
  expansion, and achievements in the arts,
  sciences, and religious thought.Empire ends
  around 535 A.D.

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Hinduism

• Collection of religious beliefs that developed
  over time no founder
• Beliefs include Interconnectedness of all life
  distinction between atman, soul of individuals,
  and Brahman, world soul reincarnation of soul or
  spirit good and bad karma ultimate goal of
  moksha, state of perfect understanding

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Hinduism

• Believed in Many gods including Brahma, the
  creator Vishnu, the protector Shiva, the
  destroyer later, many forms of a great Mother
  Goddess
• Sacred texts Upanishads and Vedas
• Effects on society Ideas of karma and
  reincarnation strengthened caste system. Hindu
  religion dominates daily activities.
• Modern day traditons Freedom to choose among
  three paths for achieving moksha and the deity to
  worship

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Buddhism

• Founder Siddhartha Gautama
• Key beliefs Four Noble Truths an Eightfold Path
  to attain enlightenment reincarnation, ultimate
  goal of nirvana, or release from selfishness and
  pain
• Enlightenment in place of many gods
• Sacred Lit Written teachings of Buddha,
  commentaries, rules about monastic life,
  how-to-meditate manuals, and Buddha legends
• Effect on society Rejected caste system created
  religious communities of monks and nuns within
  society.
• Modern day traditions Daily declaration of
  Three Jewels of Buddhism, pilgrimages to sites
  associated with Buddhas life, performing of
  Buddhist worship rituals

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Buddhism

• Founder Siddhartha Gautama
• Key beliefs Four Noble Truths an Eightfold Path
  to attain enlightenment reincarnation, ultimate
  goal of nirvana, or release from selfishness and
  pain
• Enlightenment in place of many gods
• Sacred Lit Written teachings of Buddha,
  commentaries, rules about monastic life,
  how-to-meditate manuals, and Buddha legends
• Effect on society Rejected caste system created
  religious communities of monks and nuns within
  society.
• Modern day traditions Daily declaration of
  Three Jewels of Buddhism, pilgrimages to sites
  associated with Buddhas life, performing of
  Buddhist worship rituals

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Indian Trade

• Desire for Indian spice and precious stones
  fueled trade.
• India connects to the Silk Road(s) and becomes a
  middleman for goods.
• Sea trade routes allow Indian traders to travel
  along the Arabian Peninsula and up through the
  Persian Gulf bringing Indian goods to the Roman
  World.
• Sea trade also allows India to connect with
  Southwest Asia as well as China
• Trade leads to the rise of banking in India
• Spread their religion to other cultures (cultural
  diffusion)

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Geography of China

• Two main rivers the Yangtze and the Yellow
  rivers.
• Yellowish silt that is fertile soil called loess
  overflows the banks of the Yellow river.
• First civilization developed in a river valley
• Problems floods, geographic isolation (nobody
  to trade with), natural boundaries did not
  protect them from outside invasion
• Only about 10 of Chinas land is suitable for
  farming and it is located b/w the Yangtze and
  yellow rivers in eastern China

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Shang Dynasty(1700-1027 B.C.)

• Higher classes lived in timber built homes in the
  city
• Peasants lived in huts outside the city
• City Walls (Constantly waging war)
• Family central to society (men ruled the family)
• Social classes were sharply divided (nobles owned
  the land and stayed w/in the city walls)

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Chinese Religion

• Oracle Bones (animal bones or tortoise shells
  used by Chinese priests to interpret messages
  from the Gods) Used by the Shang Dynasty

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Zhou Dynasty takes over 1027 B.C.

• Mandate of Heaven (divine approval thought to be
  the basis of royal authority)
• Zhou used Mandate of Heaven to justify taking
  over China, saying that the Shangs rule was so
  poor that the gods had taken it away
• Dynastic cycle- The historical patterns of rise,
  decline, and replacement of dynasties (p.54)

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Zhou Technology

• Roads and Canals built to stimulate trade and
  agriculture
• Coined money introduced (furthered trading)
• Blast furnaces were created, that produced cast
  iron

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Shi Huangdi

• Sets up an Autocracy- govt has unlimited power
  and uses it in an arbitrary manner
• Built the Great Wall of China- To prevent
  invasions from the North and West. Enemies would
  have to gallop halfway to Tibet to get around it

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Daoism

• A philosophy based on the ideas of the Chinese
  thinker Laozi, who taught that people should be
  guided by a universal force called the Dao (way)
• Dao guides all things
• Find your path to righteousness
• ying and yang- Like Daoism focuses on the natural
  order (good and bad sides to life)

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Confucius

• Confucianism was based on social relationships
• Filial piety- respect for your elders (parents
  and ancestors)
• Five basic relationships needed to restore social
  order
• -Ruler and subject
• - Father and son
• - Husband and wife
• - older brother and younger brother
• - Friend and friend

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Chinese Society

• Look at diagram on page 202
• Emperor
• Kings and governors- appointed by the emperor
• State officials, nobles and scholars- aided kings
  and governors
• Peasant farmers
• Merchants and artisans
• Soldiers
• Slaves

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Silk Road

• European Gold for Chinese Silk
• Chinese had a monopoly on silk production
• Chinese kept silk secret to protect their assets
• No one traveled the entire length of the Silk
  road
• Look at map on p.204-205

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Royal Road

• Road in the Persian Empire, stretching over 1,600
  miles from Susa in Persia to Sardis in Anatolia
• Main purpose was to enhance communication