India, China, Byzantine Empire, the Moslem Empire, and the Mongols

Chinese history is generally divided into periods

based upon the dynasty, or ruling family, that governed China at that time

From 1027BCE to 220 CE, China was governed by three major ruling families.

Classical China

Zhou Dynasty (1027 BCE- 221 BCE)

Qin Dynasty (221 BCE- 206 BCE)

Han Dynasty (206 BCE- 220 CE)

In 1027, the Shang

were conquered, marking the beginning of the Zhou Dynasty.

This new ruler justified his rule through the Mandate of Heaven

Zhou Dynasty

Role of the

Mandate of Heaven

Strong dynasty establishes peace and prosperity- it has a Mandate of

Heaven

In time, dynasty decline and

become corrupt- taxes raised,

power is weaker

Disasters occur

Old Dynasty has lost the Mandate of

Heaven- Rebellion is

justified

Dynasty overthrown- new Dynasty

emerges

New dynasty gains power,

restores peace and order, claims to

have Mandate of Heaven

Zhou Rulers established a system in which land was

given to nobles in exchange for military service. However, by the end of the 6th century BCE, local nobles

became too powerful for the Zhou rulers to control and China was plunged into Civil war. As a result:

Confucius and Lao Tzu

Confucius Lao Tzu

Sought to bring order to China’s social and political life.

Established a philosophy based on what he believed was he basic order of the universe.

Stressed: Natural order Role of Each Person Relationships- Filial Piety Mandate of Heaven

Sought to bring peace and stability to the individual

Established Daoism (Or Taoism) which is a belief system

Thought that nature had a “way” in which it moved and that people should accept that “way” of nature instead of trying to resist it.

People can only achieve enlightenment by “non-striving”, enjoying nature, and using contemplation to abandon earthly concerns

Shih Huang-ti Provincial ruler who is known as the first

emperor who unified all of China.

Also the first Chinese ruler to call himself “emperor”

Rejected Confucianism

Great Wall of China Joined existing fragments of protective walls to

create the Great Wall of China

This protected China from outside invaders.

He also had his workers build an immense army of Terra Cotta(Clay) Warriors to surround him in his tomb

Qin Dynasty

The people rebelled against the Qin emperor's harsh style of rule after his

death.

After several years of civil war, the Han dynasty emerged. They kept China unified for over 400 years.

The Han created a Bureaucratic system in which candidates were chosen to work for the imperial government.

The Han adhered to Legalist principles

The Emperor would depend on his imperial officers to implement his policies in the provinces

In order to work for the government, you had to be very well educated: Family hired a private tutor

You had to memorize Confucian works

Took a test at Provincial level- If you passed, you moved on to the national level.

Only when you passed National test did you become eligible to work for the government. (Only about 1-3% passed these tests)

Han Dynasty

The Silk Road was developed under the Han Dynasty. This was a trade route that connected Asia to the Roman

Empire and other regions.

Silk Road

Wealthy families had many children so their sons could serve in the government and their daughters could marry into other wealthy families

Marriages were arranged

Under Confucian teachings, women were subordinate to men

In Childhood a woman obeyed her father

In adulthood, a woman obeyed her husband

In old age, she obeyed her son

Society in Han Dynasty

How is Han China Similar to Rome?

Classical India

Classical India went through three major Ruling Empires:

Aryan Invasion

1500 BCE-321 BCE

Mauryan Empire

321 BCE- 232 CE

The Gupta Empire

320 CE- 535 CE

The people who were living along the Indus River after

the collapse of the Indus River Valley Civilization were conquered by the Aryans.

The Aryans were nomadic herders. They developed iron weapons and horse drawn chariots Eventually they pushed the Dravidians completely South. The Aryans developed Sanskrit, a form of writing They introduced Hinduism to India Polytheistic Karma Reincarnation Sacred Texts- Upanishads, Bhagavad-Gita

Caste-System

Aryan Society

Priests

Warriors

Landowners

Peasants

Untouchables

Ruled by Chandragupta Maurya

Unified Northern India

Challenged Alexander the Great and the Greeks in their attempt to conquer Asia.

Asoka followed Chandragupta

After many bloody wars for control, Asoka works for social change:

Religious toleration (between Hindus and Buddhists)

Nonviolence

After his death there is political instability and power-hungry regional leaders- 500 years of instability.

Mauryan Empire

Sometimes referred to as the “Golden Age of Hindu Culture”

Gupta emperors encourage peace, prosperity, and trade with other empires, especially China.

Indians acted as middle men in the Silk Roads

Utilized sea trade with Rome, Africa and SE Asia

Emperors built universities and supported learning, the arts and literature.

Scholars excelled at the sciences and mathematics

Developed the concept of zero

Idea of infinity

And the decimal system

Arabic Numerals

Suggested that the world was not flat

Advances in medicine

Empire ended when the Huns invaded from the north

Guptan Empire

The Western half of the Roman Empire collapsed in the

5th century CE, however the Eastern Empire continued on for thousands of years known as the Byzantine Empire.

Byzantine Empire

It was ruled by all powerful emperors, like Rome had

been.

The capitol was Constantinople and the official language was Greek

Eastern Orthodoxy-a form of Christianity.

These Christians derived from Catholicism, but they did not recognize the Pope as the head of the Church

Orthodox Christians had their own Patriarch, or heirarchy

They decorated their church with icons of Jesus and the saints

Byzantine Empire

Eastern Orthodox V. Catholic Church

The Byzantine empire survived over the Roman empire

for many reasons:

Classical Cultures- infusion of Greek, Roman, Christian and Middle Eastern Cultures

Location- Crossroads of Europe and Asia and a center for trade.

Strong Central Government- Ruled by a series of powerful emperors with a strong centralized administration and single set of laws.

Large Army- taxed merchants and peasants to support their large standing army

Byzantine V. Rome

Church of Hagia Sophia

(Eastern Orthodox) Under Justinian, the

Byzantine Empire reconquered much of the old Roman Empire

Under Justinian, the Byzantines created a law code known as the Code of Justinian The Emperor compiled all

the existing law codes together into a single code.

It required all people to belong to the Eastern Orthodox Christian Faith.

Byzantine Culture

The Byzantine Legacy

The Byzantine

Legacy

New Form of Christianity-

Eastern Orthodox Christianity was

prominent in Eastern Europe.

Preserved Ancient Culture- includes Greek philosophy and science and

Roman engineering

Code of Justinian- Consolidated codes of law. This greatly influence western

legal systems.

The Arts- the Byzantines left

behind beautiful mosaics, painted

icons, gold jewelry, and silks. Also

remembered from Hagia Sophia