Chapter 4: Empires of India & China Section 1: Hinduism & Buddhism Section 2: Powerful Empires of...

Chapter 4: Empires of India & China

Section 1: Hinduism & Buddhism

Section 2: Powerful Empires of India

Section 3: Pillars of Indian Life

Section 4: Philosophy & Religion in China

Section 5: Strong Rulers Unite China


Summary: India was the birthplace of two major religions:

1.) Hinduism 2.) Buddhism

Hinduism and Buddhism are two very important religions that developed in ancient India They both influenced Indian civilization


Hinduism is one of the most complex religions in the world Unlike most major

religions, Hinduism has no single founder


Hinduism also has many sacred texts, instead of just one Hinduism has developed and changed for

over 3,500 years Many different groups have added their own

beliefs and gods


To a Hindu, different gods are forms of an all-powerful spiritual force The goal of life is to become one with this

force Hindus believe that it is hard to achieve this goal

in one lifetime, therefore, people are reincarnated many times


Reincarnation is the rebirth of the soul in another bodily form Hinduism is the most widely practiced

religion in India today

Section 1: Hinduism & Buddhism The founder of Buddhism,

Siddhartha Gautama, or Buddha, was born about 566 B.C. After studying and reflecting,

he believed he had found the cure for human suffering

Buddha taught that people must free themselves from desires


Buddha urged people to live a moral life and avoid evil words and actions Through meditation, a person might achieve

enlightenment, or understanding

Four Noble Truths1. All of life is suffering.2. Suffering is caused by desire 3. Suffering can be eliminated.4. Suffering is eliminated by following the Noble Eightfold Path.

Noble Eightfold Path1. Right beliefs2. Right aspirations3. Right speech4. Right conduct5. Right livelihood6. Right effort7. Right mindfulness8. Right meditation


Buddha attracted many followers After his death, missionaries spread his

teachings across many parts of Asia Although Buddhism took root in other parts of Asia,

it slowly declined in India


Hinduism Buddhism

-No 1 founder

-Supported Caste System

-Developed over 3,500 years

-Important in India today

-Told people to live moral lives

-Accepted reincarnation

-Goal was union with an all-powerful spiritual force

-Founded by Buddha

-Rejected Caste System

-Important in Asia, but few followers in India today


Summary: Two great empires,

the Maurya and the Gupta, flourished in Ancient India


In 321 B.C., the Mauryas conquered most of northern and southern India They built the first Indian empire

The Maurya Dynasty set up a strong government

Officials collected taxes and managed road building People sought justice in royal courts


Maurya rule was often harsh, and brutal secret police reported problems to the emperor After almost 150 years, the empire declined


Fierce rivalries, geography, and distance made it difficult to keep India united In spite of conflicts, by 100 B.C. India had

become a center of world trade Merchants traded in fine cloth, jewels, and spices

with faraway civilizations such as China and Egypt


About 500 years after the Mauryas, the Gupta Dynasty again united much of India This empire

also had a strong government

The Gupta period was a Golden Age, a time of peace and prosperity, or wealth Under the Guptas, advances were made in the arts

and sciences Building, painting, and literature flourished


Mathematicians invented the number system we use today as well as the decimal system


Gupta doctors used herbs to cure sick people They performed plastic surgery and

vaccinated people against small pox The Gupta empire lasted for over 200

years, then it too declined


Empire Maurya Gupta

Dates 321 B.C.-185 B.C. A.D. 320-550

Location Northern & Southern India Northern India

Government -Harsh rule

-Organized Gov.

-Officials collected Taxes

-Mild rule

-Organized Gov.

Learning -Schools & Libraries in capital

-Missionaries spread Buddhism

-Golden Age of learning

-Number system we use today

-Decimal system

-Plastic surgery

-Vaccines


Summary: The three important parts of Indian life were

the Caste system, villages, and the family

The Caste System began in early Aryan times By Gupta times,

there were many castes

Caste was linked to Hindu beliefs

People in different castes were considered different types of beings

Caste rules developed to prevent mixing among groups These rules

determined where people lived, what they ate, and what jobs they did

High castes had more status than low castes


People believed that Karma determined their caste Karma refers to all of the actions of a

person’s life that affect his or her next life


Living by caste rules meant that a person would be born into a higher caste in his or her next life Although the Caste System might seem

unfair to us, it created a stable society

In India, the village was the center of everyday life A village was made up of a group of homes

surrounded by fields Most people farmed and depended on summer

monsoons for waterTogether, farmers built irrigation systems to

control monsoon rains


A village was left alone as long as it paid taxes to the rulers of the region A local headman and council made decisions

and led the village


In the village people lived in joint families Parents, children, and grandparents lived

together Joint families created unity and security


The oldest male was head of the household, but property belonged to the whole family Every family member had certain duties

according to caste values


The Caste System:Karma determines Caste

In this life In next life

Higher Caste

Lower Caste

A person is born into a

Caste

If good & obeys Caste rules

If bad & breaks Caste rules


Summary: Three schools of thought:

1.) Confucianism 2.) Legalism 3.) Daoism

Influenced the Chinese people


The late Zhou Dynasty was a troubled time in China There were many wars, and economic and

social changes disrupted everyday life Thinkers looked for way to make society better


China’s most important thinker was Confucius Confucius taught people to

accept their place in society He said that older people

were superior to younger people

Husbands were superior to wives

Respect for parents was the most important duty


Confucius taught that people were good Honesty, hard work, and caring promoted

harmony He believed a ruler should set a good example for

the people Rulers should take advice from educated men

Thus, education became a way to advance in Chinese society


Another thinker, Hanfeizi, believed that people were bad He taught that a good ruler

should use strict laws and harsh punishments

The teachings of Hanfeizi are called Legalism

Many rulers used the ideas of Legalism to help them rule


A third Chinese ruler was Laozi His teachings were called

Daoism Daoists wanted to live in

harmony with nature To Daoists the best

government was the one that governed least


The ideas of these three thinkers influenced Chinese life Confucianism taught people how to behave Legalism punished those who would not do

their duty Daoism affected people’s view of nature

Chinese ideas and beliefs were spread to Japan, Korea, and Vietnam


Superior

Ruler, father, husband, elder brother

Inferior

Subject, wife, son, younger brother

Owes loyalty & obedience to

Takes care of and sets example for


Summary:Powerful emperors made China the

most advanced civilization of its time

By 221 B.C., the ruler of the Qin [Chin] people had conquered the Zhou He called himself Shi

Huangdi, or first emperor


Shi Huangdi used cruel methods to control China He tortured, jailed, and killed those who did

not support him However, he made measurements standard,

created national coins, and repaired canals and roads

The greatest achievement of the Qin was creating the Great Wall to keep out invaders Thousands of workers

labored for years to build the wall

When Shi Huangdi died, the people revolted, or rebelled They replaced the Qin

with the Han dynasty The Han changed the

harsh rules of the Qin and reduced taxes


The Han developed a civil service system Exams based on the teachings of Confucius,

not family influence, decided who would get government jobs

This system was used for nearly 2,000 years


Han China was the most advanced civilization of its time The Han learned to make paper out of wood

pulp They invented the wheelbarrow, the fishing

wheel, and the rudder, a device used to steer ships


In medicine, the Han used acupuncture, or treatment with needles, to reduce pain

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The Han built beautiful temples and palaces


Artists carved jade and ivory


The Han opened a trade route called the Silk Road The Silk Road connected China with lands as

far west as Mesopotamia


220 165 110 55

B.C.

221 B.C.

Qin ruler Shi Huangdi unifies China; begins building the Great Wall

206 B.C.

Liu Bang becomes first Han Emperor

210 B.C.

Shi Huangdi dies

141 B.C.

Wudi, most famous Han emperor, begins his rule; he opens the Silk Road

87 B.C.

Wudi dies

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