Civilizations in india and china
Transcript of Civilizations in india and china
CIVILIZATIONS IN INDIA AND
CHINA
INDUS VALLEY- 2600 B.C.E.Two biggest cities:
Mohenjo-Daro
Harappa
Houses with complex plumbing, drains, and sewers
Mostly Farmers
A lot of merchants and traders too
THE GANGES RIVER BASIN
People from central Asia intermarried with natives from the Ganges river basin
Their descendents are Aryans
The Vedas- a collection of prayers, hymns, and religious teachings
ARYAN SOCIETY
Divided social classes based on job
Led to the caste system
ARYAN RELIGION Polytheistic- many
gods
One most powerful god- Brahman
Mystics- individuals who devote themselves to seeking spiritual truth
EARLY CHINA Believed China
was the center of the Earth- called it the Middle Kingdom
Surrounded by mountains, deserts, jungles, and oceans- isolation!
THE SHANG AND ZHOU DYNASTIES
Dynasty- period of time where one family rules
Shang- began 1650 B.C.E.
Zhou- began 1027 B.C.E.
Dynastic cycle- rise and fall of dynastiesControlled by
Heaven
CHINESE RELIGION Many gods and
nature spirits Respect for
ancestors Yin and yang
Yin- Earth and female forces
Yang- heaven and male forces
CHINESE SCIENCE Shang-
Studied planetsCreated calendarMade bronze and silk
Zhou-First booksBound strips of wood or bamboo
China was large, wealthy, and highly developed!