Harappa/Mohenjo-Daro
What was the religion in the civilizations?
Polytheistic
Important priests
Their Beliefs Later Influenced Hinduism
What was the sacred literature of the Aryans which told of Aryan beliefs and life?
The Vedas
What natural disasters did China face similar to India?
Monsoons
Briefly describe the Shang Dynasty
1st dynasty (line of rulers who belong to the same family) from which there are written records in China
Begins along the Huang He River
Rich with loess (essentially the same as silt, pronounced “los”)
Kings were also high priests
Explain the two periods of the Zhou Dynasty
Western Zhou
1027 – 771 BCE
China’s first “Golden Age” of Peace, Prosperity & Innovation
Eastern Zhou
770 – 221 BCE
Decentralization of Government 🡪 Collection of Feudal States
Would lead to a “Warring States” period that lasts 200 years
What led to the fall of these civilizations?
Around 1750 B.C.
Deforestation most likely led to environmental disasters
No evidence of warfare or invasion
Describe the sacred text of the Vedas
Earliest holy text comprised of 4 books
Authorless? Written by sages?
Describe the geography of China
1/3 mountains – Himalayas (SW)
Vast deserts – Gobi Desert (NW)
Oceans & Seas to the East:
Yellow Sea, East China Sea, South China Sea, Pacific Ocean
These factors isolated China from other early civilizations
Prevented cultural diffusion
Promoted strong sense of national identity
Describe Shang Dynasty social structure
Hereditary class of aristocrats (owned land) & were usually relatives of the king
Artisans – created pottery, fabric, jewelry, metal tools & weapons
Women
High Status – Female Generals (ex. Fu Hao)
Male status determined matrilineally (from mother’s line)
Describe Zhou political structure
Initially = Centralized power and expanded territory under their control
Eventually the territory became so large they divided it into regions 🡪 similar to city-states
Local government ruled as they wished
Paid taxes to king and provide soldiers
Feudalism
People would get land for their allegiance (loyalty) to a landowner
The Zhou gave large regions of land and privileges to a select few nobles who then owed loyalty to the king in return
Downside: causes the government to become decentralized
System broke down over time – city states became more independent and fought each other 🡪 warring states period
What type of government did these civilizations have?
Centralized and Standardized
Planned Cities
Theocracy (government)
Standardized methods
Explain the social hierarchy of the Vedic age
Brahmins: Priests
Kshatriyas: Kings, rulers, and warriors
Vaishyas: Merchants, craftsmen, landowners, and skilled workers
Shudras: Farm workers, unskilled workers, and servants
Untouchables: Street sweepers, waste removers, outcasts
What did the Zhou Dynasty use to justify taking over the Shang? (Explain in detail!!)
The Mandate of Heaven;
Dynastic cycle steps:
1. Old Dynasty
Taxes people too much
Stops protecting people
Lets infrastructure decay
Treats people unfairly
OLD DYNASTY LOSES MANDATE OF HEAVEN
2. Problems
Floods, earthquakes, etc.
Peasant revolt
Invaders attack empire
Bandits raid countryside
NEW DYNASTY CLAIMS MANDATE OF HEAVEN
3. New Dynasty
Brings peace
(re)builds infrastructure
Gives land to peasants
Protects people
Describe Shang Dynasty religion
Veneration (respect/awe/reverence) of ancestors
Spirits of the ancestors could speak to the gods on behalf of their family members
Believed in life after death, objects buried with the dead
Polytheistic
Shang-Di – mother goddess
Some human sacrifice
Oracle bones
Describe Zhou advancements
First coined money in China
Improved transportation with roads and canals
Improved the efficiency of government with trained workers called civil servants
Accurate calendar/astronomy
Introduced the first iron-making
Makes farming more productive (🡪 bigger cities)
Deadlier wars
Military Technology
Crossbows
Iron Swords
Cavalry (soldiers on horseback)
SERICULTURE
What did public works look like in Mohenjo-Daro?
Great Bath at Mohenjo-daro.
The floors were watertight so that water would not seep into other rooms.
Each bath drained into a sewer.
Explain the four sections of the Veda
Samhitas: mantras
Brahmanas: commentaries on rituals, etc.
Aranyakas: rituals, ceremonies
Upanishads: philosophical, discusses the soul, reincarnation, karma, Brahman and liberation.
Describe the Huang He River (AKA Yellow River)
Huang He (Yellow River)
Earliest civilization centered on this river
Sometimes called the “River of Sorrows” because its floods can be deadly and destroy crops.
Three Legendary Dynasties: Xia --- Shang --- Zhou
Increasing evidence that these dynasties did exist
In the early years, China was culturally isolated from the rest of the river valley civilizations
Deserts -- Himalayas -- Oceans and seas
Describe Shang Dynasty economy
Shang economy was based on agriculture
Rice – high calorie
Most people were peasant farmers
Grown along the Huang He River Valley
Artisans (specialization of labor)
Trade with central Asia and as far as India
What made these places "planned cities"?
Indoor plumbing/sewer system
Uniform mud bricks
Standardized weights and measures
Multi-storied buildings
Ship-building
Describe Shang Dynasty science and technology
Produced some of the finest bronze objects ever made
Wove silk into beautiful colored cloth for the upper class (sericulture)
War Chariots (horse drawn)
Jade
Ivory