Ancient India
Describe the geography and climate of India.
India is a subcontinent located in Southern Asia. It is bordered by the Himalaya mountains to the north (separates it from the rest of Asia.) India is covered by fertile plains and rugged plateaus. Most of India has a hot and humid climate influenced by the monsoons, which causes wet and dry seasons.
Describe the geography of China.
China’s geographic features isolated it from neighbors (Himalaya mountains, Gobi Desert)
Because of the vast size of China, the climate is varied (much like the US)
Two rivers, Yangzi and Yellow rivers, provide China with rich fertile silt
Describe the geography of Greece.
Rocky, mountainous land surrounded by water
The mainland of Greece is a peninsula
Greece also has many islands
Very little land for farming
Describe the division of Alexander’s empire.
Alexander’s empire is divided into three after his death.
Describe the geography of the Roman empire.
Italy is a peninsula that sticks into the Mediterranean Sea
Italy has two major mountain ranges, the Apennines and the Alps
The rugged land made it hard to cross the peninsula,but the land was good for farming a variety of crops
Why does civilization form along the Indus River?
The Indus valley provided resources and fertile soil that was useful during farming.
What is the mandate of heaven?
The idea that the right to rule came from they ravens
No ruler should rule without heaven’s permission
If a king was found to be bad, heaven would support another leader
T/F: The geography of Greece did not affect the way they lived.
False
Correct the statement to make it true.
Describe the division of Alexander’s empire.
Alexander’s empire is divided into three after his death.
What is the law of the Twelve Tables? How is it similar to modern law systems?
The Law of the Twelve Tables is Rome’s first written law system
It was posted in the forum, so everyone can see it
It’s similar to modern law systems because we have based some of our laws on roman laws.
What are the four main varnas?
Brahmins-priests
Kshatriyas-warriors
Vaishyas -traders
Sudras-laborers
Outside of the caste system: Dalits-Untouchables who had the “dirty work”
Describe Qin government policies.
Shi Huangdi set up a uniform system of laws so rules and punishments were the same across the empire
Standardized writing
Standardized money system
Standardized weights and measures
How were the Minoans and the Mycenaeans similar? How were they different?
Both located in Greece, both societies were good sailors, both civilizations influenced the Aegean region and shaped later culture in Greece
The Myceneans were the first to speak Greek, the Minoans did not
Who controls Syria and Persia? Describe it.
It was controlled by Alexander’s general Selecus. It is the largest of the Hellenistic empires which makes it difficult to control and it eventually fell to the Romans.
What are checks and balances?
Checks and balances are methods used to balance power and to keep any one part of a government from becoming stronger or more influential than the others.
What was life like in India’s caste system?
Each caste had to follow their dharma and they was very little if any interaction between people of different castes.
What was a positive effect and a negative effect of the Silk Road?
Cultural diffusion: the sharing and blending of different ideas, languages, cultures, religions, etc.
Negative effect: spread of diseases
T/F: A polis is a Greek city-state.
Bonus: What does the Greek word "Acro" mean?
What does "acro-polis" mean?
True
High
High-city (a city built up high)
Who controlled Macedonia and Greece? Describe it.
It was controlled by his general Antigonous. It is the most Greek of the empires, but it is unstable and is quickly taken over by Rome.
How did Rome’s geography help in its conquest of the Mediterranean region?
Rome was centrally located within the Mediteranean region, they had easy access to all parts of the region.
What is the main focus of Indian artwork? Where can much of this artwork be found?
Much of India’s art is focused on religion and can be found in Hindu and Buddhist temples around the country. Other art focuses on landscapes.
T/F: Confucianism did not influence the Han dynasty.
False
Correct the statement to make it true.
Describe the different forms of Greek literature. (Epic poetry, lyric poetry, and fables)
Epic poem: long poem that tells the story of a hero
Lyric poems: poems that were set to music
Fables: short stories that told a lesson
Who controlled Egypt? Describe it.
it was controlled by Alexander’s general Ptolemy. It was the wealthiest of the kingdoms and it is relatively stable. It eventually gets taken over by Rome.
How did the Roman empire end in the West? What led to its downfall?
The Roman empire ended when a Barbarian king invaded Rome and declared himself king (476 AD)
What led to Rome’s decline:
Vast size of the empire
Widespread corruption
Wealthy citizens fled the city
Taxes and prices rose
Barbarians began invading Rome