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Chapter 5 Rise of religions and other areas

South East Asia● Contact with India● Participated in

trade● Got Buddhism and

Art

Sub-Saharan Africa● Most had problems with deforestation● Axum:

○ contact with Eastern Mediterranean, conquered Nubia, major agricultural society

○ Ethiopia: Will become a Christian Civilization

● Nubia: ○ Close contact with Egypt and their trading

centers● Niger River Valley

○ No monarch or emperor, Individual Cities, Urban Clusters

Western Africa● Ghana: 1st great

state in the region to develop into something more sophisticated

Europe● Regional groups ● Vying for power as

Rome began to fall● More primitive

Japan● Regional tribal

political organizations developed

● Developed a distinct religion: Shinto

● More advanced than others

South America● Olmec: central America’s earliest

civilization○ Little is known of the political

structure, Innovations in agriculture & astrology

● Mayan○ Not one unified empire (city-states),

Mayan King is both political and religious leader, very innovative

● Inca (Moche)○ Andes, agricultural & fishing, metal

workers

North America● First developed towns in the

Mississippi Valley (700 CE)● Cahokia

○ Largest to develop

○ Population of 10,000 with 40,000 in the region

○ Strong central authority existed and social stratification

○ No written records remain

Oceania● Polynesia

○ Fiji○ Samoa

○ Making their way

slowly across the Pacific

● Australia○ Will develop

different than New Guinea

Moving toward Monotheism● Elements of Zoroastrianism that remain with Judaism and Christianity

○ Good vs Evil○ Idea of a last judgement and resurrected bodies○ Belief in final defeat of evil○ Arrival of a savior (Messiah)○ Remaking of the world at the end of time

Judaism

● Commands of God revealed by prophets = holy messengers● Yahweh or God → Determines right & wrong

○ People have to accept moral responsibility for their actions

● Canaan○ Abraham → Herder/trader from the Ur Mountains in Mesopotamia○ Exodus → departure

● Legacy○ Recorded their history & examined it for meaning○ Prophets recorded their teachings○ Religious beliefs and principles helped shape Christianity

● Codification of Hebrew scripture○ A bond develops between people and an ethical code to live by

Judaism Cont.● Diasporic communities

○ The society moves around and the culture/political system and society move too.○ This gives them a unique culture and view of the world○ Very important in many places in world history

● Judaism and ancient Rome○ Rome allowed for many different religions○ Some Jews in Rome started to believe in Christianity○ Issues between the Jews and Romans in certain places where the Jews attempted to rebel

● Jesus of Nazareth○ Born a Jew and some believed he was the Messiah

■ (Many others believed the Messiah had yet to come)○ Gained disciples and followers

Christianity● Those that believe Jesus is the Son of God

○ After resurrection○ Formed own church for worship, fellowship and instruction○ Persecuted in Rome because they wouldn’t put the Emperor before God

● The spread of Christianity○ Paul

■ Most important figure in spreading the word of Jesus to Jews and non-Jews■ Wrote about the new religion and travelled

○ Peter: leader of the apostles and spread the religion in the Roman world

● Constantine (you already know this)● A very specific Structure within the church

○ Pope

● Monastic

New Faith● Don’t forget that the end of the Classical period/beginning of the

Post-Classical sees the rise of the third major world monotheistic religion → ISLAM

● As you learn more about Islam don’t forget to tie it back to what you know about Judaism and Christianity.○ They are both very important to the development of Islam

Christianity Spreads West

● Jesus is the son of God

● There is a single God who loved humankind despite their sins

● Paul important to the spreading of “the word”

Differences between Buddhism and Hinduism● Buddhism rejects

○ Religious authority of HIndu Brahmins○ Hindu Caste system○ Hindu Deities

● Buddhism has different forms○ Some believe it is a religion and Buddha is divine (Mahayana Buddhism)○ Some believe it is a philosophy (Theravada Buddhism)

Similarities between Buddhism and Hinduism● Karma● Rebirth/reincarnation● Practice of meditation● Final release from cycle of rebirth