classical empires

CLASSICAL EMPIRES

SSWH2 The student will identify the major achievements of Chinese and Indian societies from 1100 BCE to 500 CE.

a. Describe the development of Indian civilization; include the rise and fall of the Maurya Empire, the “Golden Age” under Gupta, and the emperor Ashoka.

MAURYA EMPIRE, RECALL FROM LAST UNIT

MAURYA EMPIRE

The Mauryas: Indian dynasty in the fourth-third centuries BCE, which unified the subcontinent for the first time and contributed to the spread of Buddhism.

MAURYA EMPIRE, EMPERORS

Chandragupta Maurya (c.321-c.297) Bindusara Maurya (c.297-c.272) Ashoka Maurya (c.272-c.232)

Ashoka Maurya (c.272-c.232)

great conqueror, and the first to unite the Indian subcontinent, except for the extreme south.

converted to Buddhism established dhamma, 'the law of justice', everywhere in India

Left rock edicts behind on several places in his realm

Ashoka was sincere when he proclaimed his belief in ahimsa (non-violence) and cooperation between religions ("contact between religions is good").

DECLINE

After the death of Ashoka, the Mauryan empire declined.

ASHOKA STUPA (STATUES)

VIDEO, ASHOKA http://www2.newcanaan.k12.ct.us/education/components/docmgr/default.php?sectiondetailid=7021&fileitem=763&catfilter=376

GOLDEN AGE OF INDIA UNDER THE GUPTA http://www.neok12.com/php/watch.php?v=zX485700704d560800745555&t=History-of-India

CHANDRAGUPTA II Chandragupta II The Great (Sanskrit:

चन्द्रगु�प्त विक्रमा�दि�त्य; was one of the most powerful emperors of the Gupta empire in northern India

rule spanned c. 380–413/415 CE the Gupta Empire achieved its zenith, art,

architecture, and sculpture flourished, and the cultural development of ancient India reached its climax

HINDUISM

WHAT DO YOU KNOW?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AYL9_-PQyQ

HINDUISM Hinduism is the predominant religion

of the Indian subcontinent includes a wide spectrum of laws and

prescriptions of "daily morality" based on karma, dharma, and societal norms

no single founder oldest living major religionin the world

HINDUISM Hindu texts INCLUDE TEXTS which

discuss theology, philosophy, mythology, rituals, and temple building

Major scriptures include the Vedas, Upanishads and others

Hinduism, with about one billion followers, is the world's third largest religion, after Christianity and Islam.

Hinduism belief in reincarnation (samsara),

determined by the law of karma, and the idea that salvation is freedom from this cycle of repeated birth and death

other religions of the region, such as Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism, also believe in karma, outside the scope of Hinduism

beliefs spanning monotheism, polytheism caste system in India is a system of

social stratification

Brahminical texts grouped the four well-known caste categories

VARNAS Brahmins PRIESTS Kshatriyas WARRIORS Vaishyas MERCHANTS Shudras ARTISANS untouchables

Prominent themes in Hindu beliefs o), Dharma (ethics/duties)

Samsāra (the continuing cycle of birth, life, death and rebirth)

Karma (action and subsequent reaction)

Moksha (liberation from samsara) Yogas (paths or practices)

HINDUISM (Creation Hymn) of the Rig Veda thus says:] Who really knows?

Who will here proclaim it?Whence was it produced? Whence is this creation?The gods came afterwards, with the creation of this universe.Who then knows whence it has arisen?

BUDDHISM

BUDDHISM

Buddhism religion indigenous to the

Indian subcontinent based on teachings attributed to

Siddhartha Gautama known as the Buddha (meaning "the

awakened one” or enlightened one

The Buddha lived and taught in the eastern part of Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th centuries BCE.

Buddha, 1st – 2nd

century

Two major branches of Buddhism Theravada ("The School of the

Elders") Mahayana ("The Great Vehicle")

The foundations of Buddhist tradition and practice are the Three Jewels: the Buddha, the Dharma (the teachings), and the Sangha (the community)

Dharma Wheel : THE NOBLE EIGHTFOLD PATH

1.Right view 2.Right intention 3.Right speech

4.Right action5.Right livelihood6.Right effort7.Right mindfulness8.Right concentration

http://video.pbs.org/video/1418075805

DIFFUSION OF BUDDHISM

Ashoka initially practiced Hinduism but later embraced Buddhism

Ashoka sent many Buddhist missions to West Asia, Greece and South East Asia

Ashoka commissioned the construction of monasteries, schools and publication of Buddhist literature across the empire.

Ashoka built as many as 84,000 stupas across India

Ashoka sent a mission to Sri Lanka

Ashoka increased the popularity of Buddhism in Afghanistan, Thailand and North Asia including Siberia

Ashoka helped convene the Third Buddhist Council of India and South Asia's Buddhist orders, a council that undertook much work of reform and expansion of the Buddhist religion.

Indian merchants embraced Buddhism and played a large role in spreading the religion across the Mauryan empire

The Silk Road transmission of Buddhism to China is most commonly thought to have started in the late 2nd or the 1st century CE

SSWH2 The student will identify the major achievements of Chinese and Indian societies from 1100 BCE to 500 CE.

c. Describe the development of Chinese civilization under the Zhou and Qin.

CHINESE CIVILIZATION

Chinese civilization originated in various regional centers along both the Yellow River and the Yangtze River

With thousands of years of continuous history, China is one of the world's oldest civilizations

The written history of China can be found as early as the Shang Dynasty 1700–1046 BC)

ancient historical texts such as the Records of the Grand Historian (ca. 100 BC) and Bamboo Annals assert the existence of a Xia Dynasty before the Shang

Much of Chinese culture, literature and philosophy further developed during the Zhou Dynasty (1045–256 BC).

the Qin Dynasty in 221 BC and its first emperor Qin Shi Huang united the various warring kingdoms and created the first Chinese empire. Successive dynasties in Chinese history developed bureaucratic systems that enabled the Emperor of China to directly control vast territories.

Zhou Dynasty (1046–256 BC) The Zhou Dynasty was the longest-lasting dynasty in

Chinese history, from 1066 BC to approximately 256 BC.

The king of Zhou at this time invoked the concept of the Mandate of Heaven to legitimize his rule, a concept that would be influential for almost every succeeding dynasty.

Heaven (tian) ruled over all the other gods, and it decided who would rule China. It was believed that a ruler had lost the Mandate of Heaven when natural disasters occurred in great number, and when, more realistically, the sovereign had apparently lost his concern for the people. In response, the royal house would be overthrown, and a new house would rule, having been granted the Mandate of Heaven.

ZHOU DYNASTY

the use of iron was introduced to China

zenith of Chinese bronze-ware making

MANDATE OF HEAVEN

ZHOU-legitimized their rule by invoking the "Mandate of Heaven," the notion that the ruler (the "Son of Heaven") governed by divine right and that his dethronement would prove that he had lost the Mandate. Disasters and successful rebellions would thus show that the ruling family had lost this Mandate.

The Mandate of Heaven is based on four leading ideas:

The right to rule China is granted by Heaven. There can be only one legitimate ruler of China. The right to rule is based on the virtue of the ruler and

his good performance as a steward for Heaven. The right to rule may be passed down from father to

son, but only on the conditions established above. Once the Mandate is lost, the will of Heaven towards a successor will only be known by the working out of the imponderable force of events in human history.

Legitimization of the ruling house in the eyes of the people who come under its sway

Times of divided rule require some rationalization after the fact to establish which ruler can claim truly to have the Mandate

The rulers put checks on their own behavior, and are encouraged to invest in the well-being of their subjects.

The rulers necessarily fear rebellion, possibly because they believe in active intervention from Heaven, and/or possibly because they know that misbehavior will give positive sanction to attempts by others to overthrow them.

MANDATE OF HEAVEN DIVINE RIGHT RULE FROM HEAVEN, IN CHINA GOD GIVES POWER TO RULE TO KINGS, EUROPEZhou Wuwang establishedthe Zhou Dynasty

Western Zhou (Chinese: 西周 ; pinyin: Xī Zhōu), lasting up until 771 BC, and the Eastern Zhou (Chinese: 東周 ; pinyin: Dōng Zhōu) from 770 up to 256 BC.

The dynasty ended in 256 BC when the last king of Zhou died.

Qin Shi Huang's unification of China concluded in 221 BC with the establishment of the Qin Dynasty.

CONTRIBUTIONS-ZHOU 1.FEUDAL SYSTEM Western writers often describe the Zhou

period as "feudal" because the Zhou's early rule invites comparison with medieval rule in Europe.

Five below the royal ranks "duke“ “marquis“ "count“ "viscount“ “baron"

2 Confucianism, CONFUCIUS (551–479 BC) , later, MENCIUS (372 – 289 BC)

3 Legalism, SHANG YANG (390–338 BC) , HAN FEI (280–233 BC)

4 Taoism, LAOZI (6th century BC) 5 Mandate of Heaven, Emperor as the Son

of Heaven ALL INFLUENCED LATER CHINESE HISTORY.

QIN DYNASTY

The Qin Dynasty first imperial dynasty of China 221 to 207 BC The strength of the Qin state was greatly

increased by the legalist reforms of Shang Yang

the Qin accomplished a series of swift conquests, first ending the powerless Zhou Dynasty

gained control over the whole of China, resulting in a unified China.

During its reign over China, the Qin Dynasty achieved increased trade, improved agriculture, and military security

construction of ambitious projects, such as a wall on the northern border, now known as the Great Wall of China

The Qin Dynasty also introduced several reforms: currency, weights and measures were standardized, and a better system of writing was established

An attempt to purge all traces of the old dynasties led to the infamous burning of books and burying of scholars incident

The Qin's military was also revolutionary in that it used the most recently developed weaponry, transportation, and tactics, though the government was heavy-handed and bureaucratic.

advocated the philosophy of Legalism, which encouraged practical and ruthless warfare.

EMPEROR Shi Huangdi ( 始皇帝) or "First Emperor“

During the Qin Dynasty, Confucianism was suppressed by the First Emperor who believed in Legalism.

Another project built during Qin Shihuang's rule (besides Great Wall) was the Terracotta army, intended to protect the emperor after his death

The Terracotta army was inconspicuous due to its underground location, and was not discovered until 1974

GRAND CANAL

486 BC ADDITIONS IN LATER DYNASTIES longest canal or artificial river in the world

CONFUCIANISM Confucianism Chinese ethical and philosophical

system developed from the teachings of the Chinese philosopher Confucius, "Master Kong", 551–479

Following the abandonment of Legalism in China after the Qin Dynasty, Confucianism became the official state ideology of China

The core of Confucianism is humanism

belief that human beings are teachable, improvable and perfectible through personal and communal endeavour especially including self-cultivation and self-creation

Focuses on the cultivation of virtue and maintenance of ethics

ethical philosophy to be practiced by all the members of a society

Confucian ethics is characterized by the promotion of virtues, encompassed by the Five Constants, or the Wuchang

( 五常 ) FROM Confucian scholars during the Han Dynasty

Rén ( 仁 , Humaneness) Yì ( 義 , Righteousness or Justice) Lǐ ( 禮 , Propriety or Etiquette) Zhì ( 智 , Knowledge) Xìn ( 信 , Integrity)

Cultures and countries strongly influenced by Confucianism include mainland China, Taiwan, Korea, Japan and Vietnam, as well as various territories settled predominantly by Chinese people, such as Singapore

"Filial piety" the greatest of virtues “filial" (meaning "of a child")

characterizes the respect that a child, originally a son, should show to his parents

five relationships the Five Bonds

Ruler to Ruled Father to Son Husband to Wife Elder Brother to Younger Brother Friend to Friend

Patriarchal family

Social harmony—the great goal of Confucianism—therefore results in part from every individual knowing his or her place in the social order, and playing his or her part well

There is government, when the prince is prince, and the minister is minister; when the father is father, and the son is son

CONFUCIUS, Analects MENCIUS says: "When being a child, yearn

for and love your parents; when growing mature, yearn for and love your lassie; when having wife and child(ren), yearn for and love your wife and child(ren); when being an official (or a staffer), yearn for and love your sovereign (and/or boss)."

Meritocracy Imperial examination system in China, the civil service,

government jobs by examination This system allowed anyone who passed an examination to

become a government officer, a position which would bring wealth and honour to the whole family

The Chinese Imperial examination system seems to have been started in 165 BC

candidates for public office were called to the Chinese capital for examination of their moral excellence by the emperor

Over the following centuries the system grew until finally almost anyone who wished to become an official had to prove his worth by passing written government examinations.

His achievement was the setting up of a school that produced statesmen with a strong sense of patriotism and duty

CHINESE SOCIETY

EMPEROR EMPEROR APPOINTED GOVERNORS

AND KINGS THEY APPOINTED STATE OFFICIALS,

NOBLES, AND SCHOLARS PEASANTS, IMPORTANT FOR FOOD

PRODUCTION AND EXISTENCE OF EMPIRE

ARTISANS AND MERCHANTS SOLDIERS SLAVES, THE CONQUERED