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HISTCIV A51Group 6B

Regina AlcantaraJack AlindahaoAngelica BanzonPrincess CorradoMarinel MamacKerstin Pinto

Editor’s NoteGreetings, fellow history enthusiasts!

Thank you for picking up this copy of Hand Me Downs. This maga-zine is quite special, since it is a manifestation of some modern day

tian ming. As mandated by heaven, we have taken it upon ourselves to show you what different civilizations have been able to contribute

to today’s society.

Most people live day to day without realizing just how much of their environment is the product of discoveries made by people who lived

hundreds, perhaps thousands of years before. Certain technology, certain laws, and even certain societal behaviors are borne from old traditions. No matter what the origin of these traditions, it does not

detract from their importance in shaping our present world. We owe the ancients much more than we think.

Regardless of your culture, race, or religion, the whole of hu-manity can find common ground in the influences and ingenuity of

our ancestors. But history means even more than this. It isn’t merely a simple chronicle of events -- it’s an investigation too. It’s about im-

posing meaning to these events, and learning along the way. It may never be good to dwell in the past, but that shouldn’t stop us from

occasionally visiting.

So, what does history mean to you?

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acknowledgements

Fernando Santiago, Jr.

Mr. Google

Without whom our HISTCIV class would be utterly lost, and the first

person we’ve met who is so radiantly filled with genuine love for history.

He’s the best.

Who, despite being only 14 years old, has an unmatched ouvre of

knowledge and pictures we used to create the graphic art for this

magazine.

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Chinese, Indus, Islamic, Judeo-Chrirstia

Ancient Civilizations

Chinese,Indus, Islamic,

Judeo-Christian, Greek, & Roman

The youngest and most enduring civilization, Ancient China began in the Neolithic age, when China was characterized mainly by agriculture. The Chinese were able to grow crops like millet, wheat and barley due to the fertility of loess soil blown from the North. It is also here where settlements were found-- particulary, the Yangshao and Longshan people along the Yellow River. The Yellow and Yangtze River valleys both play important roles in the expansion of China. However, the Yellow River is said to be the very cradle of Chinese civilization.

Chinese history is separated into dynasties, with each having their own unique contributions and influences on the country’s culture today. Ancient China is composed of the Xia, Shang, and Zhou Dynasties. This era is credited with the emergence of Confucianism and Taoism, as well as the oracle bones (Shang) and Mandate of Heaven (Zhou).

Imperial China was composed of many different dynasties, which leads to a great deal of diversity amongst them. There were periods of harsh political dominion (Qin Dynasty), which can be contrasted to the “Golden Age” of China (Tang Dynasty). A noticeable similarity is that most dynasties ended due to revolt or invasion. Nevertheless, Imperial China contributed a great deal to the realm of economics, politics, and culture. It established trade with the West via the Silk Road, developed military power, and produced beautiful structures such as the Great Wall. The Imperial era ended with the Xinhai Revolution, which overthrew the Qing Dynasty and instated the Republic of China.

Cut off for the most part from the rest of the ancient civilizations, China was able to develop a sophisticated and largely unique culture that is alive to this day.

by Angelica & Rai

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2MainCharacteristics

SinicizationThe Chinese were able to assimilate their culture into those of their invaders through a rather cunning process of “breeding out.”

Confucianism gave the Chinese a specific code of conduct for everyday life. It encompassed

behavior and social relations, but did not delve into the cosmic.

Taoism placed less emphasis on conduct, and more on the tran-scendental. Its main postulate

was to live in harmony with the Tao, a force to which all things

are connected.

The ancient Chinese recognized a “mandate of heaven,” author-

izing rulers as the sons of god. In this way, they acknowledged the

fact that while rulers and kings are powerful, they also answer to a higher being, that is, heaven or god. The people were governed by rulers and their rulers, in turn, were governed by their god. Any crime on the part of the human

rulers will thusly be rectified.

Dominanceof society overindividuality

The Chinese saw the family as a basic, fundamental unit. They ascribed ideal relation-ships between members of a family. This was influenced by Confucianism, which dic-tated the nature of five im-portant relationships: (1) sovereign-subject, (2) father-son, (3) elder brother-young-er brother, (4) husband-wife, and (5) friend-friend. Note that three of these relation-ships fall within the realm of the family.

Religion

political thought

contributions

Despite initial isolation from the rest of the ancient civilizations, trade and commerce eventually entered China. Through this, ancient Chinese products, practices, and thought managed to spread throughout the Western world. Chinese silk was said to have been all the rage during the time of Jesus in Rome.

Just as it was back then, many of China’s contributions are manifested globally in modern times. Gunpowder is used for war, silk for clothing, and paper for printing (the origins of printing are also credited to the Chinese). The Chinese passion for calligraphy, poetry, and painting has fuelled their development throughout the millennia. Although Confucianism is not widely practiced outside of China, principles like “respect for superiors and deference from inferiors” as well as its codes of conduct are applied in everyday relationships and behaviors.

The full extent of influence the Chinese have had over our developing world is immense. The Chinese contributed so greatly to many fundamental aspects of modern society. Because of this, China is a powerful entity in global affairs, and perhaps will always remain so.

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Judeo-Christianity is rooted in Abrahamic tradition. For the Jews, it is Abraham who entered into a covenant with God. Christians view Abraham as a model Biblical Christian and an ancestor of Jesus Christ. The identification of both Judaism and Christianity as Abrahamic religions is just one of their many commonalities. These similarities are what ultimately fuel the combination of Judaism and Christianity into a single civilization.

by Angelica & Rai

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3MainCharacteristics

Based on Scripture dignity for all! emphasis on charityMuch of Judeo-Christian tra-dition and culture is based from Sacred Scripture. Al-though the Jewish scripture is called the Tanakh and the Christian’s Scripture is the Holy Bible, both share 5 books (The Torah). Another important text for the Jewish people is the Talmud, which interprets and explains the Torah. This is the source of some of their traditions, such as circumcision. Jesus’ life and teachings, as document-ed in the four official gospels of Christianity and the letters of his disciples form the basis of Christian life. The content of Scripture is a driving fac-tor for Judeo-Christian val-ues and behavior.

Every human is made in God’s image and likeness. Although nobody can be as great as God, everyone pos-sesses inherent, inviolable dignity. In contrast to the Greco-Roman belief that a person’s worth is tantamount to his ability to reason, the Hebrews believed in human dignity simply because each person is a child of God. This importance given to the hu-man person is integral in many of their modern con-tributions to society, indicat-ing the importance of God in Judeo-Christian tradition. It may also be highlighted that Judeo-Christian tradi-tion is the first to adopt a re-lationship of this kind with a Supreme Being -- one of def-erence and respect, but also one of love.

Being heavily influenced by religions that focus on faith and love, Judeo-Christian society puts much emphasis on charity. This character-istic is one of the many fac-tors of its success, because the idea on charity and, as Nietzche would put it – its ideas of slave morality, ap-pealed deeply to the masses. This component, then, is one of the main reasons for its global success.

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While many other religions relied heavily on oral tradition, the Jews after having escaped the tyr-anny of Egyptians favoured a written code of moral laws – the Ten Commandments. Because of the Judeo-Christian emphasis on faith and moral correctness, the Torah itself contains 613 groups of commandments. The particular attention to legalistic morality is manifested today in the rather heated debates on controversial bills touching on morality.

Both Judaism and Christianity were influenced by the first monotheistic religion, Zoroastrianism. Al-though Zoroastrianism once had a large following during the Persian Empire, it is very uncommon today. In turn, Judaism and Christianity influenced a third great religion, from which would spawn a great civilization, one which we will discuss later as well. Monotheism is a central element for all four religions.

WRITTENCODES OFMORALITY

monotheism

contributions

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Judaism and Christianity both have large followings that span across the globe. These two religions have become the basis for countless works of art, literature, and architecture worldwide. Judeo-Christian tradition has an immense extent of influence over much of society. In the realm of politics, the basis of the Philippine Constitution (and the basis of the existence of human rights) is founded on human dignity, which is a Judeo-Christian idea. Also, political parties in America (such as the Republicans) also adopt Judeo-Christian tradition as guidelines for their stand on certain issues.

Judeo-Christianity is largely dependent on religion and traditions that go back thousands of years. The impact it has had on our world beyond the two great religions is not obvious to the untrained eye. However, once Judeo-Christian values are understood, they can be somehow applied to almost all realms of life.