Classical Civilizations I can GIVE details of the religion and government of the Persian Empire.

Persian Empire built on earlier Central Asian and Mesopotamian civilizations, Persia Developed the largest empire in the world.

King Cyrus the Great, First King of Persian Empire First King of Persia Conquered the Babylonians (Resources) & the Phoenicians (Navy) Showed tolerance for conquered people

Persian Empire King Darius I Expanded the empire to its farthest boundaries Gave himself the title “Great King, King of Kings, King of Persia”

Accomplishments of Darius I Tolerated: conquered people’s customs, they could keep their languages, religions, and customs if they paid a tax. Imperial bureaucracy: Divided the empire into 20 provinces (or territories), each province had its own administrator of government.

road system United the empire and improved communication

Zoroastrianism: Their religion Zoroaster : Founder Monotheistic Main Belief: two opposing forces, good and evil, in the universe Zoroaster a symbol of Zoroastrianism FaravaharFaravahar

India Target B I can EXPLAIN the origins of Indian civilization, DESCRIBE its unique geographical features, and DISCUSS the contributions of the Mauryan and Gupta Empires.

Why were physical geography and location important to the development of Indian civilization? Indus River Valley – Classical Indian Civilization began in this river valley & spread to the Ganges River Valley Two important cities of the Indus River valley Civilization: Harappa – Mohenjo-Daro –

Important Geographic Features Physical Barriers, such as: Himalayas Hindu Kush Indian Ocean Made invasion difficult by isolating & protecting the Indian Civilization.

Khyber Pass The Khyber Pass in The Hindu Kush provided the way for the Aryans to migrate onto the Sub-continent. Aryans migrated into the area, created a structured society (caste system), & blended their beliefs with those of the indigenous people = Indo-Aryans

Caste System: people were born into their caste based on karma, the level of good or bad the soul accumulated in their life At the bottom of the caste system were the people who lost their caste status (outcasts). They did work that was considered unclean & Were also called the “untouchables”.

Golden Age of Classical Indian Culture Time of great accomplishments in literature, art & science that made significant contributions to the world

Major Empires Mauryan B.C Gupta A.D The Mauryan Ruler Asoka continued the political unification of India. Contributions: Spread of Buddhism Free hospitals Veterinary Clinics Good roads It was a time of trade, order, & Prosperity. Contributions: Mathematics Medical Advances Astronomy New textiles Literature

Target D I can DESCRIBE the origins, beliefs, traditions, customs and spread of Hinduism and Buddhism.

India is the birthplace of both Hinduism and Buddhism. Hinduism- spread along major trade routes. influenced Indian society and culture still practiced in India today. The Beliefs of Hindu Religion Belief in many forms of one God Reincarnation: rebirth based upon karma, the journey of a soul through a series of lives Karma: knowledge that all thoughts and actions result in future consequences; the level of good or bad the soul has accumulated; “What goes around comes around.” Vedas and Upanishads: sacred writings Dharma: code of morals Moksha: a final release from the Wheel of Life that occurs after perfect living in accord with dharma

Buddhism was founded by Siddhartha Gautama (came to be called “Buddha” or “Enlightened One”) in a part of India that is in present-day Nepal. The Beliefs of Buddhism Nirvana: a release from human life and suffering; the way to nirvana is through mastery of oneself and can be achieved by following the Four Noble Truths and Eightfold Path Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path to Enlightenment: – Laid out the ways to live: Buddhists should not seek power or focus on their own desires. They were encouraged to find personal serenity (calmness or peace) and harmony with nature. During the rule of Asoka of Mauryan dynasty, missionaries and their writings spread Buddhism from India to China and other parts of Asia.

Four Noble Truths

Target C I can DESCRIBE the Chinese civilization’s beliefs and contributions to the world, and EXPLAIN why they built the Great Wall of China.

The Great Wall of China Migratory invaders raided Chinese settlements from the North. Qin Shi Huangdi built the Great Wall as a line of defense against invasions, particularly invaders from Mongolia. 7,500 life- sized Terra cotta soldiers were found in the tomb of Qin Shi Huangdi, the first emperor of the Qin dynasty.

Chinese culture began around 1500 B.C. Classical China was centered on the Huang He (Yellow River) and was geographically isolated. Invaders entered China from the North. What geographic features helped to isolate & protect china? The Silk Roads facilitated trade and contact between China and other cultures as far away as Rome (connected Asia to Europe)

China was governed by a succession of ruling families called dynasties. Chinese rulers were considered divine, but they served under a Mandate of Heaven only as long as their rule was just.

Contributions of classical China: Civil service system – Government officials were thoroughly trained for a variety of roles in an efficient “civil service.” Applicants took examinations and were selected by merit, meaning that they were selected based on the knowledge they demonstrated.

Contributions of classical China: Paper – Helped make government record-keeping and communications easier Porcelain (ceramic material used for pottery) Silk (a luxury fabric made from fibers produced by silkworms). Traded along which route?

Contributions of classical China: Impact of Confucianism Belief that humans are good Respect for elders Code of politeness (still used in Chinese society today) Emphasis on education Ancestor worship Confucianism Confucius, founder of Confucianism, argued that the happiness of the people was more important than the privileges of the rulers.

Contributions of classical China: Taoism provided an alternative to Confucianism. Often contributed to Laozi, Taoism sets out principles of proper behavior. Which other belief system/religion believed in the balance of good & evil? Yin and Yang represent opposites for Confucianism and Taoism. Yin and Yang make up all of life: good and evil, light and dark, heaven and earth, male and female, etc.

Contributions of classical China: Impact of Taoism Humility (humbleness and lack of pride) Search for the simple life and inner peace Harmony with nature Knowing others is wisdom; Knowing the self is enlightenment. Mastering others requires force; Mastering the self requires strength; He who knows he has enough is rich. Perseverance is a sign of will power. He who stays where he is endures. To die but not to perish is to be eternally present. ~ Chapter 33 of Tao Te Ching

Tao of Pooh

Japan – How did Japan’s geography influence its development? Geography Mountainous Archipelago (6,852 islands, only about 400 are habitable) 4 Main Islands Sea of Japan (aka East Sea) Off the Eastern coast of China

Influence of Chinese Culture Writing Architecture Buddhism JapaneseChinese A.D. 538 A.D. 500

Shinto Shinto ("the way of the gods") - the indigenous faith of the Japanese people "Shinto gods" are called kami. They are sacred spirits which take the form of things and concepts important to life, such as wind, rain, mountains, trees, rivers and fertility. Humans become kami after they die and are revered by their families as ancestral kami. State religion – worship of the Emperor Emphasis on the importance of nature & ancestors Easily coexisted with Buddhism