“Asia’s Classical Age” Chapter 7

The Feudal System China during the Zhou Dynasty was organized into a Feudal society: 1st Were the King and his family 2nd Were the Nobles and their families 3rd Were the Peasants Each group gave something to the others The King gave nobles land, in return the nobles protected the king The nobles gave peasants land to farm on, in return the peasants gave the nobles goods and services The peasants had the worst life of the three classes

Confucius Was an important philosopher in Chinese society He believed government and society should be like a family in which everyone has a role to play The role of government was to be a positive example for its people-this will make people happy and make them want to feel connected to their country He felt parents should be a role model to their children

Shi Huangdi Ruled in using a legalism form of government He ended the power of the nobles and created a strong central government He extended China’s borders, organized building projects, and added to the Great Wall Peasants were forced to work on the wall as well as build canals, and roads He standardized weights and measures as well as money and writing The Chinese people disliked Shi Huangdi and the taxes he imposed He had the teachings of Confucius destroyed After his death, China erupted into civil war

The Han Dynasty The Han Dynasty relied on the ideas of Confucianism and legalism A civil service system was created to make sure the government ran smoothly Education became very important during the time of the Han The Han also supported Daoism

Innovations During the Han Created the worlds first seismograph (detected earthquakes) Invented paper Han influence spread over the Silk Road which linked China with Europe-traded goods with European countries

The Great Wall of China Was over 3,500 miles long Was built in sections over time Rulers determined when and where the wall would be built 2-3 million people died while building the wall Was used to keep out invaders from the north (Mongolians and Manchus) Watch towers were built along the wall The wall was built out of different materials depending on what was available The wall is the only man made object able to be seen from space Built from the 5th to the 17th centuries A.D. Known as the Wall of Tears

Aryans Bring Change to India The Aryans brought language, horses, religion and social structure with them The Aryan society was divided into four social classes: Brahmans (priests and scholars) Kshatriyas (the rulers and the soldiers) Vaisyas (the merchants and the professionals) Shudras (the servants)

The Caste System A caste is a group of people within a social class (in India you could not change your caste) Caste’s were determined by the job you had (they could only work and marry within their caste) The Caste system became part of Hinduism

Hinduism Hinduism is a polytheistic religion that teaches that people live many lives until they reach spiritual perfection Hinduism believes that the soul lives on after death and can come back in another form (reincarnation) Hindus worship three main forms of Brahman-Brahma the Creator, Vishnu the Preserver, and Shiva the Destroyer They believe Sanskrit was the language of the gods The holiest book in Hinduism is the Vedas

Buddhism Siddhartha Gautama became known as Buddha or the Enlightened one Buddhism rejected the Vedas and the authority of the Brahmans Gautama was born to royal parents who kept him from seeing any kind of suffering He asked the questions why is their suffering and how might it be ended He believed to end suffering people should seek love, truth, knowledge, and a calm mind Buddhists followed the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path

Jainism Mahavira started the religion of Jainism He believed that every living being has a soul and a temporary physical body He urged his followers to become vegetarians He believed that the best way to bring change was through peaceful action (nonviolence)

The Maurya and Gupta Empires Chandragupta Chandragupta Followed the belief that government was the science of punishment Created: A large army and police force Harsh punishments for crimes High taxes Trade flourished, agriculture improved, and standardized weights and measures He was not popular with many people in India He often slept in different rooms, seldom went out in public, and had someone taste his food before eating

Asoka At first ruled like his Grandfather Chandragupta After the battle of Kalinga he changed his was and became peaceful Taught obedience to parents, spread Buddhism, followed non-violence Created hospitals, orphanages, and homes for the elderly

The Golden Age of India Advances in Math, Medicine, and Writing: Math: Created decimals, algebra, and used a base ten number system 1-9 and 0 Medicine: Inoculation, sterilization of tools, skin graphs, and setting of broken bones Art and writing: the Panchatantra and artwork painted on wet plaster