1. “L’Age Pivotal” or The Axial Age or Great Revolutions in Thought and Religion
1000BCE – 350BCE

2. Comparative Essay
Compare how political turmoil led to intellectual and cultural creativity, during the period 1000 to 350 BCE in East Asia and South Asia

3. The World, c. 500 BCE The Greeks & their mates Mesopotamia Nile
Yellow River
(Huang He)
Indus
Most revolutions in thought occurred near one of the four river valley societies.

4. Generalizations
Fringe regions develop on the borders of the river basin hearths
Thinkers, teachers, prophets emerge from a world at war
New types of political & social organizations emerge
Cultural ideas develop into cultural identities
“Second Generation” societies
Built on predecessors - tended to keep many original traditions

5. Commonalities of GREAT Revolutions
Sanctified (Made Holy):
Time: sacred calendar, rituals, events like marriage
Space: shrines, pilgrimage sites
Language and literature; Sanskrit, Tripitaka, Torah
Art: art and music used to inspire religious feelings
Organization: membership makes you accepted

7. CRISIS Each Revolution in Thought occurred at a time of crisis
Iron tools made armies more powerful
Old societies disintegrating
China - Period of Warring States
Zhou regime fractured
Huge competing Chinese armies
Population rising
India – Invasion!
Aryans moved into India assimilating much of native population
Greece – Unrest/search for meaning
Unsatisfying religion
Warring city states

8. "We're surrounded. That simplifies the problem!"
Case Study I: China
"We're surrounded. That simplifies the problem!"

9. New Ideas Emerge - “The Hundred Masters”
Confucius (Kong Fuzi)- Confucianism
Searches for clues to good governance
Government by junzi (superior man)
Laozi - Daoism
Follow the order of nature, do nothing
Xunzi – Legalism
Men & women are innately bad
Need for strong authoritarian rule
Scholars were bureaucrats & not free thinkers as in Greece & South Asia

10. Respect yourself and others will respect you
Kong Fuzi
Respect yourself and others will respect you
A person is born with a liking for profit
Laozi
Xunzi
A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving

11. Case Study II: South Asia
The Vedas - collections of songs and prayers, most important is the Rig Veda
The Vedas are a priestly perspective (priests would be interested in maintaining the status quo and their own high positions in society(POV)

12. Aryan Invasions

13. Aryans spread from Indus Valley to Ganges Plain Raj- kingdoms- emerged
Ruled by Kshatriyas
Some are oligarchies
Aryan oral traditions is finally preserved using Sanskrit and Prakrit
Written alphabet challenged hegemony of Brahmans
Upanishads “sitting down near”
Discussions about the universe

15. Hinduism Aryan and Dravidian beliefs fused to create Hindu religion
Very defined social order created stability
Occupation defined role (Varna)
Priests and Teachers
Warriors and Nobles
Farmers, Artisans and Merchants
Landless Peasants and Serfs
Jati - sub-castes, occupationally related
Untouchables are added later (outcastes)
Upward mobility impossible
Foreigners are absorbed into the caste system-stability

17. Gender in Vedic Society
Patriarchal
Women have no public authority
Women explicitly under men’s control
Law Book of Manu -second class status of women
Sati recommended

18. New Ideas Emerge Mahavira – Jainism Siddartha Gautama – Buddhism
Ascetic – step on no ant!
Not possible for peasants
Became belief system of traders
Siddartha Gautama – Buddhism
“Four Truths”
Must follow “Noble Eightfold Path”
No place for the supernatural
Patronized by urban merchants

19. Non-violence is the highest religion
It is better to travel well than to arrive
All living beings long to live. No one wants to die
Better than a thousand hollow words, is one word that brings peace.

20. V. Mediterranean Region
Don’t forget the Greeks! We won’t!

21. Comparative Essay
Compare how political turmoil led to intellectual and cultural creativity, during the period 100 to 350 BCE in East Asia and South Asia