1. Shamelessly Stolen from: http://conaapwh.weebly.com/class-powerpoints.html
Asian Empires 600 BCE to 600 CE

2. Bell Work 10/13 Review your religion notes
Turn in your DBQ, make sure your name is on it. Highlight or underline your thesis statement before turning in.

3. Chinese Empires
From 1100 BCE until the 200s CE --> 3 great dynasties ruled China
Zhou (JOH)
Qin (CHIN)
Han (HAHN)

4. The Enduring Zhou
Ruled China for more than 800 years -- more than any other dynasty
Zhou dynasty conquered the Shang dynasty
Claimed rule under Mandate of Heaven
Said Shang lost mandate by ruling poorly

5. To control their land, the kings set up an agricultural system in which nobles owned the land & peasants worked it
Each of these lords had total authority over their city & had their own armies
Eventually, the lords had more power than the king
City-states warred with each other -- locked in a struggle that ended the Zhou era

6. The Enduring Zhou Technological advances of the Zhou Dynasty:
Built roads & expanded foreign trade
New weapon: the crossbow
Iron plows
Irrigation & flood-control systems

7. The Mighty Qin
Conquered the Zhou
“First Emperor” = Qin Shi Huangdi

8. United much of the nation under 1 strong government
Organized the empire into military districts -- 1 official per district
Created a universal system of weights & measures
Standardized coins, created a uniform writing system & set up a law code throughout China
Used forced labor to dig canals & build roads

9. Terra Cotta Army

10. The Great Wall of China
Built in northern China to prevent attacks from the north
Connected a series of walls that already existed
Took several years & over 300,000 Chinese peasants --> thousands died
Stretches over 4,000 miles

11. The Great Wall of China

13. Qin’s Strict Rule Imposed a tax on landowners
Appointed only educated men as officials to run his government
Censored & burned books
People couldn’t write about the past

14. Subjects saw Qin as a cruel tyrant
210 BCE = Qin died & dynasty soon came to an end
Lasting Legacy = new ways of organizing & unifying the nation

15. The Glorious Han Ruled China for more than 400 years until 220 AD
Used same forms of centralized power as the Qin, but not as harsh
Rivaled Roman Empire in its power & achievement

16. The Glorious Han Reached its peak during the reign of Wudi
Extended the empire
Sent armies against nomadic invaders
Interested in the West -- especially the Roman Empire

17. The Glorious Han Trade routes to the West developed
Major trade route = Silk Road
Linked East & West
Allowed traders to exchange Chinese silk for Middle Eastern & European products

18. Pax Sinica Chinese Peace = 400 year period of prosperity & stability
China fed its population by storing grain during times of plenty & selling it when harvests were poor

19. Inventions Silk Paper Gunpowder Wheelbarrow Printed books
Suspension bridge
Compass
Iron drill bits

20. Pax Sinica
Talented, intelligent people were appointed to government jobs -- NOT family
They were given tests to see if they were qualified
Evolved into civil service system = a system that allowed anyone with ability to attain public office --> unfortunately, this usually favored the wealthy because education was expensive
Created a new class of well-educated civil servants = called mandarins
Controlled government until early 1900s

21. Legacy of the Han
Han power declined & dynasty fell apart after Wudi’s reign ended
Modern Chinese refer to themselves as Han
Modern day Chinese is written in Han characters

22. Social Hierarchies: China and India

23. Patriarchy in China Women considered subordinate to men
Hierarchy within the family:
Fathers
Sons (oldest to youngest)
Mothers
Daughters (oldest to youngest)

24. “Men go out, women stay in.”
Men = public and political roles
Women = domestic roles at home
3 Obediences: women obedient to first their fathers, then their husbands, then their sons

25. Influence of Daoism
Yang = superior principle = masculine and related to rulers, heaven, strength, rationality, and light
Yin = inferior principle = feminine and related to subjects, earth, weakness, emotion, and darkness
The yin and yang are permanent and embedded within the universe
Gave justification to the natural superiority of men over women

26. Loosening of Strict Patriarchy
Collapse of Han Dynasty (400s CE)
Nomadic people invaded northern China
Their women = far less restricted
This influenced native Chinese women
Elite women started to handle legal and business affairs
More women rode horses, played polo, wore men’s clothing, etc.

27. Chinese Social Structure
Emperor
Elite Government Officials
Landlord Class
(Scholar-Gentry Class)
Peasants (90% of population)
Merchants

28. China’s Landlord Class
Threatened state authority
Avoided paying taxes
Decreased state revenues
Increased tax burden on the peasants
Raised their own militaries
Benefited from:
Wealth they gained from their land
Power and prestige that went with the education they paid for

29. China’s Peasant Class 90% of the population
Suffered from: famines, floods, droughts, hails, pests, etc.
State authorities demanded that they:
Pay high taxes
Provide one month’s labor every year on public works projects
Serve for 2 years in the military (men only)

30. Yellow Turban Rebellion
Peasant uprising around 184 CE
In response to floods along Yellow River, resulting epidemics, and general misery & poverty
Wanted a “Great Peace” with social harmony, equality, and common ownership of property
Suppressed --> but weakened the Han dynasty

31. China’s Peasant Class
Though oppressed, peasants were still honored in a way because they provided for their country
Backbone of China
Hard-working
Provided food = survival for all

32. China’s Merchant Class
At the bottom of society
Seen as unproductive and as profiting off of the hard work of others
Seen as greedy and materialistic
This went against Confucian values

33. Caste System in India Similarities with China’s Social System:
Social status determined at birth
Little (if any) social mobility
Sharp class distinctions and great inequalities
Inequalities justified by religious/cultural traditions as natural and inevitable

34. Caste System in India
“Caste” = comes from Portuguese word casta, which means “race” or “purity of blood”
4 varnas = ranked classes in the Indian caste system
Each varna had its own duties
Born into and remained in your varna for life

35. Caste System in India These 3 classes = regarded as pure Aryans
Brahmins = Priests
Study & teach the Vedas; perform religious ceremonies to please the gods & ensure welfare of people
Kshatriyas = Warriors; Rulers
Study the Vedas; lead government; head army
These 3 classes = regarded as pure Aryans
Vaisyas = Common people: merchants, artisans, farmers
Tend herds, care for land; make & sell useful products
Sudras = Native, non-Aryan people = Unskilled laborers, servants
Serve other varnas
Untouchables = Outside of Caste System
Perform tasks considered unclean

36. Caste System in India: Formed from the Body of Purusha
Brahmins = from the head
Kshatriya = from the shoulders
Vaisya = from the thighs
Sudras = from the feet

37. The Untouchables Outside of the varna system
It was believed that if people in higher castes came into contact with the untouchables, then their ritual purity would be “polluted”
Untouchables used separate wells, separate bathrooms, separate temples for worship, etc.
Many untouchables had to wear wooden clappers to alert others when they were approaching

38. The Untouchables Common jobs of the untouchables: Clean bathrooms
Handle and cremate corpses
Clean and skin dead animals
Butcher animals
Executioners

39. Caste System in India
Each varna was further divided into sub-castes called jatis
Jatis were typically formed according to occupation --> ex: shoemakers, weavers, etc.
Each jati had its own rules for daily life -- including diet, marriage, and social customs

40. People were not allowed to mix with others outside of their jati
Could only eat with others in your jati
Could only marry someone in your jati

41. Karma = determined which caste you would enter at birth
Dharma = the faithful and selfless performance of one’s present caste duties
Karma = determined which caste you would enter at birth
Adhering to dharma and subduing your ego ensured spiritual progress, good karma, and possible birth into a higher caste when reincarnated

42. India’s Great Civilizations

43. Aryans Developed a new civilization in modern-day India
Located in the Ganges Plain & the Indus River Valley

44. Ways of Life Loosely organized into tribes of nomadic herders
Each tribe was led by a rajah = chief
Cattle were the basis of their diet & economy
Also served as money
Tribes were often at war; raided each other’s cow herds

45. People also hunted game; ate bananas & cucumbers
Indus River Valley was ideal for farming --> so people eventually settled down into agricultural communities
People also hunted game; ate bananas & cucumbers
Men dominated the society
Women didn’t challenge their authority
Boys & girls of high rank attended school

46. Mauryan Empire Led by Chandragupta Maurya
Strong leader
Developed a postal system
Maintained a strong army
Located in northern & central India

47. Ashoka = Chandragupta’s grandson
Indian civilization blossomed under his reign
His empire covered 2/3 of the subcontinent
Gained this land with fierce wars of conquest & merciless armies
After witnessing the horrors of battle, he vowed to never go to war again
Followed the teachings of Buddha

48. Ashoka
Created laws called the Rock Edicts --> laws were carved on rocks throughout the empire
Stressed concern for other human beings
Set up free hospitals, roads, and rest houses

49. Empire declined after Ashoka’s death
His successor’s charged heavy taxes
Also took crops from poor workers
People turned against them

50. Gupta Empire
Developed 500 years after the Mauryan Empire (around 310 AD)
Started by Chandragupta I (no relation to the other)
Ruled northern India for more than 200 years
This period is called India’s Golden Age
Arts & sciences flourished
Maintained authority with trained soldiers, spies, & assassins

51. Hinduism was the official religion
Built Hindu temples
Temples decorated with brightly painted sculptures of Hindu epic tales

52. Gupta Life
Empire reached its height under Chandragupta II who gave people more freedom
However, status of women declined
Parents chose husbands/wives for their children
Child marriages were common

53. Court welcomed poets, playwrights, philosophers, and scientists
Learning & education promoted
Writing focused on religion & folktales

54. Gupta Achievements Made advances in mathematics --> mostly algebra
Invented concept of zero
Explained concept of infinity
Created Arabic Numberals (#s 1-9)

55. Astronomy Medicine Said the Earth was round
Had some knowledge of gravity
Medicine
Set bones, performed surgery, invented instruments

56. End of the Gupta Empire
Empire failed after Chandragupta II’s death in 415 CE
As government weakened, the empire faced invasions