1. “Asia’s Classical Age”
Chapter 7

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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)

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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)

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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