World History Ch. 2 Early River

Civilizations

AdvancedAdvanced

CitiesCities

SpecializedSpecialized

WorkersWorkers

ComplexComplex

InstitutionsInstitutions

Record-Record-

KeepingKeeping

AdvancedAdvanced

TechnologyTechnology

Sumer – The Earliest of the River Valley Civilizations

Sumerian Civilization grew up along the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers in what is now Kuwait.

Geography Promotes Civilization

Fertile area between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers became site of world’s first civilization

Fertile Crescent well suited for agriculture

Farming in Mesopotamia posed challenges:

If water levels too high, crops washed away

If water levels too low, crops died

People developed methods to control water:

Basins, canals, and dikes

Organization: assigning jobs, allocating resources

• Shaped life in city-states

• Polytheism: worship of many gods

• Priests had high status and were the first rulers

• War chiefs began to rule as kings

• Dynasty: series of rulers from one family

Religion and Government

Sumer

Writing • Cuneiform: Sumerian writing

• Business accounts and records

• Law, grammar, literature

• Scribes

The Arts

• Arches, ramps, columns

• Sculpture

• Cylinder seals

Math and Sciences• System based on number 60 • Geometry• May have been the first to use

the wheel• Invented the plow• Basic surgery

Trade and Society• Traded for wood and metals

• Social hierarchy

• Distinct male/female roles

Sumerian Culture

• Each conquering invader adapted aspects of Sumerian culture. • Thus Sumerian civilization continued to influence life in

Mesopotamia.

• Sargon I:– Around 2350 BC, created

first permanent army– Conquered Sumer and

northern Mesopotamia– Established world’s first

empire, which lasted about 100 years

• Sumerian culture spread far beyond Tigris and Euphrates valleys

Sargon’s Empire• Hammurabi became king in

1792 BC• United all of Mesopotamia • Able ruler and administrator• Hammurabi’s Code:

– 282 laws covering everything from trade to murder

– Written for all to see– Babylon became

Mesopotamia’s greatest city

The Babylonian Empire

Empires in Mesopotamia

Sumer gave us the city-state.

Define: city-state

Political unit made up of a city and the surrounding lands. Each city state has its own government, even when it shares a culture with neighboring city states.

Cuneiform is created by pressing a pointed stylus into a clay tablet.

.

Brick technology Wheel Base 60 – using the circle . . . 360 degrees Time – 60 minutes in an hour, 60 seconds in a

minute 12 month lunar calendar arch ramp ziggurat

The laws governed such things as lying, stealing, assault, debt, business partnerships, marriage, and divorce. In seeking protection for all members of Babylonian society, Hammurabi relied on the philosophy of equal retaliation, otherwise known as “an eye for an eye.”

Ch. 2 Sect. 2

What did Herodotus mean when he said that Egypt is the “gift of the Nile?” Nile River

Sahara DesertBecause of the geography of the area.

NEXT

Environmental Challenges•Light floods reduce crops, cause starvation•Heavy floods destroy property; deserts isolate

and protect Egyptians

The Geography of Egypt

Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt•River area south of First Cataract is elevated,

becomes Upper Egypt•Cataract—where boulders turn Nile River into churning rapids•River area north, including Nile delta, becomes

Lower Egypt•Delta—land formed by silt deposits at mouth of

river; triangular

Click the icon to play Listen to History audio.

Click the icon below to connect to the Interactive Maps.

Geography of Egypt

• The Nile flooded every year

– Predictable floodwaters with spring rains

– Left rich, black silt

• Narrow band of fertile soil

• Became home of Egyptian civilization

Geography and Early Egypt

• The Nile

– Most important physical feature in Egypt

– 4,000 miles long; flows through the Sahara Desert

• Without the Nile’s waters, no one could live there.

• Nile afforded protection itself

• Flowed through cataracts to the south

• Currents and waterfalls made sailing impossible

• Not an easy invasion route

Cataracts• Egypt’s most fertile

soil in Nile Delta

• Silt deposits at mouth of river

• Black Land of rich arable soil

• Red Land unlivable but afforded protection

Delta

Geographical Features

Draw Conclusions

How did geography affect where the early Egyptians lived?

Answer(s): They lived in a narrow strip of fertile land where they could raise crops. It was surrounded by inhospitable desert, which would not easily support life.

NEXT

Egypt Unites into a Kingdom

King Narmer Creates Egyptian Dynasty•Villages of Egypt ruled by two kingdoms—Lower

Egypt, Upper Egypt•King Narmer unites them around 3000 B.C.; makes

Memphis capital•Establishes first Egyptian dynasty

Pharaohs Rule as Gods•To the Egyptians, kings are gods; Egyptian god

kings called pharaohs•Pharaohs control religion, government, army,

well-being of kingdom•Government based on religious authority—

theocracy Continued . . .

Hieroglyphics Pyramids Geometry Advances in medicine and surgery

Religion and Life•Egyptians believe in 2,000 gods and goddesses—polytheistic•Re is sun god, Osiris, god of the dead; goddess Isis is ideal woman •Believe in life after death; person judged by deeds at death

Egyptian Writing

In hieroglyphics writing system, pictures represent ideas Paperlike sheets made from papyrus reeds used for writing

Early Egyptian writing found on tombs was indecipherable.

Hieroglyphics

Sacred Carving

No one could read these sacred carvings until Napoleon invaded Egypt and his archaeologists found the Rosetta Stone.

The ancient Egyptians decorated tombs with paintings and reliefs to ensure that the deceased spent eternity in a comfortable and familiar environment. This relief, from the 5th Dynasty (2465 BC-2323 BC), shows the deceased seated at a table stacked with offerings of food.

Ancient Egyptian Mummy

1. Which direction does the Nile flow?

North 2. What do we call a government based on

religion? Theocracy 3. What is the Egyptian god king called? Pharoah 4. What is the belief in many gods? Polytheism 5. What do we call the Egyptian writing? Hieroglyphics

Around 2600 B.C. the various regional cultures were united in what is called the Indus Valley Civilization. It is also commonly referred to as the Harappan culture after the town of Harappa (where it was first discovered.)

What made the Indus Valley a good place for a civilization?

NEXT

The Geography of the Indian Subcontinent

Planned Cities on the Indus

Indian Subcontinent•Subcontinent—landmass that includes India,

Pakistan, and Bangladesh•World’s tallest mountain ranges separate it from rest

of Asia

Continued . . .

Rivers, Mountains, and Plains•Mountains to north, desert to east, protect Indus

Valley from invasion• Indus and Ganges rivers from flat, fertile plain—the

Indo-Gangetic•Southern India, a dry plateau flanked by mountains•Narrow strip of tropical land along coast

NEXT

Monsoons•Seasonal winds—monsoons—dominate India’s

climate•Winter winds are dry; summer winds bring rain

can cause flooding

The Geography of the Indian Subcontinent

Environmental Challenges•Floods along the Indus unpredictable; river can

change course•Rainfall unpredictable; could have droughts or

floods

NEXT

Civilization Emerges on the Indus

Indus Valley Civilization• Influenced an area larger than Mesopotamia or

EgyptEarliest Arrivals• About 7000 B.C., evidence of agriculture and

domesticated animals• By about 3200 B.C., people farming in villages along

Indus RiverPlanned Cities• By 2500 B.C., people build cities of brick laid out on

grid system• Engineers create plumbing and sewage systems• Indus Valley called Harappan civilization after

Harappa, a city

What do the planned cities of the Indus Valley people tell us about their culture?

High level of cooperation, strong central government

What skills were needed to build these planned cities?

Central gov. building materials, engineering and architectural skills

NEXT

Harappan Culture

Language•Had writing systems of 400 symbols; but scientists can’t decipher it

Culture•Harappan cities appear uniform in culture; no great social divisions•Animals important to the culture; toys suggest

prosperity

NEXT

Role of Religion•Priests closely linked to rulers•Some religious artifacts reveals links to modern Hindu

culture

Trade•Had thriving trade with other peoples, including

Mesopotamia

Harappan Decline•Signs of decline begin around 1750 B.C.•Earthquakes, floods, soil depletion may have

caused decline•Around 1500 B.C., Aryans enter area and become dominant

Excavations at the ancient Harappan and Mohenjo Daro mounds revealed well planned cities and towns built on massive mud brick platforms that protected the inhabitants against seasonal floods. In the larger cities the houses were built of baked brick while at smaller towns most houses were built of sun-dried mud brick. Each city is laid out in a grid pattern and shows signs of stunningly modern plumbing systems.

Much writing has been found at these sites, but it has not yet been translated.

1.What environmental challenges do the people of the Indus face?

Yearly floods, rivers change course, monsoons unpredictable too much rain or not enough.

2. Was the geography of Mesopotamia or Egypt more like that of the Indus Valley?

Mesopotamia b/c the floods were unpredicable. 3. What environmental challenges did the

people of the Indus face that the first 2 didn’t? The Monsoons

Lack of contact with foreigners helped give the Chinese a strong sense of identity and superiority. They regarded their land as the only civilized land and called it Zhongguo or the Middle Kingdom. This Chinese isolation contributed to the Chinese belief that China was at the center of the earth and the sole source of civilization.

North, South , East, WestNatural barriers isolated China from all other civilizations.

Pacific OceanPlateau of Tibet

Gobi Desert

Taklimakan Desert

Himalaya Mountains

Mongolian Plateau

China: Size and Population

9,596,960 Square area

9,629,091 Square area1,284,303,705 Population 280,562,489 Population

China United States

The population of China is more that one billion people, the largest national group in the world. Two-thirds of the Chinese people are farmers, but only 4% of China’s land can be cultivated.

In an effort to balance the relationship between land and people, China adopted a “one-couple,

one-child” policy in the 1980’s.

Click Red Stars to find more information.

US Agricultural Production

NEXT

The Geography of China

River Dynasties in China

Barriers Isolate China• Ocean, mountains, deserts isolate China from other

areas

River Systems• Huang He (“Yellow River”) in north, Yangtze in south• Huang He leaves loess—fertile silt—when it floods

Environmental Challenges• Huang He floods can devour whole villages• Geographic isolation means lack of trade; must be

self-sufficient

China’s Heartland• North China Plain, area between two rivers, center

of civilization

The development of civilization in early China was aided by features like long

rivers, fertile soils, temperate climates, and isolated valleys.

• China’s first civilizations developed in river valleys

• Two major rivers supplied water for earliest civilizations

Chang Jiang, also called Yangzi

Huang He, or Yellow River

Both flow east from Plateau of Tibet to Yellow Sea

Rivers, Soils, Climates

• Annual floods deposited rich soil, loess, on flood plains

• Valley of Huang He particularly fertile due to loess

Fine dusty soil

Carried into China by desert winds

Loess

China’s Geography

Isolation

• Combination of rivers for irrigation, fertile soil for planting allowed Chinese to thrive, as did China’s relative isolation

• Mountains, hills, desert protected China from invasion

• Himalaya Mountains separate southern China from India, rest of southern Asia; vast Gobi Desert prevented reaching China from west

Crops

• Most of eastern China covered with fertile soils; some regions better suited than others for growing certain crops

• Southern China—warm, receives plenty of rainfall, excellent region for growing rice

• Further north—climate cooler, drier; suitable for grains, wheat, millet

Takes its name from the vast quantities of loess soil it picks up along its routeLoess is an extremely fine

and powder-like soil that gradually builds up in the river bed, raising the river bed and forcing the water out of its established path

Yellow River periodically unleashes terrible floods, earning it the nickname “China’s Sorrow”

NEXT

Civilization Emerges in Shang Times

The First Dynasties•Around 2000 B.C. cities arise; Yu, first ruler of Xia Dynasty•Yu’s flood control systems tames Huang He

(“Yellow River”)•Shang Dynasty, 1700 to 1027 B.C., first to leave written records

Early Cities•Built cities of wood, such as Anyang—one of its capital cities•Upper class lives inside city; poorer people live outside•Shang cities have massive walls for military defense

Summarize

What geographic features influenced life in early China?

Answer(s): Rivers deposited rich soil for farming; mountains, hills, and desert isolated the area.

Event 1 2000 B.C. The Xia (Shay) dynasty emerged. Its

leader was a mathemetician named YU. He used irrigation and flood control.

Event 2 1700 to 1027 B.C. The Shang dynasty emerges. They

were the first family of Chinese rulers to leave written records.

Event 3 Anyang

One of the capitals of the Shang. Anyang was built mainly of wood.

Vast network of walled towns whose local rulers recognized authority of the Shang kings

Shang rulers moved their capital six timesCapital at Yin (near

modern Anyang) contained a complex of royal palaces and eleven large and lavish royal tombs

Royal tomb at Anyang

NEXT

The Development of Chinese Culture

Chinese Civilization

• Sees China as center of world; views others as

uncivilized

• The group is more important than the individual

Family

• Family is central social institution; respect for parents a

virtue

• Elder males control family property

• Women expected to obey all men, even sons

Continued . . .

Social Classes

• King and warrior-nobles lead society and own the land

NEXT

Religious Beliefs

• Spirits of dead ancestors can affect family fortunes

• Priests scratch questions on animal bones and

tortoise shells

• Oracle bones used to consult gods; supreme god,

Shang Di

The Development of Chinese Culture

Development of Writing

• Writing system uses symbols to represent syllables;

not ideas

• People of different languages can use same system

• Huge number of characters make system difficult to

learn

Fish shaped money

The Chinese Zhou dynasty (1045?-256 BC) helped pave the way for the unification of China by the subsequent Qin dynasty (221-206 BC). During the Zhou period, farming techniques improved, iron became widely utilized for tools and weapons, and Confucianism and Daoism (Taoism) gained widespread popularity.

Event 4 Development of Writing The advantage of the Chinese system of

writing was that people all over China could learn the same system of writing, even if their spoken language were very different. This helped unify China.

NEXT

Zhou and the Dynastic Cycle

The Zhou Take Control

• In 1027 B.C., Zhou Dynasty takes control of China

Mandate of Heaven

• Mandate of Heaven—the belief that a just ruler had

divine approval

• Developed as justification for change in power to Zhou

• Dynastic cycle—pattern of the rise and decline of

dynasties

Control Through Feudalism

• Feudalism—system where kings give land to nobles in

exchange for services

• Over time, nobles grow in power and begin to fight each

other

Event 5 1027B.C. to 256 B.C. Zhou overthrew the Shang and

established the Zhou dynasty.

Event 6 771 B.C. Nomads from the north and west sack

the Zhou capital only a few royal members survive. They flee to new capital at Luoyang.

NEXT

Improvements in Technology and Trade

• Zhou Dynasty builds roads, canals to improve

transportation

• Uses coins to make trade easier

• Produces cast iron tools and weapons; food

production increases

Zhou and the Dynastic Cycle

A Period of Warring States

• Peaceful, stable Zhou empire rules from around 1027

to 256 B.C.

• In 771 B.C., nomads sack the Zhou capital, murder

monarch

• Luoyang becomes new capital; but internal wars

destroy traditions

Summarize

What geographic features influenced life in early China?

Answer(s): Rivers deposited rich soil for farming; mountains, hills, and desert isolated the area.