L3. The Indus Valley Civilizations and Chinese Civilization

1. Natural conditions

Ø  India: Subcontinent

Ø  Three zones:

Ø  The Gangetic Plain with rivers

Ø  The Deccan plateau too dry for farming

Ø  The coastal plains, plenty of rain

Ø  Influence of monsoons (winds bring hot and dry air from the northeast in October and rains from southwest in mid-June)

2. Development

l  Around 2600 BC: Began of civilization in Indus river valley

l  Archeologist: Big cities Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro: wide streets, strong building materials, plumbing systems

l  Economy: Most farming, some trade with Sumer

l  Religion: worship of many gods, regarding certain animals as sacred, veneration of cattle

l  1900 BC: declination of civilization due to environmental damage, major flood or earthquake  

Revitalization

l  About 1500 BC: Migration of Aryans to subcontinent and establishment of a strong civilization

l  Economy: began as nomadic herders, later farming, warriors

l  Society: division into 4 groups

Ø  Priests

Ø  Warriors

Ø  Farmers and merchant

Ø  Workers and servants

l  Religion:

Ø  People worshiped gods and goddesses who embodied natural forces, such as the sky and sun.

Ø  Indra: god of war, chief deity with thunderbolt as weapons

Ø  Priests wrote sacred teaching in the Vedas (a collection of hymns and religious instruction)

Ø  Belief change, move toward the concept of brahman (a single spiritual power beyond the gods of the vedas and existing in all things)

Ø  Mystics: sought direct communion with divine forces

Ø  By 500 B.C. there were many kingdom, yet acculturation created a common culture by blending traditions.

Hinduism and Buddhism

l  India: Homeland of two major religions-Hinduism and Buddhism

l  Basic beliefs of all Hindus:

Ø  The brahman: basis for everything.

Ø  People have an essential self or atman

Ø  Their goal is to achieve moksha or union with brahman

Ø  Because most cannot achieve it in one life, reincarnation allows people to continue working toward moksha through several life-times

Ø  Karma affects a person’s fate in the next life, and people who act correctly are reborn closer to brahman

Ø  By following dharma, or personal religious or moral duties, people can escape the cycle of death and rebirth

Ø  One part of dharma is ahimsa or nonviolence, toward all people  and things

l  Connection between Hinduism and system of castes (or social group)

Ø  Strict rule for every part of life

Ø  People in higher class: more spiritually pure

Ø  Lowest caste: untouchable

Ø  Stable social order: a sense of identity

System of castes

Priest – warriors and rulers – skilled traders,merchants,minor officials – unskilled worker – outcastes,untouchable,children of god

Buddhism

l  Siddhartha Gautama: born a Hindu prince in 563 B.C;

Ø  Left home to search answers for human suffering

Ø  Understand the cause and cure for suffering

Ø  Became the Buddha (the Enlightened One)

Ø  Fourth Noble Truths:

•        the life means suffering;

•        the origin of suffering is attachment;

•        the cessation of suffering is attainable;

•        the path to cessation of suffering

Ø  The Eightfold Path directs people in achieving the goals of a moral life and enlightenment

Ø  Strive to achieve nirvana (union with the universe and release from the cycle of rebirth)  

The Eightfold Path

Wisdom-right view, right intention

Ethical conduct – right speech, right action, right livelihood

Mental development – right mindfulness, right concerntration

l  Buddhism and Hinduism: share many beliefs.

l  Buddhism teaches people to seek enlightenment personally rather than through priests or gods

l  Buddhism rejects the caste system and teaches that everyone can reach nirvana

l  Spread throughout Asia, broke into two sects

l  Popular in Asia but declined in India because of Hinduism

Powerful Empires of India

l  Chandragupta Maurya founded the first Indian empire in 321 B.C:

Ø  Had schools, libraries, palaces

Ø  Build roads, harbors, taxes, business

Ø  Crime and dissent, ideas opposing government

•        Grandson Asoka: 268 B.C., a Buddhist, rule by moral

Ø  Sent missionaries to spread Buddhism

Ø  Build hospitals and roads

Ø  Ended around 185 B.C

Rise of civilization in China

l  Where: along Huang river

Ø  yellow soil (loess)

Ø  transportation

Ø  Frequent flood

Ø  Rise of government

•        when: about 1766 B.C-1122 B.C.

•        Shang dynasty (Nhà Thương): King ruled along with princes. The princes were the heads of clans or groups of family claiming a common ancestor

•        Weapons: bronze, armor, horse-drawn chariots

l  Zhou (Chu) dynasty (1122 B.C.-256 B.C) overthrew the Shang

Ø  Promoted the Mandate of Heaven or divine right to rule

Ø  The idea: dynastic cycle (rise and fall of dynasties)

Ø  Establishment of feudalism: lords governed their own land but owed military services and support to a ruler

Ø  In 600 B.C.: iron tools: productivity and population grew,

Ø  256 B.C.: end of Zhou due to fighting between feudal lords

l  During the Shang dynasty: many gods and nature spirits

l  During the Zhou dynasty: two great thinkers: Confucius and Laozi

Ø  Confucius (551 B.C.-479 B.C.): a philosophy or system of ideas: social order and good government

Ø  Well-known principle: “Do not do to others what you do not want done to yourself”  

Confucius principles

l  Five elements :

Ø  Humanity (Ren-Nhân)

Ø  Righteousness (Yi-Nghĩa)

Ø  Ritual (Li-Lễ)

Ø  Knowledge (Zhi-Trí)

Ø  Integrity (Xin-Tín)

•        Four elements

Ø  Loyalty

Ø  Filial piety

Ø  Continency

Ø  Righteousness

•        Five bonds (ruler-ruled; father-son; husband –wife; elder-younger brother; friend-friend)