Ancient India & China

The Indus & Huang He

River Valleys

Geography of India

Three mountain ranges form the northern border of the Indian sub-continent

Winter monsoons (from the northeast) are dried out as they pass over the mountains

Summer monsoons (from the southwest) bring rains from the Indian Ocean

Temperatures range from 70° in the winter to 120° in the summer

Harappan Civilization

Developed in the Indus River Valley, during the Copper Age, 2500-1500 BC

Cities were built on man made islands or surrounded by levees to protect them from unpredictable flooding

Cities showed urban planning with brick buildings and grid patterned streets

Harappan Technology

Harappan homes had indoor plumbing (3900 years before Europe & the US)

Cities had sewers to dispose of waste water

Advanced manufacturing of pottery, metallurgy (jewelry & metal goods), and weaving

Harappan Unknowns…

Harappan language remains unknown, can not be translated

Civilization declined after 1500 BC after tectonic shifts

Indus River changed course, land exhausted, earthquakes, etc. disrupted trade and ruined the economy

Geography of China

China is isolated mountains, deserts, and the ocean cut off China from the world

Third largest country in the world

Only 10% of land is good for farming

Population lives in the Huang He & Chang Jiang River Valleys in Eastern China

Ancient China

Civilization developed in the Huang He & Chang Jiang River Valleys 4000 years ago

Oldest, continuous civilization in history

Isolation caused ethnocentrism, China was the center of the universe

Dynasties

Legendary Xia Dynasty started by Yu developed flood control & irrigation systems to tame the Huang He River

Shang Dynasty, 1700-1027 BC, left written records

Zhou Dynasty introduced the Mandate of Heaven, the emperor ruled because the gods said he could

Feudalism

Form of government based on land ownership and promises of loyalty

Emperor gives nobles land and in return they promise to fight for him

Chinese Culture

Family is the center of Chinese culture

Families are patriarchal, sons even outrank their mothers

Rigid social structure, warrior-nobles rule over the peasants

Polytheistic religion, spirits of ancestors asked to speak to the gods

Chinese Technology

Complex written language, each symbol is a syllable

Roads & canals made trade easier

Used money, not barter

Blast furnaces allowed the development of iron tools and weapons