Nile

Mesopotamia

Indus Huang he

River Civilizations:Southwest Asia

The Fertile CrescentThe Fertile Crescent

MesopotamiaMesopotamia

““land between the land between the rivers”rivers”

Tigris and Tigris and EuphratesEuphrates RiversRivers

growing crops on growing crops on regular basisregular basis

Civilization developsCivilization develops

Irrigation and Irrigation and drainage ditches drainage ditches

leads to:leads to:

First CivilizationFirst Civilization

The The SumeriansSumerians3500 BC3500 BC

The The SumeriansSumerians3500 BC3500 BC

1. Cities1. CitiesCity-StateCity-State: basic : basic unit of the unit of the Sumerian Sumerian civilizationcivilization

Examples: Ur, Uruk, and Kish

SumerSumer

Citizens of Ur pay their taxesUr: World’s first city

Sumerian City-StatesSumerian City-States

2. Government2. GovernmentTheocracyTheocracy – ruled by divine – ruled by divine

authorityauthorityKingsKings got their power directly got their power directly

from the godsfrom the godsPriest & priestessesPriest & priestesses

supervised the temples and supervised the temples and had a great deal of powerhad a great deal of power

3. Religion3. ReligionTemplesTemples were dedicated to were dedicated to

the chief god or goddess of the chief god or goddess of the citythe city

Built on a massive stepped Built on a massive stepped tower called a tower called a zigguratziggurat

Polytheistic Polytheistic – belief in many – belief in many godsgods

The

ZigguratThe

Ziggurat

Ziggurat today

4. Social Structure4. Social Structure

NoblesNobles – royal & – royal & priestly officialspriestly officials

CommonersCommoners – – farmers, merchants, farmers, merchants,

craftspeoplecraftspeople

SlavesSlaves – belonged to palace officials – belonged to palace officials

5. Writing5. WritingCuneiformCuneiform – –

“wedged shaped” “wedged shaped” system of writingsystem of writing

ScribesScribes held the held the most important most important positions in positions in societysociety

6. Art & 6. Art & TechnologyTechnology

Wagon wheelWagon wheelPotter’s wheelPotter’s wheelSundialSundialAstronomyAstronomyNumber system based on 60Number system based on 60GeometryGeometryArchArch

First EmpiresFirst EmpiresLarge political state or unit, usually Large political state or unit, usually

under a single leader, that controls under a single leader, that controls many people or territoriesmany people or territories

Easy to create & difficult to maintainEasy to create & difficult to maintain

Akkadians

Sargon – leader

conquered Sumerians2340 B.C.

Second EmpireBabylon 1792 BC

BabylonBabylonHammurabi Hammurabi – – leaderleader

Established Established a legal code a legal code based on based on strict strict justicejustice

Code of Code of HammurabiHammurabi

Based on the principle of Based on the principle of retribution – “An eye for an retribution – “An eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth”eye, tooth for a tooth”

Patriarchal society – dominated Patriarchal society – dominated by menby men

Page 41 & 44 in your textbookPage 41 & 44 in your textbook

The The PhoenicianPhoenicianss 1100 BC1100 BC

PhoeniciansPhoeniciansBest known for their alphabetBest known for their alphabetSimplified writing by using 22 Simplified writing by using 22

different signs to represent different signs to represent the sounds of speechthe sounds of speech

Passed on to the Greeks and Passed on to the Greeks and eventually to useventually to us

The Children of The Children of Israel Israel (Judaism)(Judaism)

http://www.christiancinema.com/films/ten.commandments.jpg

Moses Moses leads leads Jews Jews

back to back to PalestinPalestin

ee

Movement of the Movement of the JewsJews

7000 B.C. move from Ur to 7000 B.C. move from Ur to PalestinePalestine

Drought around 1650 B.C. Drought around 1650 B.C. moved them from Palestine to moved them from Palestine to EgyptEgypt

Jews were enslaved in EgyptJews were enslaved in Egypt “ “ten lost tribes” 722 B.C. ten lost tribes” 722 B.C.

MonotheisticMonotheisticBelieved in only one GodBelieved in only one GodAll other religions at this All other religions at this time were time were polytheisticpolytheistic

Covenant, Covenant, Commandments, ProphetCommandments, Prophet

Torah“Bible”or holy book of theJews

The Temple The Temple in in JerusalemJerusalem

AssyriaAssyria

From Northern From Northern MesopotamiaMesopotamia

warlike and warlike and cruelcruel

671 BC--crushed Mesopotamia and Egypt

612 BC--destroyed by 612 BC--destroyed by combined enemiescombined enemies

PersiaPersia

550 BC Cyrus the Great conquers Fertile Crescent and Asia Minor

Wise and Wise and tolerant tolerant

conquerorconquerorRespected local religionsRespected local religionsPrevented destructionPrevented destructionSent Jews back to Sent Jews back to PalestinePalestine

Died in combatDied in combat

Died in Battle Died in Battle Tomb of Cyrus the GreatTomb of Cyrus the Great

Cambyses Cambyses becomes becomes

king--back to king--back to brutalitybrutality

Darius the Great Darius the Great (probably killed (probably killed

Cambyses)Cambyses)

Extended the Extended the empireempire

continued continued policies of Cyruspolicies of Cyrus

Created efficient Created efficient governmentgovernment

Divided into Divided into 20 Provinces20 Provinces

Capital: Persepolis

United his empire United his empire through standard through standard roads, coins, roads, coins, weights and weights and measuresmeasures

The Great Royal RoadThe Great Royal Road

Empire lasted 1,000 Empire lasted 1,000 yearsyears

ZoroastrianismZoroastrianismReligion of the PersiansReligion of the PersiansFounder was Zoroaster 600 Founder was Zoroaster 600

B.C.B.C.Teachings written in the Teachings written in the

Zend AvestaZend AvestaMonotheisticMonotheistic

One God: Ahuramazda

Spiritual armies of Spiritual armies of light and darklight and dark

Day of judgementDay of judgementFree willFree will

The Fall of PersiaThe Fall of Persia

Weak Kings after DariusWeak Kings after DariusToo many sons fighting Too many sons fighting for power (one had 115)for power (one had 115)

Alexander the GreatAlexander the Great

Assyrian EmpireAssyrian Empire

700 B.C. – 612 B.C.700 B.C. – 612 B.C.Committed atrocities on their Committed atrocities on their

captivescaptivesFell to the Chaldeans under Fell to the Chaldeans under

NebuchadnezzarNebuchadnezzar