Shang on the Hwang

Between 1600 and 1100 B.C.E. Shang China began in the

Hwang Ho River Valley (a.k.a.

Yellow River Valley)

Shang China

Being far away from the other River Valley Civilization, China was a loner, though they traded with Mesopotamia. Naturally, they believed themselves the “center of

the world” and too cool for the other civilizations.

Family is Important to the Chinese

Multiple generations lived in the

same house, and since

dead ancestors

were “in” with the gods (ancestor

worship), it was best to

keep on your family’s good

side.

Patriarchal – the men rule

Enter the Zhou

Zhou DynastyWu Wang took over China in

1100 B.C.E. and started the Zhou Dynasty,

which lasted about 900

years.

Mandate of Heaven

Heaven protects just and wise rulers, and rulers only stay in power as long as they have the blessing of heaven.

BureaucraciesAs the Zhou

empire got too big, the king

divided kingdoms among nobles. Bureaucracies

helped specialize and stabilize

through the use of bureaus..

BureauGovernment tasks divided

among different

departments (called

bureaus).

5. Mesoamerica and Andean South America: For Every Rule There’s

an Exception

South American Olmec and Chavin civilizations

developed without a major river system or river valleys.

Chavin

The Chavin liked many gods, seafood, llama rides, and long walks

on the coast.

D. The Classical Civilizations: India and China

• Maurya and Gupta empires in India

•Qin and Han

empires in China

1. The Mauryan Empire in India

Mauryan Empire The silk, cotton, and elephant trade, along with strong military, helped Maurya grow in power

and wealth.

Chandragupta Maurya

Unified

Aryan

territories

Into

Mauryan

Empire

Ashoka MauryaOnce a fierce and violent warrior, Ashoka decided he liked Buddhism better than blood. Ashoka preached peace and spread Buddhism throughout India during his reign.

Buddhism Violence=bad.

Moderation=good.

Rock and Pillar Edicts

By carving Buddhist sayings onto rocks and pillars, Ashoka spread his religion throughout India and Southeast Asia.

2. The Gupta Dynasty

India’s “Golden Age”

Chandra GuptaRevived Mauryan culture, bringing

about relative peace and advancement in art and science.

The Qin Dynasty

Great Wall of China

A really big wall to keep out the Huns. It’s creation suggests that Qin China was centralized and well

organized.

Qin Shihuangdi

The First Emperor of China!Recentralized modern China, massive

standardization, and legalism.

The Han Dynasty

Wu Ti

• The “Warrior Emperor” who protected China from the Huns and expanded Han to central Asia.