Honors World History: Unit 1

Old stone age, ended 8000 BCE, made stone tools and discovered fire, worshipped gods and had rituals/respectful funerals, nomadic

A time when most of the world was covered in snow and ice

Constantly relocating instead of staying stationary to find food; wanderers

New stone age, began 8000 BCE, caused by rising temperatures and population growth

cut grasses or trees and burned them to clear field, ashes fertilized soil (CO2), plants and animals started to become domesticated

Near the Nile River Valley, grew wheat, barley, and other crops

Along Yellow River, grew rice, millet, wheat and other crops

Along various rivers, grew beans, corn, squash, and tomatoes

Advanced cities, specialized workers, complex institutions, record keeping, and advanced technology, trade, artisans, government/religion, taxes, laws, and development of Bronze tools

In the Fertile Crescent (arable land between Tigris and Euphrates rivers), unpredictably flooded, had no natural barriers, limited natural resources

City States, each with its own government, Priests made major decisions in times of conflict but then military leaders took over (dynastic rule)

Ziggurats (place of worship/community), Polytheistic (all gods powerful, must be kept happy), Epic of Gilgamesh, which was about life in Mesopotamia, afterlife has no return

Kings and Priests (highes) → Slaves (lowest), POWs were sold into slavery after capture. Also, women were eligible to learn how to read and write and become priests

Wheel & Plow, Developed a number system based on 60, Arches & ramps, Cuneiform writing system

Sargon of Akkad founded one first, frequently invaded by Assyrians and Persians

200+ laws for Mesopotamian citizens to solve conflicts, keep law, order, and justice, and to make them exemplary. Often too harsh for simple misdemeanors and immoral acts

Developed on Nile River (Flooded regularly), Deserts serve as natural barriers, Divided into Upper/Lower Egypt

King Menes united Lower/Upper Egypt and began dynastic rule, theocracy (Gods and kings are both seen as gods, ruled in afterlife), Pyramids to honor them

Polytheistic, afterlife existed (judgement and hearts were weighed ), wealthier were mummified; Book of the Dead consisted of hymns, prayers and magic spells

Pharaohs →Government officials and priests →Everyone else (including Traders, Artisans, and Scribes) → Slaves. Literacy reflected on their social class. Wealthy women could own property and divorce

Hieroglyphics and pictographs, papyrus, pyramids and sphinx due to engineering feats, surgeries

Pharaohs lose power →End of Old Kingdom →Middle Kingdom → Hyksos invaded →New Kingdom, King Tut and Ramses

Mountains and Deserts dominated most of land, Yellow River allowed for fertile soil, 10% suitable for farming

Shang dynasty led by Kings and supported by warriors, Zhou dynasty used Mandate of Heaven (Gods approved of rule)

Dynasty exists→Becomes harsh on people →loses control of this concept →Problems (include corruption, revolutions, invasions, natural disasters) →A brand new dynasty claims this concept (by the consent of gods) →Cycle repeats

Respect of elders, ancestors, and family, Polytheism, Oracle bones (writings inscribed on bones to communicate with ancestors).

Old patriarchs , arrange marriages, strict divisions between nobles and peasants, feudalism (land given to nobles for loyalty), peasants were illiterate

Use of thousands of characters in language, canals, coined money, use of iron to make weapons and tools

Nomads sacked capital, noble families compete for power

221 BCE, Qin began leading attacks against states to unify China, nobles lived in capitalism and legalism, hated Confucians and their concepts, roads, writing, money, weights. Peasant labor to make wall, they rebelled and ended Qin.

Centralized Gov, securing borders, Mandate of Heaven, peasants payed taxes and labored, Civil jobs given based on passing assessments, return of Confucianism

Paper, Harness, monopolize silk, Ban Zhou (Lessons for Women)

Natural disasters, economic concerns, peasants rebelled

Shang, Zhou, Qin, Han, Sui, Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, Qing, Republic of China, Mao Zedong, Xi Jinping

Indus and Ganges Rivers provide fertile soil, Himalayan Mountains and Deserts serve as barriers, Monsoons bring flooding or dry winds leading to drought

Hundreds of symbols but indecipherable, neat grid-patterned cities, less conflict, theocracy, Early Hindu culture, Trade evidenced by seal on transactions, declined due to national disasters

Developed accurate system of measurement, maritime trade from Central Asia →Middle East, Indus script was indecipherable, sculpture, pottery, jewlery from terra cotta, metal, and stone, Mettallurgy, handicraft using Gemstone and Carnelian

Chandragupta Maurya reunified most of India (North, East/West to middle), Seizing land from Persia, advisors to rule w/ networks emphasizing spies. Asoka expanded and converted to Buddhism (stone pillars, stupas, Buddhist teachings), Longer roads, powerful vacuum after his death

Created 7-day week, concept of 0, solar year calendar close to modern, pi, proved Earth was round. Their fall divided India into smaller Kingdoms again.

Buddhism →Mahayana (Buddha = God), Exchange of spices across Indian Ocean, Baking grew in India, SE Asian architecture was influenced by South Asian architecture

Origins in India (biggest), Polytheism, Karma is the sum of all your actions and their consquences, reincarnation, goal is to reach brahman, caste system (decided by what you did in your previous life), Dharma is your duty given at birth, Vedas and Upanishads

Origins in India, spread to China by the efforts of Ashoka, Non-Theistic, goal is to reach Nirvana, Mahayana (treat Buddha as god) or Theravana, 4 Noble Truths, Eightfold path

Abraham, Yahweh who is the one god and savior who wants everyone to live a good life, Torah, Were prisoners in Egypt but freed by Abraham, captive by Babylonians, believe that each follower has a personal relationship with god

Find harmony in nature in order to live a peaceful life and to stay out of conflict

Not a religion, focus on personal ethics and morality

Laws and rules created to punish or reward people based on their ethics or morals, in a time where order was needed in China because humans were impulsive and made poor decisions based of subjectiveness, so they required strict laws to end such acts