Ancient Civilizations:

1
Ancient Civilizations

• China and India

2
The Indus River Valley/ Harappa

• Located in ancient India
• People were the Harappans
• Not much is known about them
• We cannot decipher the writing they left behind

3
Mohenjo Daro and Harappa

• Mohenjo Daro and Harappa were the major cities
• Indoor plumbing, bathrooms, underground sewage
• Aryans
• From north
• religious beliefs blend with the Indus cities to
  form the basis for the Hindu religion
• Brought Vedas and Sanskrit language

4
Caste System

• Brought a system of classes called Vedas, basis
  for the caste system

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More History

• Maurya Empire (321 184 BCE)
• First great Indian empire
• Drove out the last of the Greeks (Alexander the
  Great)

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Ashoka Maurya

• great warrior
• conquered ? of India
• eventually decided that peace was better way of
  life and converted to Buddhism

7
Gupta Empire

• Restored law and order
• Golden Age of prosperity, literature, art,
  math, science India became a center of learning

8
The Huang He /China

• Huang He Yellow River
• gets its name from the yellow soil of the region
  loess
• Population center of China
• The Huang He was the most isolated of the early
  civilizations
• WHY?
• China has the longest continuous civilization in
  the world

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Chinese Dynasties (ruling families)

• Shang Dynasty is first to unite China
• And WRITE about it
• Zhou Dynasty
• During the Zhou Dynasty-war among rivalsBUT also
  economic growth
• TRADE
• Chinese Philosphers
• Confuscious alive during the Zhou Dynasty
• Not well known until much later
• China no longer united
• Dynastic Cycle

10
Qin Dynasty

• Eventually China is united under the warlike Qin
  Dynasty 221BC
• This empire gives China its name
• reorganized the government
• Standardized money, weights measures
• Burnt books containing different ideas
• Began The Great Wall of China to keep out hostile
  neighbors to the north (214-208 BC)
• Built extensive roads and canals
• Major achievements
• Gunpowder
• Moveable type and paper

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• A common man marvels at uncommon things a wise
  man marvels at the commonplace.
• - Confucius