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sumerians

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the fertile crescent

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-Sean

City State in Mesopotamia

Geography of the Fertile Crescent:

A desert climate dominates the landscape between the Persian Gulf and the Mediterranean Sea in Southwest Asia. Yet within this dry region lies an arc of land that provided some of the best farming in Southwest Asia. The region’s curved shape and the richness of its land led scholars to call it the Fertile Crescent.

Environmental Changes:

The first people began to settle down in the Southern swampy lands. Around 3300 B.C. the Sumerians were attracted to the land because of the good fertile soil. However there were three main disadvantages.

1.) Unpredictable flooding along with periods of rain and no rain at all. The land sometimes became a desert.

2.) With no natural barriers for protection they were extremely defenseless.

3.) The natural resources of Sumer were limited. So the materials in order to build homes were limited.

Solving problems through organizations:

Over a long period of time the people of Sumer came up with a solution to their problems.

1.) To provide water they built water irrigation and ditches that went to their crops which resulted in surpluses.

2.) For defense they build mud bricks to defend themselves.

3.) Sumerians traded their grains, cloth, and crafted tools in order for them to trade with other people so they could receive raw resources and material they needed.

Sumerians Create City States:

Sumerians stand out as one of the first people to build and form a civilization. 5 key characteristics of an advanced civilization.

1.) Advanced Cities

2.) Specialized workers

3.) Complex institution

4.) Record Keeping

5.) Improved Technology

A city-state functions as much as an independent country does.

Priest and Rulers Share Control:

Sumer's earliest government was controlled by the temple priest. The people believed the success of their crops depended on the gods. In the middle of the city-state there would be a temple called a Ziggurat. It was a place of worship and also it was kind of like a city hall. Over time there was war and during the war the priest did not lead the army, instead the men of the city chose the man that would lead them into war. After the war ended the man would immediately lose power, but over time he was given permanent power along with the priest. Sometimes when the men got full power, he would pass down the power down to his son, and his son would do the same. Doing this for generations upon generations. A series of rulers that come from the same blood is called a dynasty.

The Spread of Cities:

The Sumerians prospered and so did their city from the surpluses of food that the farms grew. Over time new cities prospered around the fertile Crescent. The process in when a new product or idea spreads into other culture it is known as cultural diffusion.

Sumerian Culture:

The belief systems, social structure, technology, and arts of the Sumerians reflected their civilization’s triumph over its dry and harsh environment.

A Religion of Many Gods:

Like many people in the fertile crescent the people of Sumer believed in many gods. The belief of more than one god is call polytheism. Sumer's described their gods as very human like. They fell in love, they quarreled and so on, the people of Sumer believed that the gods were all powerful and immortal. To keep their gods happy they built impressive ziggurats and worshiped them. Sumerians worked hard to stay protected by the gods in this life, but after death they did not expect anything from the gods.

Life in Sumerian Society:

When civilizations began social classes were also created. Such as kings, landholders, nobles, and etc. Social class were very important to both men and women. Women almost had the same equal rights as men. Upper class women got to read and learn, and they were also allowed to own land and such.

Sumerian Science and Technology:

Historians believed the Sumerians created the wheels and the sails.

1.) Arithmetic and Geometry

In order to erect city walls and buildings, plan irrigation systems, and survey flooded fields, Sumerians needed arithmetic and geometry.

2.) Architectural Innovations

Arches, columns, ramps, and the pyramid shaped the design of the ziggurat and permanently influenced Mesopotamian civilization.

3.) Cuneiform

m Sumerians created a system of writing. One of the first known maps was made on a clay tablet in about 2300 B.C. Other tablets contain some of the oldest written records of scientific investigations.

The First Empire Builders

From 3000-2000 B.C. the City-States were constantly at war at one another and so the ones that were weakened that could no longer ward of the attackers. From then on they started to weaken but did not crumble and disappear.

Sargon of Akkad:

About 2350 B.C., a conqueror named Sargon defeated the city-states of Sumer. Sargon led his army from Akkad, a city-state north of Sumer. The Akkadians had long before adopted most aspects of Sumerian culture. Sargon’s conquests helped to spread that culture even farther, beyond the Tigris-Euphrates Valley. By taking control of both northern and southern Mesopotamia, Sargon created the world’s first empire. An empire brings together several peoples, nations, or previously independent states under the control of one ruler.

Babylon Empire:

e In about 2000 B.C., nomadic warriors known as Amorites invaded Mesopotamia. Gradually, the Amorites overwhelmed the Sumerians and established their capital at Babylon, on the Euphrates River. The Babylonian Empire reached its peak during the reign of Hammurabi, from 1792 B.C. to 1750 B.C.

Hammurabi's Code:

Hammurabi recognized that a single, uniform code of laws would help to unify the diverse groups within his empire. He collected existing rules, judgments, and laws into the Code of Hammurabi. Hammurabi had the code engraved in stone, and copies were placed all over his empire.

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City State in Mesoptamia:

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Pyraminds on the nile

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- The Nile river is 4,100 miles long (longest river in the world)

- Yearly flooding in Mesopotamia brought rich soil that allowed settlements to grow

- Egyptians worshiped the Nile as a god

- When the Nile rose higher than normal many crops were destroyed and many people starved

- Nile helped promote trade between different villages

Egypt Unites into a Kingdom:

- Egyptians lived in farming villages

- Ruled by a king named Narmer

- Egyptian god kings (Pharaohs) were considered the gods of the heavens

- Pharaohs were at the center of Egypt's government and army

- Egyptians believed that a king ruled even after his death

- Had a large supply of building materials

Egyptian Culture:

- Believed in many gods

- Most important gods were Re (sun god) and Isis (god of death)

- Egyptians believed in the afterlife

- Mummified bodies

Life In Egyptian Society:

- Egyptian society formed a pyramid

- Slavery became a widespread source of labor

- Could gain higher status by marriage

- Many jobs were available to people who could read and write

- Developed a system of writing called hieroglyphics

- Papyrus was invented soon after hieroglyphics

- Developed a calender to keep track of time

- Developed a system of written numbers

- Created famous medicines

Invaders control Egypt:

- The Pharaohs power declined in 2180 B.C.

- Created thousands of acres of farmland by draining swamps

- Hyksos ruled much of Egypt from 1630 to 1523 B.C.

- Civilization started to form in the Indus River Valley

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-JJC
Planned Cities on the Indus

Geography of the Ancient Indus:

Ancient India is a subcontinent. It is distinguishable part of a continent. Ancient India contains large landscapes. Mountains such as Hindu Kush, Karakorum, and Himalayan range separate Ancient India from Asia. It contains a large desert in the east and mountain in the north to protect them against invaders. The Indus and the Ganges River are very important. Farmers can only farm in places where there are the rivers. The rivers also provide silt for the farmers. The rivers flow 1,700 miles across northern India to mark Indo-Gangetic Plain. At the bottom of India there is the Eastern and Western Ghats, it contains mountain ranges to block off the moist monsoons. India's climate is controlled by monsoons.

Environmental Changes:

The rivers in Ancient India provided lots of things for the people. Floods are good for silt but it was unpredictable. The rivers can suddenly change courses and cause lots of destruction on the way. Monsoons are also unpredictable. Too much moisture from the monsoons can cause lots of rain then cause flooding while too much dry monsoons can cause droughts and make crops not grow. Civilizations Emerge to the Indus: Historians know about this place less that and other places. They couldn’t understand the Indus writing system and most of the sites have been washed away due to the Indus and the Ganges River. Historians also don’t know who came here first. They are many ways a civilization started here. Around 2500 BC the Indians or some other migrates came and made levees so the river will not flood. Sometimes the levees will not work so they made islands to raise the cities. The largest cities that historians could find are Kalibangan, Mohenjo-Daro, and Harappa. The Indus Valley could be called the Harappan civilizations because many discoveries were made at that site. Their city

planning was right on point. They made a grid system so they could plan out the city. Some places were a fortified area to keep all of their important buildings. Since they used a grid system, they made it possible for sophisticated plumbing and sewage system. Historians can relate to Harappa for a “perfect” city. It had a mud brick platform so it can protect itself from flooding.

Harappan Culture:

Harappan culture spread throughout the Indus Valley. It developed a written language. Historians cannot tell that the language means. The language only contains about 400 symbols so it’s very complex language. Historians found lots of artifacts and explored ruins to make these conclusions; housing tells that the social divisions in the society are not great, clay and wooden children’s toys tells about prosperous society that could afford and produce nonessential goods and they couldn’t find much weapons so they concluded that there wasn’t a lot of conflicts. Animals were on their artifacts so animals were important. Some of the symbols are made up of multiple animals.  Archaeologists think that the Harappan was a theocracy but they couldn’t find any temples. Religious artifacts connect with modern day Hinduism. Their trade was excellent. They had sources for gold and silver from the north. Semiprecious stones came from Persia and the Deccan Plateau was made into jewelry. Cotton was also a really good item for trade. The rivers were used for routes for trade. It also connected them with the ocean so they can trade with even more people. Their traded good were marked with seals. The trading went from 2600 BC to 1800 BC.

The fall of the Indus Valley:

Around 1750 BC the buildings began to decay. Using technology they found the tectonic plate’s movement destroyed the Indus Valley since earthquakes and floods were created. It swept out the valley. The rivers did mass destruction to the city destroying the crops and cities itself. Since all the crops were destroyed there was a shortage of food and made people abandon the cities in order to survive.

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River Dynastires in China

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Geography:

China is isolated by its natural barriers.

To the east: the Yellow sea, the East China Sea, and the Pacific Ocean

To the west: Taklimakan Desert and 15,000-foot Plateau of Tibet.

To the southwest: Himalayas

To the North: Gobi Desert and Mongolian Plateau

River systems:

Two major rivers

The Huang He or yellow river flows from the west into the Pacific Ocean. It got its name the yellow colored loess, fertile soil blown by wind from deserts to the west and north

The Yangtze or Chang Jiang flows from the east into the Yellow Sea

Environmental Challenges:
Like all other civilizations, China developed by a river, a flood could be devastating to its well-being.

Unexpected flooding of the Huang He could wash away whole villages.

Due to isolation, China has to become self sustaining

The natural barriers did not completely protect it from invasions caused by the west or north.

China's Heartland:

Only ten percent of China is viable for farming

That piece of land is located between two major rivers in eastern China

This area is called the North China Plain

This area remained the heart of Chinese civilization for many years

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Civilization Emerges in the Shang Times 

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Civilization Emerges in the Shang Times 

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The First Dynasty:
Around 500,000 years ago, people started to settle down in this river valley.

Chinese culture began building farming settlements before

Sumerians began settling in Mesopotamia

Around 2,000 B.C. China’s first cities came to be

According to legend China’s first dynasty began around this time

Xia, a mathematician and engineer was the ruler

He made flood control projects that tamed the Huang River and allowed the irrigation of crops

The Shang Dynasty lasted between 1,700 to 1,027 B.C.

It was the first dynasty to leave written records

Early Cities:

Anyang is one of the cities that is the oldest and most important for the Shang Dynasty

Anyang was built mainly from wood

The higher class lived in timber-framed houses with wall of clay and straw, inside the city walls

The lower class lived in huts outside the walls

They protect their cities with earth walls

These wall protect them from constant war

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To Chinese people, those who were not part of their civilization were considered to be lower than them, thus making them think of China as the central of civilization: 中国 or the Middle Kingdom.

Family:

The central of Chinese society

The elder men gets to make all the decisions as well as take care of all the property

The woman are inferior and must obey all men, even their sons

At the age of 13 to 16 the daughter will be married off and only by giving birth to sons in her new family can she improve her current status

Social Classes:

Was divided sharply between noble and peasants

The king and warrior-nobles ruled the empire

Noble families owned land and govern villages that send tributes to the emperor

Religious Beliefs:

Family is closely linked with religion

Believed that spirits of ancestors bring power and good fortune or disasters

The spirits were thought to be more like neighbors who demanded respect and may give things in return for your help rather than being treated as gods

Every family member must pay respect to the father's ancestors and make sacrifices

The Shang worshiped the supreme god Shang Di

They used oracle bones, animal bones or tortoise shells that priest have scratched on questions for the gods

Development of Writing:

The Chinese used the method of writing a letter per syllable or unit of language

There are no links between the spoken and written language

One major advantage for Chinese style of writing is being able to have everyone understand what you written even if they don't speak the same dialect as you

The disadvantage is how you need to remember over 1,500 characters to be considered barely literate

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Crash Course on China and the Mandate of Heaven

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Crash Course on China and the Mandate of Heaven

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‎2,000 Years of Chinese History! The Mandate of Heaven and Confucius: World History #7

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Around 1,027 B.C. a group of people called Zhou overthrew the Shang Dynasty and established their own, but did not change everything that was there before, instead, they simply add on.

Mandate of Heaven:

To justify the overthrowing of the Shang, the Zhou said that the gods was not pleased with the Shang's rule so they gave the right away to the Zhou

This later on became the idea of: the Mandate of Heaven, which is the approval from "god" to overthrow the current king if they were being wicked or foolish who would lose the Mandate of Heaven along with their right to rule

The Mandate of Heaven changed into the central view of the government.

When ever things didn't happen the way people want it to, the Mandate of Heaven would be passed onto another noble family

This is known as the dynastic cycle, or the pattern of rise, decline and the replacement of dynasties

Control through Feudalism:

Due to the amount of area that the Zhou Dynasty have to govern was too high, they developed the system of feudalism, a political system in which lords and nobles are legally granted the use of land owned by the king, in return, they must offer military service and protection

At first the lords had to summit to the authority of the Zhou Dynasty, but over time their powers grew and borders expanded

Due to the lust of land, more and more conflicts began to occur between lords

Improvements in technology and trade:

The Zhou Dynasty introduced many innovations:

Roads and canals were built for trade and agriculture

Coined money was introduced

Blast furnaces that produced cast iron were invented

They use iron for weapons and agriculture tools

A period of warring states:

The Zhou ruled form 1,027 to 256 B.C.

It was a peaceful empire, but as time pasted it weakened

In 771 B.C. nomads from the north raided the capital and killed the monarchs

As the new monarchs no longer have power over the lords the lords were able to pick fights freely with neighboring lords

This became known as " the time of warring states"

All the original values of Chinese tradition have long collapse and a new Chinese civilization will soon begin