Chapter - 6
Egyptian and Chinese Civilization
1. Location and Sources
- Developed along the Nile River
- It is located in the northeastern part of Africa
- One of th eoldest River Valley
- Without "Nile" river Egypt would have been a desert
- It is called gift of "Nile"
Sources of Information:
- Monuments (pyramids, temples)
- Inscriptions and papyrus texts
- Art and artifacts
2. Egyptian Kingdoms (Three Periods)
Old Kingdom – Age of pyramid building ( 3000 BCE - 2000 BCE)
Middle Kingdom – Period of stability and growth, Trade expanded, Invasion of Hykos who conqured ( 2000 BCE - 1750 BCE)
New Kingdom – Period of expansion and powerful rulers (1570 BCE - 1069 BCE)
3. Society:- Divided into three classes:
- Upper class – Pharaoh, nobles, priests (unlimited powers and was the political and religious head of his people
- Middle class – Traders, artisans, officials
- Lower class – Farmers, laborers, slaves
4. Economy and Family
Economy:- Based on agriculture (due to Nile floods), Trade and crafts also important. Trade was both internal and foreign
Family Life:- Family was important
- Patriarchal society
- Women had better status than many other ancient societies
- Could own property
5. Town Planning
- Settlements developed above the Nile to prevent flood
- Cities were divided into Upper (Southern) and Lower (northen) regions
- The city was divided into blocks or grids
- Houses made of mud bricks
- Cities grew around temples and palaces
6. Recreation
- Music and dance
- Board games
- Hunting and sports
7. Religion
- Believed in many gods (polytheism)
- Important gods:- Ra (Sun god), Osiris, Horus, Anubis,and Amon
- Belief in life after death
- Practice of mummification:- The process of preserving a dead body by treating it with special methods so that it does not decay.
- Osiris:- The lord of the after life
8. Contributions of Egyptians
Pyramids:-
- Large triangle structure
- Huge tombs of kings (pharaohs Chepos ) Khufu ( 2650 BCE) One of the seven wonders and took 20 years to built
- Example: Great Pyramid of Giza
The Sphinx
- Statue with lion body and human head
- It was meant to guard of pyramid
- Example: Great Sphinx of Giza (240 feet long and 66 feet high)
- Script
- Hieroglyphics (picture writing):- it means sacred nd holy writing
- The word "Hiero" means Holy and "Glyphics" means writing.
- Papyrus:- bark of strip of a plant. the word 'paper' origin in the word papyrus.
Mathematics:- Knowledge of:
Geometry, addition, substractio, multiplication,, division, as well as aware from decimals and frations, Measurement
Science and Medicine:- Knowledge of:
- Human body and circulatoin of blood
- preseved of mummies also big achievement
- Treatment of diseases
Astronomy
- Studied stars
- Developed solar calendar
- Accurate knowldege of seasons, rain, flood for farming
- study star sirus appear on horizon when the floods reached Cairo and this happened after every 365 days.
- 9. Decline
- Weak rulers
- Foreign invasions
- Internal conflicts
- Last ruler was Cleopatra
Chinese Civilization:- The History of Chienese Civilisation can be traced back to over 4,500 years.
1. Location and Sources
- Developed along:- Hwang Ho River (Yellow River).
- The Huang He River is called the “Sorrow of China” because:- It caused frequent floods
- Floods destroyed:- Crops, Houses, Entire villages
- Led to loss of life and property
- These disasters brought suffering to people, so it got this name
2. Chinese Dynasties
1. Shang Dynasty
- Time Period: c. 1600 BCE – 1046 BCE
- One of the earliest Chinese dynasties
- Known for:- Use of bronze tools
- Early Chinese writing (on oracle bones)
2. Zhou (Chou) Dynasty
- Time Period: c. 1046 BCE – 256 BCE
- Longest ruling dynasty in Chinese history
- Important ideas:- Mandate of Heaven (king rules with divine approval)
- Development of:- Philosophy, Culture
3. Qin Dynasty
- Time Period: 221 BCE – 206 BCE
- First dynasty to unify China
- Famous ruler:- Qin Shi Huang
- Achievements:- Beginning of Great Wall of China
- Standardization of:- Weights, Measures, Writing system
4. Han Dynasty
- Time Period: 206 BCE – 220 CE
- Period of peace and prosperity
- Major developments:
- Trade through Silk Road
- Growth in:- Science, Education
- Often called the Golden Age of China
2. Society:- Divided into:- Rulers and nobles
- Noblemen were help king during war
- Farmers, Artisans,Traders, slaves respect their elders
- They formed clan, and family was a sacred unit
- Agriculture (rice, wheat, barely, sorghum, millets, soyabeans and tea)
- The Chinese were the first to cultivate tea.
- Chinese were the first to produce silk from silkworms:- this is called Sericulture
4. Religion
- Early Chinese believed in:- force of nature
- Nature worship (sun, rivers, mountains)
- Worship of go called:- "Shang Ti" Lord of Heaven
- Ancestor worship (respect for forefathers)
- Important ideas:
- Confucianism – moral values, respect, discipline
- Taoism – living in harmony with nature
- Religion was closely linked with daily life and morality
5. Script (Writing System)
- Developed a unique Chinese script
- Based on symbols/characters (not alphabets)
- Earliest writing were found on animals bones
- Used for:- Records, Administration, Literature
- Helped in unity of the empire
6. Trade
- Trade was highly developed
- Main trade route:- Silk Road
- Exported:-Silk,Tea, Porcelain
- Imported:- Horses, Glass, Metals
- First produce of paper
- Connected China with Asia and Europe
Contributions of the Chinese
1. Great Wall of China
- Long wall built for protection from invasions
- Started during the Qin dynasty
- Example: Great Wall of China. One of the seven wonders
2. Pagodas
- Made of wood
- Tower-like buildings used for:
- Religious purposes
- Example: Pagoda
3. Calendar
It had 12 months of 30 days and a year of 12 months
Developed an accurate calendar system
Based on: solar and lunar calculation
7. Progress in Science and Technology:-Important inventions:
- Paper making
- Printing
- Seismograph and recorded earthquakes
- Compass
- Gunpowder
- Astronomical clock
- China made great progress in technology and innovation
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