Second Wave Civs

Chapter Three Objectives

TEKS 113.42 (c)(1)(A) identify major causes and describe the major effects of the following events from 8000 BC to 500 BC: the development of agriculture and the development of the river valley civilizations;

TEKS 113.42 (c)(2)(C) explain how major river valley civilizations influenced the development of the classical civilizations.

TEKS 113.42 (c)(23)(A) describe the historical origins, central ideas, and spread of major religious and philosophical traditions, including Buddhism, Christianity, Confucianism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Sikhism, and the development of monotheism; and

TEKS 113.42(c)(25)(A) summarize the fundamental ideas and institutions of Eastern civilizations that originated in China and India;

The Indo-Europeans

Hinduism &

Buddhism

Develop

Seafaring Traders

Origin of Judaism

Interaction with Environment

Religious & Ethical Systems

Economics

Indo-Europeans Migrate

• Group of nomadic peoples who came from dry grassland (steppe) region near Caucasus mountains

• Herded livestock (cattle, sheep, goats)

• Tamed horses & rode 2-wheel chariot

• Organized into small tribes or clans

• Spoke "Proto-Indo-European" (*PIE)

• Migrated out in waves for unknown reasons

Early Indo-European migration patterns

Indo-European Language Family

A family of languages spoken by 46% of the world:

• Spanish (#2) - 405M
• English (#3) - 360M
• Hindi (#4) - 310M
• Portuguese (#6) - 215M
• Bengali (#7) - 205M
• Russia (#8) - 155M
• Punjabi (#10) - 100M

Divided into 10 branches:

• Albanian
• Anatolian (extinct)
• Armenian
• Balto-Slavic
• Celtic
• Germanic
• Hellenic
• Indo-Iranian
• Italic
• Tocharian (extinct)

Major branches of Indo-European Languages

Common culture

• Don't have much evidence of early Indo-European society, except for similarities across languages.

• Most fundamental words share a connection across cultures, so must have been important to early Indo-Europeans before they migrated

Hittite Empire

• Hittites were first group of Indo-Europeans to create a civilization

• Ruled over Anatolia (i.e. Asia Minor | Turkey) from capital Habout 2000 BC

• Dominated Near East for 450 years, even controlled Babylon.

• Fought long war with Egypt over Syria, signed alliance treaty when no one won

Hittite Empire at its peak, c. 1300 BC

Adopt & Adapt

• Spoke their language (Hittite) domesticly, but used Akkadian as an international language (lingua franca) to rule empire.

• Adapted ideas on literature, mythology, art, politics, and law from Mesopotamia -- merging traditions with other advanced cultures

(Left) Akkadian influenced art [chimera]

(Right) Indo-European tradition [stag]

Technology

• Chariot & weapons gave them tactical advantage over Egypt & other empires

• First to use iron in warfare
• Fell to wave of Indo-European invaders in 1190 BC

Ramses II defeats Hittites at Dapur (Syria) c. 1296 BC

He thought it was his most important achievement

What differences do you see between Egypt & Hittites

Aryan Societies

• Around 2000 BC a new group emerges in India called "Aryans."
• Theory 1: migrated from Caspian Sea (sometimes called "Aryan Invasion")
• Theory 2: evolved from earlier Indian civilization (called "Myth of Invasion" predominate within India ~ why?)

• No archeological evidence to support either theory, but linguistic & some genetic evidence supports Theory 1

• Sacred literature called Vedas

One of Hinduism's holiest text - the Vedas

Aryans vs. Dasas

• Aryans fought people called "dasas." (enemies/slaves)

• Differences in peoples:
• Aryans: tall, fair skinned, Indo-European, pastoral, gods Indra & Agni

• Dasas: shorter, darker skinned, non-Indo-European language (Dravidian), urban, Shiva & mother goddesses

Man worshiping on banks of the Ganges

Caste System

• Organized society into four groups of people, determined by birth:
• Brahmins (priest) highest
• Warrior
• Merchant
• Workers
• (Untouchables - Dalit)

Aryan Kingdoms

• Aryans originally organized into smaller tribal bands with chieftains

• Small communities developed into kingdoms

• Around 1000 BC Magadha expanded across nearly the whole subcontinent

• Religious epic poems reflect the struggle to control & unify India
• "Bhagavad Gita" holiest Hindu scripture

Krishna & Arjuna discuss the meaning of life before a battle in the "Bhagavad Gita"

"The Story of India - Episode 1"

Hinduism

• Hinduism developed over several thousands of years -- no one single leader
• Aryans vs Non-Aryans worshiped diff gods,
• overtime blended into one system

• Do they worship millions of gods (polytheistic), or worship one god but millions of aspects (monotheistic)? (cultural perspectives)

• Currently 3rd largest religion, after Christianity (#1) & Islam (#2)

Basics

• "Hinduism" contains broad range of philosophies connected together thru shared concepts, rituals, cosmology (understanding of universe), religious texts, & temples.

Major Denominations:

Hundreds of Texts:

Cosmology:

• Vedas - Hymns to Aryan gods (oldest)

• Upanishads - philosophical beliefs

• Mahabharata - Epic poem about 18 day war between gods
• Bhagavad Gita

• Universe has no beginning or ending

• Created by Brahma, destroyed by Shiva

• Time divided into 4 "Yuga" (stages)

• Currently in Kaliyuga (last)

• Vaishnavism - Vishnu, Rama, Krishna

• Shaivism - oldest, Shiva

• Shaktism - Shakti, female divine

• Smartism - 5 major gods, all equal

Theology

• Individual Soul (ātman) is eternal

• At death, soul leaves physical body & reborn into another body (reincarnation) based on good or bad deeds (karma) during previous lives

• Soul can achieve liberation (moksha) from this cycle (samsara) through good deeds & meditation

• Soul unites with Brahma upon liberation

• Karma reinforces caste system:
• Good deeds in past life = Easier lifestyle now
• Bad deeds in past life = Tougher lifestyle now

Major Deities

when you google "Major Hindu gods" ...

Vedic Pantheon

• A few of the early Aryan gods mentioned in the Vedas:

Soma

Agni

Indra

God of Fire

(cf. "ignite" in English)

God of Moon

(cf. somvaar = monday)

God of Thunder & Storms

(cf. Zeus)

Trimurti

• Most important of the gods, sometimes called "Trinity" of Hinduism

Śiva

Viṣṇu

Brahma

Creator

Protector

(Other forms: Ram / Krishna)

Destroyer

(Father of Ganesha, elephant god)

Caste System

• Organized society into four groups of people, determined by birth:
• Brahmins (priest) highest
• Warrior
• Merchant
• Workers
• (Untouchables - Dalit)

Offshoots

Mahavira founded Jainism

• Why do you think some Indians had trouble accepting Hinduism?

• In 6th Century BC, some left the faith to wander around the countryside & look for the truth. Many founded their own religions based off earlier Hindu teachings

• Two such people:
• Mahavira (c. 500 BC)
• Siddhartha Gautama (c 550 BC)

• Many Hindus leaders like Gandhi still consider these offshoots to be "Hindus"

Siddhartha founded Buddhism

Jainism

• Believe that all living things have a soul, not just humans & certain animals

• Practice the Hindu principle of "ahimsa" (non-violence) & never kill anything - even insects.

• Have a tradition of working as merchants, some of wealthiest families in India are Jains

• Traditional for followers to join monasteries later in life, or wander the world, like their founder & renounce all their wealth

Jain nuns meditating

Siddhartha Gautama

• Founder of Buddhism

• Born to a noble Indian family near Nepal

• Prophecy said if he stayed in the kingdom he would rule the world, if he left, he would be a spiritual teacher

• Father tried to hide him in palace, but one day he left & saw 4 people suffering

• Devoted rest of his entire life to determine how to end suffering

Siddhartha Gautama renouncing his kingdom

Buddhism

• Believed in cycle of death & rebirth but rejected caste system

• Attracted working class & women (treated them as equals spiritually. How did that help convert?)

• some followers are "atheists" (no deity); others worship lots of gods (Hindu, Tibetan, or Chinese gods), depends on personal view

• Spread across Southeast Asia by missionaries after King Asoka converted

Buddhist temple in Thailand,

Buddhism has a greater influence outside India

Theology

• Most important beliefs of Buddhists

Three Jewels

Four Noble Truths

Eightfold Path

Buddha (teacher)

Dharma (duty)

Sangha (community)

The cure to ending suffering

Buddha's enlightenment on suffering

Four Noble Truths

Similarities & Differences

Similarities & Differences

Nirvana

(release possible in same lifetime)

Moksha

(release possible after many lifetimes)

Dharma

(the teachings)

Dharma

(duty to social order)

Four Noble Truths

(focus on stopping suffering)

Reincarnation

Caste

(stuck in your station all this life)

Indian Origin

Allow polytheism

Karma

Eightfold Path

(method to end suffering)

Vedas

(sacred text)

Tripitaka

(sacred texts)

Minoans in the Mediterranean

• Minoan culture established a small trade empire in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea.

• Capital based out of Greek island of Crete

• Called "Minoan" because of legendary king, Minos (cf. Minotaur)

• Mysterious collapse c. 1200 BC (probably b/c volcanic eruption at Santorini)

Minoan Civilization at center of Greek islands

Minoans Artwork

• Left behind written records called Linear A, but indecipherable

• Lots of early art which influenced later Greeks

Mural of women from palace in Knossos

Bull jumpers & fighters

Phoenicians

• After Minoan decline in Crete's new trade empire emerged -- Phoenicians

• Based out of Tyre in modern-day Lebanon, extended past Spain & West African coast

Commercial Society

• Mastered ship building, which allowed them to trade with all the early empires

• Round boats - lots of room below deck for cargo

• Known for their artistry, glass work, metalwork, & wood

• Purple dye from snail became very luxurious product, very $$$ usually only nobles could afford it ~ hence why purple becomes associated with royalty

relief of Phoenician ship

Phoenicians in the Bible

14: 1 Now Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, along with cedar logs, stonemasons and carpenters to build a palace for him.

2 And David knew that the Lord had established him as king over Israel and that his kingdom had been highly exalted for the sake of his people Israel.

(1 Chron 14: 1-2) ~ what does this tell us about ancient Phoenicia?

Phoenicians bringing gifts to king of Persia

Phoenician Alphabet

• Spoke a Semitic language, like Arabic, Hebrew, or Ethiopian.

• Biggest contribution was "alphabet," which influenced the Greeks, which influenced the Romans, who created our own

• Not symbol of images like cuneiform or Chinese characters, but each letter was a sound itself

• read Left to Right (like Semitic today)

• oldest alphabet = 1st letter "aleph," 2nd letter "beth" hence alpha-bet.

Search for a Promised Land

• Canaan was an ancient land located between Mesopotamia & Egypt

• Very strategic: connects Asia to Africa

• Probably closely related to Phoenicians

• Most common ethnicity named in the Bible, what Israelites called any native non-Jewsish person in ancient times

Father Abraham

• What we know about ancient Israel we get from Old Testament (Torah)

• Torah names Abraham as the founder -- or "father" -- of Jewish people.
• Jews believe he was a shepherd from Ur (Mesopotamia) who G-d commanded move to Canaan.
• Around 1800 BC migrated there with his family & herds
• Then they moved to Egypt about 1650 BC

• Abraham adopted monotheism (mono = one, theos = god) because G-d promised he would protect his descendants. This promise is called a "covenant."

Moses

• Bible says Israelites migrated to Egypt because of a drought & famine

• Hebrew lit. means "from other side of the river" (prob Euphrates), or simply "immigrants"

• Israelites welcomed into land, then later made into slaves

• Moses mother was Israelite (matrilineal), took his fellow Israelite people out of the country in a movement called the Exodus

• Jews believe G-d established a new covenant with Moses on Mt. Sinai when he had 10 Commandments

Early Israelites

• Ten Commandments became central part of Israelite society

• Divided into twelve tribal regions, but would unite into one alliance during emergencies (one early leader was woman named "Deborah")

• Around 1020 BC Israelites joined together to fight off another threat from the region -- Philistines and selected three kings:
• Saul
• David
• Solomon

Solomon

• Solomon was most powerful of the Israelite kings

• Expanded power & influence of his kingdom

• Built a new temple to Jewish G-d to house the 10 Commandments
• Sent for Phoenician artists to design
• Required a lot of taxes & labor

• After his death, kingdom divided into two
• Israel in the North (later destroyed)
• Judea in the South (hence our demonym, "Jews")

Assyrians (aka Babylonians)

• Kingdom divided until 738 BC when Assyrians took the North

• Judea resisted until 586 BC

• Assyrians (Babylonians) fought Egypt for control of the region

• Then 50 years later, Persians conquered Assyrians & released the Jews back to Israel

• Second Temple built in 515 BC & lasted until AD 72

Theology

• Jews believe in one G-d
• waiting for a Messiah to lead them (similar to the judge of ancient Israelites who united all tribes)

Moses used a menorah during the Exodus & later placed in Temple

Western Wall is all that survives from Second Temple, holiest site for Jews

Religious text Torah

written on a scroll

Religious Texts

• Tanakh (Old Testment)
• Torah - First five books
• Nevi'im - Prophets
• Ketuvim - Other: Psalms, etc.

• Talmud - interpretations of Tanakh
• Mishnah - law & traditions

• Midrash - oral traditions

• Zohar (aka Kabbalah) - mystical

Mezuzah on doorway, contains Bible verse & some Jews touch or "kiss" it when leaving entering/exiting

Major Holidays

• Shabbat (Sabbath) - Friday evening to Saturday evening, weekly day of rest [all Jewish holidays start at sunset, calendar based on moon]

• Rosh Hashanah- Jewish New Year (usually in early Sept)

• Yom Kippur - Day of Atonement, holiest day of the year (a week after Rosh Hashanah)

• Hanukkah - Festival of lights, celebrates the menorah in the temple burning for 8 days during a siege the Jews won (usually in December)

• Passover - remembers the hardship Jews experienced escaping Egypt