Rise and Fall of Ancient Civilizations

Rise and Fall of Ancient Civilizations

Settlements around the World

Common Feature among ALL civilizations:

Fertile River Valley

Fertile Crescent Empires

A large band of fertile land in the midst of the desert and mountains.

Mesopotamia

"the land between two rivers"

• Located between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers.
• The rivers flooded unpredictably yearly leaving behind fertile land.
• What is fertile land good for?
• Why might unpredictable flooding be a problem?

Civilizations that Rise and Fall within Mesopotamia:

• Sumer
• Akkadians
• Babylonians
• Assyrians
• Chaldeans
• Persians

Assyria

• Originally from northern Mesopotamia.
• They were frequently invaded due to their locations.

• By 900 B.C. Assyrian rule included all of Mesopotamia as well as parts of Asia Minor and Egypt

Phoenicia

• Phoenicia was located on the western end of the Fertile Crescent.

• Due to it's location on the Mediterranean Sea it emerged as a major trading center.

Persia

• Persia is located in modern day Iran.
• Formed around fertile river valleys and expanded due to trade.
• Cyrus the Great founded the Persian Empire in 539 B.C.E.

Egypt

• Formed around the Nile River.

• Runs 4000 miles long through North Africa.
• The river floods predictably yearly.
• Why is this important?
• How is this different from Mesopotamia?

• The delta is where the richest soil is found.

A stretch of river with rocks, rapids and swift currents.

• The Sahara Desert surrounds Egypt providing protection from invaders.

India

• India is a subcontinent.

India is a part of Asia however because of it's geographical features it is cut off from the continent making it independent.

• The Indus and Ganges River flood providing fertile soil.
• To the north the Himalaya and Hindu Kush Mountains provide protection for India.
• In southern India is the Deccan Plateau, a desert, providing protection.

China

• Civilizations begin between the Huang He (Yellow) River and Yangtze River
• The Plateau of Tibet provided fertile soil as well.
• To the west were the Himalaya Mountains and the Gobi Desert providing protection

Greece

• Located in the northwest Mediterranean Sea on the continent of Europe.
• Greece had poor soil and few natural resources.

• Caused them to turn to trade.

• Greece has very diverse geography.

• Some areas are very hilly others are mountainous breaking it up into independent city-states.

Rome

• Rome has several geographical advantages:
• Located on a peninsula- surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea.
• To the north is it protected by the Alps (mountains).
• The Tiber River provided mild climate and rich soil.

Muslim Civilization

• Muslim Civilizations are located on the Arabian Peninsula.
• Consisted of harsh land with desert interior therefore limited farming.
• Trade routes converged at the Arabian Peninsula- their economy was based on trade.

Africa

• Africa's geography is very diverse.
• Savannahs
• Plateaus
• Great Rift Valley
• Mountains
• Desert
• Rain Forest
• Coastal Plains

Writing to Understand:

How did different geographic issues influence settlement, trading and sustainability? Use the map, sources and your notes to provide examples.

Governments in Ancient Civilizations

What is Government?

Government is a form or system of rules by which a community, civilization or country is governed.

Why do we need government?

• The more complex a society and the more they interact with other societies the more complex the government.
• During the developments of civilizations organized government forms in order to:
• control building projects
• keep track of economic transactions

Who gets to run the government?

• Values and beliefs of a group of people typically determine how government is organized.

Absolute Monarchy

Monarchy: A government by a single person who received power by birth.

Absolute Monarchy:

A king or queen who has unlimited power.

Constitutional Monarchy:

The monarch shares power with an elected group of legislatures.

Dynasty: A series of rulers from the same family.

Examples:

China

• China was ruled by dynasties.
• The Shang dynasty was a strong monarchy however after 600 years the Zhou armies took over.
• To gain acceptance the Zhou ruled by the mandate of heaven.
• The gods would support a just ruler but would not allow a corrupt one to hold power.
• The mandate of heaven later explained the dynastic cycle in China.
• The rise and fall of dynasties in China.

Mesopotamia/ Sumer

• City- states were ruled by dynasties.

Theocracy

Theocracy: A government ruled by a person, or group, who is also a religious figure

Influence of Religion

• Religious figures often interpreted the will of the gods therefore people looked to them for direction.
• Often times they became powerful leaders within ancient civilizations.
• Because the ruler is a religious leader government and religion are intertwined.

Examples:

Egypt

• The Pharaoh was the head of the government.
• Pharaohs were thought to be a god in human form.
• They had absolute power and their word was law.
• Pharaoh's acted as judges as well as leaders in the Egyptian army.

Muslim Civilizations

• Caliph's ruled Muslim civilizations.
• They were thought to be successors of the prophet Muhammad.

Bureaucracy

Bureaucracy: A highly structured organization managed by officials in order to help a rule maintain order and control.

Examples:

Egypt

• As Egypt grew the kingdom became to large.
• The pharaoh appointed officials, typically his relatives, to help him rule.
• They had no power on their own and only acted upon the the pharaoh's wishes.

India

• After 2000 B.C. people settled in small villages.
• Over time these villages began to band together under regional leaders known as rajas.
• The raja was mainly a military leader who vowed to protect the people.

Persia

• Darius I expanded the Persian empire.
• As the the empire expanded Darius I could not maintain control.
• He chose satraps to govern the region in the name of Darius.
• Darius would send officials to check up on the satraps to make sure they were obeying his wishes.

Republic

Republic: A representative government with an emphasis on rule of law

Checks and Balances: Each part of a government can impose certain constraints upon other parts of the government.

• Example: The President cannot declare war on a country unless Congress approves.

Rome:

• 509 B.C. Romans create a republic where the people elect representation.

• Two classes of people were in Rome:
• Patricians: group of people who controlled every aspect of Roman society.
• Plebeians: common people.

• Plebeians challenged the Patricians power in order to expand their rights.
• Rome created three branches to check and balance one another.
• This ensured no one became too powerful.

Democracy

Democracy: Government by the rule of the people, majority rules

Direct Democracy:

The type of government in which ALL eligible voters vote directly on an issue.

Representative Democracy:

A government in which the people elect representatives and give them the power to govern.

Examples:

Athens, Greece

• Direct Democracy developed over time in Athens.
• The Archon (chief of state) was the leader of Athens. Almost like the president of the U.S.
• Voting Requirements:
• Free males
• Over 20
• Must have completed military training

Would a Direct Democracy work in the United States? Why?

Oligarchy

Oligarchy: A government where a small group exercised complete control.

Examples:

Sparta, Greece

• Sparta was led by two kings who served as military commanders.
• There was also a small group of elected council members that made decisions.

Rome

• Problems disrupted the Roman republic.
• A group of individuals set up a triumvirate.
• A triumvirate is a ruling body of three.
• There were two triumvirates in Rome. Both failed due to civil war among the rulers.

Empire:

Empire: A group of nations or people ruled over by an emperor.

Examples:

Persia:

Alexander the Great:

Rome:

Republic vs. Empire

• Elected officials lead.

• An Emperor leads.

• Usually ruled for a year.

• Rules for life although many were assassinated.

• Appointed by the Senate.

• Gained rule by inheritance or by force.

The mouth of the river.

• Cataracts offered protection for Egypt.