Ancient India developed advanced civilizations like the Indus Valley Civilization between 3000-1500 BC. The Aryans later invaded and established a caste system by 1500 BC. Hinduism and Buddhism emerged as major religions promoting dharma and escaping suffering. China also saw early dynasties like Shang and Zhou centralized around the Yellow River Valley. Confucianism emphasized social harmony through filial piety while Daoism focused on living naturally. Both India and China made scientific advances and established empires during their Golden Ages.

1. Chapter 3 Notes
Ancient India &
China

3. India
• Diverse Geography
• Himalayan and Karakoram
mountains
• Ganges and Indus River Valleys
• Deccan Plateau

4. Ancient India
• Indus Valley Civilization
• (3000 BC to 1500 BC)
• Major Cities were Mohenjo-Daro &
Harappa
• Well organized with public wells &
advanced drainage system

5. Indus Valley (continued)
• Theocracies
• Economy based on farming by
the Indus River
• Traded with Mesopotamia

6. Aryans (1500 BC)
• Moved from Asia into India and
conquered the Harappans
• Controlled all of India by 1000
BC
• Could farm with the help of the
Iron plowshare

7. Aryans (continued)
• Developed Sanskrit, their first
writing system
• Used for recording legends and
religious chants
• The Vedas were religious hymns
• The Bhagavad Gita was the most
famous section of the Mahabhara

8. Caste System
• Light-skinned Aryans looked
down on dark skinned subjects
• A set of social categories that
determined a persons
occupation & economic
potential
• The caste system still exists
today

9. 5 major castes
• Brahmins (priests)
• Kshatriyas (warriors)
• Vaisyas (commoners)
• Sudras (Dark skinned
natives who worked for the
Vaisyas)
• Untouchables (not
considered human, lived in
separate areas)

10. Hinduism
Collection of ancient beliefs, no
single “founder”
• Believed in the existence of a
single force in nature, called
Brahman
• A person’s actions will
determine how they are reborn
in their next life
• Goal is to be unified with
Brahman

11. Buddhism
• Founded by Siddhartha Gautama
Beliefs:
• Escape from suffering
• Promise of eternal salvation
Spread throughout China
Monasteries became important
centers of learning

12. Mauryan Dynasty (324 BC)
• Centralized government with
provinces
• Asoka was the greatest ruler in
the history of India
• He used Buddhist ideals to
guide his rule
• Provided rest stops & animal
hospitals

14. Silk Road (around 1 AD)
• Silk was China’s most valuable
product
• Ran from China to Eastern
Europe
• India prospered from the trade
between the Romans and the
Chinese

16. Gupta Empire (320 AD)
• Known for religious toleration
• Great traders
• This was the Golden Age of
India

17. Indian Science
• Earth was round, on it’s
axis, and revolved around the
sun
• Algebra
• Concept of zero
• Indians gave their number
system to the Arabs
• The Arabs gave this number
system to the Europeans

18. Ancient China
• Diverse geography
•Huang and Yangtze
rivers
•Deserts, Mountains
•China isolated by
natural barriers

19. Shang Dynasty
(1750 – 1122 BC)
• Major concern was war
• King could choose & remove
aristocratic leaders
• Strong belief in life after death
• Mastery of bronze casting

20. Zhou Dynasty
(1045 – 256 BC)
• Mandate of Heaven
• heaven kept order through the
king
• king had authority from heaven to
command

21. Technology & Family
• Technology
• Irrigation was widely used
• Increased food production due to iron
plowshares…this led to increased population
E048186 Trinity+1
• Family
• Filial piety -> duty of members of the family to
put the needs of the leading male in the family
ahead of their own

22. Religion
• Hinduism & Buddhism
• focused on freeing the soul from the cycle
of rebirth
• Confucianism, Daoism, & Legalism
• focused on the immediate world and how
to create a stable order in that world

23. Important People
• Confucius: Great Teacher
• People must behave in accordance
with Tao (the Way)
• Filial piety: respect family, elders
first

24. Confucianism
• 5 relationships
• parent and child,
• husband and wife,
• elder sibling and junior
sibling,
• elder friend and junior
friend,
• ruler and subject

25. Confucianism (continued)
• Duties & responsibilities
• Filial piety
• Social Harmony
• Kings should lead by example

27. Daoism
• Based on the ideas of Lao Zi
• Tries to set proper forms of behavior
for human beings on Earth
• Act spontaneously and let nature take
its course without interfering in it

28. Legalism
• People are evil by nature
• Create order through strict laws and
harsh punishment
• Feudal leaders agreed with this

29. Qin Dynasty
(221 – 206 BC)
• United China into a centralized state
• Legalism became their ideology
• Bureaucracy divided into 3 parts:
• Civil, military, censorate (Checked on
government officials)
• Built the Great Wall of China

31. Han Dynasty
(202 BC – 220 AD)
• Established schools for civil positions
• Followed Confucius’ ideals
• Population increased
• Expanded Chinese Empire

32. Great Chinese Inventions
• Magnetic compass
• Gunpowder
• Paper
• Printing
• Iron casting (led to steel)
• Fore-and-aft rigging for ships