Mesopotamia, Egypt, China, India, and Persia

1. River Valley Civilization
GRAPES

3. Geography
• Mesopotamia: Area is known as the Fertile Crescent. It is located
between the Tigris and Euphrates River. The soil made it ideal for
farming.
• Egypt: Located around the Nile River. The Nile is the longest river in the
world. Every year the Nile River floods making the soil fertile for the
Egyptians.
• India: Started by the Indus River near Pakistan and India. It was
surrounded by mountains and the Arabian sea which protected them
from attack and disease.
• China: Grew around the Huang He (Yellow River). The river flooded
often providing fertile soil. It was surrounded by mountains, river
valleys and deserts making it hard to travel.

4. Religion
Mesopotamia was polytheistic (many gods).
Built Ziggurats for each god
Theocracy- Government controlled by religious leader
Egypt was polytheistic
Ra was the supreme god of the gods
Pharaohs were religious leaders and the high priests of all temples.
India was polytheistic
Commoners worshiped goddesses
Upper class and priests worshiped The God
China was polytheistic
The King was the high priest
Believed that people could talk to the gods

5. Mesopotamia India China Egypt
Cuneiform – the world’s
earliest known writing
system; clay tablets
The Harappans had a
form of writing, but it has
not yet been deciphered
(understood or
identified)
Pictographs – their
system of writing used to
this day with each
character representing
one word
Hieroglyphics – another
early form of writing,
based on picture
symbols
Irrigation – an efficient
system of watering crops
was developed
Cotton cloth – first
people known to make
this type of textile
Silk cloth - First to make
silk textiles from the
cocoons of silkworms
Medicine – invented
process of embalming
bodies resulting in
mummies; royal tombs
Wheel - with the advent
of Bronze, there were
now metal tools to chisel
the fine-fitted holes and
axles; probably first used
for potters then for
transportation
Known as the first “urban
planners”: cities with
thousands of homes
were connected to public
sewers and a water
supply
Gunpowder, paper,
printing and the compass
are often called the Four
Great Inventions of China
Pyramids – developed
geometry to build
projects such as
pyramids
Making bronze – melting,
purifying and combining
copper and tin was
begun in this region
Math – developed the
first notion of zero as a
number
The Silk Road – system of
trade routes that
connected China to Asia,
Europe, Africa; exchange
of goods and culture
Calendar – by observing
the stars, they created a
365 day calendar
Achievements

6. Political
•MESOPOTAMIA-Code of Hammurabi: the first set of written laws ;strict
legal system “Eye for an Eye”. These laws did not treat everyone equally. It
favored the upper class (rich).
•EGYPT-Pharaoh: Ruler of Egypt. Pharaoh was considered to be a half-man,
half-god.
•INDIA-Governed by Priest Kings; Priests/kings in villages had high
importance
•CHINA-China was ruled by a series of dynasties. A Dynasty is a family that
has complete control over a country; They ruled with the help of the upper
class and were military leaders.

7. Economic
Egypt Mesopotamia Indus River Valley China
The pharaoh controlled
the economy
Nearly everyone was
involved in agriculture
Some were merchants
and craftsmen
Trade was prominent
throughout the kingdom
and with other
civilizations
Farming – basis for
economy
Grew grains, vegetables,
dates, flax
Domesticated sheep,
goats, cows, oxen, and
donkeys
People who lived in the
towns and cities were
mostly merchants and
craftsmen
People who lived in
areas outside the cities
were farmers and
herders
The Harappans invented
the first system of
weights and measures
for trade
They traded as far away
as ancient Sumer where
they imported textiles
and food in exchange for
copper, lumber, precious
stones, cotton, and
luxury goods
Based on agriculture
Used mostly barter
system of trade
Though skilled at many
crafts, trade was
discouraged outside the
empire

8. Social
Egypt
• Ancient Egyptian society was structured like a social pyramid.
• The gods, such as Ra, Osiris, and Isis were at the top. The monarchy which included the pharaoh was next,
followed by government officials (nobles and priests). Soldiers, scribes, and merchants were the next social
tier and peasants and slaves were at the bottom of the social pyramid.
Mesopotamia
• Ancient Mesopotamia had a complex society divided into three classes: Nobility, free citizens, and slaves.
• The nobility class included priests, and priest-kings. The free citizen class was composed of modern day
middle class (merchants, craftsmen, etc.) and lower classes (farmers, hunters, shepherds, etc.). The slave
class was the lowest, made up of prisoners of war, and could be bought or sold.

9. Social
China
• Social structure was very important in ancient China. The Chinese believed in strict social groups and people were expected to
behave according to their social position.
• The social structure was as follows: The imperial family (the emperor), government
officials (advisers to the emperor), nobles (extended family of emperor), peasants
(farmers), merchants (traders and money lenders), and slaves (prisoners of war
and families of criminals).
India
• The original intent of the caste system was to provide a convenient social structure
to Ancient Indian civilization, with the actions of an individual determining their
rank in society.
• Ancient India was divided into four social classes; Priest and Scholars; Rulers and
Warriors; Merchants, Traders, and Artisans; and Farmers and Laborers.
• The Untouchable class was considered unpure and included foreigners, lawbreakers,
and people suffering from contagious diseases.

10. Persia
• Persia was a civilization located
in the middle east
• Persians had a monotheistic
religion called Zoroastrianism.
• Persia was the first civilization
to create a currency
• Persia also had an advanced
infrastructure- they had
hundreds of miles of roads
• They were also the first
civilization to create a postal
system