This powerpoint covers Chapter 2 of the McDougall Textbook - Early River Valley Civilizations

1. Chapter 2 –Early River
Valley Civilizations
3500 B.C. to 450 B.C.

2. Section 1 – City States in
Mesopotamia
Main Idea The earliest civilization in Asia
arose in Mesopotamia and organized into
city-states.
This is important today because the creation of
city- states is a pattern scene throughout
history.

3. The Fertile Crescent
 Land between the Tigris and Euphrates
Rivers
 The Rivers flow southeastern to the Persian
Gulf
 These Rivers flooded the valley between
them once a year and left behind silt (a very
fertile soil)

5. The Sumerians-Came to area around
3500 B.C.
Problems Found in area:
1. Rivers unpredictable
(floods and droughts)
2. Defense (lived in an
open plain in huts)
3. Very Few natural
resources (very little
stone, wood, and
metal)
Solutions:
1. Irrigation – digging ditches
to hold water and carry it to
fields of crops
2. Built mud walls to
surrounded cities (to
protect villagers)
3. Create trade network –
traded their grain and cloth
for wood, metal, and stone
4. Invented the sail, wheel,
and plow to aid in their
labors

6. Sumerians create city-states
 Because of the growing trade – laws and organizations needed
to be created
 City states – are like countries today. A city and the surrounding
countryside were controlled by government officials or rulers.
Priests- early government was controlled by the temple.
Monarchs – During war, priests did not control the cities. At first
they only ruled during war but by 3000 B.C. war became to
frequent monarchs were given permanent control.
This system of government became popular amongst Sumerian
cities and cultural diffusion occurred.

7. Sumerian Culture
 Polytheist – belief in many gods.
 Had gods for clouds, air, water, fire, etc.
 Sumerians worked very hard in their life so
they would be protected by their gods.
 It is estimated they believed in more than
3,000 gods.

8. God King
Ancient Sumerian Gods

9. Sumerian Hierarchy
 Priests and Kings
 Wealthy Merchants
 Farmers and those who work with their hands
 Slaves
Slaves could be foreigners or Sumerian children sold into slavery
to pay off their poor parents’ debts.

10. The First Empire Builders
 From 3000 to 2000 B.C.
Sumerians were in constant
war with each other.
• This allowed outsiders to
invade and conquer:
• Sargon of Akkad – conquered
Sumer. Akkadians were a
Semitic people. (Spoke a
language similar to Arabic
and Hebrew)
 Akkadians conquered other
neighboring city-states and
created the first empire.
 Babylonian Empire
• Came into the fertile crescent
about 2000 B.C.
• They were called Amorites
another Semitic group
• We call them Babylonians
because they established their
empire’s capital at Babylon.

11. Hammurabi – Most famous of the Mesopotamian Emperors and his
code of laws
 Called the Codex of Hammurabi or the Code of Hammurabi
 written as a set of laws to unify the empire. These laws would
govern the diverse groups under one universal set of laws.

12. Section 2 – Pyramids of the Nile
Main Idea Along the Nile River, civilization
emerged in Egypt and became united into a
kingdom ruled by pharaohs.
This is important today because the
monuments are still seen today and are a
testament to their highly advanced ancient
civilization.

13. The Nile River
 Runs north from Lake Victoria and empties in
the Mediterranean Sea
 The Nile is a lot easier to predict and
dependable in this way.
 The desert that surrounds it creates a barrier
between cultures but also protected ancient
Egyptians from invasion.

15. Egypt unites into a kingdom
 Pharaohs – god-king
 Pharaohs were god on earth for the people of
Egypt and ruled as a king
 Pharaoh was the center of religion,
government, and the army.
 Pyramids – were the tombs of pharaohs.
They would rule the afterlife from their
pyramid palaces.

17. Egyptian Culture
 Like the Mesopotamians,
Egyptians were polytheistic.
 They had Ra (the sun god),
Horus (the god of light, and
Isis (the goddess that
represented motherhood
and the wife)
 The Egyptians worshipped
2,000 gods and goddesses.
Special temples were made
for the major deities.
 Unlike the Mesopotamians
however, Egyptians
believes in a beautiful
afterlife for the worthy.

18. Egyptian Hierarchy
 Kings, queens, and royal families
 Wealthy Landowners, priests, government
officials, and army commanders
 Middle classes –merchants and artisans
 Lower classes – unskilled laborers and
peasant farmers
 Slavery * Was not introduced until later
periods of Egyptian history

19. Egyptian Technology
 Hieroglyphics – form of writing
 Advanced mathematics – counting system
and geometry
 First to use stone columns in houses and
palaces
 Medicine – used splints for repairing broken
bones and had effective remedies for fever
and wounds

20. Section 3 – Planned Cities on the
Indus
Main Idea The first Indian Civilization built well
planned cities on the banks of the Indus
River.
This is important today because India has roots
in this ancient culture.

21. South Asia
 Protected by huge mountains (Himalayas and
Hindu Kush Mountains)
 Indus Valley – Two Great rivers the Ganges
and the Indus Rivers
 Monsoons – Great winds that bring heavy
rains to make the land fertile

23. Most important Achievements
 City planning*
1. Used a precise grid system
2. Featured a fortified part of city called a
citadel. In the citadel were the most
important buildings
3. Early plumbing and sewage systems
4. Made oven-baked bricks cut into standard
sizes

24. Mysterious End
Around 1750 B.C. the
quality of the building
declined.
 May have overused the
land
 Maybe the Indus River
changed its course.
 Aryans, a nomadic tribe
came into area and
maybe wiped them out.

25. Section 4 – River Dynasties in
China
Main Idea The early rulers introduced ideas
about government and society that shaped
Chinese civilization.
This is important today because ancient
Chinese culture still shape Chinese culture
today.

26. China’s Heartland
 To the east the Pacific
 To the west Taklimakan desert and the Plateau of
Tibet
 To the southwest the Himalaya Mountains
 To the north Gobi Desert and Mongolian Plateau
 Between all these barriers a fertile plain with two
major Rivers the Huang He (Yellow River) and the
Yangtze (Chang Jiang River)

28. Civilization Emerges in Shang
Times
 2000 B.C. – First dynasty appears called Xia
(shyah)
 Its leader was Yu and he introduced flood control
and irrigation project.
The Shang Dynasty Arose and lasted from 1532 to
1027 B.C. .
 They introduced the first written records.
 Unlike the other river civilizations Shang built with
wood.

29. Social Hierarchy in Shang
 Sharp division between lower and upper class
 At the top ruling class of warriors and their families
owned land
 Everyone else worked for them
The population was 95% peasant and 5% elite Shang.

30. Chinese culture
 Respect for one’s parents was very strong.
 Eldest males controlled family property and
made decisions.
 Family closely linked to religion. Ancestors
could bring good fortune or ruin to a family.

31. Oracle bones
 Oracle bones – made of
tortoise shell and animal
bones
 Kings consulted these
bones for knowledge of
their fortune
 Priest would scratch
questions on a bone
 Then apply red hot poker to
it to make it crack.
 Cracks were read to
determine the gods answer.

32. Zhou take over and Introduce
The Mandate of Heaven
Strong Dynasty
Establishes peace
and
Prosperity; it is
Considered to have
Mandate of Heaven
In time, dynasty
declines and
becomes
corrupt; taxes are
raised;
Power grows weaker
Disasters such as
floods,
Famines, peasant
revolts,
and invasions occur
Old dynasty is
Seen as having
lost Mandate of
Heaven; rebellion
is justified.
Dynasty is
overthrown
Trough rebellion and
bloodshed;
New Dynasty
Emerges
New Dynasty
Gains power
Restores peace and
order
and claims
Mandate of Heaven
Dynastic Cycle
In China

33. Zhou Contributes to Chinese Culture
 Started Feudalism –
political system in which
nobles or lords are granted
use of lands that legally
belong to king. Protectors
of their lands and the
people on that land.
 Improve trade, roads, and
canals.
 Use of Iron for weapons

34. Zhou fall victim to their
Mandate of Heaven
 First 300 years marked by peace and
prosperity
 771 B.C. start to get invaded by people of the
north.
 Lords pick fights with other lords.
 Harmony and peace most valued by the
Chinese lost; later will be replaced for a new
dynasty who will restore these values.

35. Zhou Dynasty artifacts