World History - Indus Vally & Ancient China

Indus river

Fertile soil for farming

Transportation for trade

Harappa & Monejo-Daro

Major cities along the Indus river

Centers of culture, trade and religion

A lot of people lived there

Hindu-Kush & Himalayas

Mountain ranges

Provided protection but isolated them

Khyber pass

Natural opening in the Hindu Kush mountains

Made transportation easier on land

Increased trade

Thar Desert

Desert located to the east of the Indus river

Protected Indus from the east

Limited trade and transportation over land

Arabian Sea & Bay of Bengal

Bodies of water connected to the Indian ocean

Allowed trade between Indus, China, Egypt, or Mesopotamia

Monsoons

Seasonal winds that bring rain (too much can cause destruction)

What did the Indus Valley create?

Grid-organized cities and sewage systems

Indus seals

Used for identification and trade

Know the map of the Indus Valley civilization

Dynasty

When a family rules a nation for a long period of time because they pass power down through the family

What rivers was the China River Valley located in between?

Yellow (Huang He) River and Yangtze River

Where do the rivers empty out?

Into the Yellow/East China Sea

Gobi and Taklamakan Deserts

Deserts in the China River Valley

Why is the Yellow River yellow?

The Loess Plateau provides a yellow silt that gets into the river

Emperor

The leader of a dynasty in ancient China

Mondale of Heaven

A belief that the gods give their blessings to the emperor

Who was the first dynasty of China?

Emperor Xia - Yu was the first emperor

What dynasty overthrew the Xia dynasty?

The Shang dynasty

What is the Shang dynasty known for?

The first Chinese people to leave written records

They made the writing system - Oracle Bones

They started making bronze technology

What was the third dynasty in ancient China?

The Zhou dynasty overthrew the Shang dynasty

What is the Zhou dynasty remembered for?

The system of Feudalism

Feudalism

A social class system where the leader gives land in exchange for loyalty, taxes, and military protection

Social class system in ancient China (top to bottom)

Emperor - provided land to lords in exchange for loyalty and taxes

Lords - provide land and food to soldiers and peasants who live on the land

Warriors - provide protection for the land

Peasants - work the farms and receive food and housing in return

Dynastic cycle in China