HISTO-1010 Exam 2

Auburn, Malcycki, Exam 2

The Bronze Age Collapse

• climate change reduced crop yields

• resulted in fertile crescent inhabitants migration for resources

the Levant

• emerged from Bronze Age Collapse

• Judah & Israel

  • religion for Yaweh of Jerusalem

Neo Assyrian Empire

• masters of iron

• faked propaganda to instill fear

Ashurbanipal

• last great Assyrian king

• rebuilt Babylon & invaded Egypt twice

• bibliophile

Neo-Babylonians (Chaldeans)

• Babylon as capital

• defeated Assyrians

• leader Nebuchadnezzar II

Nebuchadnezzar II

• leader of Neo-Babylonians

• captured Jerusalem twice

• rebuilt Babylon after Assyrian ruin

Persian Empire

• Achaemenids

• near Iran and Indus River

Achaemenid Dynasty

• Persian empire

• religiously tolerant

• standardized: weights, measures, coinage

• on-the job heir training

Cyrus the Great

• freed Jews from Babylonian exile

• ideal emperor

• brought Achaemenids from kingdom to empire

Cambyses II

• on-job trained as satrap (of Babylonia)

• added Egypt to Achaemenid Empire

• dislike by Greeks

Darius I

• expanded to Indus R, Central Asia, & Caucasus

• relative to Cambyses

• allowed Egypt and Jews to rebuild temples

Xerses I

• satrap of Babylonia

• broke religious tolerance (destroyed statue)

• favored Zoroastrianism

Zoroastrianism

• scripture: Avesta

• theme: savior & apocalypse (eschaton)

• Ahura Mazda, good vs. evil

Indo-Europeans

• Central Asia migrants

• sanskrit (Indo-Aryan language)

• mastered: iron, horse, chariot

• religious lit: varna

varna (color)

Indo-European religious literature

discusses class differences by color

Vedans

branches from Indo-Europeans

The Rig Veda

• most sacred text (veda/knowledge)

• modern Hinduism

Vedic Religion

• polytheistic

• ritualistic (proper, special priests)

• moralistic

brahma

essence of life, metaphysical truth

atman

universal soul in every being

samara

cycle of death and rebirth

mokhsha

release from samsara, return to brahman (holy state)

Brahmans

educated priests

Kshatriyas

warriors, kings, administrators

Vaishyas

craftsmen & merchants

Shudras

Shudras

laborers, servants, farmers

dharma (firm)

respect natural order, others and life

karma

residue of actions stains soul

varna

social class based on profession

jati

caste or sub-caste (lesser varna)

1. Rig Veda

2. Sama Veda

3. Yajur Veda

4. Atharva Veda

Four main Vedas