Chapter 4 Age of Early Empires

- Egypan & Nubian - Assyrian - Persian - Unified China ■ Essenal Queson: – What is the difference between a “river valley civilizaon” & an “empire”?

■ Warm-Up Quesons: – What is an “empire”? – How are “empires” different from “river valley civilizaons”? – What are the advantages of having an empire? From Civilizaon to Empire ■ Aer thousands of years of civilizaon in river valleys, the first empires appeared – River valley civilizaons were complex sociees with advanced technologies, cies, workers, wring, & instuons – Empires were advanced sociees with well-organized, centralized gov’ts that conquered & ruled a variety of formerly independent people Why study the first age of empires?

■ Countries today sll try to control other regions, just as the empires of Egypt, Nubia, Assyria, Persia, and China did. ■ People balance their need for a strong govern- ment that promotes safety and economic growth with their hope for low taxes and few restric- ons. People in the first empires also balanced these concerns. ■ Countries connue to shi in relave power, just as they did in the past. People today debate whether the United States will someday decline in power, as the Egypans, Persians, and Qin Dynasty did. ■ • The monuments created during Egypt’s New Kingdom connue to impress people today with their strength and beauty. ■ • Southwest Asia sll includes a mixture of religious and ethnic groups, which are oen in conflict. ■ • The accomplishments of rulers such as Ashurbanipal and Nebuchadnezzar connue to inspire pride among Iraqis. ■ • Zoroastrianism exists today, and its influence can also be seen in Judaism, Chrisanity, and Islam. ■ • People sll study Confucianism and Daoism to find guidance and wisdom. First Age of Empires 1570 B.C. – 200 B.C. B.C. Groups from Africa to China sought to conquer other groups and spread their influence across vast regions. These societies built the world’s first great empires. Akkadian Empire

■ The Northernmost Sumerian states were known as Akkad, and it’s people Akkadians ■ the Akkadian Empire was ruled by Sargon, who drew his power from his powerful military ■ As the Empire grew, Sargon legimized his power by leaving those in power whom he had just conquered ■ By 2150 B.C.E., the Babylonians, along with various other groups in an around that region slowly chipped away at the Empire.

Hyksos Egypt

■ Around 1650, Egypt was invaded by a group from Asia known as the Hyksos ■ The Hyksos conquerors were successful against Egypt due to the chariot. Which gave soldiers a speed advantage over foot soldiers ■ The Hyksos also taught the Egypans to use bronze which made stronger weapons and tools for working in the fields New Kingdom of Egypt 1550 B.C. – 1070 B.C. The New Kingdom

■ 1550 B.C. to 1070 B.C. ■ Pharaohs engaged in professional military campaigns in Nubia, Syria, and Canaan ■ Hatshepsut – encouraged trade rather than war – Expedion to Punt – brought back gold, ivory, http://www.biography.com/people/ hatshepsut-9331094#synopsis plants, animals ■ Thutmose III – stepson of Hatshepsut, warlike ruler ■ Amenhotep III – The kingdom

reached its peak under his rule. https://youtu.be/6kuJ137hKaE

New Kingdom of Egypt

Old Kingdom (Pyramids)

New Kingdom (grand buildings and tombs) Queson! ■What advantages did the Hyksos possess which helped them to conquer Egypt? Decline of New Kingdom

■ The empire that was built in the New Kingdom slowly came apart as other strong civilizaons challenged Egypt’s power. ■ Invasions by land and sea – From the east – tribes of Canaan aacked – From the west – Libyan raids on Egypan villages ■ Powerless, Egypt fell to its neighbors’ invasions. – 950-730 BC Libyan pharaohs ruled Egypt and erected cies Nubia and Nubian Kingdom of Kush

■ As Egypan trade increased, merchants travelled south along the Nile River Delta to Nubia to obtain ivory, ebony, frankincense and animal skins ■ Nubians were dominated by Egypan society ■ the Nubians gained independence around 1,000 B.C.E. ■ By 750 B.C.E. the Kush had conquered the Egypans but by 663 B.C.E. were driven out of Egypt by the Assyrians ■ Nubia would remain a major trading empire https://youtu.be/NuIJsGkV2h4

Nubian Society

■ Nubian society was based largely on trade

■ Most of society worked as either laborers or arsans and was mostly urban due to its geographic locaon

■ Nubian society was at it’s peak from around 250 B.C.E. to about 150 A.D. Meroe

■ Acve trade route among Africa, Arabia, and India

■ Abundant resource of Iron Ore – Iron weapons and tools

■ Aer about four centuries, Meroe began to decline – Defeated by Aksum Meroe The Assyrian Empire

■ Around 850 BC – Assyrian acquired a large empire through advanced military operaons and state of the art weaponry.

■ They wore copper armor and sff leather.

■ Weapons were iron swords and pointed spears. The Assyrian Empire

■ At its height, the Assyrian Empire included Mesopotamia, Israel, and Egypt. ■ These conquered lands brought taxes and tributes, cies that refused to pay were destroyed. – Tribute = peace money ■ Nineveh was the largest city at the me – 3 miles in every direcon – World’s first modern library https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ylfpKTdnig

Chaldeans

■ A group of people from Southeast Mesopotamia helped to defeat the Assyrians around 600 BCE

■ New capital: Babylon

■ King Nebuchadnezzar restored the city – Created the hanging gardens of Babylon, one of the Seven Great Wonders of the World Queson! ■ Write queson and answer in your notes! ■What advantages did the Assyrians have in bale? Queson! ■ Write queson and answer in your notes! ■Which of the Seven Wonders of the world is located in Babylon? Persian Empire

Persian Empire One of the most important ancient empires were the Persians (in present-day Iran)

With a powerful army, the Persians conquered Mesopotamia, Egypt, & India The Persians grew into a powerful empire under Kings Cyrus & Darius Persian Empire § Around 1,000 BC, Indo Europeans migrated from central Europe and southern Russia to the mountains east of the Fertile Cresent.

§ Pull factors included fertile farmland and minerals.

§ Two powerful groups emerged: The Persians and the Medes Conquest Under Cyrus • In 550 BCE the Persian king

Cyrus began to conquer neighboring kingdoms

• Cyrus was a unique leader, following conquest, Cyrus forbade looting and pillaging, and would allow conquered peoples to keep their religion

• Cyrus was also responsible for ending the Babylonian captivity of the Jews in 538 BCE Queson! ■What pull factors led the Indo-Europeans to the Persian plain? Persian Conquest Following Cyrus • Following his death in 530 BCE, his son Cambyses continued his father’s reign of conquests invading and destroying Egypt

• Unlike his father however, Cambyses was not tolerant of foreign religions, and had Egyptian temples burned

• Following Cambyses’ death, widespread rebellions broke out around the Persian Empire Queson! ■What was unusual about Cyrus’ conquests? Darius • Cambyses’s successor was a noble and military commander named Darius, who, with the help of the Ten Thousand Immortals seized power around 522 BCE

• Darius spent a majority of his early reign putting down various revolts

• Darius would conquer Afghanistan and India, but failed to conquer Greece The Persian Empire King Darius divided the empire into 20 provinces each ruled by a satrap (local governor)

Satraps were the “eyes & ears of the king,” collected taxes, & informed the king of uprisings

Queson! ■What area did Darius fail to conquer? Persian Culture ■ Persian religion was Zoroastrianism, which viewed life as a struggle between good & evil – Persians believed in heaven & hell as consequences for how they lived their lives

Zoroastrianism influenced the views of the aerlife in Judaism, Chrisanity, & Islam The Persian Empire The Persians built a network of roads in order to collect taxes & improve communicaon & trade throughout the empire (Royal Road) The Persian Empire The Persians used metal coins with standardized values to help promote trade

https://youtu.be/yZlqgtdQoHo

The Unificaon of China Decline of the Zhou and rise of Confucius ■ The Zhou dynasty lasted for about 800 years 1027BC to 256 BC – “Warring States Period” led to the decline of the Zhou Dynasty. ■ Born in 551 BCE, Confucius was born into the conflict in China, and believed order could be restored by observing and respecng five relaonships: – Ruler and subject, Father and son, husband and wife, older brother and younger brother, friend and friend ■ Filial piety (loyalty and respect for ones elders) was essenal to Confucius’ beliefs and remains a central theme in Chinese ethos today Confucian Government

■ Confucius believed that educaon was important for government officials, and therefore advocated an educated bureaucracy

■ Confucianism is NOT a religion but did become the basis for Chinese government Daoists and Legalists

■ Chinese thinker, Laozi (6th century) argued that the Dao, a unifying natural force, controls all things

■ Early Daoists devoted themselves to scienfic study of all living things and made many advances in science and biology

■ In stark contrast were the legalists who believed government should enforce strict laws and punish dissenters harshly QUESTION! ■ How are Confucianism and legalism different? Qin Dynasty

■ In 221 BCE, the Qin gained control of China by eliminang internal compeon, defeang foreign invaders, and crushing resistance to their rule ■ Shi Huangdi next invaded what is modern day Vietnam, doubling the size of China ■ Shi Huangdi controlled noble families by forcing them to move to China’s capital where he could watch them and carved China into 36 administrave districts, sending officials to control them ■ To prevent cricism of his government, several thousand “useless books” were burned, and hundreds of Confucian scholars were murdered Great Wall

■ Shi Huangdi required his cizens to either pay heavy taxes, or, volunteer to serve on civil construcon projects

■ Many poor farmers were sent to work on what would eventually become the Great Wall of China, an aempt by Shi Huangdi and his successors to keep out the Mongols, a group of savage horseman from Northern China (modern day Mongolia) https://youtu.be/1bZXxGv52t8

Queson ■What was the praccal purpose behind the building of the Great Wall? First Age of Empires Visual

What are the similarities and differences?