GLOBAL STUDIES 9Chapter I: What is Social Studies, Early Civilizations

A. Social Studies• Social studies: Various

aspects or branches of the study of human society.• Aka the study of the human

world around us.• Broken down into various Social

Sciences.

A. Social Studies- History• The study of the past.

• How we look at past events (why they happened, how they happened, where they happened, etc.)

• Always find a way to tie history to modern events.• How does this relate to us/ why

is this important?

A. Social Studies- Geography

• The study of people, their environments, and their resources.

• Five themes help define the impact of humans and geography:• Place• Human-environment interaction• Movement• Region• Location

A. Social Studies- Geography• Location extremely important in geography.• Use Latitude and Longitude to find and location.

• Latitude: measures North and South.• CenterPoint: Equator.

• Longitude: measures East and West:• CenterPoint: Prime Meridian.

A. Social Studies- Political Science• The study of government and

politics.

• Explores different types of governments, how people govern, etc.

General Type Who Holds Power? Example

Monarchy One Louis XIV in France (absolute)

Oligarchy An “enlightened” few Ancient Sparta

Democracy Many Ancient Athens (direct), U.S.A. (representative)

A. Social Studies- Economics• The study of how we allocate

our resources and money.

• Explores different types of economies.

Type Decision Making Characteristics

Traditional Based on past experiences, customs, religion, etc.

Common in small, primitive communities and civilizations.

Market Individual producers and consumers.

Flexible, rapid change.

Command Government planners. Slow-moving, often inflexible.

A. Social Studies- Sociology • The study of human’s society

and culture.

• Looks at their interactions with each other, as well as behavior in groups.

A. Social Studies- Psychology• The study of individual

thoughts and emotions.

• Explores decisions we make, behaviors we have, our personalities, etc.

A. Social Studies- Anthropology• The study of the origin and

development of people and their societies.

• Explores culture, referring to the way of life of a society that is handed down generations through learning and experience.

A. Social Studies- Anthropology

• One branch, archeology, studies past people and cultures.

• They examine artifacts (such as jewelry and tools) to see how they lived, interacted, and see how our ancestors lived.

B. Early Civilization• Prehistory- time before

written history.• Circa 100,000-10,000 B.C.

• Earliest Humans- Hunters/ Gatherers.• Were nomads, traveled in small

groups for food.

• Made simple tools, weapons, language to communicate.

B. Early Civilization• Time period known as

Paleolithic Age (Old Stone Age).

• Belief System: spiritual, buried dead with artifacts.• May have believed in afterlife.

• Migrated from East Africa into Europe, Asia.• Later, took land bridge across to

North America, boats through Pacific.• During Ice Age.

• Cultural Diffusion- exchange of ideas, customs, and goods.

C. Neolithic Revolution• Environmental changes brought

new climate.• Ended Old Stone Age.

• About 10,000 B.C., two major discoveries:• Plant seeds to grow food.• Domesticate animals.

• Allowed people to settle in one location.

• Settling down to farm brings about a new age, Neolithic or agricultural revolution.

C. Neolithic Revolution• Major developments of

Neolithic Revolution:

• People settle together in villages.• Protection, share food.

• Social classes began to emerge.• Chiefs, Shaman, etc.

• New Technology.• Calendars, Plows, Wheel, etc.

• Eventually allow for larger settlements, earliest civilizations.

C. Neolithic Revolution- Ireland• Newgrange Tomb- Allows

Sunlight to enter and illuminate the chamber on the Winter Solstice each year.

D. Rise of Civilizations• About 5,000 B.C., earliest civilizations arise along River Valleys.

• Reason: Fertile land, replenished by tides, seasons.

• Most civilizations characterized by certain features:• Cities. • Centralized governments. • Traditional economies.• Organized religion.• Social classes (social hierarchy).• Arts/ architecture.• Infrastructure- roads, bridges, etc.• System of Writing.• Specialized jobs.

D. Rise of Civilizations

Chapter II: Ancient Egypt

A. Ancient Egypt• Geography: Egypt, mostly

desert.

• Along Nile River, fertile.• Floods keep bringing in silt, full of

nutrients. • Water good for farming, drinking.• River also good for travel, transport.

• Egypt in two parts: • Upper Egypt- lower part.• Lower Egypt- connects to

Mediterranean Sea, empties in delta.• Originally separate kingdoms.

A. Ancient Egypt• Religion: Egyptians polytheistic.

• Many gods: Amon-Re- chief god, Osiris- god of the dead, the Nile.

• Believed in afterlife, mummified / buried those to continue on after death.

• Government: ruled by a pharaoh.• Worshipped as god.• Had tombs built.

• Notable: Pyramids, Valley of Kings.

• One kingdom.

A. Ancient Egypt• Interior of a pyramid Valley of the Kings

A. Ancient Egypt• Social Structure:

• Strict social hierarchy.• Pharaoh on top, farmers, slaves

below.

A. Ancient Egypt• Contributions:

• Art, wall paintings.

• System of writing- Hieroglyphs.

• Architecture- Pyramids, temples, monuments.

• Calendar system.

• Human Anatomy.

B. Mesopotamia• Geography:• Known as the Fertile

Crescent.• Region between two rivers:

• Tigris.• Euphrates.

• Flat land, easy to invade, travel through.

• Area became a crossroads for people, exchanging goods and ideas. • Nickname: Cradle of

Civilization

B. Mesopotamia- Sumer• Sumer:

• First major Fertile Crescent Civilization.

• Originally city-states (separate small kingdoms).

• Polytheistic, built pyramid-like ziggurats for worship.

• Social hierarchy- priest/ nobles on top.

• Women- role/ rights changed over time

B. Mesopotamia- Sumer• Contributions of Sumer:

• Canals, irrigation.

• Earliest form of writing- cuneiform.• Wedge-shape writing on clay

tablets.• Used to record stories, business,

records.

• Developed 12 month calendar based on the moon, number system (used today for clocks).

B. Mesopotamia- Babylon• Various armies conquered

region.• Akkadians- established first ever

empire.• Soon, Akkad conquered by

Hammurabi, king of Babylon.

• Hammurabi- collects all laws together, called Code of Hammurabi.

• Put on stone pillars so all people can see.

• Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, etc.

B. Mesopotamia- Babylon• Other empires:

• Hittites- known for Iron Making.• Allowed for easier conquest.

• Assyrians- known for warfare.• Created a well organized society.

• Persians- united the region.• Practiced tolerance (acceptance of others).

• Providing taxes were paid.

• Introduced money economy- goods now have monetary value.

• Phoenicians- sea traders.• Sailed around Mediterranean, trading/ spreading Middle Eastern culture.• Created Phonetic alphabet- letters that represented spoken sounds.

B. Mesopotamia- BabylonHanging Gardens of Babylon- one of the Seven Ancient Wonders of the World, supposedly built by Nebuchadnezzar II for his wife, who was homesick for her country.

Ishtar Gate- built by Nebuchadnezzar II, located in the inner city of Babylon, dedicated to the goddess Ishtar.

Chapter III/ IV: Ancient India and China

A. Indus River Valley• India- subcontinent jutting out

of Asia.• Three regions:

• Northern plain, very fertile.• Watered by Indus and Ganges

Rivers.

• Deccan Plateau, dry/ sparsely populated.

• Coastal Plains. Flat land near coastlines.

• Affected by seasonal winds, called monsoons. • Bring dry air, rain depending on

time of year.• Can cause floods, famines

A. Indus River Valley• Earliest Civilizations- settled

along Indus River Valley.• Notable cities- Harappa and

Mohenjo-Daro.• Considered very advanced

• Organized, had plumbing, heating.

• No written records.

• Ganges civilizations- Aryans.• Warlike, religious. • Polytheistic, worshipped many

gods.• Origins for Hinduism.

B. Rise of Indian Empires• Mauryan Empire (321 B.C.-185

B.C.): • First empire in India.• United by Chandragupta Maurya.• Empire stretched across most of

northern, central India.

• Well organized government:• Well organized bureaucracy

collected taxes, built roads/ bridges.

• Strict government- had secret police spy and watch people.

B. Rise of Indian Empires• Asoka- grandson of

Chandragupta.• Horrified by grandfather’s actions,

turned to Buddhism to rule.• United the diverse empire, brought

peace.• Empire falls apart after death.

• Maurya empire- very advanced. • Center for learning, trade.

B. Rise of Indian Empires• Gupta Empire (A.D. 320- A.D.

550):• Created after ruins of Maurya empire.

• Looser rule than Maurya empire.• Power more in hands of locals,

decentralized.

• Contributions:• Center of learning: developed decimal

system.• Buddhist/ Hindu schools.

• Medical advances- knew the human body.• Developed vaccines to illnesses.

• Arts and Architecture. • Created stupas, temples.

C. Ancient China• Geography- Isolated region.

• North- Gobi Desert.• East- Pacific Ocean.• South- Jungle.• West, Southwest- Mountains.

• Civilization grows along Huang He and Yangzi rivers.• Huang He- River of Sorrows.• Known for flooding.

• Due to isolation, consider themselves the “Middle Kingdom”.• Middle of the universe.

C. Ancient China- the Shang• 1650 B.C., Shang dynasty

established in the north.• Established temples, cities, great

tombs.• Social hierarchy in place.

• Shang lands not unified.• Power in hands of local nobles/ families

called clans.

• Were polytheistic.• Venerated, or worshipped ancestors.• Asked ancestors for help using oracle

bones.

• Developed system of writing still used today.

• Overall, kingdom not unified.

C. Ancient China- the Zhou• 1027 B.C., the Zhou defeated and cleared out the Shang.

• Told the people the gods were angry with the Shang and their cruelty.

• Justified by Mandate of Heaven.

C. Ancient China- the Zhou• Established feudalism- local lords

control regions of land but owe military allegiance to main ruler. • Feudal lords will eventually control the

power.

• Contributions:• Iron smiting, irrigation projects.

• Could farm, feed vast numbers of people.

• Developed first books.• Used strips of bamboo as paper.

• Silk making- making clothing from the threads of silkworms.• Became THE export.• Sent along Silk Road to the West.

D. Early Chinese Empires- The Qin• 221 B.C., Zheng and his army

conquer China.• Declares himself Shi Huangdi- First

Emperor.

• Abolishes feudalism, establishes military districts.• Made nobles live in capitol city, Xianyang.

• Establishes standardized measurements.

• Monetary system (coins).• Promoted uniformity in Chinese

writing.• Repaired infrastructure.

D. Early Chinese Empires- The Qin• Ruthlessness:

• Cracked down dissent.• Killed Confucius monks and nobles.

• Burned books he didn’t agree with.• High taxes on peasants.

• Decline:• After death, people revolted.

• Fed up with taxes, forced labor.

• New ruler takes over, proclaims Mandate of Heaven.

Legacy of the QinTerracotta Army: Proposed by Shi Huangdi to protect him after death. Not discovered until 1974 in a field, the tomb consists of thousands of life sized humans, horses, and chariots.

Great Wall of China: Wall spanning hundreds of miles. Separates China from the various hordes of the West. Built by forces labor of peasants, later becomes symbol of the greatness of China.

D. Early Chinese Empires- The Han• Liu Bang, a peasant declares Mandate of

Heaven.• Declares himself Gao Zu.• Ousts Qin, establishes Han Dynasty in 206 B.C.

• Government and Economy:• Emperor Wudi establishes civil service system.

• Job by what you know, not who you know.

• Established Confucian ideas as the norm.• Very structured.• Men seen as superior.• Women limited in roles.

• Empire lasts until A.D. 220, when broken up.

D. Early Chinese Empires- The Han• Contributions:

• Technology- created paper out of wood pulp.

• Science- advances in acupuncture, herbal remedies.

• Arts- jade/ ivory carvings, ceramics.

• Trade- fully linked the Silk Road.• Trade route from China to the Fertile

Crescent.• 4,000 miles.

• Traded goods from China, India, Persia, Rome, etc.

D. The Silk Road

GLOBAL HISTORY 9

Unit I: Ancient World Belief Systems

A. Judaism

• Monotheistic- believe one God is present everywhere.• Male god all knowing, all

powerful, ever present.

• Believe God made a covenant, or binding agreement.• Believe God made covenant

with Abraham, making them “God’s chosen people”.• Abraham: considered father of

Western religions.

A. Judaism

• Believe God gave Moses 10 Commandments.

• Sacred book- Torah; 1st 5 books of Christian Old Testament.

• Includes rules for daily living• Cleanliness, food

preparation.• Includes criminal codes.

• Sabbath- Holy Day of rest/ worship.

• Saturday for Jews.

• Prophets- spiritual leaders of the Hebrews.• Preached ethics- moral standards of

behaviors.

• Concerned with personal morality/ social justice.• All equal before God.• Rich/ powerful protect poor,

weak.

• Later an influence on Christianity, Islam.

A. Judaism

• Israelites- originally based in Palestine.• Capital: Jerusalem.

• Eventually kingdom splits, Israel in the North, Judea in the South.

• Eventually conquered by Babylonians, Persians, then Romans.

• A.D. 70, Jews rebel, Romans crush uprising.• Destroy main Jewish temple.

• Jews forced to leave Israel.• Diaspora- scattering of people.

• Keep traditions and culture alive. • Obeyed religious laws/

traditions.

A. Judaism

B. Hinduism• No single founder, no single

sacred text.• Grown out of overlapping

beliefs of various people in India.

• Vedas- Aryan holy book.

• All groups add own gods/ beliefs to system.

• Result: extremely complex religion.

• Many gods/ goddesses.• Gods embodied natural

forces.• Some basic beliefs.

B. Hinduism• Brahman: one unifying,

universal force.• Brahman too complex for

humans.• Given a “human face” via

different gods.

• Most important:• Brahma, the Creator.• Vishnu, the Preserver.• Shiva, the Destroyer.

B. Hinduism• Goal: become one with Brahman

(mosksha).• Cannot do in one lifetime.

• Death, become reincarnated.

• Reincarnation- rebirth of soul in another bodily form.

• Karma: all actions of a person’s life that affect there fate in the next life.

• People who live virtuous life- reborn at high level• Bad life- lower level, suffering• Cycle of Rebirth- Wheel

• Dharma- religious and moral duties of the individual• Duties vary according to class, age,

etc.

B. Hinduism

• Karma, dharma ensure social order, support class system.• Caste system- move on

scale upward or downward depending on actions in life.

• Sacred Text:• Upanishads- philosophy

of Hindu beliefs.

C. Buddhism• Founder: Siddhartha

Gautama.• Hindu prince, lives life of

comfort/ luxury.• See’s human suffering and is

upset.

• Sets out to discover ”realm of life where there is neither suffering nor death”.• Believed he found cure for

suffering/ sorrow.

• Becomes Buddha, the Enlightened One.

C. BuddhismFour Noble Truths:

• All life is full of suffering, pain, and sorrow.

• The cause of suffering is the desire for things that are really illusions, such as riches, power, and long life.

• The only cure for suffering is to overcome desire.

• The only way to overcome desire is to follow the Eightfold Path.

C. Buddhism

•Goal: Achieve Nirvana.• Union with the universe and release

from cycle of rebirth.

• Emphasizes moral/ ethical rules• Honest, charity, kindness.

• Buddhism grows out of Hinduism, shares some beliefs.

• Sacred Text:• Tripitaka (3 Baskets of Wisdom)

C. Buddhism• Hinduism and Buddhism

similarities:

• Both believe in:• Karma• Dharma• Moksha• Reincarnation• Non-violence.

• Buddhism- no priests, formal rituals, gods.• Rejects caste system.

C. Buddhism• Two different branches:• Theravada- follow main teachings

of Buddha.• Life devoted to hard, spiritual work.• Harder for everyday person.• Sri Lanka, SE Asia.

• Mahayana- easier to follow.• Views Buddha as god.• Describes heavens/ hell.• China, Tibet, Korea, Japan.

D. Chinese Philosophies- Confucianism

• Founder: Confucius.

• Born: 551 B.C.• Wandering scholar.• After death, teachings/ ideas written down by students.• The Analects.

• Developed philosophy.• System of ideas.

• Concerned with ensuring social order, good government.

D. Chinese Philosophies- Confucianism

• Goal- harmony resulted when people accepted their place in society.

• Stressed Five Relationships.• Only last relationship equal.• Imbalanced.

• Each person had responsibilities.

• Filial piety- respect for parents, came above everything else, including loyalty to state.

D. Chinese Philosophies- Confucianism

• Believed people are naturally good.

• Best ruler is one that is virtuous. • Lead by example.

• Leaders should take advice from wise, educated men.

• People should be educated.

D. Legalism

• Philosophy practiced where strength, not goodness, a rulers greatest virtue.

• Works in absolutes.• Right or wrong, good or bad.• No grey area.

D. Chinese Philosophies- Taoism (Daoism)

• Founder: Laozi.• “Wrote: “The Way of Virtue”

• Goal: live in harmony with nature.

• Focuses on the Dao.• Way of universe as a whole.

• Also focused on balance, yin and yang.• Goes along with harmony.

D. Chinese Philosophies- Taoism (Daoism)

• Rejected conflict, strife.• End conflict between humans and the world.

• Water=symbol of life.• Does not resist, yield to

outside pressures.

• Gov’t as unnatural, source of problems.• Best government= governs least.

D. Chinese Philosophies- Taoism (Daoism)