Part 1- First Complex Societies in the Eastern Mediterranean
1. What does the excerpt from the Epic of Gilgamesh say happened to Enkidu? Why is that specific story pertinent to this chapter?
2. How did the use of irrigation help foster civilization in Mesopotamia?
3. What is a city-state? Think later how this is different from a nation-state.
4. Why did all these early civilizations form along rivers that flooded? (Big note here is that neither Mesopotamia nor Egypt receives much rainfall at all, if any)
5. Why is using bronze such a technological improvement?
6. Who invented writing? What was its original purpose, supposedly?
7. Who created the world's first empire?
8. What was significant about the Hammurabi Code?
9. Who is credited with the unification of Egypt?
10. What was ka and how does that relate to the images that we relate to Ancient Egypt of the mummy and the pyramids?
11. Make note here that the fertility of Egypt would later be coveted by the Greeks and Romans in the Classical Age.
12. Describe the Dynastic/rulership troubles that marked the Beginning of the New Kingdom, specifically the 18th dynasty? What new ideas were being introduced? Who were the main players in this period? What happened at the end, as in what ideas prevailed? What was happening in the larger world in relation to Egypt at this time?
13. Who were the Hittites? What technological innovations, more specifically military innovations, did they bring to the world scene? What does Indo-European mean? Why is that even a term in the book?
14. Why was a very small kingdom such as Israel, which was just a pawn between Egypt and the greater Mesopotamian empires, important in World History?
15. What are your reactions to reading two different, but so similar accounts of a Great Flood? Have you seen either before? Why are they so similar?
Part 2- Ancient India and the Rise of Buddhism
1. What is Dharma? Is there a similar notion in what you have learned in any kind of rewsa45eligious study you have had in life, i.e. Sunday School, Catechism, civics course?
2. What was a political difference in Ancient India than the other civilizations that you have read about so far?
3. What modern country encompasses the Indus River Valley today? The Ganges?
4. What have archeologists used as evidence of social stratification?
5. What was the religion of the ancient Indians? What modern religion did it form the basis of?
6. How was religion used to justify the caste system? What is a Varna? A Jati?
7. What are the ancient epic writings that have been passed down to us from this period?
8. What ancient epic writings do we, I mean we as in modern Westerners, look to in order to see ancient wisdom?
9. What is the literal translation of Buddha? What was his real name? Why was he renamed?
10. What is the First Noble Truth of Buddhism? (hint: You will need to look this up in a different source than the book. That is ok. Learn to use alternate sources of information throughout your education career and even afterwards in order to be an informed/educated person.)
11. What are the differences between the Vedic religions and the teachings of the Buddha? (Hint: There is a nice explanation on page 54.)
12. What were two effects of Ashoka adopting the teachings of the Buddha as a state religion?
13. What two innovations allowed the Indians to trade with East Asia?
Part 3- Blueprint for Empire Building: China
1. Why did the authors pick those dates to start and stop the discussion on China in this period? (Hint: What events happened that signified a change at 1200BCE and as 220CE in China? Answering this kind of question on each chapter will always help you in history classes and figuring out why any chapter is titled like it is will help you figure out what any author wants you to walk away with after reading the chapter. That goes with any book/chapter/author.)
2. What Chinese river valley did civilization develop? How was similar to the Tigris/Euphrates, the Nile and Indus river valleys?
3. What grains were grown in the north? What grain was grown in the south?
4. What significant development tells archeologists that a group of people becomes "Chinese"?
5. What is the evidence that we have of writing in China? When did it develop? What was its purpose?
6. What is the most significant religious difference between Chinese culture and the other civilizations that have been covered?
7. What concept of ruler ship did the Zhou dynasty introduce? (This concept continue to influence Chinese history all the way to the twentieth century)
8. What technological changes brought on the Warring Period in China?
9. What philosopher came about because of the turmoil of the Warring Period? Why would a new philosophy appeal to people in something like the troubled times in China during the seventh and sixth centuries BCE?
10. What is filial piety? (Hint: You will need to use a different source than the textbook to find this answer.)
11. The chapter calls Confucianism an ethical system and not a religion. I want to reiterate that same idea. Understand that there are no supernatural beings or concepts in Confucianism. No magic, no deities, no ghosts or demons, etc. It does highlight the earlier practice of ancestor worship but that is due to the cornerstone concept of Filial Piety. It is all about how to live one's life.
• Confucius specifies the five important relationships that an individual is a part of. If he maintains each of those relationships dutifully, the society will stabilize and prosper automatically.
King to subject
Father to son
Husband to wife
Older brother to younger brother
Friend to friend
If we observe them, each of these relationships is like a chain that binds individuals in a society. The range of these relationships connects everybody in one single unit. If all these chains are strong, the fabric of a society is strong.
1. What are the significant differences between Confucianism and Daoism? As with Confucianism, why would a philosophical concept like Daoism be attractive to people during the times of turmoil?
2. What are our major primary sources for China during this period?
General History
Confucianism
Daoism
3. What major concept about ruler ship came from the Qin dynasty?
4. What major "wonder" was began under the Qin dynasty?