Ap world History

Vedas

"This" means wisdom, knowledge or vision, and it manifests the language of the gods in human speech. The laws of the ___ regulate the social, legal, domestic and religious customs of the Hindus to the present day. All the obligatory duties of the Hindus at birth, marriage, death etc. owe their allegiance to the Vedic ritual. They draw forth the thought of successive generation of thinkers, and so contain within it the different strata of thought.

Mandate of Heaven

A fake rule applying to the "son of heaven" or the ruler that served as the link between heaven and earth. He had the duty to govern consistently, observe high standards of honor and justice, and maintain order and harmony within his realm. As long as he did so, the heavenly powers would approve of his work, the cosmos would enjoy a harmonious and well balance stability , and the ruling dynasty would retain it's mandate to govern. If a ruler failed in his duties however, chaos and suffering would affect his realm, the cosmos would fall out of balance and the displeased heavenly powers could withdraw the mandate to rule and transfer it to a more deserving canidate.

Specialization of labor

A small class of free artisans and craftsmen plied their trades in the cities of ancient china. Some, who worked almost exclusively for the privileged classes, enjoyed a reasonably comfortable existence. During the Shang dynasty for example, bronze smiths often lived in houses built of pounded dirt. Although their dwellings were modest, they were also sturdy and reals ticket expensive to build because of the amount of labor required for pound earth construction. Jewelers, jade workers, embroiders, and manufacturers of silk textiles also benefited socially because of their importance to the ruling elite.

Chinese dynasties

ANCIENT Xia Dynasty c. 2100-c. 1600 BC Shang Dynasty c. 1600-c. 1046 BC Zhou Dynasty c. 1045-256 BC Western Zhou Eastern Zhou Spring and Autumn Warring States IMPERIAL Qin Dynasty 221-206 BC Han Dynasty 206 BC - 220 AD Sui Dynasty 581-618 Tang Dynasty 618-907 (Second Zhou 690-705) Liao Dynasty. 907-1125 Song Dynasty 960-1279

Aryans

Aryan, former name given to a people who were said to speak an archaic Indo-European language and who were thought to have settled in prehistoric times in ancient Iran and the northern Indian subcontinent. The theory of an "Aryan race" appeared in the mid-19th century and remained prevalent until the mid-20th century. According to the hypothesis, these probably light-skinned Aryans were the group who invaded and conquered ancient India from the north and whose literature, religion, and modes of social organization subsequently shaped the course of Indian culture, particularly the Vedic religion that informed and was eventually superseded by Hinduism. However, since the late 20th century, a growing number of scholars have rejected both the Aryan invasion hypothesis and the use of the term Aryan as a racial designation, suggesting that the Sanskrit term arya ("noble" or "distinguished"), the linguistic root of the word, was actually a social rather than an ethnic epithet. Rather, the term is used strictly in a linguistic sense, in recognition of the influence that the language of the ancient northern migrants had on the development of the Indo-European languages of South Asia. In the 19th century the term was used as a synonym for "Indo-European" and also, more restrictively, to refer to the Indo-Iranian languages. It is now used in linguistics only in the sense of the term Indo-Aryan languages, a branch of the larger Indo-European language family.

Veneration of ancestors

Belief in ancestors' presence and their continuing influence Burial of material goods with the dead Offering sacrifices at the graves Family heads presided over rites of honoring ancestors' spirits

Characteristics of Harappa and mohjen-daro

Harappa and Mohenjo Daro were expertly planned cities that flourished more than 4500 years ago. The cities were built with a grid pattern of wide, straight streets. Thick walls surrounded the cities. Many people lived in sturdy brick houses that had as many as three floors. Some houses had bathrooms and toilets that were connected to the world's first sewer system. A canal system provided a reliable source of water for growing wheat and barley. There is also evidence the people herded sheep, cattle and goats. The Indus River Valley cities traded with places as far away as Mesopotamia. The people made jewelry from stones. Traders also sold cotton cloth and hard wood from the teak trees that grew in the valley. The Indus River Valley may have been home to more than five million people, but the civilization seems to have been abandoned about 1700BC. It is possible that a great flood weakened the civilization. The moving tectonic plates that created the Himalayas may have caused a devastating earthquake. It is also possible that the people may have been defeated by another culture.

Caste system

In India, a caste system organizes division of labour and money in human society. It is a system of social stratification,[2] and a basis for affirmative action.[3][4] Historically, it defined communities into thousands of endogamous hereditary groups called Jātis.[5] the caste system is strongly based on heredity. The Jātis were grouped by the Brahminical texts under four categories, known as varnas: viz Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and Shudras. Certain groups, now known as "Untouchables", were excluded from the varna system altogether, ostracized by all other castes and treated as untouchables.

Patriarchal society

Patriarchal society evolved out of matrilineal one The rise of large states brought focus on men's contribution After the Shang, females went back to being devalued

Indo-Europeans

People from Northern Europe who slowly desended into southern India, giving is a present name of ___

Bronze/iron

The Zhou kings were not able to control the production of bronze as closely as their Shang predecessors had, and subordinates built up stockpiles of weapons . Moreover during the first millenium bce, the technology of iron metallurgy spread to china, and the production iron spread rapidly. Because iron ores are both cheaper and more a indent then copper and tin, the Zhou kings were simply unable to monopolize iron production. As a result subordinates outfitted their forces with iron weapons that enabled them to resist the central government and pursue their own interests. Because of the high cost of copper and tin, many rich families used bronze

Indian caste system

The caste system in India can be described as an elaborately stratified social hierarchy distinguishing India's social structure from any other nation. Its history is multifaceted and complex. Caste is a term, which is used to specify a group of people having a specific social rank and dates back to 1200 BCE. The Indian term for caste is jati, and generally designates a group that can vary in size from a handful to many thousands. There are thousands of jatis each with its own rules and customs. The various jatis are traditionally arranged in hierarchical order and fit into one of the four basic varnas the (Sanskrit word for "colors"). --The varna of Brahmans, commonly identified with priests and the learned class --The varna of Kshatriyas, associated with rulers and warriors including property owners. --The varna of Vaishyas, associated with commercial livelihoods (i.e. traders) --The varna of Shudras, the servile laborers The Untouchables occupy a place that is not clearly defined by boundaries and is outside of the varna scheme. Their jobs (such as toilet cleaning and garbage removal) cause them to be considered impure and thus "untouchable." Historically the untouchables were not allowed in temples and many other public places. In 1950 legislation was passed to prevent any form of discrimination towards the untouchables. Although legislation has affected the status of the people, they are yet very much a visible part of Indian society.

Oracle bones

The principal instruments used by fortune tellers in ancient china. In early societies, specialists would forecast the future by examining the entrails of sacrificed animals. The fortune teller would inscribe a question on the bone and then subject it to heat. When heated the bones would split and crack, the fortune teller would then study the patterns and determine the answer to the question.

Homo Sapiens

The species of bipedal primates to which modern humans belong, characterized by a brain capacity averaging 1400 cc and by dependence upon language and the creation and utilization of complex tools

Varna

Varna is the term for the four broad ranks into which traditional Hindu society is divided. The four varnas are: -the Brahmins: priests and scholars. -the Kshatriya: kings, governors, warriors and soldiers. -the Vaishyas: cattle herders, agriculturists, artisans[1] and merchants.[2] -the Shudras: labourers and service providers. This quadruple division is the ancient division of society into "principal castes"; it is not to be confused with the much finer caste system in India based on occupation as it emerged in the medieval period.[3]

Jati

a Hindu caste or distinctive social group of which there are thousands throughout India; a special characteristic is often the exclusive occupation of its male members (such as barber or potter)

Upanishads

one of four genres of texts that together constitute each of the Vedas, the sacred scriptures of most Hindu traditions. Each of the four Vedas—the Rigveda, Yajurveda, Samaveda, and Atharvaveda—consists of a Samhita (a "collection" of hymns or sacred formulas); a liturgical prose exposition called a Brahmana;