THE EARLY CIVILIZATION IN ASIA

To be discussed by:
Ferrer, Arnie
Almario, Maria Maricar
Calma, Anna Tricia
David, Ma. Antonette
Zamar, Kimberly M.
Of BSN 3-A
THE EARLY CIVILIZATION IN ASIA

Asia had a big role in the history of the

world, this mark as the beginning of the world’s
civilization. Its physical characteristics
contributed to the development of the early
civilizations and result to the conflict among
people.

EARLIEST KNOWN CIVILIZATION

1. Egypt
2. Great river valleys of southwest
3. Northwest India
4. Northern China 
 Despite the differences, all were agricultural
societies that depended on advanced social and
political structures to maintain irrigation and flood
control systems.
 
Raids by nomadic herders forced farmers to live in
walled cities for defense and to entrust their
protection to aristocratic leaders. The invention of
plow about 3000 BC increased farm productivity and
reduced the need for farm labor, freeing workers to
become artisans. And increased agricultural yield and
the work of the artisans provided trade goods that
could be exchanged with people from other cultures.
 MESOPOTAMIA
An ancient region located between the Tigris and Euphrates
Rivers, which is part of the “Fertile Crescent”
 
Fertile Crescent is a wide expanse of area that ranges from the
south-eastern tip of the Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. It is
often called “the cradle of civilization” where the early
civilization of the Sumerians, Babylonians, Assyrians and
Chaldeans occurs. At present, Mesopotamia is covered by Iraq,
South-eastern Turkey and Eastern Syria.
 
In 3000 BC Mesopotamia was the center of a sophisticated
culture. The Sumerians irrigated their fields from precisely
measured canals, used bronze and polished stone tools, made
textiles and wheel-turned pottery, built temples and palaces, and
travelled in wheeled carts and sailing ships.
 
 They also use their calendars to know the
seasons.
 

Cuneiform was their basic tool in writing and

was use as their written communication
throughout the Middle East for about 2,000 years.
 

They worship a “sun god” and lived by

“written laws”.
SUMERIAN (4000-2500 BC)
 The oldest civilization in the world.
 Hailed from the mountains of Caucasus, Elburz and
Zagros in Turkey.
 Settle in the fertile valley along the Tigris and
Euphrates Rivers.
 Theocracy – one of the many autonomous city states.
 Ruled by a king with unlimited powers, who also is acting
as the priest.
 Cuneiform – was one of their contributions, which is
made of clay or mud.
 Stylus – this is a pointed stick and was used for writing
by the Akkadian, Babylonian, Semite and Assyrian.
MOUNTAIN OF CAUCASUS
MOUNTAIN OF ELBURZ
MOUNTAIN OF ZAGROS
Example of CUNEIFORM Example of STYLUS
AKKADIAN CIVILIZATION (2750-
2590 BC)
Due to the scarcity of natural of natural barriers,
Mesopotamia often fell prey to attacks from the outside.
 
King Sargon I
an invader from the north of Mesopotamia, the city-states
became united.
 he founded an empire in the city Agade in northern Sumer, also
known as Akkadian Dynasty.
 Conquered all of Mesopotamia, which includes Sumer, parts of
northern Syria and Elam.
 He secured command of major trade routes by the use of ship.
 Sargon’s empire lasted for 160 year.
 When he died, his grandson, Naramsin take over his throne
Naramsin
Is a weak leader
As a result, attackers easily conquer the Agade or the Akkadian
Dynasty
Gutian
From the Mountain of Zagros
He destroyed the Akkadian Dynasty in 2000 BC
King Uruk
Drove away the Gutians hundred years after.
As a result, Sumer and Akkad are once again united.
But with the attacks of Elamita and Amorite the Kingdom was
divided into “Tsin” under the Sumerians and “Laima” under
the Amorites.
Palace of Sargon II
 BABYLONIAN DYNASTY (1760 BC)
In 1760 BC forces under Hammurabi defeated the Elamites and
united the whole of lower Mesopotamia.

Hammurabi
 The sixth Amorite king of Syria
 He chose Babylon as the capital of his empire, and the whole of
lower Mesopotamia was then known as “Babylonia”.
 He expanded his empire from the west until the Mediterranean, and
north reaching the Persian Gulf.
 He gave his attention to the cleaning of irrigation canals and the
insertion of an extra month into the calendar.
 He was an outstanding lawgiver and an inspiring religious leader.
 His law, “The Code of Hammurabi” is one of the most significant
legal documents written in cuneiform in 18th century, which speaks
about the protection of the poor against the abuse of the rich.
 Upon his death, Babylonian suffered a serious
decline in power and territory. Many different
tribes attacked Hammurabi’s kingdom, one of
which are the Hittites in 1595 BC, who ruled the
fertile crescent that made the kingdom
disorganized.
 
For a brief period Babylonia later fell under the
rule of dynasty of the sea-land. Finally, in the
middle of the 16th century BC, a Kassite ruler
named Agum became master of Babylonia and
extended its territory from the Euphrates River
to the Zagros Mountain.
 
CODE OF HAMMURABI
THE HITTITES (1600-1200 BC)
 Are ancient people of Asia Minor and the Middle East
 Their origin is unknown
 People living here spoke an Indo – European language
 Cuneiform of the Sumerians and the Hieroglyphics of
the Egyptians were used as a system of their writing.
 They have formed laws which were humane
 Their beautiful architecture were acclaimed
 Their most important contribution in the development
of civilization was their knowledge in the use of iron,
especially in making their weapons
 They were the first to use a horse-drawn cart during
wars
 They are the fierce warriors:
 In 1600 BC they defeated Babylon
 In 1550 BC they invaded Jerusalem
 In 1400 BC they were able to control
Syria
 They also seized Phoenicia from the
Egyptian pharaohs, which alarmed the
pharaohs and sent its warriors to
combat Hittites. This weakened both
kingdoms of the Hittites and Egypt. In
1280 BC, they signed a truce that
ended hostilities between the two.
 In 1200 BC, the kingdom of the Hittites
started to decline and Egypt’s powers eventually
diminished. As a result, other smaller states
had an opportunity to flourish, which includes
the Phoenicia and Hebrew that marks the start
of the next western civilization.
 THE PHOENICIANS (1200-400 BC)
 Are called “Sidonians” in the Old Testament and,
 “Phoenicians” by the Greek Poet Homer
 They settle in the Mediterranean coast about 2500 BC
 The Kingdom prospered from trade because of theri
ports, which connected those sailing in the Red Sea and
the Mediterranean.
 
Hebrews (1025-700 BC)
 Believed that Abraham was their ancestor
 They gained complete prominence under the leadership
of King Solomon.
 
Assyria and Chaldea were the next states that were developed.
Assyrian
 Traded in gold, silver and textile
 Devoted their time in training their soldiers.
 In 1000 BC they established a dynasty whose
capital was in Nineveh located in the upper
part of the Tigris in Mesopotamia.
 In 883 BC, the empire under the leadership of
Assurnasirpal II became dominant in the
Fertile Crescent.
Assurnasirpal
 Lead the Assyrians in 883 BC
 Ordered a huge library built, a library
contained large stone tablets that contained
information about mathematics and literature.
 
Tiglathpileser
 In 729 BC Assyria under the leadership of
Tiglathpileser invaded Babylonia.
 
Esarhaddon
 In 722 BC Assyria under the leadership of
Esarhaddon invaded Israel.
 In 612 BC Nineveh was seized by Chaldeans and the
Medes from Persia.
 
Chaldeans
 Established the Chaldean empire by invading
the fertile crescent under the leadership of
King Nebuchadnezzar.
 Exhibited great knowledge in astronomy
 Preoccupied in the study of heavenly bodies
 Used their knowledge in mathematics to
chart the movement of the sun, planets, and
the stars.
King Nebuchadnezzar
 Engaged in the beautification of Babylon
 He even had his palace surrounded by
gardens, known as the “Hanging Gardens of
Babylon”
 In 562 BC is the death of Nebuchadnezzar
and the end of the Chaldean empire which
then replaced by the Persian Empire.
 
Persian Empire
 Lead by King Darius
 Its territory expanded immensely
King Darius
 Was able to established an effective
system of administering an empire that
consisted of many different cultures
 Four capitals namely; Susa, Estabana,
Babylon and Persopalis, were set-up in the
different parts of the empire and the
entire empire was divided into districts.
 Build roads to facilitate communication
within the empire
 In 311 BC, Alexander the Great invaded Persia. After
this defeat, the Phoenicians gradually lost their separate
identity, as they were absorbed into the Greco-Macedonian
Empire and cities became Hellenized.

In 64 BC, Phoenician disappeared; their territory was

made part of the Roman province of Syria.
 
 INDIAN CIVILIZATION

In 1920’s the British Archaeologist, Sir John

Marshall had an excavation in “Mohenjo-Daro”, which
is 80 hectares, a major city and commercial city
during the bronze age and the largest Indus Valley
settlement.
 
This was important in tracing Indian History
because it shows a sign of civilization 4000 up to
2500 BC, almost at the same period of Sumerian and
Egyptian civilization.
 It shows that by 2300 BC an advanced
civilization in the Indus Valley and
southern Pakistan traded its cotton and
textiles with Mesopotamia.
 

According to A.L Basham

 a known Indian Scholar
 said that Indian traders lived in Sumer,
this is supported by the stones found in
Sumer that is believed to have originated
from India.
 Seals were made from soft stones known as
“steatite” was found in Harappa and Mohejo-
Daro. Seals served as a talisman or a symbol of
one’s social status.
 
Fossils found in Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa
indicates that early Indians were fond of the
arts. During excavation they also found the
following:
 small bronze figurines
 toys
 jewelry
 wooden home furnishing
 Based from the fossil remains found, it is
believed that priest headed Mohenjo-Daro
and it is highly possible that life there was
influenced by religion, people then
performed regular religious rituals including
that of bathing and offering candles and
incense. Another favourite theme is that of
a goddess whose head is adorned with
flowers and surrounded by different
animals. Figurines were also found that are
made from hardened clay known as “ceramic
and terracotta”.
 Archaeologists and historians could not give
a detailed description of how life was in early
India, since the stone tablets found in
Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa had not been fully
decoded.
 
Some say that Mohenjo-Daro was
destroyed either by a natural disaster or an
epidemic that spread throughout society.
Whichever theory holds, it was responsible
for the death of all life forms in the Indus
Valley in 3,500 years ago.
THE END!
=)