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The Great Hydraulic Civilizations of the Far East and India Science and Technology #4 3000BCE • Indus Valley – Political organization unknown, writing undeciphered, urban societies (may have been independent city-states), religious beliefs unknown, internal trade and trade with Mesopotamians, highly organized cities with social stratification in some – Cities collapsed in early 2nd millennium B.C.E • The Harappan Civilization disappears there is a long break until the Ganges civilization appears• There appears to be no continuation between Harappan and the Ganges civilization- The Ganges River Civilization- Ganges River Valley 750 BCE • Indus River Valley Civilization disappears• Ganges River Valley seems to have little connection with Indus Valley Civilization • Birth of the culture based on the “Rig Veda”- later the Upanishads” were added- (world's oldest work of philosophy) – + Mahaberata (words oldest epic poem) of which the Bhagavad-Gita is a chapter. – + Ramayana (also epic poem) • Caste System imposed by Aryan invaders- Brahmin Caste dominates • Written language “Sanskrit” Agni Amba Aum Ayappan Dakshinamurthi Durga Ganesha Hanuman Hari-Hara Murthi Indra Jainism Kali Kalki Krishna Kurma Lalita Laxmi Matsya Narada Narasimha Parashurama Parvati Rama Sarasvati Shiva Subrahmanya Swastika Vamana Varaha Vedic Gods Vishnu = Brahman Polytheism or Monotheism? Ideas of “reincarnation” + “karma” Practices of Yoga Yogis- practitioners who seek spiritual attainment through Yoga Also in India a Caste system develops • Brahmin (Priestly class- #1) • Kishtra (Soldiers class #2) • Shudra (Untouchables) • Castes were inviolable – uncross able and designated by birth(originally descriptions of of occupations- latter social classes)- You could not marry or even eat with someone outside your caste. • This system became even more pronounced with colonialism in the 19th century CE, • It continues today The Vedas • Vedas 1500 -1000 BCE religious texts- (corner stone of Indian culture) with also scientific knowledge written in Sanskrit the oldest written language (still in use in some form) • Vedas basis of all study, linguistic and grammatical studies were the 1st sciences • Vedas were sung, so also studied musical tones• Also: astronomy & astrology + mathematics+ sophisticated calendar (inter calculating – matching lunar and solar calendar) Example of a Sanskrit book written on palm leaves Outside influences to Indian material culture • Persians invaded 6th century BCE • Babylonian influence – 200 years in some parts of India • Most Important – Alexander the Great 327-326BCE – Greek Science, Philosophy, diffuse in India In response to this a powerful unified empire arises in in Indiathe Magadha 4th century BCE • (Mauryan Empire- Chandragupta Maurya- 1st Muaryan King 321-297 BCE (Ganges River) • Son Asoka expands empire 272- 232 BCE (at time largest empire in the world) spreads Buddhism • 1st and foremost a hydraulic civilization- a state bureaucracy supervises the creation & maintenance of extensive canals& planned and directed the settlement of uncultivated lands. • Levied charges (taxes) for water taken from canal – direct state tax collection • Mauryan Empire had all the hallmarks of hydraulic civilization – bureaucratic government with strong centralization of power. Military technologies played a large part in Mauryan success. • Also increasing wealth and size of cities- public works, tree lined roads- public well + rest houses & mail service- capital city Pataliputra A powerful king Ashoka converted to Buddhism and spread it throughout his empire 268-223 BCE Gautama Siddhartha Buddha Also Known as Shakyumuni Buddha The historical Buddha Was a contemporary of Plato- Aristotle, Lao zi, Confucius, Mo zi….. He was another Axial Age thinker Wherever Asoka exported Buddhism (Tibet, China, etc…) Indian culture was also exported + Sci & Tech! • Buddhist Monasteries ( Sangha) distributed information throughout India & beyond – centers of learning and literacy- even agricultural and medical knowledge • After Asoka’s death Mauryan Empire declines and India splinters. 500 years later the Gupta Empire arises 4th century CE This is considered the Golden Age of Indian civilization The Guptas had a strongly centralized state and conformed to the classic hydraulic civilization • With the Guptas astronomy and astrology becomes highly mathematical, and unlike previous civilizations they have competing schools of astronomy • Aryabhata I (b. 476CE) the earth turns on its own axis • Brahmagupta (b. 598CE) impossible, birds could not fly freely! • Medicine; Ayurveda ”science of life” from 6th cen. BCE on… rational approaches to disease and nutrition – sophisticated medical and physiological theories • Charaka Samhita (medical text) • Vaastu Shastra (like Feng Shui) + site planning, urban planning, domestic architecture- even soil testing – in some ways more sophisticated now (and actually practiced) • At one time Indian culture wide spread , Khmer Empire – Cham Empire etc…. CHINA • Dynastic China grew out of some of the earliest human civilizations- Shang Culture in the Huang He River valley (Yellow River)- from there developed a great hydraulic civilization • It was a remarkably consistent culture with technological high points in the Qin Dynasty 221-206 BCE (unification) Han Dynasty 206- 220 CE, Tang Dynasty 618- 907CE, Song Dynasty 960- 1279CE. There was a general decline in science & technology in the Ming Dynasty 1368- 1644CE • Chinese Civilization dominated the region for millenniaincluding Korea, Japan, Vietnam and much more! From early on learning was institutionalized along the lines of the Confucian Classics Confucius 500 BCE (warring states period) China Chinese- Kong Fu Zi Vietnamese- Khong Tu • This was institutionalized in the state examination systemwhich trained men for the government bureaucracy- it was a meritocracy where only the best and the brightest could succeed • However, there was no real separate departments or fields of science or applied science & mathematics- but great strides in these fields were made by individual Confucian scholars • Confucius himself downplayed the pursuit practical knowledge and experimentation, • There was no institutionalized way to pass on technological innovation from one generation to the next – Innovations had to be discovered over and over again. There was in China a rigidly controlled and sophisticated knowledge of astronomy, it was controlled because if Heaven were out of order- the dynasty was out of order- (Emperor was son heaven who held mandate of heaven) In many ways China was the greatest hydraulic civilization with Grand Canal- From Beijing to Hang Chow- completed in 1327in all system of 50,000 kilometers of navigatable canalsmasters of water management China • Developed Iron before anyone else 117BCE • Paper- 2nd century CE • Printing 868 CE - + paper money (moneyed economy) • Song dynasty- military technology – gunpowder, rockets, grenades, bombs, mortars, firearms China • Alchemy- (from Daoism) sought elixir of immortalitydeveloped sophisticated laboratory equipment- Prechemistry, developed sophisticated techniques • Feng Shui- situates artificial structures in harmony with nature and natural surroundings- rooted in geomancy (develops compass) situated structures in relation to the buried dead- ascertains the flow of energy (qi) Sophisticated urban planning- like forbidden city in Beijing practiced for thousands of years- (ancients way better at urban planning than we are!) Great seafaring technology (compass developed for geomancy) maritime exploration under Cheng Ho – Ming dynastyexplored Indian ocean – Vietnam, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Sumatra, India, Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Mecca, East Africa- stopped suddenly by Imperial decree in 1433….. Why? • China center of the Earth (Zhong Guo = middle kingdom) – no where else really to go. • In creased piracy- get rid maritime commercial activity – pirates go away• By mid Ming- China goes from outward looking society to inward looking society The End