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2500 BC- The Indus Valley Civilization
The first Indian civilization developed in the Indus River Valley on the Indian subcontinent, which extended south from central Asia to the Indian Ocean. Two large cities arose: Harappa and Mohenjo Daro. The civilization that lived in these cities were the Harappans, named afteer the first city. During this time, they also wrote on small seals and artifacts, but to this day, no one can read them. The Harappans depended on water from the rivers to support their civilization. -
1766 BC-1150 BC- Shang Dynasty
The first dynasty to unite most of china was the Shang, around 1766 BC. The Shang established a compex bureaucracy, a government organized into different levels.This system served as a model for future government of china. -
1500 BC- The Aryans gain power in India
After the decline of the Indus Valley Civilization, a warrior civilization, the Aryans, came to dominate the region. Aryans had superior military technology, using armies of chariots, and undertook many cultural and religous changes. Most of what is known about Aryans comes from Vedas, their religous literature. -
1250 BC- Hinduism begins to develop.
Over time, the vedas formed one of the bases of the religion known as Hinduism, which spread throughout india. Among the mosy basic tenets of Hinduism is the belief in Brahman, the eternal being that created and preserves the world. Hinduism also teaches that souls are reborn over and over again. This belief is called reincarnation, or samsara. Another principle of Hinduism is dharma. Dharma involvesa person's responsibilty to live morally so that the soul can escape the cycle of rebirth. -
500 BC- The Buddha seeks enlightenment.
The religion of Buddhism began. Its founder, Siddhartha Gautama, became known as the Buddha, or enlightened one. The Buddha accepted some Hindu ideas but also believed that desire had to be eliminated from people lives. He taught that salvation comes from knowing "Four Noble Truths." Ashoka became a Buddhist and attempted to spread the Buddhist faith in India and to other countries. For nearly 500 years, Buddhism flourished. However, around AD 320, Hinduism became the dominant religion. -
320 BC- Mauryan Empire
An adventurer named Chandragupta Maurya appeared in India. He established the Mauryan Empire, which ruled for almost 150 years. Chandragupta's grandson, Ashoka, came to power in about 270 BC. Ashoka fought bloody wars to increase the size of his kingdom and proved to be an even greater ruler than his grandfather. -
256 BC- The Zhou dynasty ends
About 1150 BC, a people called the Zhou overthrew the Shang. Zhou rulers believed that the gods determained who should rule China, an idea known as the Mandate of Heaven. Throughout Chinese history, rulers of new dynasties claimed that the old dynasty lost this mandate. Zhou rulers made many changes. A leading philosopher who helped explain these changes was Confucius. Confucius's followers collected his ideas and teachings, and in time this body of teachings became known as Confucianism. -
221 BC- The Qin Dynasty and the Great Wall of China
A dynasty called the Qin took power. The Qin emperor ruled harshly, and his dynasty only lasted 15 years. Still, it produced lasting changes in China. It built a series of defensive walls along China's northern border stretching about 1,500 miles. The wall became known as the Great Wall of China. The Qin also reunified China, building a strong central government. -
206 BC- The Han Dynasty
The Han Dynasty seized power from the Qin. Han rulers followed Confucianism and appointed Confucian scholars to high posts. China lived in relative peace during the Han Dynasty. Trade in luxury goods flourished along the Silk Roads, which stretched from China to the Mediterranean Sea and linked China and the Greco-Roman world. One good was paper, a chinese invention that spread to the Western World. -
AD 220- The Han Dyansty and Buddhism
Buddhism spread to China during the Han Dynasty. When the Han Dynasty fell in AD 220, Buddhism grew in popularity. Amid the unrest, many peasants found comfort in the teachings of the Buddha.
