ETHIO NATIONAL SCHOOL

2020/21 G.C 1ST SEMESTER, WEEK 12 HISTORY LESSON NOTE FOR GRADE 9

 Dear students: - Copy the note and do the given homework on your exercise book!
Monday, March 22, 2021- Saturday, March 27, 2021
Unit: Two
Main topic: Ancient and Classical World Civilizations
Sub topic/s: Asian Civilization Centers
Page range from:
Chapter-2: Ancient World Civilizations
Lesson-1: Mesopotamian Civilization :- emerged in the land between the two rivers
(Tigris– Euphrates), corresponding to modern-day Iraq, the northeastern Syria, southeastern
Turkey, smaller parts of southwestern Iran and Kuwait.
 Sumerians were the founders of the Mesopotamian civilization about 4000 B.C.
 Rival Sumerian city- states such as, Ur, Erech and Kish, often battled for control of land
and water.
 The rulers of Sumerian city-states were absolute kings called Lugals who ruled as the
representative of the city-state’ s chief god.
 Each Sumerian city-state had a distinct social hierarchy, or system of ranks.
 The highest class included the ruling family, leading officials, and priests.
 The middle class also included lesser priests, scribes merchants and artisans.
 At the base of the society were the majority of people, the peasant farmers, mos of themt
worked the land belonging to the king or the temple..
 Like most ancient people, the Sumerians were polytheistic, worshiping many gods.
 -These gods were thought to control every aspects of life, especially the forces of nature.
 To Sumerians, their highest duty was to keep these divine beings happy and their by
ensure the safety of their city-state.
By 3200BC, the Sumerian had invented what may be the earliest known form of writing called
Cuneiform, from the Latin word cuneus for wedge, because it involved using a reed pen to
make wedge- shaped marked on clay tablets.
 Cuneiform grew out of a system of pictographs that priests used to record goods
brought to temple storehouse.

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The Sumerians made remarkable contributions in law, the arts and science.
 The Sumerians became experts in metal working and their bronze artifacts
exhibited rare skills in the standard of the day.
 Over the centuries, Sumerian scholars made advances in astronomy and
mathematics which they used for the preparation of calendar, land
measurement and administration.
 By doing so, they contributed the people of the world the concept of 60 minutes
in an hour and 3600 in a circle.
B. The Persian Empire:
The Persians called their region " land of Aryans" and their languague "Aryan"
Cyrus the Great(r-557-530 B.C), as the founder of the Persian Empire had not only
been capable military leader, but had shown excellent political skill as well.
The Persian kings pursued a policy of tolerance, or acceptance, of the people
they conquered.
The Persians respected the customs and religious tradition of the diverse group in
their empire.
Persian Government:
 The Persian emperors called the" great kings" had absolute power, and the
representative of Persian god, Ahura mazda (nature god).
 The real unification of the Persian Empire was accomplished under the Persian
emperor Darius, who ruled from 522 B. C- 486 B.C.
 Darius set up the government that became a model for later rulers.
 He divided the Persian Empire into provinces called Satrapies, each headed by a
governor called a Satrap.
 Each satrapy, or province, had to pay tax based on its resources and wealth.
 Special officials” the eyes and ears of the king” visited each province to check
on the satrap.
Economic life:- Early Persians were farmers, but later developed caravan trade with medium of
exchange.
 To improve trade, Darius set up a common set of weights and measures.
 He also encouraged the use of coins which made of gold called Darics named
after the emperor Darius.

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Persian Religion: Traditionally the Persian worshiped on Nature gods. They made animal
sacrifices on the mountain and open air sites. Because they believed that these sacrifices could
appease the god who controlled the wind, sun, fire and water. Magi were a priest who officiate
the ceremony.
 Religious beliefs put forward by the Persian thinker Zoroaster also help to unite the
empire and he taught that a single wise god, Ahura mazda.
 Zoroaster teachings were collected in a sacred book, the Zend-Avesta.
 It taught that in the end Ahura mazda would triumph over the forces of evil.
 The rise and increasing power of Alexander the Great, and his ambitious expansion
was made Persia victim to his war of conquest and finally became parts of
Alexander’ s empire in 331B.C.
Lesson-2: INDIAN CIVILIZATION:
 emerged in the Indus river valley, in present day western India and Pakistan, about
2500 B.C.
 Indian civilization evidenced by archaeological findings of the two cities of
Harappa and Mahenjo - Daro were carefully planned layout.
 Indian civilization was developed by indigenous people called Dravidians.
Well-planned cities:
The two main cities, Harappa and Mahinjo-Daro, may have been twin capital.
Both cities were had huge warehouses to store grain brought in from outlying
villages.
Both cities had planned sanitation system; homes had wheels for water drainage
system.
Buildings of both cities were constructed by bricks baked by furnace.
They had rectangular pattern of streets, had public bath for religious or hygienic
purpose.
Decline and Disappearance:
 Damage to the local government may have contributed to the decline.
 It was suddenly and completely collapsed for reasons that we do not exactly
know.
 Environmental degradation caused by climate change, change the curse of River
Indus, and epidemic diseases might have been causes of its decline.

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Religion of Ancient India
 Ancient population of India, Dravidians were polytheists, worshiped mother
goddess and three faced gods.
 Prior to Hinduism the population had traditional religion based on knowledge
Called Vedas (collection of poems, religious writings and hymns)
Hinduism: developed without founder; and the oldest religion of the world.
 According to Hinduism salivation can be achieved in giving up the pleasure of the
material world, and spiritual enlightenment under the guidance of holy man Guru.
Buddhism: evolved from Hinduism as reformation founded by
Siddhartha Gautama (563-483 B.C.)
 Buddhism spread throughout Far East and Southeast Asia.
Ancient Indian contribution: Scientific skills in mathematics, chemistry and medicine.
 For instance, Arabic numerical, developed decimal system and symbol for zero
and introduce the use of herbs to cure disease, and surgery.

Lesson-3: ANCIENT CHINESE CIVILIZATION

 first developed in the northern part around the Huang Ho river valley about 3500
B.C, and then the civilization extended as far the south.
Ancient Chinese Government: The first dynasty had been established in china by the Shang
Dynasty (1700-1122 B. C) whose rulers were hereditary class of aristocracy.
 The Chou (Zhou) Dynasty (1122-256 B. C)
 Characterized by series and intensive wars between rival states in the years
between 403 B.C and 221 B.C, what was known as Warring States Period.
 One of the powerful states, Quin (Chin) arisen from the battle field, and set up the
first Chinese empire in 221 B. C. under the first Emperor named Shih-Huang-ti.
 All the rulers were believed in Legalism than Confucian which is rival political
philosophy.
Chinese Achievements under Shang Dynasty:
 They had made wheeled Chariots, and developed sophisticated methods of
working with bronze.
 Introduced their own writing system which was a kind pictographic writing,
Logography which had 50,000 characters
 Used ink on bone and bamboo, and later paper to write.

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Chinese Achievements under Chou (Zhou) Dynasty:
 Metal coins minted for money economy development.
 Iron tools and weapons were introduced.
 Ox- drawn plough was introduced as new methods of farming.
 Worked out major irrigation and transportation system.
 Many philosophers with different philosophical, moral and political ideas emerged,
such Confucianism, Taoism and Legalism
Confucianism;- philosophical idea of Kung Fuze or Kung the master (Confuciu 551-479 B.C.).
 It was life philosophy taught the people to know how to behave according to their
station or position of life. For instance:
 Let the prince be a prince”
 Let the minister be a minister”
 Let the father be a father”
 Let the son be a son”
Five leading principles of human relationship of Confucianism:-
1. Rulers to subjects - determine Authority
2. Father to son - stands for Obedience
3. Husband to wife – Subordination
4. Elder brother to young brother- subordination
5. Friend to friend – relation
“ Do not do to others what you don’ t want done to you” - Confucius.
 After the death of Confucius, Menicus (373-289 B. c) kept intact the philosophical
ideas of Confucius.
Legalism: more emphasis given to the importance of authority, efficient administration and strict
laws, and it was rival political philosophy of Confucianism.
Ancient Chinese discoveries and invention which contributed for the world society
 -The Chinese introduced the use of coal for the first time.
 -produced the first porcelain (Chinese ceramic ware)
 invented wheel barrow.
 The first to introduce the use of lacquer.
 discovered silk from the cocoon of silk warm.
 -manufactured paper from cotton cloth (150 A.D)
 invented printing first
 invented gun powder (600 A.D) and firecrackers.
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Activity Six
Write short and precise answer for the following questions.
1. Identify the location, city-states, religion, economy, achievements and cause of decline of
the Mesopotamian civilization.
2. Locate the territorial extent of the Persian Empire.
3. Mention some contributions of the Persians.
4. Explain the origin, states and dynasties established in ancient China.
5. List some of the achievements of the ancient Chinese.
6. Describe the origin, cities, religions and contributions of ancient Indo- Aryans.