c o n v e r g i n g
NATIONS A FLASHBACK ON THE HISTORY OF CIVILIZATIONS
To inform and to inspire... FEW WORDS BEFORE THE TIME LAPSE! No matter how many times you’ve heard it and how cliche as it may sound, it is always a good thing to look back at he past, not only to commemorate and appreciate what the ancients have done for us, but for us to learn from them and develop our own innovations as well. This magazine is packed with smmaries and little fast facts on six of the most renowned civilizations of our history namely, the Chinese, Indian. Islamic, JudeoChristian, Greek, and Roman. We wish, not only to present you with information about each civilization, but also to shed some light and inspiration to everyone of us who has the desire to be great and aim to be filled with strength and class, just as these civilizations have. The Converging Nations Team
From Th e Editors
WHAT’S INSIDE Chinese Civilization Indian Civilization Islamic Civilization Judeo-Christian Civilization Greek Civilization Roman Civilization THE TEAM Durrell Angco Phyllis Chua Myca Raval Irish Tiu Yaine Tobias
Meet the Team
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Disclaime
This magazine is submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements under Professor Fernando Santiago, Jr., HISTCIV - V24. For direct links/credits and online viewing, visit the online version of the mag at http://issuu.com/jongin/docs/converging-nation!
Ancient Chinese This happened in a total of three dynasties, the Xie, Shang and Chou. This occurred until the late twentieth century and has established their very own and unique political system, writing style, metallurgy skills, cultural beliefs and formed philosophy. The Chinese by this time was known to have a monarchical to hierarchial type of politics, with standardized text for them to communicate. By the start of the Chou dynasty, was already adept at using bronze as a medium to create different objects ranging from musical instruments, weapons, and ceremonial vases. People could be defined as nature-centered as they
believed in supernatural beings that are related to nature, and thus worshipped nature by means of human and animal sacrifices to appease their gods. Even by their means of seeing if their king is still fit to rule is determined by a concept called the Mandate of Heaven, wherein if there are natural disasters occurring during a ruler’s time it was identified as the due to the gods’ discontent over the person’s rule. They have also been known to resort to fortune telling by the use of burning bones in order to predict the future. Then it was by the Chou Dynasty that had arisen China’s most known philosophy – Confucianism. This type of philosophy catered to ethics on how a person should act
in certain relationships (father-son, superior-vassal, ruler-constituent, etc.). But other than Confucianism, Legalism and Taoism was noted to rise within in the ancient periods. Thus making Chinese philosophy to foster proper relationships, peaceful spirituality, and discipline to laws. Philosophies (Confucianism.Taoism), arts and architecture truthfully marked the influence of China all over the world.
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Philosophy: Confucianism & Taoism
Culture&Arts: Gunpowder, compass, chopsticks
Dynasties: Xie, Shang and Chou
Other Specialty: Arranged marriages; patriarchal
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CHINESE CIVILIZATION Photo credit: OffbeatChina.com
Mauryan Dynasty India’s first empire, Mauryan dynasty originated from Magadha Kingdom. It was said to be powerful in both political and military aspects. Its capital, Patalipitra, was surrounded by a wounded wall with 64 gates and 570 towers. The empire lasted for one hundred and thirtyseven years from 322 BCE to
185 BCE. There are three significant rulers of the Mauryan dynasty; ChandaraguptaMaurya, Bindusara, and Ashoka the Great. Gupta Empire The Gupta Empire (Gupta Sāmrājya) was an ancient Indian empire which existed from approximately 320 to 550 CE and covered much of the Indian Subcontinent. Founded by Maharaja Sri Gupta, the dynasty was the model of a classical civilization. The peace and prosperity created under the leadership of the Guptas enabled the pursuit of scientific and artistic endeavors. This period is called the Golden Age
Photo credit: Dihrad @ Wikimedia.com
INDIAN CIVILIZATION
d e r u t a Fe Tidbits
Political System: Sultanate
Philosophy: Hinduism; Buddhism; Islam
Food: Goan exotic & spicy; curry
Other Specialty: Epics like Ramayana & Mahabharat; Bollywood
of India and was marked by extensive inventions and discoveries in science, technology, engineering, art, dialectic, literature, logic, mathematics, astronomy, religion and philosophy that crystallized the elements of what is generally known as Hindu culture. The Legacy of the Gupta Empire The high points of the Golden Age of India are magnificent architecture, sculptures, and paintings. In addition to the visual arts, the Gupta period also produced scholars such as Kalidasa, Aryabhata, Varahamihira, Vishnu Sharma and Vatsyayana who made great ad-
vancements in many academic fields, such as the concept of zero and the base 10 (decimal numbers). Science and political administration reached new heights during the Gupta era. Strong trade ties also made the region an important cultural center and set the region up as a base that would influence nearby kingdoms and regions in Burma, Sri Lanka, and Southeast Asia.
Rise The Prophet Muhammad founded the Islamic Civilization. He was said to have been visited by an angel, Gabriel, to preach Islam. Islam means surrendering to the will of Allah. Inspired, he returned to Makkah, his birthplace, to preach the words of Allah that all people are equal and that the rich should share their goods. To the people of Makkah, where they live humbly, his preaching was easily accepted. To wealthy merchants and other religious leaders, they did not easily believed him, since they thought that he was trying to take away their power. Later, he and his follower moved north to Yathrib, which was later renamed, Madinah. The people of Madinah accepted him God’s prophet and their ruler. Thus, the start of his rule. Religion Islam is the foundation of the Islamic Civilization. The basic belief of this religion are: Allah is good and omnipotent; Allah will judge all men on the last day and assign them their place in either heaven or
hell; men should thank Allh for making the world as it is; Allah expects men to be generous with their wealth; and Muhammad was the prophet sent by Allah to teach and warn people of the last judgment. The Qur’an is the written messages that Muhammad received from Allah; It instructs Muslims about how they should live their lives. Muslims are expected to fulfill the Five Pillars of Islam (or acts of worship) The religion Islam spread quickly because it brought a unity and purpose to the traders and people of the Arabian Peninsula. It is also a religion for all people; it is against any racial or ethnic discrimination. Moreover, it is not against learning from the earlier civilizations and assimilating the sciences and cultures of the earlier civilizations as long as it is not against their principles written in the Qur’an. Arts Islamic art is centered around Allah. Allah cannot be represented through images; therefore, Muslims use abstract and decorative designs, and geometric patterns.
ISLAMIC CIVILIZATION Photo credit: Akleski @ Devuantart.com
d e r u t a Fe Tidbits
Festivals: Eid-ul-Fitr; Eid-ul-Adha
Sciences: Algorithm; Zero; Arabic Numerals
Culture&Arts: Calligraphy; Aniconism; Batik
Other Specialty: Allah; Muhammad; Koran
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Religion: Judaism and Christianity
Culture: Jewish and Roman influence
Philoaophy/Sciences: Monotheistic beliefs
Other Specialty: Both religions had spread to countries ranging from Europe to Asia
Origins and Background of Judeo-Christian Civilization This civilization is known as a union of Jewish and Christian beliefs as both religions had stemmed from a single origin that developed and spread over time. Its closest and well-known historical record is biblical in nature, where God has an active interaction with the ancient people. Its main founder or prophet that has started this civilization is recognized as Abraham during the Bronze Age of the Middle East. And then its people had moved from Egypt and established Jerusalem as its territory. Its rule was maintained by its people until, but had undergone subjugation to Persians,
Greeks, and then by the Romans. Thus was majorly influenced by these powerful nations; but through such still retained their religious beliefs and even allowed them to adopt their beliefs, and even establish them through out their conquests and in trading with different countries. So this civilization is more known to be an influential religion than a powerful ruling nation. Christianity vs Judaism Comparing Judaism from Christianity in terms of time frame; Judaism was formed earlier dating from 1300 B.C., while Christianity formed in 30 A.D. in the same territory of Jewish community. Proof of this is seen through their sacred texts where the Christian Bible’s Old Testament is similar to the Jewish Text of Tanakh; and that the Christian Bible has a New Testament where it captures the life of Jesus Christ. A main difference between them is the belief of Jesus Christ, wherein Jewish religion is
said to be waiting for the messiah, while Christians have recognized Jesus Christ as the revealed messiah. These two religions then had established different traditions, norms, and rites of passages. But overall these two similarly believe in the rules of the 10 commandments, belief in one all-powerful God, and fosters good deeds among its people. Effect on the Countries A possibility as to how these religions continued to exist was that they have established religious authorities to continue its teachings and to adapt to society’s issues and culture. Christianity had divided into three denominations, which: are Catholicism, Orhtodox, and Protestantism. Judaism on the other hand had denominations of: Jewish Orthodox, Hasidic Orthodox, Reform, and Conservative. The effect of the widespread of such teachings thus allows the societies to form norms and laws that make most of the countries to have a somewhat parallel ethics and morals that ensure them to be civil with one another.
JUDEOCHRISTIAN CIVILIZATION Photo credit: TheIgnorantFisherman.com
GREEK CIVILIZATION
Photo credit: World-Visit11.blogspot.com
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Political System: Polis; Demokratia
Sciences: Geometry; Pythagorean Theorem
Philosophers: Plato, Aristotle, Hippocrates
Other Specialty: Theater; Olympic Games
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Stone and Bronze Age Skull found in Pertalona Cave in Halikidi was the earliest evidence of habitation. Then the earliest evidence of burials and commerce were in the Aegean. During the Paleolithic and Mesolithic period there were several stone tools in the Greek mainland. Social organization, fortifications and construction of pottery of art was found during the Neolithic period. The first Hellenic civilization is Mycenaean. Myceneaen culture had a strong influence on its legend and Greek language which then became a magnificent feature of the Classical Greece. Dark Ages There was no significant improvement and cultural development. However, the downfall of Mycenaean economic and social structures brought benefit to the country. This class hierarchy and the ruling system were abolished. Then, it was replaced with new socio-political institutions which led to democracy. Archaic Period During the Archaic Era that lasted for 200 years, the democratic system was a necessary precursor for the legal structures of the major city states such as Athens and Sparta. This influence spread throughout the Medditerranean through the exchange of goods to the exchange of ideas, principles and possibly some beliefs. Classical Greece This began with a peaceful coexistence between Sparta and Athens. Sparta, being ruled by two kings under an oligarchic
rule was focused on obtaining as strong military hand. As for Athens, the Athenians were headed towards another direction through democracy. During this time, one of the most famous battles of Sparta took place, the 300 and King Leonidas against the Persians. Hellenistic Era Philosophy remained influential and science became more mature as it became standard up to the 20th century like Euclid’s geometry together with the work of Archimedes. In this era, external problems were met due to the constant threat from the bandits and pirates. Aside from this, internal problems were met due to the dispute of the rulers of the sub or minor kingdoms. During the second Punic War (218 - 201 BCE) when Hannibal of Carthage managed to establish a successful campaign against the Romans in Italy, Philip V of Macedon allied with him and annexed Illyria. The marker of the end of the Hellenistic era was the naval battle of Actium. This was the defeat of Cleopatra and Anthony. The outcome of this battle determined that Greece was to be subject to Rome. Only during the 19th century that the Greece gained its self-determination.
Rise and Fall of the Roman Kingdom The Kingdom of Rome began when Romulus founded the city of Rome on the Palatine Hill, where (according to the legends) he and his brother, Remus, were rescued. He welcomed people of all kinds, including slaves and freemen without distinction. The Kingdom of Rome fell when Sextus Tarquinius, the son of Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, 7th final king of Rome, raped Lucretia, the wife and daughter of powerful Roman nobles. A revolution prompted by Lucius Junius Brutus resulted to the expulsion of Tarquinius and his family. Rise of the Roman Empire The Roman Empire officially began on the year 27 B.C. when the Senate gave Gaius Octavius the Augustus and he became the undisputed emperor after years of civil war. Though historians have affirmed that the battle of Actium in the 31 B.C. marked the beginning of the Roman Empire, since Octavius became the sole ruler of the Roman world. He reformed the government and ruled with absolute power. Living During the early Roman Empire era So basically, the city of Rome mostly suffered the emperor’s corruption since the emperors (tyrants) since the emperors lived there. Therefore, those living in Italy and the provinces lived peacefully and prosperously since they were untouched by the persecution and were still reaping the fruits of the reforms of Julius Caesar and Augustus.
Roman Republic The start of the Roman Republic was the beginning of a new political structure where the majority of the people were to rule the entire nation that eventually becomes a conquering power in the world. And though it is a Hellenistic culture, it was able to form better laws that encompassed important aspects such as family, private property, and business contracts. Rome became a strong military force as it had equipped with battle strategies– the legion. The Roman Republic was able to conquer lands of Italy, and Carthage. Upon being a force to reckon with, it eventually extended itself to take over the divided lands of Alexander the Great – Syria, Egypt, Macedonia, and scattered Greek States. Rome by this time had already power over Europe and the Middle East. But even it was adept in conquering countries; power struggle ensued within the plebeian and patrician class, and among the powerful authoritative figures of their time, this showed that political power cannot be shared and that power is often kept to attain major privileges. cal power struggle, until its end when Octavius had changed the political structure. During this period, is also when the famous Roman emperor Julius Caesar who had brought in democratic monarchy that allowed him to take complete control and also be advised by representatives of a person in different classes, and the people were mainly appreciative of his rule.
Photo credit: The ZZZland Times @ Freewebs.com
ROMAN CIVILIZATION d e r u t a Fe Tidbits
Political System: The Republic and Senate
Architectture: Arches; Columns; Domes; Mosaics
Culture&Arts: Stadiums and Amphitheatres
Other Specialty: Wine-making; Carnival; Roman Alphabet
Credits & References Alexander, Maurya and Gupta Empire. Retrieved on October 27, 2012 from http://www.indtravel.com/welcome/history2.html Ancient history of India. (2012). Retrieved October 13, 2012 from http://www.indianetzone.com/39/ancient_history_india.htm History of Greece. Retrieved on December 11, 2012 from http:// www.ancient-greece.org/history/overview.html Islamic Affairs Department, The Embassy of Saudi Arabia, Washington, D.C. Islam: A Global Civilization. Retrieved on December 12, 2012 from http://www.islamicity.com/mosque/IGC/ civilization.htm Kreis, Steven. Islamic Civilization. (2006). Retrieved on December 11, 2012 from http://www.historyguide.org/ancient/lecture18b. html/ Pearson Education. Classical Civilization: China. (2010). Rerieved on Dec 10, 2012 from http://wps.ablongman.com/long_stearns_ wcap_4/18/4646/1189489.cw/index.html Purple O Purple. Confucius. Retrieved on December 10, 2012 from http://purpleopurple.com/biography/Short-Biography/confucius. html Religion facts. (2004). Retrieved from: http://www.religionfacts. com/ William, M. C. Outlines of Roman History. Retrieved on Dec 09, 2012 from http://www.forumromanum.org/history/index.html Sczcepanski, K. Biography of Changdragupta Maurya. Asian History. Retrieved on October 27, 2012 from http://asianhistory. about.com/od/india/p/Biography-of-Chandragupta-Maurya.htm
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NATIONS