Asian Studies 1.

Amur

Group 1: GLIMPSE OF ASIA’S GEOGRAPHY 2. Huang Ho or Yellow River

Area of Asia: 44 M sq. km 3. Yangtze

>62% of the world's population is in Asia 4. Si Kiang River

>birth of three major civilizations: Mesopotamia, Indus Valley, Ancient Mekong-mighty river that runs three of Asia’s Rice Bowls; Burma,
China Thailand and Vietnam

>Cradle of civilization Twin Rivers

LANDFORM Tigris and Euphrates

MOUNTAINS ASIA’S GEOGRAPHIC REGION

The Himalaya-highest mountain system the world. NORTH ASIA

> The House of Snow 13 M. sq. km

Mt.Everest-Goddess Mother of the World West Siberian Lowland-one of the longest in the world.

Hindu Kush-chain of mountain in Central Asia Tundra Zone-frozen zone, tree-less

Kush-means death Taiga-forested region

>called Caucasus by Alexander the Great Steppe-fertile prairries

>Pamir Plateau-Himalaya, Hindu Kush, and Kunlun meet Siberia-Asian part of Russia

>one of highest plateau N-Arctic E-Pacific

Kunlun Mountains-one of longest mountain chain in Asia, about 3700 W-Ural S-Mongolia and Red China
km from Pamir Highlands in Central Asia to Central China.
EAST ASIA (Far East)
Altai-lofty mountain range
> Home of the oldest civilization
Zagros-chied mountain system of Iran
China-third largest country, the largest nation in Asia
VOLCANOES
Mt. Tai-first in the five great mountain.
Mayon, Taal ,Mt. Cambora, Mt.Krakatoa
Taiwan-largest of the 14 island
DESERT
>Ilha Formosa
16.8 M SQ.KM.-approximately 1/3 of Asia
Korea-Chuson
Arabian Peninsula-1 M.sq.km
> Morning Calm
Rub’al Khali-largest desert in Arabia
Japan-Land of the Rising Sun
Kara Kum-driest dessert (Turkmenistan)
>called Nippon by her people
Siberia-lowest temperature
>Mt. Fuji-Fuji san
Persian Gulf-hottest place in the world
SOUTH EAST ASIA
India has the world record for heaviest rainfall in 24-hour
>low lying places
PENINSULAS AND ISLANDS
Philippine-Pearl of the Orient Sea
Korean, Malay, Arabian, Indian
Indonesia-longest archipelago in the world
Isthmus-narrow strip of land with the sea on either side
Malaysia-truly Asia, mixing part of culture
Indonesian Island-refer to the Greater Sunda Island
>Mt.Kinabalu
RIVERS
Singapore-the second smallest country in Asia
3 Major River Drains in Indian Ocean
Thailand-the Land of the Free People (buffer country)
1. Indus
Myanmar-Golden Country
2. Ganges
Vietnam-country of the smaller dragon
3. Brahmaputra
Cambodia-Ancient Khmer Empire
4 River Drains the Pacific Ocean
Laos-land locked country of Indochina Peninsula
Geographical Shape PALEOLITHIC AGE-combine in Greek word paleo (old) and lithic
(stone) is the earliest part of stone age.
>compact
Lower Paleolithic-2.5 M years ago to 200,000 years ago
>prorippled-compact with tail
Middle Paleolitic-250,000 years to 30,000 years ago
>fragmented-scattered
Upper Paleolitihic-50,000 years to 12,000 years ago
>elongated-long
NEOLITHIC (NEW STONE AGE)
>perforated
10,000 BCE to 2,000 BCE
SOUTH ASIA
Transition from nomadic, hunter gatherer lifestyle to settled
Himalayas-longest mount system range agriculture and development of early civilization.

Western and Eastern Ghats also known as Sahyadri mountain range >began domesticating plants and animals, creating pottery
and forming permanent settlement during this period.
Indus River-birth of one of the oldest civilization

>one of the longest river in the world

Group 3: CIVILIZATION OF SOUTHWEST ASIA
Ganges River
Civilization is understood as the culmination of knowledge and
Thar desert-Great Indian Desert, largest desert in Asia wisdom.
>populated desert in the world Is the highest degree of development that society can
achieve.
CENTRAL ASIA
MESOPOTAMIA
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyztan, Tajikistan, Mongolia, Turkmenistan,  Often referred to as the cradle of civilization
Uzbekistan  An Ancient region located in a Fertile crescent between the
Tigris and Euphrates (Iraq, part of Syria, Turkey, and Iran)
Middle Asia or Inner Asia
A. MAJOR CONTRIBUTION
>Centered culture
Cuneiform-Sumerians developed one of the earliest writing systems
Mongolia-home of Genghis Khan Urbanization
>Uruk-have large size and population
WEST ASIA (Middle East)
>Babylonia-under Hammurabi and Nebuchadnezzar II, grew into a
Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Turkey, Jordan, Israel, Afghanistan, Saudi powerful and great city-state that later became an empire
Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, Oman and Yemen.( including Agricultural technique-pioneered advanced irrigation techniques to
Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia) manage water flow.
Mathematics and astronomy-development of basic arithmetic,
>surrounded by 7 seas geometry, and the concept of a number system based on 60, also
made astronomical observations and created a calendar based on
>rich in oil and petroleum lunar cycles.
Legal system such as the Code of Hammurabi
>near east Technological innovations-inventing the wheel, plow, and sailboat
w/c facilitated transportation, agriculture, and trade
>Land of the Aryan (Iran)

>formerly called Persia CULTURAL AND RELIGIOUS INFLUENCE

>myths, legends, and religious beliefs including concepts of gods and
goddesses, epic, and literature such as the Epic of Gilgamesh.
SUMERIANS
GROUP 2: EVOLUTION OF EARLY MAN IN ASIA >oldest civilization in the world
AKKADIANS
CREATIONISM-basing its beliefs in one book for guidance, the Bible, >Sumerians and Akkadians came to live together as neighbor
God created the earth and everything on it taking six days. EGYPT
>Egyptian civilization arose a bit after Mesopotamia
EVOLUTION-is the scientific theory that explains the diversity of life in
>it was centered around the Nile River
earth through natural process, primarily through the mechanism of
PYRAMIDS
natural selection and genetic variation.
>were tomb for the king
ASIA AS THE HOME OF EARLIEST MAN >Great Sphinx-located at Giza
> Giza Pyramid is the most famous
Asia is considered significant region in the study of human evolution, PHARAOHS-Egyptian leader, priest-kings
as it has yielded important archaeological and paleontological evidence >King Tut-the most well-known pharaoh
for the presence of early huminins. MUMMIFICATION-process of body preservation
NUBIA was sometimes even stronger than the Egyptian empire
HOMO ERECTUS-one of the well known early huminin species. >rivaled Egypt in wealth and power, and mutually influenced each
other.
HOMO HABILIS
INDUS VALLEY CIVILIZATION
HOMO FLORESIENSIS
>also known as Harappan Civilization
DENISOVIANS AND NEANDERTHALS >was made up of two cities
 Mohenjo-Daro (26 century BCE)-mound of the dead Xiao-repecting
Harappa- Yi-righteousness
>use a diverse variety of pottery Xin-sincerity
>seal carving Junzi-gentlemen
>metallurgy
>declined due to climate change and migration Taoism (Daoism) encompasses a range of beliefs and practices that
emphasize living in harmony with the Tao, a fundamental and
ANCIENT CHINA (Yellow River Civilization) unnameable force that is the source of all existence.
>one of the oldest civilizations in the world Taoism is the belief in balancing forces, or yin and yang.
>it has an origin in the Yellow River Basin where the first Xia, Shang,
and Zhou dynastic emerged Mandate of heaven
Chinese remarkable achievement A belief that the ruler had the divine approval of Heaven to govern for
>Astronomy-Chinese Book (book of Books) the benefit of the people,
>Bronze Work-Chinese bronze were made by the method known as
piece-mold-casting-as opposed to lost wax method Feudal to bureaucratic system
>Silk-the oldest silk found in China dated 3630BC The bureaucratic system was the star of the show until the Qing
dynasty's grand finale, with a few tweaks and tune-ups along the way.
B. KINGSHIP AND ADMINISTRATION
Kingship was the central feature of political organization and Confucianism and Legalism were the dynamic duo shaking up
administration ancient China's political scene like a pair of rebellious trendsetters!
Ruler often claimed divine legitimacy, emphasizing connection to gods
or deities. Majestic Rulership a system of centralized and autocratic rule that
King-not served only a political leader but also a religious figure was established by the Qin dynasty (221-206 BC) and continued by the
>controlled a hierarchy bureaucracy responsible for various subsequent dynasties until the Yuan dynasty (1271-1368).
functions
Scribes played a crucial role in using writing systems like cuneiform to Three departments and six ministers
document laws, treaties The central secretariat
City-state and empire The Chancellery
Department of State Affairs
C. SOCIAL STRATIFICATION Personnel
>monarch or king Rites
>noble class War
>merchant, artisan, and skilled laborer Justice
>peasant, farmers, and slaves Works
>this stratification was often reinforced by religious beliefs and laws Revenue

D. RELIGIOUS BELIEFS Imperial Civil Examination- tests candidates on their knowledge of

JUDAISM-an ancient monotheistic religion, it is the religion and the Confucian classics and other subjects. The examination system was
way of life of the Jews as known as the people of the book meant to recruit talented and loyal officials who could serve the
CHRISTIANITY centers on the life and teaching, death and emperor and uphold the law
resurrection of Jesus.
Bible-sacred scripture of the Christianity Social Structure.
ISLAM-the youngest among the world religion Shi-gentry scholar
>its adherents called Muslims and regard the prophet Mohammad Nong-peasant or farmer
Quran or Koran the sacred scripture Gong-artisan or craftman
Mesopotamia- Shang-merchant and treaders
>polytheism
>ziggurats-temple, central of religious practices JAPAN
>Epic of Gilgamesh-religious moral theme Japan is an archipelago, or string of islands, on the eastern edge of
Ancient Persia- Asia.
>Zoroastrianism-one of the world's oldest monotheistic religion Four main islands
>Ahura Mazda-supreme god Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu
>Angra Mainyu-the force of evil
Phoenicia-Baal and Astarte Philosophies
Israelites- >Major Philosophical Traditions to influence Japan
>Hebrew Bible-Old Testament Confucianism
Hittites Buddhism
> Pantheon of gods neo-Confucianism
>Storm god was particularly important, symbolizing the force of nature Western philosophy
Daoism also had an impact, but more in the areas of
alchemy, prognostication and folk medicine than in
Group 4: Civilizations in East Asia philosophy.

China has one of the world's oldest continuous civilizations, with a rich Buddhism,
history that spans thousands of years. >religion and philosophy that developed from the teachings of the
Buddha (Sanskrit: “Awakened One”), a teacher who lived in northern
Confucianism believes in ancestor worship and human-centered India between the mid-6th and mid-4th centuries.
virtues for living a peaceful life. > Buddhism has played a central role in the spiritual, cultural, and
>The golden rule of Confucianism is “Do not do unto others what you social life of Asia.
would not want others to do unto you”
Ren-kindness SHINTOISM
Li-ritual >Indigenous religious beliefs and practices of Japan.
Shintō, which literally means “the way of kami” (generally sacred or Russia
divine power, specifically the various gods or deities). Russian Federation is a country spanning Europe and northern Asia.
The first modern state in Russia was founded by King Rurik of Rus.

SAMURAI
Samurai were warriors in feudal Japan and were skilled in martial arts
and swordsmanship.
Daimyo- noble lords
Bushido- a strict code of honor

ARTISAN
Japanese artisan typically embodies a deep dedication to
craftsmanship, honing their skills over years to create exquisite works
of art, often in traditional disciplines like pottery, woodworking,
calligraphy, or tea ceremony. Their work reflects a balance of
precision, simplicity, and reverence for natural materials.

MERCHANT
Merchants were responsible for trade, and distribution of goods, and
often played a significant role in the development of towns and cities.
za- organized guilds that regulated trade and provided support to their
members.

Group 5: CIVILIZATION IN NORTH ASIA

EMERGENCE OF WARRIOR ORGANIZATION
Genghis Khan-founder of the Mongol Empire

Steppe and Desert People

>Steppe is a vast plain grassland, serving as grazing ground for
nomadic pastoralist and providing a route for trade and
migration.
>had been a dynamic agent for change, shaping the course of
history.

Military Advantage of Steppe People

>Mastery of horsemanship
>Composite bow
>Mobilization of cavalry
>Scorched Earth Strategy
>Composite military culture

The Huns and Hsuing Nus (Xiongnu)

Xiongnu-nomadic pastoral people who at the end of the 3rd century BC
form a great tribal league that was able to dominate Central Asia.
Huns-nomadic warriors who terrorized much of Europe and the Roman
Empire.
Chieftain-lead the Huns people

Mongol Empire
>founded by Genghis Khan Temujin
>Born:1162
>Died: August 18,1227
>conquered Tangut Dynasty (1209)
>Jin Dynasty (1211)
Ogedei Khan-son of Genghis Khan

Impact of Mongol Invassion

>death
>displacement
>disease, unsanitary food, contaminated water

Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Turks
Osman 1-Oghuz Turkish Tribal leader

Tamerlane and His Achievement

Tamerlane-Timur
>Sword of Islam
>founded Timurid Empire in 1370
>considered the last great nomadic conqueror of the Eurasian Steppe.