Lesson 1

Introduction to Asian History, Civilization, and Culture

Asia, the largest continent, accounts for 30% of the earth's land area. As the home of
six out of every 10 humans, it is a melting pot of civilizations and ethnic traditions. From the
Tigris and Euphrates in the West and the Indus and the Ganges in the South, to the Yellow
and Yangtze Rivers in the East, and across Southeast Asia and elsewhere, Asian civilizations
have risen interacted and learned from one another. In the course of this, they have made a
unique contribution to human progress.
Yunnan province in southwest China is
the location of Asia’s biggest seed vault. Here, at
-20°C, the seeds of more than 10,000 plant
species are stored. The vault is an example of
how humankind is preparing for an uncertain
future. Civilization became possible once early
Asians had begun to plant seeds over 10,000
years ago.
The historical region known as Anatolia or
Asia Minor covered most of modern-day Turkey.
The name Anatolia is Greek and means East or
sunrise. It was here that wheat was first
cultivated. Çatalhöyük (pronounced as chattel hook) on the Anatolian plateau is the world's
earliest known agricultural settlement. 10,000 years ago, hunter gatherer tribes realized that
cultivating wheat would provide them with a more stable food supply. They made sickles and
mortars and pestles to help them harvest and
process what they grew. Discoveries of these
implements and finds indicating that people
kept sheep goats and pigs provide evidence
of primitive agricultural activity. By securing a
stable and reliable food supply, humankind
demonstrated that it could harness nature. In
this way it took the first steps along the path
of civilization.
Anatolia and the Armenian highlands are the source of the Tigris and the Euphrates.
The two rivers, as they flow southward, form a crescent of fertile land before they empty into
the Persian Gulf. The ancient Greeks called this region Mesopotamia, the land between two
rivers. This was where the earliest civilizations
arose. It was along these two rivers that 6,500
years ago, the world's first system of canals and
dams was constructed. Humankind had
discovered irrigation. The inscription on this
piece of clay is the oldest known formula for
working out the area of a right-angled triangle. It
was used by the ancient Mesopotamians to
calculate water flow in their canals.
3,800 years ago, King Hammurabi of
Babylon oversaw the construction of a system of canals through which water was directed to
where it was needed. This 7th century BC relief carving shows an irrigation project in action
 using a triangular container attached to levers.
Water is being lifted out of the river and into the
field. To express their gratitude for the bigger
harvests brought by irrigation, people made
carvings on their utensils.
Around the time that the earliest wheat
fields were being cultivated in Mesopotamia in
West Asia, the first rice paddies appeared along
the Yangtze River in the East at Xianren Cave in
Jiangxi province China. Fossilized rice remains have been found indicating that rice was
cultivated in the area 10,000 years ago. The prologue to civilization opened with wheat and
rice being planted in Asia. Still today, they remain humankind's main staple foods. By
satisfying their most basic material needs, the people of Asia established a foundation on
which they could build civilizations.
Most of the earliest pieces of pottery
discovered to date have been found in Asia.
Pottery represents one of humankind's first
attempts at creativity. Through it, civilization
was taking shape. In 2012, the 20,000-year-old
fragments found in Jiangxi, the oldest known
pottery in the world, were listed by Archaeology
Magazine as one of the top ten discoveries of
that year. The dark marks suggest regular
exposure to fire. Before metal smelting was
developed, pottery was used for preparing,
storing, and cooking food. The 14,000-year-old Jomon pottery found in Japan bears traces
of fish fat and ash. The combination of pottery and fire meant cooking could become more
sophisticated. Civilization had taken another step forward.
Before long different types of pottery began appearing across Asia. The Babylonians
were the first to use glaze, which prevented their pottery from leaking. The Hittites of West
Asia were the first to develop the skills of firing pottery at high temperatures. At 1,100 °C, the
particles in the clay are bound tightly together, creating a light and sturdy material. Their
mastery of heat also made the Hittites the first people to smelt iron. Beside the Yellow River
in China an ancient wonder was fashioned out of pottery. Emperor Qin Shi Huang's Terra
Cotta Warriors stand as evidence of a magnificent project completed to perfection. The
ancient Chinese have mastered the art of firing clay at carefully controlled temperatures. This
allowed them to make the figures in parts and piece them together seamlessly. The names
of 80 craftsmen have been found on the bodies. So, when we list the Terra Cotta Warriors in
the annals of human civilization, we are
reclaiming the common laborers who made
them. Several centuries later, in the busy towns
of China's Eastern Han Dynasty, pottery finally
realized its true potential. Subtle adjustments to
the raw materials, kilns, temperature, and clays
created porcelain. Chinese porcelain, a product
of eastern aesthetics and wisdom transformed,
how people lived.
 This drawing, dating from the mid-14th
Century, is credited to an English writer and
traveler by the name of Sir John Mandeville.
During a visit to Asia, he claimed to have come
across a tree in India bearing tiny lambs. What
he had actually seen was a cotton plant. The
German word for cotton “bambola” is made up
of the words for tree and wool. As early as 5,000
years ago, cotton was being cultivated in India
and products made from it will becoming part of
everyday life. By the first century C.E., Arab
traders were bringing high quality Indian cotton
to Italy and Spain. In the course of several
centuries, cotton plantations spread across Asia
and the plant became popularly known as Asian
cotton. Still today India is one of the world's
major cotton producers with hides replaced by
cotton and linen clothes became more than a means of keeping warm. The ancient Indians
used seashells to adorn and fasten what they wore. Overtime, they created the button.
Pursuit of beautiful and comfortable clothing reached new heights with the emergence of silk.
The world's earliest silk products appeared near the Yangtze River in China. The
Qianshanyang site in Zhejiang province is
known as the birthplace of silk. This life size
gilt copper silkworm was made 2,000 years
ago at the time of the Western Han dynasty.
The gold plate is partly gone but the plump
figure, head raised remains a vivid
representation of a worm about to spew out a
strand of silk. The fact that gold and copper
were used, and skilled craftsman employed to
depict them, shows how highly silkworms
were valued. Peering over the horizon, the
figure could see the Silk Road stretching from East Asia to Europe. The silk dispatched from
Xi'an redefined the popular concept of fine clothing. The arrival of cotton and silk allowed
Asians to imbue their clothes with elements of aesthetics and culture.
Cities are the highest expression of human civilization. The first cities appeared in
Asia. 6,000 years ago, Ur in Mesopotamia, was a flourishing Sumerian urban center. One of
the world's first cities, Ur had a population numbering over 30,000 and contained houses,
stores, markets, and temples.
It represented the pinnacle of
Sumerian civilization. The
Sumerians had originally
migrated to southern
Mesopotamia 7,000 years
ago. Within 2,000 years, the
Sumerians had founded one
of the earliest civilizations in
the world. Archaeologists
associate Mesopotamia with
numerous discoveries and
 inventions, including the calendar. The story of
humankind's cradle in Mesopotamia begins with
the Sumerians.
Indus Valley civilization embraced the
concept of a modern city relatively early. The
ancient city of Hohenjo-daro was established
over 5,000 years ago. In its center is a well-
preserved public bath accessed by stairs at both
ends. Surrounding the pool are a well, changing
rooms, a water outlet, and other facilities. If we
could travel back in time, we would find a city
with an infrastructure that would seem
remarkably modern. Mohenjo-daro had a sophisticated sewage system and even the world's
earliest sitting toilet. The city also had wide main street, simple yet practical buildings
providing ample privacy, and many other modern features. All this has led it to being called
the “Manhattan of the Bronze Age.” Cities brought people together in large numbers. By doing
so, they also facilitated the division of labor, which in turn released immense creative power.
Ancient records tell of a magnificent
construction project undertaken in
Mesopotamia in the 6th Century BCE. It was
said that anyone who laid eyes on the Hanging
Gardens of Babylon would be transfixed by
their beauty. The gardens were described as
comprising four levels, apparently floating
above the ground. Maintaining such a vast,
elevated garden in arid West Asia would have
required a highly advanced system of water
supply. Although no physical remains of the
Hanging Gardens of Babylon have ever been
found, the beauty, ingenuity, and mystery of
this ancient wonder continued to fascinate
scholars to this day.
Over the millennia, Asian civilizations
have accomplished many magnificent feats of
architecture. The Great Wall of China,
Borobodur Temple in Indonesia, Angkor Wat in
Cambodia, and the Taj Mahal in India, collectively they are known as the four wonders of the
ancient East. In 1977, when the US sent the two
Voyager probes towards the edge of the solar
system, each carried on board a vinyl record
titled “The Sounds of Earth.” The records
include five Asian melodies: the orchestral piece
“Kinds of Flowers” from Indonesia, “Depicting
Cranes in their Nest” from Japan, the folk song
“Mugam” from Azerbaijan, the Chinese “Flowing
Streams,” and the Indian song “Jaat Kahan Ho.”
In the ancient city of Ugarit in Syria,
archaeologists have found a clay tablet
inscribed with a musical score. Using modern
technology, experts have recreated the ancient
tune. The Jia Hu bone flute discovered in China, is the world's oldest playable wind
instrument. Its seven holes are evidence that ancient Asians had mastered seven-tone
scales. As early as 9,000 years ago, the ancient music of Asia is one of humankind's great
cultural treasures. East, South, Southeast, Central, and West Asia, all developed their own
unique musical culture.
Even in the highly developed societies
of today there's one thing that remains
unchanged from ancient times: the ubiquitous
wheel. The wheel's invention in Asia was as
important to humankind as the discovery of
fire. 6,000 years ago, the Sumerians found
that using spinning disks made it easier to
shape their pottery clay. Although the potter’s
wheel wasn't designed for transportation, the
secret of the wheel had been unlocked.
These drawings, showing early sled-like
Sumerian carts, are the oldest known
depiction of a wheeled vehicle. American
anthropologist Robert Lowie wrote that every society that has used the wheel, inherited it
from the Babylonians, directly or indirectly. During the Han Dynasty, around 2,000 years ago,
the Chinese developed a way of measuring distance by counting the number of revolutions
completed by the wheels on a special chariot. Having entered the world stage, the wheel was
destined to remain a fundamental part of human civilization. Whether powered by human or
animal labor, wind or steam power, internal combustion or electricity, the wheel has been a
constant presence in humankind's pursuit of progress and a better future.
Another of the great Asian inventions that have helped promote human progress is
numerals. The numbers we use today have been bequeathed to us by the people of ancient
India. However, Indian numerals undertook a major detour before going global. First, Arab
mathematician Mohammed Ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi, in the 9th century, codified them in a
textbook on the Hindu Art of Reckoning. In Europe, this Hindu-Arabic numeral system
became known simply as Arabic numerals. But perhaps India's greatest contribution to
mathematics is the zero. A 9th Century
stone inscription in a temple in Gwalior
in Madhya Pradesh, contains the
earliest use of the symbol for zero.
Here, a sutra recording the number of
ritual offerings refers to two, seven, and
zero. This is the origin of the familiar
round shape that is widely used to
denote zero today. In India the ground
floor of buildings is often referred to as
floor zero.
The rhythms and routines that
we follow in our daily lives today other
creation of Asian civilizations. In
ancient Babylon, an hour was defined as 60 minutes, a minute as 60 seconds, seven days a
week, and 12 months as a year. A year was reckoned to be 365 days 6 hours 15 minutes
and 41 seconds long. This deviates from the modern calculation by just 26 minutes and 55
seconds. The ancient Chinese invented negative numbers and the ancient Indians
determined the circumference of the earth to within 100 kilometers of the actual figure. Arabs
invented algebra and trigonometry. They were also the first to calculate the length of the
Prime Meridian and to reason that the earth spins on its axis and orbits the sun.
Across ancient West Asia, from
the Iranian plateau to Mesopotamia,
clay tablets were widely used in
creating written records. The many
tablets that have been discovered
provide us with valuable insights into
the earliest civilizations in the region.
Istanbul Archaeology Museum houses
a tablet containing the oldest known
love poem. The poem is rendered in
cuneiform script, a writing system
developed by the ancient Sumerians.
Cuneiform was employed in
transcribing around a dozen languages
across West Asia. By means of the
written word, information could be transmitted through time and space. Today, it allows us to
bond with our ancient ancestors even after thousands of years.
This is the world's oldest surviving
peace treaty written in cuneiform script. It
was signed by the Egyptian pharaoh
Ramses the Great and the Hittite King
Hattusilis III. Agreements, by being recorded
in writing, acquired much greater authority.
After being in use for around 3,000 years,
cuneiform script gradually disappeared. But
on the far side of Asia, Chinese characters
have stood the test of time with their origins
going back 5,000 years. Chinese characters
have a longer uninterrupted history of use
than any other script in the world. It said that
if a person from the Han dynasty in the 1st century BCE were to have traveled forward in
time to the Tang dynasty in the 8th century CE, he would have felt quite at home. For almost
a millennium, the written and spoken language had remained
virtually the same and the adherence to Confucian philosophy
and ancestor worship was little changed, as was the system of
administration.
The Louvre in Paris houses a large basalt stele. Inscribed
on it is the Code of Hammurabi, King of Babylon. This is one of
the oldest and most comprehensive legal codes ever discovered.
It gives physical form to one of the greatest achievements of
eastern civilization. The Code of Hammurabi would have a major
influence on later legal systems. The inscription records the legal
principles employed by King Hammurabi in governing his
kingdom. He could never have foreseen how far and for how long
the influence of his laws would extend.
In 2015, the tomb of the Marquis of Hai Hun, a member of
China's Hon imperial family, was opened. In the tomb, were found
more than 5,200 mud covered inscribed bamboo slits. Contained
on these slits is the Chi Analects, which had been
lost for 1,800 years. As one of three ancient
versions of the Analects of Confucius, they are a
vital reference for the study of the thought that
has influenced all of East Asia. For thousands of
years in China, Confucius is considered one of
the greatest scholars that ever lived. He and his
followers formulated the philosophy known as
Confucianism. Over the last 2,000 years the light
of Confucian thinking has influenced every
aspect of Chinese spiritual activity, social
conduct, and lifestyle. Having spread from China
to other parts of Asia, Confucianism made its way
to Europe and around the world, becoming an
important part of and major influence on human
civilization and global culture. In 18th Century
France, translations introduced scholars to the
thoughts of the ancient sage from the East. The
Enlightenment philosopher Voltaire was especially impressed by what he read. In his
philosophical dictionary he wrote of Confucius, “Let us acknowledge that no legislator ever
announced to the world more useful truths,” and he quoted one of Confucius’ best known
sayings, “Do to another as to thyself.” Over the course of several millennia the ancient
civilizations of Asia produced numerous illuminating ideologies and philosophies that have
furthered our understanding of the world around us. This power to shed light is the core of
civilization.
That Asia is the cradle of many of humankind's great religion is a reflection of the
continent's diversity. As these religions values moralities and philosophes converged and
blended, so they became the focus of exchange and dialogue among Asian civilizations.
Throughout history, the splendor of Asian values and oriental wisdom has never faded. Asia’s
contributions are not confined to the ancient world. The values and wisdom that developed
here still inspire humankind as it continues to progress. Despite their great diversity, Asia’s
civilizations share many common underlying features.

Lesson 1 Output
Answer the following questions on a separate sheet of paper.

1. Aside from those mentioned in the lesson, what other civilizations rose from
Mesopotamia and what were their contributions to civilization? List at least five
civilizations and three contributions for each.
2. The lesson mentioned Confucius and Confucianism, name at least five notable
philosophers of Asia and briefly discuss their philosophy.
3. Religions were briefly mentioned in the lesson, but was not thoroughly discussed.
Name at least five religions that were established in Asia and list five moral precepts
and/or values that their followers strictly adhere.
4. Filipinos are said to be a melting pot of different cultures. List at least five cultural
features of Filipinos that were/are from other Asian origins. Indicate from which nation
each culture originated. You cannot cite an Asian nation more than once.