SSE3112 Asian Studies

SSE 3112:
ASIAN STUDIES
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
1
COURSE STUDY GUIDE CONTENTS
Week Module Topic Pages

No.
1 Introduction to Asia 10
The Prehistoric Age 33
2 Western Asia Civilization 36
Eastern Asia Civilization 61
3
South Asia Civilization 83
4 South East Asia Civilization 92
Asia During World War I 96
World War II in the Pacific 97
Editorial Office
Course
Developer/s Michelle R. Gimena, LPT,MaEdc
Content Expert/s Nerissa S. Lopez, LPT, EdD

Felix M. Diano, Jr., LPT, PhD
Language Ian V. Rojas, LPT, EdD

Editor/s Carodina R. Ginolos, LPT, MAT
Design/Media Michelle R. Gimena, LPT, MaEdc

Specialist/s Xandro R. Regudo, LPT, MAEd
DISCLAIMER NOTE
This course packet is not intended to be presented as the original work of the course developer. It is
meant to be a primary reference material for the course composed of the flexible learning syllabus,
learning plans, course content, and assessment compiled from various sources. Accordingly, the sale
and distribution of such outside the University of the Visayas is strictly prohibited.
2
FLEXIBLE COURSE SYLLABUS
Flexible Course Syllabus
College of Education
Bachelor of Secondary Education Major in Social Studies
University of the Semester/Term: First

Visayas
Course I. Course Information

Asian Studies is a 3 unit course, that examines the history,
Course Number SSE 3112 physical features, culture, values, challenges, historical
roots, and how Asian response to the different challenges
pertaining to; economic, social and political. The course is
Course
designed to enable students to make comparative study of
Description
Asian societies and have better understanding in different
Asian societies at present, in promoting egalitarian society
with continuing peace and prosperity amidst
Course Title Asian Studies multiculturalism and diversity.
Course a. Identify the physical geography of Asia and its
Prerequisite(s) Learning outstanding geographical features,
NONE
Outcomes b. Determine the relevance of Asia’s geography
towards the development of the different
civilization,
c. Analyze the contributions of the different
civilizations that developed in Asia and its
influence in present time,
d. Discuss how Asian response to the different
Credit Unit 3 units challenges in relation to; economic, social and
political change, and
e. Share reflective insights on how people in present
time can contribute in promoting egalitarian
society with continuing peace and prosperity
amidst multiculturalism and diversity.
II. Instructor's Information
Instructor Name Michelle R. Gimena, Email michelletajmahal86@gmail.com

LPT, MaEdc
Title Phone 0928-193-4549
BSED Instructor
3
III. Course Syllabus
Week Learning Materials and
Resources Assessm
No./ Intended
Module Learning Mode of ent
No. Learning
Topic Activities Delivery Task/
of Outcomes Required Suggested Graded
Hrs.
Output
Course
A. Identify the Brainstorm Module on” https://ww Exercise
1 Packets:
Introduction physical ing Introduction w.nationalg (expande
-printed
to Asia features of to Asia” eographic.o d
4.9 -digital
Education rg/encyclop Activities
total Asia,
Critical University of edia/asia/ from the
hours Microsoft
B. Identify the Reading the Visayas module)
Teams
3 different http://en.a
hours regions in Asia pu.ac.jp/ia
Presentatio aps/upload Make
self- as well as it’s
n of the s/fckeditor/ Connectio
direct countries, lesson apw/vol1/1 ns
ed
learni -1-1-
C. Explain why
ng Intro.pdf
Asia is a Writing
continent of Reflective
1.9
diversity; and Journal
hours
of
asses D. Share insights
sment on how you
Tasks can show to
the world the
pride of being
an Asian.
A. Identify the Picto- Module on

https://www. Course
The distinct stone analysis “The Exercise
2 khanacadem Packets:
Prehistoric ages and its Prehistoric y.org/human (expande
-printed
Age and characteristics Sharing of Age and ities/ancient- d
4.9 -digital
Western insight Western art- Activities
total ,
Asia Asia civilizations/ from the
hours ancient- Microsoft
Civilization Presentatio Civilization” module)
B. Describe the near- Teams
n of the College of
3 early east1/the-
Lesson Education
hours civilization ancient-
University of Make
self- that near-east-
Writing the Visayas an- Connectio
direct developed in Reflective introduction/ ns
ed
Mesopotamia, Journal a/the-cradle-
learni
of-civilization
ng timeline
C. Determine
1.9 the causes of
hours the rise and https://www.
of downfall of
history.com/
asses the empire
sment that news/prehist
Tasks developed in oric-ages-
Mesopotamia; timeline
and
4
D. Share insights
on how people
in the present
time can
contribute to
the
development
of our nation
in maintaining
peace and
prosperity.
Course Exercise
3
A. Identify the Naming Module on” https://ww Packets: (expande
Eastern and different Game Eastern and w.chinahig -printed d Activity
4.9 (students
South Asia Chinese South Asia hlights.co -digital from the
total will
Civilization Dynasties and Civilization” m/travelgu module)
hours enumerate
College of ide/culture Microsoft
its contribution Chinese
Education /china- Teams
3 to the history influences to
the University of history.ht Make
hours of the world,
Filipinos) the Visayas m Connectio
self-
B. Determine the ns
direct
ed leading events Sharing of http://ww
learni insights w.localhist
that led China
ng ories.org/a
to be under
Presentatio ncientjapa
the Mongolian n of the n.html
1.9 supremacy,
hours Lesson
of C. Analyze the
asses Writing
causes that led
sment Reflective
to the rise and Journal
Tasks downfall of
Eastern
Civilizations;
and
D. Share insights
on how the
acquired
knowledge on
Eastern
Civilization
helps you in
understanding
Eastern Asia
society and
culture.
5
A. Identify the Wisdom
South- civilization that from Module on http://ww Exercise
4 Course
South East emerged in another “South- w.historyw (expande
South Asia and orld.net/wr Packets:
Asia South East d Activity
4.9 ldhis/plaint -printed
Civilization its contribution Sharing of Asia from the
total exthistories -digital
& World to the world, insights Civilization module)
hours .asp?histor
War I & II & World War
yid=ac37 Microsoft
B. Discuss how Presentatio I & II”
3 Teams
caste system n of the College of Make
hours https://ww
became a Lesson Education Connectio
self- w.smithson
University of ns
direct hindrance in ianmag.co
Writing the Visayas
ed establishing m/history/
Reflective
learni equality in surprisingly
Journal
ng Indian society, -important-
role-china-
1.9 played-
hours world-war-
C. Identify the
of i18096453
asses civilization that
2/
sment developed in
Tasks Southeast Asia
https://en.
and its wikipedia.o
contribution, rg/wiki/Pac
ific_War
D. Analyze the
effects of https://site
World War I s.google.co
and II to Asian m/site/1an
Countries; and cientciviliza
tionsforkids
/ancient-
E. Share insights india
on how people
https://row
in present time
man.com/I
can contribute
SBN/97807
in promoting
59114005/
egalitarian Early-
society. Civilization
s-of-
Southeast-
Asia
6
IV-A. Points for Graded Output IV-B. Grade Equivalent Based on Points Earned
Course Week Module Topic Output Points Points Earned/Grade Points Earned/Grade
1 100 pts. 100%=1.0 86%=2.1
Minor Task 99%=1.1 85%=2.2
2 Minor Task 100 pts. 98%=1.2 84%=2.3

97%=1.2 83%=2.4
3 Minor Task 100 pts. 96%=1.3 82%=2.4
95%=1.4 81%=2.5
4 Major Task 100 pts. 94%=1.5 80%=2.6
93%=1.6 79%=2.7
Total 400 pts. 92%=1.6 78%=2.7
91%=1.7 77%=2.8
90%=1.8 76%=2.9
89%=1.9 75%=3.0
88%=2.0 74% and below = INC
87%=2.0
INC is given if the final grade is 2.5 or better but missing any two of the course requirements listed above. INC should
be complied within 365 days immediately after the close of the Semester.
V. Approval
Prepared by Reviewed by Approved by
MICHELLE R. GIMENA, JHON MARK I. AROA, AILEEN B. CATACUTAN, MSLS, EdD NERISSA S. LOPEZ, LPT, EdD
LPT LPT,Med
Carodina R. Ginolos, LPT,

MAT
Instructor Program Chair Librarian Dean
7
Unit 1 presents the geography of Asia as well as its famous
outstanding features bringing pride to the continent. It also includes
in introducing the different regions and its characteristics.
Furthermore, this unit aims to give students learnings on how
geography influence in shaping human activities.
Unit 2 presents the prehistoric period of humans and give distinct

characteristics reflected on the three developmental stages of Stone
Age. I also discuss the early civilization that developed in western Asia
and its contribution to the history of the world.
Unit 3 discuss on the development of Eastern Civilization as

well as its contribution to the world. It also presents the leading
events that led to the rise and downfall of different Chinese dynasties
and events that put China under Mongolian supremacy. Moreover,
this unit also give insights on the development of Japanese
civilization.
Unit 4 dwells on South and Southeast Asia civilization and also its
contribution to the world. It also gives brief review on how Asia was
affected and its involvement during the emergence of World War I and II.
Furthermore, this unit will give an insights how Asian response to
economic, social and political aspect in the evolution of history.
After every lesson/ topic in the module, students are expected to

answer “exercises” which will serve as a platform to make the
transfer of learning evident, and “make connections” that distill big
ideas learned from the module. The activities in this module are
intended to help students scrutinize and digest the important
concepts to ensure that the intended learning outcomes will be
achieved.
8
Introduction to Asia UNIT
I
Unit 1 presents the geography of Asia as well as its famous

outstanding features bringing pride to the continent. It also includes in
introducing the different regions and its characteristics. Furthermore,
this unit aims to give students learnings on how geography influence
in shaping human activities.
Learning Outcomes:
A. Identify the physical features of Asia,
B. Identify the different regions in Asia as well as it’s countries,
C. Explain why Asia is a continent of diversity; and
D. Share insights on how you can show to the world the pride of being an
Asian.
9
COURSE STUDY GUIDE
Program Bachelor of Secondary Education Major in Social Studies
Course Code SSE 3112
Course Title Asian Studies
University of the Visayas Credit Unit 3
Lesson 1 WEEK NO. 1
Module Topic Introduction to Asia
A. Identify the physical features of Asia,
B. Identify the different regions in Asia as well as it’s countries,
Intended Learning C. Explain why Asia is a continent of diversity; and
Outcomes D. Share insights on how you can show to the world the pride of being an Asian.
No. of Hours
4.9 total hours (3 hours self-directed learning and 1.9 hours of assessment Tasks )
A. What are the physical features of Asia?

B. What are different regions in Asia as well as it’s countries?
Study Questions
C. Why Asia is a continent of diversity?
D. How you can show to the world the pride of being an Asian?
Learning Resources Required Suggested

Print Printed Module on” Introduction to Asia” https://www.nationalgeographic.org
Education University of the Visayas /encyclopedia/asia/
Digital Soft copy of Module on” Introduction to Asia”

Education University of the Visayas
a. Provided with the course study guide (module), the students are required to read
Module 1: Introduction to Asia. In addition, they can utilize the given learning
resources as a reference to counterpart the lesson/ topic.
b. Every lesson begins with an identification of the learning outcomes which serve as
Learning Activity the bases for a focused lesson development.
c. After every lesson/ topic in the module, students are expected to answer
“Exercise” which will serve as phase for transfer of learning, and “Make
Connections” that expand lesson learned from the module.
Exercise (expanded activities from the module)

Required Output Make Connections
Exercise Activity in the Module (phase for transfer of learning)

Assessment Task Make Connections Activity in the Module (expand lesson learned from the module)
Assessment Tool Rubric for Make Connections

Creative and innovative individuals, critical & analytical thinkers, and confident &
Target Competency self-directed lifelong learners
Prepared by: Reviewed by: Approved for Use:

Faculty Program Coordinator Dean
MICHELLE R. GIMENA, LPT JHON MARK I. AROA, MEd NERISSA S. LOPEZ, EdD
Date: Date: Date:
10
Introduction to Asia LESSON
1
Asia, the world’s largest and most diverse continent. It occupies the eastern four-
fifths of the giant Eurasian landmass. Asia is more a geographic term than
a homogeneous continent, and the use of the term to describe such a vast area always
carries the potential of obscuring the enormous diversity among the regions
it encompasses. Asia has both the highest and the lowest points on the surface
of Earth, has the longest coastline of any continent, is subject overall to the world’s
widest climatic extremes, and, consequently, produces the most varied forms of
vegetation and animal life on Earth. In addition, the peoples of Asia have established
the broadest variety of human adaptation found on any of the continents.
The name Asia is ancient, and its origin has been variously explained. The Greeks used
it to designate the lands situated to the east of their homeland. It is believed that the
11
name may be derived from the Assyrian word asu, meaning “east.” Another possible
explanation is that it was originally a local name given to the plains of Ephesus, which
ancient Greeks and Romans extended to refer first to Anatolia (contemporary Asia
Minor, which is the western extreme of mainland Asia), and then to the known world
east of the Mediterranean Sea. When Western explorers reached South and East Asia
in early modern times, they extended that label to the whole of the immense
landmass.
Asia is bounded by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Pacific Ocean to the east, the
Indian Ocean to the south, the Red Sea (as well as the inland seas of the Atlantic
Ocean—the Mediterranean and the Black) to the southwest, and Europe to the west.
Asia is separated from North

America to the northeast by the
Bering Strait and from Australia
to the southeast by the seas and
straits connecting the Indian and
Pacific oceans. The Isthmus of
Suez unites Asia with Africa, and
it is generally agreed that the
Suez Canal forms the border
between them. Two narrow
straits, the Bosporus and the
Dardanelles, separate Anatolia
from the Balkan Peninsula.
Çanakkale, Turkey, on the southern coast of the

Dardanelles. © William J. Bowe
The land boundary between Asia and Europe is a historical and cultural construct that
has been defined variously; only as a matter of agreement is it tied to a specific
12
borderline. The most convenient geographic boundary—one that has been adopted by
most geographers—is a line that runs south from the Arctic Ocean along the Ural
Mountains and then turns southwest

along the Emba River to the northern
shore of the Caspian Sea; west of the
Caspian, the boundary follows the
Kuma-Manych
Depression to the Sea of Azov and

the Kerch Strait of the Black Sea.
Thus, the isthmus between the Black
and Caspian seas, which culminates
in the Caucasus mountain range to
the south, is part of Asia.
Sea of Azov, Sergey Sorokin
The total area of Asia, including Asian Russia (with the Caucasian isthmus) but
excluding the island of New Guinea, amounts to some 17,226,200 square miles
(44,614,000 square km), roughly one-third of the land surface of Earth. The islands—
including Taiwan, those of Japan and Indonesia, Sakhalin and other islands of Asian
Russia, Sri Lanka, Cyprus, and numerous smaller islands—together constitute
1,240,000 square miles (3,210,000 square km), about 7 percent of the total.
(Although New Guinea is mentioned occasionally in this article, it generally is not
considered a part of Asia.) The farthest terminal points of the Asian mainland are Cape
Chelyuskin in north-central Siberia, Russia (77°43′ N), to the north; the tip of the
Malay Peninsula, Cape Piai, or Bulus (1°16′ N), to the south; Cape Baba in Turkey
(26°4′ E) to the west; and Cape Dezhnev (Dezhnyov), or East Cape (169°40′ W), in
northeastern Siberia, overlooking the Bering Strait, to the east.
Asia has the highest average elevation of the continents and contains the greatest
relative relief. The tallest peak in the world, Mount Everest, which reaches an elevation
13
of 29,035 feet (8,850 metres; see Researcher’s Note: Height of Mount Everest); the
lowest place on Earth’s land surface, the Dead Sea, measured in the mid-2010s at
about 1,410 feet (430 metres) below sea level; and the world’s deepest continental
trough, occupied by Lake Baikal, which is 5,315 feet (1,620 metres) deep and whose
bottom lies 3,822 feet (1,165 metres) below sea level, are all located in Asia. Those
physiographic extremes and the overall predominance of mountain belts and plateaus
are the result of the collision of tectonic plates. In geologic terms, Asia comprises
several very ancient continental platforms and other blocks of land that merged over
the eons. Most of those units had coalesced as a continental landmass by about 160
million years ago, when the core of the Indian subcontinent broke off from Africa and
began drifting northeastward to collide with the southern flank of Asia about 50 million
to 40 million years ago. The northeastward movement of the subcontinent continues
at about 2.4 inches (6 cm) per year. The impact and pressure continue to raise the
Plateau of Tibet and the Himalayas.
Himalayas, Mount Everest (left centre) in the Himalayas, seen from the Plateau of Tibet.©
QiangBa DanZhen/Fotolia
14
Asia’s coastline—some 39,000 miles (62,800 km) in length—is, variously, high and
mountainous, low and alluvial, terraced as a result of the land’s having been uplifted,
or “drowned” where the land has subsided. The specific features of the coastline in
some areas—especially in the east and southeast—are the result of active volcanism;
thermal abrasion of permafrost (caused by a combination of the action of breaking
waves and thawing), as in northeastern Siberia; and coral growth, as in the areas to
the south and southeast. Accreting sandy beaches also occur in many areas, such as
along the Bay of Bengal and the Gulf of Thailand.
Thailand, Gulf of Island resort in the Gulf of Thailand off the coast of southern Thailand.
© thawizard/Fotolia
The mountain systems of Central Asia not only have provided the continent’s great
rivers with water from their melting snows but also have formed a forbidding natural
barrier that has influenced the movement of peoples in the area. Migration across
those barriers has been possible only through mountain passes. A historical movement
of population from the arid zones of Central Asia has followed the mountain passes
into the Indian subcontinent. More recent migrations have originated in China, with
destinations throughout Southeast Asia. The Korean and Japanese peoples and, to a
15
lesser extent, the Chinese have remained ethnically more homogeneous than the
populations of other Asian countries.
High pass through the Himalayas, Tibet Autonomous Region, China, part of the historic caravan trail to
the Central Asian trade routes.© Holger Mette/Shutterstock.com
Asia’s population is unevenly distributed, mainly because of climatic factors. There is

a concentration of population in western Asia as well as great concentrations in the
Indian subcontinent and the eastern half of China. There are also appreciable
concentrations in the Pacific borderlands and on the islands, but vast areas of Central
and North Asia—whose forbidding climates limit agricultural productivity—have
remained sparsely populated. Nonetheless, Asia, the most populous of the continents,
contains some three-fifths of the world’s people.
Asia is the birthplace of all the world’s major religions—Buddhism, Christianity,
Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism—and of many minor ones. Of those, only Christianity
developed primarily outside of Asia; it exerts little influence on the continent, though
many Asian countries have Christian minorities. Buddhism has had a greater impact
outside its birthplace in India and is prevalent in various forms in China, South Korea,
16
Japan, the Southeast Asian countries, and Sri Lanka. Islam has spread out of Arabia
eastward to South and Southeast Asia. Hinduism has been mostly confined to the
Indian subcontinent.
Bhutan: monastery, Taktshang (“Tiger's Nest”) Monastery, near Paro, Bhutan. © nyiragongo/Fotolia
The regions of Asia

Asia is the largest continent in the world in terms of both land area and population. It
covers around 17 million square miles and is home to over four billion individuals. Asia
is divided into 48 countries, three of them are trans-continental. Given its large size,
Asia has been subdivided on the basis of many factors including cultural, political, etc.
Physiographically, there are five major regions of Asia. These are Central Asia, East
Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and Western Asia. Another region can be defined as
North Asia to include the bulk of Siberia of Russia and the northeastern parts of Asia.
The five main divisions of Asia have been mentioned in detail below.
5. Central Asia (Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan)
Central Asia is west of China, south of Russia, and north of Afghanistan. The western
border of this region runs along the Caspian Sea. Central Asia is politically divided
into five countries: Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and
Kyrgyzstan.
17
Given that the name of each of these
countries ends in "-stan," Central Asia is
sometimes informally referred to as "The
Stans." The region covers a total area of
1,545,741 square miles and has a
population size of just over 69.78 million
individuals. Central Asia played an
important role in the transportation of
goods between China and Europe during
the Silk Road trading era
4. East Asia (China, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan,
Macau)
East Asia, one of the five regions of Asia, is located east of Central Asia, with its eastern
border running along the East China Sea. East Asia is politically divided into eight
countries and regions: China, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong,
Taiwan, and Macau. This region covers a total area of 4,571,092 square miles and has
18
a population size of more than 1.641 billion, which represents 22% of the global
population and 38% of Asia's total population. Many residents of East Asia are
concentrated in major metropolitan areas such as Beijing and Tokyo.
The geography of East Asia is varied depending on the zone. The inner continental
area experiences a temperate climate, while Mongolia is covered by the arid Gobi
Desert. China, the largest country in the region, is home to both mountains and
plateaus, while Japan is characterized by thousands of islands and coastlines. Today,
East Asia is believed to have some of the most advanced technologies in the world,
which fosters economic development.
3. South Asia (Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, India, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bhutan, Nepal, the
Maldives)
South Asia has a peninsula-like shape that

is bordered by three bodies of water: the
Indian Ocean to the south, the Bay of Bengal
to the east, and the Arabian Sea to the west.
The region includes Indian subcontinent and
surrounding countries. South Asia is
politically divided into eight autonomous
countries: Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, India,
Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bhutan, Nepal, and
the Maldives. The region covers a total area
of roughly two million square miles and has
a population size of more than 1.74 billion,
which is nearly a quarter of the global
population. Additionally, South Asia has the
distinction of being the most densely
Image credit: MuchMania/Shutterstock.com
populated area in the world.
19
4. Southeast Asia (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines,
Singapore, Thailand, Timor Lester, Vietnam, Christmas Island, Cocos Islands)
Southeast Asia is located north of Australia, south of East Asia, west of the Pacific
Ocean, and east of the Bay of Bengal. It encompasses several island and archipelago
nations that stretch between the northern and southern hemispheres, making it the
only Asian region located on both sides of the equator. Southeast Asia is politically
divided into 15 countries and territories: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia,
Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor Leste, Vietnam, Christmas Island,
Cocos Islands.
Image credit: MuchMania/Shutterstock.com
Southeast Asia covers a total area of 1,735,121 square miles and has a population size
of more than 641 million individuals. The geography of Southeast Asia is characterized
by a large number of archipelagos. The Indonesian Archipelago is the biggest in the
world and is home to the largest number of active volcanoes in the world. The region's
importance in global trade began during the spice trade, which started before European
exploration. Today, the economy of Southeast Asia is rapidly developing. Indonesia is
considered the largest economy in the region and is East Asia's only member of the
G20.
20
1. Western Asia (Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Cyprus, Syria, Lebanon, Israel,
Palestine, Jordan, Iraq, Iran, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia)
West Asia is located in the area between Central Asia and Africa, south of Eastern
Europe. The majority of the region is often referred to as the Middle East, although it
geographically excludes the mainland of Egypt (which is culturally considered a Middle
Eastern country). West Asia is politically divided into 19 states: Georgia, Armenia,
Azerbaijan, Turkey, Cyprus, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Iraq, Iran,
Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Yemen. It also
includes the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt. The region covers a total area of around 2.415
million square miles and has a population size of 313.428 million.
A large area of the region is covered by an arid desert environment. However, West Asia
does have several points of access to large bodies of water, including the Black Sea,
Persian Gulf, Arabian Sea, Red Sea, Caspian Sea, Mediterranean Sea, and the Aegean
Sea.
ASIA’S
1. There are 48 countries in Asia

that are recognized by the
United Nations (Palestine,
however, has 'only' observer
status as it does not control the
majority of the claimed land).
21
Two of the Asian countries also share part of their territory on the European continent;
these countries are Russia and Turkey.
2. More than 4.4 billion people live on the continent. Asia is thus the most populous
continent.
3. Largest Country: Russia by landmass,

even though roughly 40% of the country
belongs to the European continent. China is
the largest country by population. Did you
know that in China as many people live as
in Australia, New Zealand, North America,
South America and Western Europe
combined?
4. Largest City: Tokyo in Japan. With more than 38 million inhabitants Tokyo is the
largest city and has the largest metropolitan area. This city has more inhabitants than
the whole country of Canada!
5. Smallest Country: Maldives. The Indian ocean country is one of the smallest countries
in the world and Asia's smallest country. It consists of 26 coral atolls which in total
consist of more than 1190 islands.
6. Biggest Island: Borneo in South-East Asia is also

the third largest island in the world and the largest
in Asia. The island belongs to three countries:
Malaysia and Brunei in the north while Indonesia
claims the southern part of the island. Borneo is
home to vast rainforests and many animals only
live on this island such as the Bornean Orang-Utan.
22
7. Longest River: Yangtze
River is the longest on the
Asian continent. It is in
China and is 6,300metres/
3,915miles long. The
Yangtze is the third longest
river in the world after the
Amazon and the Nile.
8. Highest Mountains: Mount

Everest. The mountain is located
in the Himalayan mountain range
and the highest peak is
8,849metres/ 29,035ft high. The
Himalayas between Nepal and
China are the world's highest
mountains.
9. Asia Facts - Biggest Lake: Caspian Sea. The coastline is shared by five countries:
Russia, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Iran. The lake is also among the
deepest lakes in the world with a maximum depth of more than 1,000m/3,300ft!
Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, is located at the Caspian Sea.
23
10. Driest Place: The Gobi Desert is the
largest desert in Asia and the fifth
largest desert in the world. This is a cold
desert where the temperatures can be
very low and sometimes even snow can
occur.
A yurt is a typical round tent covered
with mats or fabric and is built by the
nomads living in and travelling through
the Gobi Desert.
11. There are 12 landlocked countries in Asia. Among the landlocked countries in Asia
are also Bhutan, Laos, Nepal and Mongolia that are located in the interior of the
continent and do not have access to any ocean.
12. Climate: The Asian continent has a very diverse climate ranging from arctic
climate in Siberia (Russia) to tropical climates in South-East Asia. Siberia is also one
of the coldest places on earth.
In the tropical regions of South-East

Asia, also the most tropical storms occur.
Cyclones occur mainly in the Philippines
and south of Japan. Some countries in
Asia are at high risk for negative impacts
of climate change. In 2004, a tsunami hit
the coast in India, Thailand, Indonesia
and other countries and killed more than
250,000 people in more than 14
countries. 24
13. People of Asia: There are many ethnic groups in Asia. This is a huge continent,
where vastly different cultures are practiced. In India and China, the most populous
countries in Asia, there are many different ethnic groups all with their own distinct
language and culture. Imagine that in India more than 850 different native languages
are spoken and used in daily conversations!
India is not only the second most populous country in Asia, it has also the largest
number of poor people and child laborers. One in four Indians cannot read or write.
Then there are the Arabs, the Russians, Koreans, Japanese, Indians, Indonesians and
so many more different cultural groups. There are also vast differences in living
standards and poverty. In South-East Asia, most people live in rural areas outside the
big cities which are underdeveloped. In fact, four out of ten poor people who live with
only $1.9 per day, live in Asia!
However, there is also the tiny country of Singapore which is one of the richest,
most modern and influential cities in the world. Singapore is a city state and leading
country in modern technology and innovation and a major financial center.
14. Religion: Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism are the main
religions in Asia. Many religions originate in Asia, such as the Islam which is also the
most widely followed religion in Asia. Judaism and Christian faith is practiced by
smaller population groups in the region.
15. Animals: In Asia, there are monkeys, tigers, Asian elephants and many other
animals. Due to the different climates were are snow leopards and polar bear in the
north and tropical species such as the Komodo dragons in the South.
25
On some Indonesian islands, there
are the largest living lizards, the
Komodo dragons, which can eat
very large animals such as a whole
buffalo! Did you know that the Asian
elephants are smaller than African
elephants? Tip: You can easily
recognize them as such as they
have much smaller ears see the
Asian elephant in the right.
Asia is also home to many endangered
animals such as the orang-utan in
Borneo, the Chinese river dolphin or the
dugong.
26
EXERCISE
Name: _______________________ Time: _______________________

I. Identify the countries in the blank map of Asia below. Write your answer
in the table found below the blank map. (15pts.)
5. 10.
9.
8.
3. 6.
1. 4. 13.
2.
11 14. 15.
7
12.
1. 6. 11.
2. 7. 12.
3. 8. 13.
4. 9. 14.
5. 10. 15.
27
II. Identify the regions in which the Asian countries belong. Write EA for East
Asia, SA for South Asia, NA for North Asia, WA for West Asia and SEA for
South East Asia. (N.R 20 pts.)
1. Tajikistan _______________ 11. Nepal _______________
2. Saudi Arabia _______________ 12. Yemen _______________
3. Philippines _______________ 13. Bangladesh _______________
4. North Korea _______________ 14. Bhutan _______________
5. Vietnam _______________ 15. Myanmar _______________
6. Malaysia _______________ 16. Kuwait _______________
7. Singapore _______________ 17. India _______________
8. Kazakhstan _______________ 18. Oman _______________
9. Kyrgyzstan _______________ 19. Japan _______________
10.Laos _______________ 20. China _______________
III. Write your answer on the space provided before each number. (15pts.)
_______________ 1. The world’s highest mountain
_______________ 2. The Assyrian word which means east
_______________ 3. The body of water that unites Asia with Africa
_______________ 4. The lowest point in Earth
_______________ 5. The biggest lake
_______________ 6. The other term for Chinese river dolphin
_______________ 7. The South East Asian country which is a leading
country in modern technology and innovation and
a major financial center.
_______________ 8. The desert known for its low temperature and
sometimes even snow can occur.
_______________ 9. The climate in inner continental area of East Asia
Region
_______________ 10.The biggest in the world and is home to the largest
number of active volcanoes in the world.
_______________ 11.This region in Asia is also referred to as Middle
East.
28
_______________ 12.The Asia’s most populous city
13.The largest country in population
_______________ 14.The longest river in the Asian continent
_______________ 15.The typical round tent covered with mats or fabric
and is built by the nomads living in and travelling
through the Gobi Desert.
MAKE CONNECTIONS
Directions: Make a reflective journal consisting of 15 sentences as

minimum in expressing your thoughts on the things you’ve learned in this
lesson. Make also an own title of your reflective journal. Please be guided
with criteria for grading.
Criteria for Grading
Content and development (including organization of 20 pts.

thoughts and grammar
Reflective thoughts (able to reflect and relate the 20 pts.
relevance of the things learned in real life)
Neatness 10 pts.
TOTAL: 50 pts.
29
______________________________________________
(Title)
30
The Prehistoric Age
and UNIT
II
Western Asia
Civilization
Unit 2 presents the prehistoric period of humans and give distinct

MIGRATION
characteristics reflected on the three developmental stages of Stone Age.
I also discuss the early civilization that developed in western Asia and its
contribution to the history of the world.
Learning Outcomes:
A. Identify the distinct stone ages and its characteristics,
B. Describe the early civilization that developed in Mesopotamia,
C. Determine the causes of the rise and downfall of the empire

that developed in Mesopotamia; and
D. Share insights on how people in the present time can contribute

to the development of our nation in maintaining peace and
prosperity.
31
COURSE STUDY GUIDE
Program Bachelor of secondary Education Major in Social Studies
Lesson 1 WEEK NO. 2
The Prehistoric Age and Western Asia Civilization
Module Topic
A. Identify the distinct stone ages and its characteristics,
B. Describe the early civilization that developed in Mesopotamia,
C. Determine the causes of the rise and downfall of the empire that developed in
Mesopotamia; and
Intended Learning D. Share insights on how people in the present time can contribute to the
Outcomes development of our nation in maintaining peace and prosperity.
4.9 total hours (3 hours self-directed learning and 1.9 hours of assessment
No. of Hours
Tasks )
A. What are the 3 distinct stone ages and its characteristics?
B. What are the different early civilization that developed in Mesopotamia?
described each.
Study Questions C. What are the causes of the rise and downfall of the empire that developed in
Mesopotamia; and
D. How people in the present time can contribute to the development of our
nation in maintaining peace and prosperity?
Digital Soft copy on Module “The Prehistoric Age and https://www.history.com/news/prehistoric-

Western Asia Civilization”
ages-timeline
a. Provided with the course study guide (module), the students are required to read
Module 2: The Prehistoric Age and Western Asia Civilization. In addition, they can
utilize the given learning resources as a reference to counterpart the lesson/ topic.
d. Every lesson begins with an identification of the learning outcomes which serve as the
Learning Activity bases for a focused lesson development.
e. After every lesson/ topic in the module, students are expected to answer “Exercise”
which will serve as phase for transfer of learning, and “Make Connections” that
expand lesson learned from the module.
Required Output Exercises and Make Connections

Assessment Task Make Connections Activity in the Module (expand lesson learned form the module)
Creative and innovative individuals, critical & analytical thinkers, and confident & self-
Target Competency directed lifelong learners

32
The Prehistoric Age LESSON
1
How Humans Lived Before Written Records

UPDATED: OCT 21, 2019OR IGINAL: SEP 27, 2019
By: Lesl ey Kennedy
Earth’s beginnings can be traced back 4.5 billion years, but human evolution only
counts for a tiny speck of its history. The Prehistoric Period —or when there was
human life before records documented human activity —roughly dates from 2.5
million years ago to 1,200 B.C. It is generally categorized in thr ee archaeological
periods: the Stone Age, Bronze Age and Iron Age.
From the invention of tools made for

hunting to advances in food
production and agriculture to early
examples of art and religion, this
enormous time span—ending
roughly 3,200 years ago (dates vary
upon region)—was a period of great
transformation. Here’s a closer look:
33
The Stone Age
Divided into three periods: Paleolithic (or Old Stone Age), Mesolithic (or Middle Stone
Age), and Neolithic (or New Stone Age), this era is marked by the use of tools by our
early human ancestors (who evolved around 300,000 B.C.) and the eventual
transformation from a culture of hunting and gathering to farming and food production.
During this era, early humans shared the planet with a number of now-extinct hominin
relatives, including Neanderthals and Denisovans.
In the Paleolithic period (roughly 2.5 million years ago to 10,000 B.C.), early humans
lived in caves or simple huts or tepees and were hunters and gatherers. They used basic
stone and bone tools, as well as crude stone axes, for hunting birds and wild animals.
They cooked their prey, including woolly mammoths, deer and bison, using controlled
fire. They also fished and collected berries, fruit and nuts.
Ancient humans in the Paleolithic period were also the first to leave behind art. They used
combinations of minerals, ochres, burnt
bone meal and charcoal mixed into water,
blood, animal fats and tree saps to etch
humans, animals and signs. They also
carved small figurines from stones, clay,
bones and antlers.
The end of this period marked the end of

the last Ice Age, which resulted in the
extinction of many large mammals and
rising sea levels and climate change that
eventually caused man to migrate.
During the Mesolithic period (about 10,000 B.C. to 8,000 B.C.), humans used small stone
tools, now also polished and sometimes crafted with points and attached to antlers, bone
34
or wood to serve as spears and arrows. They often lived nomadically in camps near rivers
and other bodies of water. Agriculture was introduced during this time, which led to more
permanent settlements in villages.
Finally, during the Neolithic period (roughly 8,000 B.C. to 3,000 B.C.), ancient humans
switched from hunter/gatherer mode to agriculture and food production. They
domesticated animals and cultivated cereal grains. They used polished hand axes, adzes
for ploughing and tilling the land and started to settle in the plains. Advancements were
made not only in tools but also in farming, home construction and art, including pottery,
sewing and weaving.
The Bronze Age

During the Bronze Age (about
3,000 B.C. to 1,300 B.C.),
metalworking advances were
made, as bronze, a copper and
tin alloy, was discovered. Now
used for weapons and tools, the
harder metal replaced its stone
predecessors, and helped spark
innovations including the ox-
drawn plow and the wheel.
This time period also brought
advances in architecture and
art, including the invention of the potter’s wheel, and textiles—clothing consisted of
mostly wool items such as skirts, kilts, tunics and cloaks. Home dwellings morphed to so-
called roundhouses, consisting of a circular stone wall with a thatched or turf roof,
complete with a fireplace or hearth, and more villages and cities began to form.
35
Organized government, law and warfare, as well as beginnings of religion, also came into
play during the Bronze Age, perhaps most notably relating to the ancient Egyptians who
built the pyramids during this time. The earliest written accounts, including
Egyptian hieroglyphs and petroglyphs (rock engravings), are also dated to this era.
The Iron Age
The discovery of ways to heat and forge iron

kicked off the Iron Age (roughly 1,300 B.C.
to 900 B.C.). At the time, the metal was seen
as more precious than gold, and wrought
iron (which would be replaced by steel with
the advent of smelting iron) was easier to
manufacture than bronze. Along with mass
production of steel tools and weapons, the
age saw even further advances in
architecture, with four-room homes, some
complete with stables for animals, joining
more rudimentary hill forts, as well as royal palaces, temples and other religious
structures. Early city planning also took place, with blocks of homes being erected along
paved or cobblestone streets and water systems put into place. Agriculture, art and
religion all became more sophisticated, and writing systems and written documentation,
including alphabets, began to emerge, ushering in the Early Historical Period.
36
WESTERN CIVILIZATION
Cradle of Civilization
Civilizations born along rivers by roughly 6000 to 8000 years ago, agriculture was well
under way in several regions including Ancient Egypt, around the Nile River; the Indus
Valley civilization; Mesopotamia, between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers; and Ancient
China, along the Yellow and Yangtze rivers. This is because the regular river floods made
for fertile soil around the banks and the rivers could also supply fresh water to irrigate
crops. It’s no coincidence that as agriculture allowed for denser and denser populations
along with more specialized societies, some of the world’s first civilizations developed in
these areas as well.
Ancient Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia—mainly modern-day Iraq and Kuwait—in particular is often referred to
as the cradle of civilization because some of the most influential early city-states and
empires first emerged there—although it’s not the only place! Its modern name comes
from the Greek for middle—mesos—and river—potamos—and literally means a
“country between two rivers.” Those two rivers are the Tigris and Euphrates. Not only
was Mesopotamia one of the first places to develop agriculture, it was also at the
crossroads of the Egyptian and the Indus Valley civilizations. This made it a melting
pot of languages and cultures that stimulated a lasting impact on writing, technology,
language, trade, religion, and law. Associated with Mesopotamia are ancient cultures
like the Sumerians, Assyrians, Akkadians, and Babylonians. Learning about this time
period can be a little confusing because these cultures interacted with and ruled over
each other over the course of several thousand years. These terms can also be
associated with city-states, languages, religions, or empires—depending on the time
and context we are looking at.
Sumerians
37
Sumerian civilization first took form in southern Mesopotamia around 4000 BCE—or
6000 years ago—which would make it the first urban civilization in the region.
Mesopotamians are noted for developing one of the first written scripts around 3000
BCE: wedge-shaped marks pressed into clay tablets. This cuneiform (the system of
writing) script was also adapted by surrounding peoples to write their own languages
for roughly 2000 years, until Phoenician, which the letters you are reading now are
based on, began to become the dominant script in the first millennium BCE. Cuneiform
is also the script that one of the world’s first great works of literature, The Epic of
Gilgamesh, was written in. Mesopotamians used writing to record sales and purchases,
to write letters to one another, and to tell stories. The incredibly important invention
of the wheel is also credited to the Sumerians; the earliest discovered wheel dates to
3500 BCE in Mesopotamia.
Sumerians built ships that allowed them to travel into the Persian Gulf and trade with
other early civilizations, such as the Harappans in northern India. They traded textiles,
leather goods, and jewelry for Harappan semi-
precious stones, copper, pearls, and ivory.
Sumerian religion was polytheistic—or worshipped
multiple gods—many of which were
anthropomorphic—they took human-like form.
Temples to these gods were constructed atop
massive ziggurats which were in the centers of
most cities. These structures would have taken
thousands of people many years to construct.
Akkadian Empire
Around 3000 BCE, the Sumerians had significant cultural interchange with a group in
northern Mesopotamia known as the Akkadians—named after the city-state of Akkad.
38
The Akkadian language is related to the modern languages of Hebrew and Arabic. These
languages are known as Semitic languages. The term Semitic comes from the biblical
character Shem, a son of Noah, the purported progenitor of Abraham and, accordingly,
the Jewish and Arab people.
Around 2334 BCE, Sargon of Akkad came to power and established what might have
been the world’s first dynastic empire. The Akkadian Empire ruled over both the
Akkadian and Sumerian speakers in Mesopotamia and the Levant—modern day Syria
and Lebanon. The Empire of Akkad collapsed in 2154 BCE, within 180 years of its
founding.
Assyrian Empire
Assyria is named for its original capital, the ancient city of Ašur—also known as Ashur—
in northern Mesopotamia. Ashur was originally one of a number of Akkadian-speaking
city states ruled by Sargon and his descendants during the Akkadian Empire. Within
several hundred years of the collapse of the Akkadian Empire, Assyria had become a
major empire.
39
For much of the 1400 years from the late twenty-first century BCE until the late seventh
century BCE, the Akkadian-speaking
Assyrians were the dominant power
in Mesopotamia, especially in the
north. The empire reached its peak
near the end of this period in the
seventh century. At that time, the
Assyrian Empire stretched from
Egypt and Cyprus in the west to the
borders of Persia—modern-day
Iran—in the east. The major
exceptions to Assyrian dominance
were the Babylonian Empire Map of the Akkadian Empire. Image courtesy Boundless
established by Hammurabi and some

more chaotic dark ages where there wasn’t a dominant power.
Babylon
Map of Babylonia at the time of Hamurabi. Map is of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers
and the surrounding areas. Empire highlighted in brown and, near Babylon, red.
Map of Babylonia at the time of Hamurabi. Map is of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers
and the surrounding areas. Empire highlighted in brown and, near Babylon, red.
40
The extent of the Babylonian Empire at the
start and end of Hammurabi's reign.
Babylon was a minor city-state in central
Mesopotamia for a century after it was
founded in 1894 BCE. Things changed with
the reign of Hammurabi, from 1792 to 1750
BCE. He was an efficient ruler, establishing
a centralized bureaucracy with taxation.
Hammurabi freed Babylon from foreign rule
and then conquered the whole of southern
Mesopotamia, bringing stability and the name of Babylonia to the region.
One of the most important works of this First Dynasty of Babylon was the compilation
in about 1754 BCE of a code of laws, called the Code of Hammurabi, which echoed and
improved upon the earlier written laws of Sumer, Akkad, and Assyria. It’s similar to
the Sumerian king Ur-Nammu of Ur’s code, written from 2100 to 2050 BCE.
Hammurabi’s code is one of the oldest deciphered writings of significant length in the
world. Written in about 1754 BCE by the sixth king of Babylon, Hammurabi, the Code
was written on stone stele—slabs—and clay tablets. The Code consists of 282 laws with
scaled punishments depending on social status, adjusting "an eye for an eye, a tooth
for a tooth". For example, if a person from a noble class broke an enslaved person’s
arm, they would have to pay a fine, whereas if a noble person broke another noble
person's arm, the offending noble would have their arm broken. Some have seen the
Code as an early form of constitutional government, the presumption of innocence, and
the ability to present evidence in one's case.
The Babylonian Empire established by Hammurabi lasted for 260 years until Babylon
got sacked by invaders in 1531 BCE. In the period between 626 BCE and 539 BCE,
Babylon asserted itself again over the region with the Neo-Babylonian Empire. This new
empire was overthrown in 539 BCE by the Persians who then ruled over the region until
the time of Alexander the Great, 335 BCE.
41
THE CHALDEAN EMPIRE (625 - 539 B.C. Neo-Babylonian Empire)
The Chaldeans, who inhabited the coastal area near the Persian
Gulf, had never been entirely pacified by the Assyrians. About
630 Nabopolassar became king of the Chaldeans. In 626 he
forced the Assyrians out of Uruk and crowned himself king of
Babylonia. He took part in the wars aimed at the destruction of
Assyria. At the same time, he began to restore canals in the
cities of Babylonia, particularly those in Babylon itself. He
fought against the Assyrian Ashur-uballit II and then against
Egypt, his successes alternating with misfortunes. In 605
Nabopolassar died in Babylon.
Nebuchadrezzar II
Nabopolassar had named his oldest son, Nabu-kudurri-usur, after the famous king of
the second dynasty of Isin, trained him carefully for his prospective kingship, and
shared responsibility with him. When the father died in 605, Nebuchadrezzar was with
his army in Syria; he had just crushed the Egyptians near Carchemish in a cruel, bloody
battle and pursued them into the south. On receiving the news of his father's death,
Nebuchadrezzar returned immediately to Babylon. In his numerous building
inscriptions, he tells but rarely of his many wars; most of them end with prayers. The
Babylonian chronicle is extant only for the years 605-594, and not much is known from
other sources about the later years of this famous king. He went very often to Syria
and Palestine, at first to drive out the Egyptians. In 604 he took the Philistine city of
Ashkelon. In 601 he tried to push forward into Egypt but was forced to pull back after
a bloody, undecided battle and to regroup his army in Babylonia. After smaller
incursions against the Arabs of Syria, he attacked Palestine at the end of 598. King
Jehoiakim of Judah had rebelled, counting on help from Egypt. According to the
chronicle, Jerusalem was taken on March 16, 597. Jehoiakim had died during the siege,
and his son, King Johoiachin, together with at least 3,000 Jews, was led into exile in
42
Babylonia. They were treated well there, according to the
documents. Zedekiah was appointed the new king. In 596,
when danger threatened from the east, Nebuchadrezzar
marched to the Tigris River and induced the enemy to
withdraw. After a revolt in Babylonia had been crushed
with much bloodshed, there were other campaigns in the
west.
According to the Old Testament, Judah rebelled again in
589, and Jerusalem was placed under siege. The city fell in
587/586 and was completely destroyed. Many thousands Nebuchadrezzar
of Jews were forced into "Babylonian exile," and their
country was reduced to a province of the Babylonian empire. The revolt had been
caused by an Egyptian invasion that pushed as far as Sidon. Nebuchadrezzar laid siege
to Tyre for 13 years without taking the city, because there was no fleet at his disposal.
In 568/567 he attacked Egypt, again without much success, but from that time on the
Egyptians refrained from further attacks on Palestine. Nebuchadrezzar lived at peace
with Media throughout his reign and acted as a mediator after the Median-Lydian war
of 590-585.
The Babylonian empire under Nebuchadrezzar extended to the Egyptian border. It had
a well-functioning administrative system. Though he had to collect extremely high
taxes and tributes in order to maintain his armies and carry out his building projects,
Nebuchadrezzar made Babylonia one of the richest lands in western Asia—the more
astonishing because it had been rather poor when it was ruled by the Assyrians.
Babylon was the largest city of the "civilized world." Nebuchadrezzar maintained the
existing canal systems and built many supplementary canals, making the land even
more fertile. Trade and commerce flourished during his reign.
Nebuchadrezzar's building activities surpassed those of most of the Assyrian kings. He
fortified the old double walls of Babylon, adding another triple wall outside the old wall.
In addition, he erected another wall, the Median Wall, north of the city between the
43
Euphrates and the Tigris rivers. According to Greek
estimates, the Median Wall may have been about 100 feet
high. He enlarged the old palace and added many wings,
so that hundreds of rooms with large inner courts were
now at the disposal of the central offices of the empire.
Colorful glazed-tile bas-reliefs decorated the walls.
Terrace gardens, called the Hanging Gardens in later
accounts, were added. Hundreds of thousands of workers
must have been required for these projects. The temples
were objects of special concern. He devoted himself first and foremost to the
completion of Etemenanki, the "Tower of Babel."
Construction of this building began in the time of
Nebuchadrezzar I, about 1110. It stood as a "building
ruin" until the reign of Esarhaddon of Assyria, who
resumed building about 680 but did not finish.
Nebuchadrezzar II was able to complete the whole
building. The mean dimensions of Etemenanki are to be
found in the Esagila Tablet, which has been known since
the late 19th century. Its base measured about 300 feet
on each side, and it was 300 feet in height. There were
five terrace like gradations surmounted by a temple, the whole tower being about twice
the height of those of other temples. The wide street used for processions led along
the eastern side by the inner city walls and crossed at the enormous Ishtar Gate with
its world-renowned bas-relief tiles. Nebuchadrezzar also built many smaller temples
throughout the country.
44
The last kings of Babylonia
Awil-Marduk (called Evil-Merodach in the Old Testament; 561-560), the son of

Nebuchadrezzar, was unable to win the support of the priests of Marduk. His reign did
not last long, and he was soon eliminated. His brother-in-law and successor, Nergal-
shar-usur (called Neriglissar in classical sources; 559-556), was a general who
undertook a campaign in 557 into the "rough" Cilician land, which may have been under
the control of the Medes. His land forces were assisted by a fleet. His still-minor son
Labashi-Marduk was murdered not long after that, allegedly because he was not
suitable for his job.
The next king was the Aramaean Nabonidus (Nabu-
na'ihc 556-539) from Harran, one of the most
interesting and enigmatic figures of ancient times. His
mother, Addagoppe, was a priestess of the god Sin in
Harran; she came to Babylon and managed to secure
responsible offices for her son at court. The god of the
moon rewarded her piety with a long life—she lived to
be 103—and she was buried in Harran with all the
honours of a queen in 547. It is not clear which powerful
faction in Babylon supported the kingship of Nabonidus;
Nabonidus Inscriptions
it may have been one opposing the priests of Marduk,
who had become extremely powerful. Nabonidus raided Cilicia in 555 and secured the
surrender of Harran, which had been ruled by the Medes. He concluded a treaty of
defense with Astyages of Media against the Persians, who had become a growing threat
since 559 under their king Cyrus II. He also devoted himself to the renovation of many
temples, taking an especially keen interest in old inscriptions. He gave preference to
his god Sin and had powerful enemies in the priesthood of the Marduk temple. Modern
excavators have found fragments of propaganda poems written against Nabonidus and
also in support of him. Both traditions continued in Judaism.
45
The priests of Marduk looked to Cyrus, hoping to have
better relations with him than with Nabonidus; they
promised Cyrus the surrender of Babylon without a fight if
he would grant them their privileges in return. In 539 Cyrus
attacked northern Babylonia with a large army, defeating
Nabonidus, and entered the city of Babylon without a
battle. The other cities did not offer any resistance either.
Nabonidus surrendered, receiving a small territory in
eastern Iran. Tradition has confused him with his great
predecessor Nebuchadrezzar II. The Bible refers to him as
Nebuchadrezzar in the Book of Daniel. Babylonia's peaceful submission to Cyrus saved
it from the fate of Assyria. It became a territory under the Persian crown but kept its
cultural autonomy. Even the racially mixed western part of the Babylonian empire
submitted without resistance.
By 620 the Babylonians had grown tired of Assyrian rule. They were also weary of
internal struggle. They were easily persuaded to submit to the order of the Chaldean
kings. The result was a surprisingly rapid social and economic consolidation, helped
along by the fact that after the fall of Assyria no external enemy threatened Babylonia
for more than 60 years. In the cities the temples were an important part of the
economy, having vast benefices at their disposal. The business class regained its
strength, not only in the trades and commerce but also in the management of
agriculture in the metropolitan areas. Livestock breeding—sheep, goats, beef cattle,
and horses—flourished, as did poultry farming. The cultivation of corn, dates, and
vegetables grew in importance. Much was done to improve communications, both by
water and land, with the western provinces of the empire. The collapse of the Assyrian
empire had the consequence that many trade arteries were rerouted through
Babylonia. Another result of the collapse was that the city of Babylon became a world
centre.
46
The Persian Empire
In 559 BCE, a man named Cyrus became the leader of

Persia. He was the great-great-grandson of the first
Persian king, Achaemenes—whose name is why historians
call this the Achaemenid Persian Empire!
Prior to Cyrus’s rule, Persia was a small tributary state to
the Median Empire, which happened to be ruled by Cyrus’s
grandfather, Astyages. Persia paid the Medes for
protection and to maintain a level of independence. Cyrus the Great
Cyrus came into conflict with his grandfather—for reasons
that are unknown—and initiated a rebellion that ultimately succeeded in 550 BCE.
Cyrus commemorated his victory over Astyages by building a city on the site of the
battle and naming it Pasargadae, after his tribe.
By defeating Astyages, Cyrus took on his role as ruler of what had been the Median
Empire. Not everyone who had been paying tribute to Astyages accepted Cyrus as their
new ruler, however. In order to solidify his power, Cyrus had to find ways to bring
lesser rulers under his control. His success earned Cyrus the title of "Cyrus the Great."
Religious toleration and maintaining local traditions

Cyrus was a successful military commander, but he also recognized the need to leave
the regions that he conquered in good economic order if they were going to provide
him with tribute revenues. To achieve this, Cyrus left local rulers in place after
conquering a region, and he allowed the local population to continue practicing their
preferred religious traditions. These policies ensured that conquered regions continued
to function economically and reduced the chance that they would rebel against him.
In ancient Mesopotamia, a common imperial strategy was to relocate conquered
populations to new areas in order to break up their political and cultural unity and make
them less dangerous to the ruling power. Cyrus reversed this practice by allowing the
47
Jews, who had been relocated by the Babylonians, to return to Israel and establish a
tributary state. While this might appear to be an act of generosity, it was probably a
calculated move on the part of Cyrus to help ensure Jewish loyalty, and thus a
continuation of his general policy of tolerance.
Political developments
Cyrus’s son, Cambyses II, added to the Achaemenid Empire
by conquering Egypt. While Cambyses II was away in Egypt,
a man pretending to be his brother tried to take control of
the empire. Cambyses died in 522 BCE while returning from
Egypt to remove this pretender and was succeeded by a
general named
Although Darius had a legitimate claim in that he was
distantly related to Cambyses II, several other claimants to the Persian throne
challenged Darius. Many regions saw the resulting chaos as
an opportunity to rebel against Achaemenid rule.
Darius eventually established himself as the sole ruler of
Persia and reconquered the rebellious regions, growing the
Achaemenid Empire to its greatest extent. Partly as a
response to the initial challenges that he faced, Darius
reorganized the empire by dividing it into satrapies, or
provinces. For each satrapy, Darius appointed a satrap—a
political governor—and a military commander.
King Darius of Persia
The division of military and political power was meant to
prevent regional leaders from becoming too powerful. Unlike the system of local control
employed by Cyrus, Darius appointed these satraps directly, meaning that their loyalty
was to him.
Like most ancient rulers, Darius used religion to justify his power. He claimed that the
Zoroastrian god, Ahura Mazda, had appointed him to rule the world. To emphasize his
power over his appointed satraps—and also to demonstrate that he was ruler of a
48
diverse empire, rather than of a single kingdom or people—he took the title
of Shahanshah, King of Kings. The idea here was to avoid the appearance of favoring
a particular group or region within the empire.
Economic reforms
Darius introduced a standard currency—a gold coin known as a daric. Having a
standardized currency encouraged more economic activity within the empire by making
transactions easier. Unlike specific goods and services, money was accepted by almost
everyone in exchange for almost anything and was also easier to transport than most
goods. A standardized currency also allowed Darius to collect taxes and tributes in coin
rather than in goods or services, which allowed him to concentrate the empire’s wealth
where he chose.
How did a standard currency allow Darius greater control over his empire’s resources?
The ability to concentrate wealth combined with the expansion of the territory under
Achaemenid control allowed Darius to pay for the construction of an impressive new
imperial capital, called Parsa, better known to history as Persepolis, which in Greek
means city of the Persians. The city incorporated artistic and architectural styles from
throughout the empire and, because it was built in a mountainous region with elaborate
defenses, was home to Darius’s imperial vault.
49
The construction of Persepolis represented the growing
power of the Achaemenids not only in terms of its art and
grandeur, but also because of its location. Darius chose the
site of Persepolis specifically because it was difficult to
access. The Achaemenids already had several capital cities,
all of which were better placed in terms of accessibility and
economic potential. Persepolis was only possible because of
the wealth and power Darius had gained and he may have
built it to emphasize precisely this point.
Decline of Achaemenid power
In 499 BCE, the Greek city-states in Ionia—the western

region of modern-day Turkey, represented by the red dots
on the coast near Sardes on the above map—rebelled
against Achaemenid rule. They were supported in their
rebellion by city-states in Greece, which led to retaliatory
Persian invasions of Greece.
In 490 BCE, Darius’s army was famously defeated by the
Greeks at the Battle of Marathon. Between 480 and 479
BCE, Darius’s son, Xerxes, was more successful, but he
ultimately failed to subdue the Greeks as well.
Xerxes’s failure to defeat the Greeks marked the end of Achaemenid expansion. Over
the following century and a half, the Achaemenid kings increased taxes and continued
to interfere in Greece via economic and political strategies, rather than military
invasions. With the end of expansion came more attempts by regional rulers to escape
from Achaemenid control; many of the distinct groups within the empire saw less and
less reason to remain a part of it.
50
In 334 BCE, Alexander of Macedon invaded the Persian
Empire, and by 330 BCE, the Persian king, Darius III, was
dead—murdered by one his generals. Alexander claimed
the Persian throne. Alexander left the officials and
institutions of the cities he captured in place to manage
his massive empire. After his death, one of his
generals, Seleucus, gained control of much of the
territory that had been the Achaemenid empire.
Phoenicians
by Joshua J. Mark, 19 March 2018
Phoenicia was an ancient civilization composed of independent city-states located along

the coast of the Mediterranean Sea stretching through what is now Syria, Lebanon and
northern Israel. The Phoenicians were a great maritime
people, known for their mighty ships adorned with horses’
heads in honor of their god of the sea, Yamm, the brother
of Mot, the god of death. The island city of Tyre and the city
of Sidon were the most powerful states in Phoenicia with
Gebal/Byblos and Baalbek as the most important
spiritual/religious centers. Phoenician city-states began to
take form c. 3200 BCE and were firmly established by c.
2750 BCE. Phoenicia thrived as a maritime trader and
manufacturing center from c. 1500-332 BCE and was highly
regarded for their skill in ship-building, glass-making, the
production of dyes, and an impressive level of skill in the manufacture of luxury and
common goods.
The Purple People
The purple dye manufactured and used in Tyre for the robes of Mesopotamian royalty
gave Phoenicia the name by which we know it today (from the Greek Phoinikes for Tyrian
Purple) and also accounts for the Phoenicians being known as 'purple people’ by the
51
Greeks (as the Greek historian Herodotus tells us) because the dye would stain the skin
of the workers.
IN ITS TIME PHOENICIA WAS KNOWN AS CANAAN & IS THE LAND REFERENCED IN THE
HEBREW SCRIPTURES.
Herodotus cites Phoenicia as the birthplace of the alphabet, stating that it was brought
to Greece by the Phoenician Kadmus (sometime before the 8th c entury BCE) and that,
prior to that, the Greeks had no alphabet. The Phoenician alphabet is the basis for most
western languages written today and their city of Gebal (called by the Greeks 'Byblos’)
gave the Bible its name (from the Greek Ta Biblia, the books) as Gebal was the great
exporter of papyrus (bublos to the Greeks) which was the paper used in writing in
ancient Egypt and Greece. It is also thought that many of the gods of ancient Greece were
imported from Phoenicia as there are certain indisputable similarities in some stories
concerning the Phoenician gods Baal and Yamm and the Greek deities
of Zeus and Poseidon. It is also notable that the battle between the Christian God and
Satan as related in the biblical Book of Revelation seems a much later version of the same
conflict, with many of the same details, one finds in the Phoenician myth of Baal and
Yamm.
52
In its time Phoenicia was known as Canaan and is the land referenced in the Hebrew
Scriptures to which Moses led the Israelites from Egypt and which Joshua then conquered
(according to the biblical books of Exodus and Joshua but uncorroborated by other ancient
texts and unsupported by the physical evidence thus far excavated). According to the
historian Richard Miles, the people of the land recognized,
a shared ethnic identity as Can'nai, inhabitants of the land of Canaan yet, despite a
common linguistic, cultural, and religious inheritance, the region was very rarely politically
united, with each city operating as a sovereign state ruled over by a king (26).
The city-states of Phoenicia flourished through maritime trade between c. 1500-322 BCE
when the major cities were conquered by Alexander the Great and, after his death, the
region became a battleground in the fight between his generals for succession
and empire. Artifacts from the region have been found as far away as Britain and as
close as Egypt and it is clear that Phoenician luxury goods were highly prized by the
cultures with whom they traded.
Evidence gathered from Phoenician shipwrecks

provide modern-day archaeologists with first-
hand evidence of some of the cargo these ships
carried: There were ingots of copper and tin, as
well as storage vessels which are thought to have
contained unguents, wine and oil, glass, gold and
silver jewelry, precious objects of faience (glazed
earthenware), painted pottery tools, and even
scrap metal. Because their goods were so highly
prized, Phoenicia was often spared the kinds of military incursions suffered by other
regions of the Near East. For the most part, the great military powers preferred to leave
the Phoenicians to their trade but that did not mean there was no envy on the part of their
neighbors. The Bible refers to the Phoenicians as the "princes of the sea" in a passage
from Ezekiel 26:16 in which the prophet seems to predict the destruction of the city of
53
Tyre and seems to take a certain satisfaction in the humbling of those who had previously
been so renowned.
Hebrew
Hebrew, any member of an ancient northern Semitic people that were the ancestors of
the Jews. Biblical scholars use the term Hebrews to designate the descendants of the
patriarchs of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament)—i.e., Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (also
called Israel [Genesis 33:28])—from that period until their conquest of Canaan (Palestine)
in the late 2nd millennium BCE. Thenceforth these people are referred to as Israelites until
their return from the Babylonian Exile in the late 6th century BCE, from which time on
they became known as Jews.
In the Bible the patriarch Abraham is referred to a single time as the ivri, which is the
singular form of the Hebrew-language word for Hebrew (plural ivrim, or ibrim). But the
term Hebrew almost always occurs in the Hebrew Bible as a name given to the Israelites
by other peoples, rather than one used by themselves. For that matter, the origins of the
term Hebrew itself are uncertain. It could be derived from the word eber, or ever, a
Hebrew word meaning the “other side” and conceivably referring again to Abraham, who
crossed into the land of Canaan from the “other side” of the Euphrates or Jordan River.
The name Hebrew could also be related to the seminomadic Habiru people, who are
recorded in Egyptian inscriptions of the 13th and 12th centuries BCE as having settled in
Egypt.
54
EXERCISE
I. Write your answer on the space provided before each number. (20pts.)
______________ 1. The land referenced in the Hebrew Scriptures to

which Moses led the Israelites from Egypt
______________ 2. The Persian king who failed to subdue the Greeks that
marked also the end of Achaemenid expansion.
______________ 3. The king of Babylon who extended the Babylonian
territory to Egyptian border
______________ 4. The king who established Babylon
______________ 5. The king who established what might have been the
world’s first dynastic empire.
______________ 6. The term referring to the Persian provinces
______________ 7. The place being called as “land between two rivers”
______________ 8. The period in history wherein writing was not invented
______________ 9. The stone age in which humans used small stone tools,
polished and sometimes crafted with points and
attached to antlers, bone or wood to serve as spears
and arrows.
______________ 10.The name of the Persian king on which the named
Achamenied was derived
______________ 11.The epic which serves as Sumerians contributions in
literature
______________ 12.The empire which was named after an ancient city of
Ašur
______________ 13.The other important river aside from Euphrates in
Mesopotamia
______________ 14.The Chaldean king who took part in the wars and aimed
the destruction of Assyria
______________ 15.The Persian ruler who added who successfully put
Egypt under Persian empire
______________ 16.The stone age in which early humans lived in caves or
simple huts or tepees and were hunters and gatherers.
______________ 17.The son of Nebuchadrezzar who was unable to win the
support of the priests of Marduk
55
______________ 18.The Macedonian ruler claimed the Persian throne
______________ 19.The birthplace of the alphabet as cited by Herodotus
______________ 20.The Sumerian system of writing
II. Complete the table below by filling in needed information. (30pts.)

Empire Description Prominent Characteristics
-you may answer in a People -give the characteristics of the
statement or a -mention only one name of the ruler/king/leader you
sentence/sentences name of answered in column 3
ruler/king/leader
(1pt each) (2pts. each)
(2pts each) (1pt each)
56
MAKE CONNECTIONS


Neatness 10 pts.
TOTAL: 50 pts.
57
______________________________________________
(Title)
58
EASTERN AND SOUTH ASIA
CIVILIZATION UNIT
III
Unit 3 Unit 3 discuss on the development of Eastern Civilization

as well as its contribution to the world. It also presents the leading
events that led to the rise and downfall of different Chinese dynasties
and events that put China under Mongolian supremacy. Moreover, this
unit also give insights on the development of Japanese civilization.
Learning Outcomes:
A. Identify the different Chinese Dynasties and its contribution

to the history of the world,
B. Determine the leading events that led China to be under the

Mongolian supremacy,
C. Analyze the causes that led to the rise and downfall of Eastern
Civilizations; and
D. Share insights on how the acquired knowledge on Eastern

Civilization helps you in understanding Eastern Asia society
and culture.
59
COURSE STUDY GUIDE
Program Bachelor of Secondary Education Major in Social Studies
Lesson 1 WEEK NO. 3
Module Topic Eastern Civilization
A. Identify the different Chinese Dynasties and its contribution to the history of the
world,
B. Determine the leading events that led China to be under the Mongolian
supremacy,
C. Analyze the causes that led to the rise and downfall of Eastern Civilizations; and
Intended Learning D. Share insights on how the acquired knowledge on Eastern Civilization helps you
Outcomes in understanding Eastern Asia society and culture.
No. of Hours
Tasks )
A. What are the different Chinese Dynasties and its contribution to the history of the
world?
B. What are the leading events that led China to be under the Mongolian
Study Questions supremacy?
C. What are the causes that led to the rise and downfall of Eastern Civilizations?
D. How the acquired knowledge in Eastern Civilization helps you in understanding
Eastern Asia society and culture?
Print Printed copy of Module 3:

Eastern Civilization
Digital Soft copy of Module 3: Eastern http://www.localhistories.org/ancientjapan.html
Civilization
a. Provided with the course study guide (module), the students are required to
read Module 3: Eastern Civilization. In addition, they can utilize the given
learning resources as a reference to counterpart the lesson/ topic.
b. Every lesson begins with an identification of the learning outcomes which serve
Learning Activity as the bases for a focused lesson development.
Required Output Exercise and Make Connections


60
Eastern Asia LESSON
Civilization 1
Discover the over-3,000-year

history of China: a brief history with a
China history timeline and introductions
to the dynasties and periods.
China is one of the world's four

ancient civilizations, and the written
history of China dates back to the Shang
Dynasty (c. 1600–1046 BC), over 3,000
years ago.
Prehistoric China — Up to About 1600 BC
Prehistoric China's chronology is divided into the Paleolithic Age, the Neolithic Age, and
the Bronze Age. Without any reliable historical records, most of what has been pieced
together about prehistoric life in China comes from speculation about human activity at
archaeological sites and unearthed relics. The rest comes from what might be truth within
Chinese mythology.
The Xia Dynasty (c. 2070–1600 BC) — Early Bronze Age China
61
Possibly the first dynasty in ancient China, it's generally believed that the Xia
Dynasty consisted of several clans living alongside the Yellow River. Most of the evidence
for the Xia Dynasty, including its name, is perhaps just legend.
Ancient China (c. 1600–221 BC)
Chinese civilization began along the Yellow River

in the Shang era, and spread from there when
Bronze Age culture reached its peak.
Then, traditional Chinese philosophies, such as
Ancient bronze objects Confucianism and Daoism, developed in

the feudal Zhou era as China expanded in
territory and population. Ancient China finally fractured into warring kingdoms for 200
years, and its reunification marked the start of the imperial China age.
The Shang Dynasty (c. 1600–1046 BC)
The Shang Dynasty was the first to have historical records remaining. Many bronze
objects and jade articles, which date back to 1600 BC, have been found to support these
early archaeological records. The earliest form of Chinese writing – oracle bones – was
found. The inscriptions on animal bones had pictographic characters. The Shang Dynasty’s
capital was Yin (Anyang) and its territory stretched between the lower reaches of the
Yellow and Yangtze rivers.
The Zhou Dynasty (1045-221 BC)
62
After the Shang era, the larger Zhou era territory
was divided by a network of feudal states and
was ruled over by kings.
The king of Zhou only had direct control over a

small portion of the realm and received tributes
from the feudal states.
(Confucius lived in the Spring and

Autumn Period and had a strong
influence on China's subsequent history)
The first part of the Zhou era was called the Western Zhou (1045–771 BC). It was a fairly
peaceful time but, after 770 BC, the Zhou king lost his authority and seven prominent
states emerged. This era was divided into three periods: the Western Zhou Dynasty
(1045–771 BC); the Spring and Autumn Period (770–476 BC), and the Warring States
Period (475–221 BC). It marked the transition from tribal society to feudal society. Major
philosophies and religions emerged that were the basis of Chinese beliefs in later eras,
such as Confucianism and Daoism.
Imperial China (221 BC – 1912 AD)
From the first centralized feudal empire, the Qin Dynasty, which was established in 221
BC, until the collapse of the Qing Dynasty in 1912, this period is known as the imperial
era of China. The imperial China period makes up the bulk of Chinese history. With the
cyclical rise and fall of dynasties, Chinese civilization was cultivated and prospered in times
of peace, then reformed after rebellions and conquests.
63
The Qin and Han Dynasties (221BC –220 AD)
The Qin and Han dynasties were the initial period of the Chinese empire. During this
period, a number of institutions were established that laid the foundation of the basic
political system for the next 2,000 years. The short-lived Qin Dynasty was the first to
unite China as a country under an emperor instead of a ruling clan. A bureaucratic
government was introduced, and was continued by the less extreme Han Dynasty.
The Qin Dynasty (221–206 BC)
The First Emperor — Qin Shi Huang was first

to use the title of emperor in China. He and his
Qin state united China by conquering the other
warring states, and he ruled with an iron fist.
Qin Shi Huang centralized the power of the

empire after he took the throne and set up a
system of laws. He standardized units of
weight and measurements, as well as the
The Terracotta Army represent the army
writing system.
that changed China's history by uniting
the country.
The Qin Dynasty was the first and shortest imperial dynasty in China. It was famous for
great building projects, such as the Great Wall and the Terracotta Army, which guarded
the First Emperor’s burial objects and was to protect him in his afterlife.
64
The Han Dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD)
The longest imperial dynasty, the Han

Dynasty, was known for starting the Silk
Road trade and connecting China with
Central Asia and Europe.
In the Han Dynasty, a bureaucratic

Silk Road
system in which promotion was based on
merit was established and Confucianism was
adopted by the state for national governance. What’s more, agriculture, handicrafts, and
commerce developed rapidly. During the reign of Emperor Wudi (r. 140–87 BC), the Han
regime prospered most. The multiethnic country became more united during the Han
regime. The Han Dynasty was one of the most powerful and important dynasties in China’s
history. It had far-reaching impacts for every dynasty that followed it.
China's Dark Ages (220–581)
When the Han Dynasty fell into decline, it fractured into the Three Kingdoms Period (220–
265). After the Three Kingdoms Period came the Jin Dynasty, which then conquered most
of China (265–420). Its hold on power was tenuous, however, and China again fractured,
this time into the Southern and Northern Dynasties (420–589).
During this messy time, many religions emerged and Buddhism was popular among the
barbarian kingdoms in North China. After almost 400 years of chaos ended, the Sui
Dynasty eventually unified China again in 581 AD.
65
Medieval China (581–1368)
China's Middle Ages saw steady growth through

a series of regime changes.
The Grand Canal, representing China's huge civil

engineering feats, is another feature of China's
history. (left picture)
China went from having four warring kingdoms

to being the most culturally sophisticated and technologically developed nation. Finally, it
was consumed by the rise and fall of the phenomenal Mongol Empire, which stretched to
Europe.
The Sui Dynasty (581–618)
In 581, Yang Jian usurped the throne in the north and, as Emperor Wen, united the rest
of China under the Sui Dynasty. It was a short, intense dynasty, with great conquests and
achievements, such as the Grand Canal and the
rebuilding of the Great Wall. One of Emperor
Wen’s most prominent achievements was to
create the imperial examination system to select
talented individuals for bureaucratic positions.
Most of this dynasty’s government institutions

were adopted by later dynasties. It's considered,
along with the following Tang Dynasty, to be a
great Chinese era. Tri-colored glazed pottery
66
The Tang Dynasty (618-907)
After the short-lived Sui Dynasty, the powerful and prosperous Tang Dynasty unified
China once again. The Tang Dynasty continued with the Sui’s imperial examination system
and optimized it. It ruled for three centuries, and it was also the golden age for poetry,
painting, tricolored glazed pottery, and woodblock printing. After the Tang Dynasty came
half a century of division in the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period (907–960). This
ended when one of the northern kingdoms defeated its neighbors and established the
Song Dynasty.
The Song Dynasty (960–1297)
The Song Dynasty unified the Central Plain and Southern China. However, the territory
under the Northern Song Dynasty’s (960–1127) control was smaller than the Tang
Dynasty’s. The modern-day northern Hebei Province was occupied by the Khitan and was
under the control of the Liao Dynasty (907–1125). In the northwest, the Western Xia
Dynasty (1038–1227) – ruled by the Tanguts – controlled the modern-day Gansu and
northwestern Shaanxi.
Until the first half of the 12th century, the

Jurchens (ancestors of modern-day Manchus)
annihilated the Liao Dynasty and invaded the
Northern Song’s capital.
China's invention of printing influenced not only

China history but world history. (left picture)
Then the Song government moved and reestablished the capital in Hangzhou, establishing
the Southern Song Dynasty (1127–1279). The Jurchens established the Jin Dynasty at
the Yellow River Basin until it was conquered by the Mongols in 1271.
67
The Song era was a period of technological advances and prosperity. During the Song
Dynasty, the handicraft industry as well as domestic and foreign trade boomed. Many
merchants and travelers came from abroad.
The "four great inventions" of the Chinese people in ancient times (paper, printing, the
compass, and gunpowder) were further developed in the Song Dynasty.
The Yuan Dynasty (1279–1368) — Mongol Rule
Genghis Khan changed China's history by

bringing the nation under foreign (Mongol) rule.
(left picture)
In 1206, Genghis Khan unified all the tribes in

Mongolia, founded the Mongol khanate, and
conquered an unprecedented swathe of Asia.
At the end of the 12th century, Mongolian rule grew steadily. With Genghis Khan and his
descendants expanding their territory, the Mongol Empire extended all the way to Eastern
Europe. The part of the Mongolian khanate that ruled China was known as the Yuan
Dynasty (1279–1368).
From 1271 to 1279, his grandson, Kublai Khan, finally conquered the Song Dynasty and
founded the Yuan Dynasty. He made Dadu (modern-day Beijing) the capital of the first
foreign-led dynasty in China. Trade, technological development, and China’s introduction
to foreign countries continued under Mongol rule. Marco Polo from Venice traveled
extensively in China, and later described China's culture and marvels in his book, Travels.
The Final Dynasties (1368–1912) — Renaissance and More Foreign Rule
68
In the Ming and Qing dynasties, the imperial social structure (the royal/rich class, the
scholarly class, the working class, and the slaves) and imperial examinations continued.
However, they became increasingly inadequate in the ages of exploration, colonization,
and industrialization.
The Ming Dynasty (1368–1644)
The Forbidden City represents the climax of

imperial China history. (left picture)
After a series of natural disasters and rebellion
movements led by the Han people, a new native
dynasty was established in 1368. The founder,
Zhu Yuanzhang, replaced the waning Mongol
Empire in China with the Ming Dynasty. It was the
last ethnic Chinese dynasty, sandwiched between
two foreign ones. The Ming Dynasty represented
a long period of stability. When his son and
successor, Zhu Di, ascended the throne,
he started to build the Forbidden City in Beijing. In 1421, he officially made Beijing his
capital. He was very supportive of international trade and sponsored several voyages to
the West. It was an era of native Chinese strength and prosperity, which faltered due to
natural disasters and greedy leadership, as had so many dynasties before it. Eventually,
the Ming Dynasty fell due to the frequent peasant rebellions and Manchu attacks.
69
The Qing Dynasty (1644–1912)
The Summer Palace's destruction by European

forces represented a key moment in China's
history. (left picture) It could not be restored to
its former glory as imperial China's strength
waned.
In the late Ming Dynasty, the Manchus in
Northeast China grew in strength. The Manchus attacked China for three generations in
succession, and finally founded the Qing Dynasty. It was the last imperial dynasty in
China’s history. The two most famous emperors of the Qing Dynasty were Emperor
Kangxi (r. 1661–1772) and Emperor Qianlong (r. 1735–96). Their reigns were "a golden
age of prosperity". However, the last Chinese dynasty is shamefully remembered for
the forced trade of the late Qing era. China was reduced to being a semi-colonial, semi-
imperial country after the First Opium War, which began in 1839.
Modern China's territory was established during this era.
The Republic of China Era (1912–1949)
Tian'anmen Square has witnessed many

key events in China's history, in particular
the founding of the People's Republic by
Mao Zedong on October 1, 1949. (left
picture)
The Republican Revolution of 1911, led

by Sun Yat-sen, ended the rule of the Qing
Dynasty. However, the Republic of China
70
could not be firmly established across China, with civil war ensuing for decades.
Modern China (1949–Now)
Since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, China has entered a
Communist era of stability, with the Reform and Opening Up policy of 1978 bringing in
China's phenomenal economic growth.
Rise of the Mongol Empire
During Europe’s High Middle Ages the Mongol Empire, the largest contiguous land
empire in history, began to emerge. The Mongol Empire began in the Central Asian steppes
and lasted throughout the 13th and 14th centuries. At its greatest extent it included all of
modern-day Mongolia, China, parts of Burma, Romania, Pakistan, Siberia, Ukraine,
Belarus, Cilicia, Anatolia, Georgia, Armenia, Persia, Iraq, Central Asia, and much or all of
Russia. Many additional countries became tributary states of the Mongol Empire.
The empire unified the nomadic Mongol and Turkic tribes of historical Mongolia under
the leadership of Genghis Khan, who was proclaimed ruler of all Mongols in 1206. The
empire grew rapidly under his rule and then under his descendants, who sent invasions in
every direction. The vast transcontinental empire connected the east with the west with
an enforced Pax Mongolica, or Mongol Peace, allowing trade, technologies, commodities,
and ideologies to be disseminated and exchanged across Eurasia.
Mongol invasions and conquests progressed over the next century, until 1300, by which
time the vast empire covered much of Asia and Eastern Europe. Historians regard the
Mongol raids and invasions as some of the deadliest and most terrifying conflicts in human
history. The Mongols spread panic ahead of them and induced population displacement on
an unprecedented scale.
Genghis Khan
71
Genghis Khan ruled between 1206 and 1227, expanding trade across Asia and into
eastern Europe, enacting relatively tolerant social and religious laws, and leading
devastating military campaigns that left local populations depleted and fearful of the brutal
Mongol forces. The First Khan and the Mongol Empire
Before Genghis Khan became the leader of Mongolia,

he was known as Temujin. He was born around 1162 in
modern-day northern Mongolia into a nomadic tribe with
noble ties and powerful alliances. These fortunate
circumstances helped him unite dozens of tribes in his
adulthood via alliances. In his early 20s he married his
young wife Börte, a bride from another powerful tribe.
Soon, bubbling tensions erupted and she was kidnapped by
a rival tribe. During this era, and possibly spurred by the
capture of his wife, Temujin united the nomadic, previously
ever-rivaling Mongol tribes under his rule through political
manipulation and military might, and also reclaimed his
bride from the rebellious tribe.
As Temujin gained power, he forbade looting of his enemies without permission, and
he implemented a policy of sharing spoils with his warriors and their families instead of
giving it all to the aristocrats. His meritocratic policies tended to gain a broader range of
followers, compared to his rival brother, Jamukha, who also hoped to rule over greater
swaths of Mongolian territory. This split in policies created conflict with his uncles and
brothers, who were also legitimate heirs to Mongol succession, as well as his generals.
War ensued, and Temujin prevailed, destroying all the remaining rival tribes from
1203–1205 and bringing them under his sway. In 1206, Temujin was crowned as the
leader of the Great Mongol Nation. It was then that he assumed the title of Genghis Khan,
meaning universal leader, marking the start of the Mongol Empire. The first great khan
72
was able to grasp power over such varied populations through bloody siege warfare and
elaborate spy systems, which allowed him to better understand his enemy. He also utilized
a lenient policy toward religious and local traditions, which convinced many people to
follow his lead with promises of amnesty and neutrality.
Genghis Khan: Genghis Khan as portrayed in a 14th-century Yuan-era album. He

was the first leader of the unified Mongols and first emperor under the Mongolian Empire.
Innovations Under Genghis Khan
As a ruler over a vast network of tribal groups, Genghis Khan innovated the way he
ruled and garnered power as he expanded his holdings. These unprecedented

innovations encouraged a relatively peaceful reign and helped to develop stabler trading
routes and alliances, marking his rule as one of the most successful political entities of the
era. He also successfully brought technology, language, and goods farther west. Some of
his major accomplishments include:
 Organizing his army by dividing it into decimal subsections of 10, 100, 1,000,
and 10,000, and discarded the lineage-based, tribal bands that once
dominated warfare.
 Founding the Imperial Guard and rewarding loyalty with high positions as
heads of army units and households no matter the class of the individual.
 Proclaiming a new law of the empire, called the Yassa, which outlawed the
theft of property, fighting amongst the population, and hunting animals during
the breeding season, among many other things.
 Forbidding the selling of women. He also encouraged women to discuss major,
public decisions. Unlike other leaders in the region, Ghengis allowed his wives
to sit at the table with him and encouraged them to voice their opinions.
 Appointing his adopted brother as supreme judge, ordering him to keep
detailed records of the empire.
73
 Decreeing religious freedom and exempting the poor and the clergy from
taxation. Because of this, Muslims, Buddhists, and Christians from Manchuria,
North China, India, and Persia were more likely to acquiesce to Mongol
intrusions and takeovers.
 Encouraging literacy and adopting the Uyghur script, which would form the
Empire’s Uyghur-Mongolian script.
A SHORT HISTORY OF ANCIENT JAPAN
About 8,000 BC the ancient Japanese learned to make pottery. The period from 8,000
BC to 300 BC is called the Jomon. The word Jomon means 'cord marked' because those
people marked their pottery by wrapping a cord around it. The Jomon people lived by
hunting, fishing and collecting shellfish. The Jomon made tools of stone, wood, and bone.
They also made clay figurines of people and animals called dogu.
Between 300 BC and 300 AD a new era began in Japan. At that time the Japanese learned
to grow rice. They also learned to make tools of bronze and iron. The Japanese also
learned to weave cloth. This period is called Yayoi. (It was named after a village called
Yayoicho). Farming meant a more settled lifestyle. Yayoi people lived in villages of
wooden huts. Farming and other skills also meant society became divided into classes.
The leaders of Yayoi society were buried in mounds away from the ordinary people's
burial grounds.
The Kofun Period in Japan
The Yayoi period was followed by the Kofun (from 300 AD to 710 AD). At this time Japan
gradually became united. The rich and powerful men of the era were buried in vast tombs
called Kofun. Clay figures called haniwa were placed around the tombs to guard them.
At that time Japan was heavily influenced by China. About 400 AD writing was introduced
into Japan from China. The Japanese also learned to make paper from the Chinese. They
74
also learned to make porcelain, silk, and lacquer. The Japanese also learned to plan cities
in the Chinese way.
According to tradition in 552 AD the king of Paekche in Korea sent priests to convert
Japan to Buddhism. The native Japanese religion is called Shinto, which means 'the way
of the gods'. Shinto teaches that spirits are present everywhere in nature. Every natural
phenomenon such as a mountain, lake, tree, waterfall and even rock has a spirit. Shinto
does not have prophets or a sacred book but its teachings were passed on in myths.
Shinto has many ceremonies and festivals. The two religions, Buddhism and Shinto co-
existed peacefully in Japan. Shinto is more concerned with this life and its followers
frequently pray for things they need or desire. Buddhism is more concerned with what
happens after death. Most of the Japanese were happy to practice both religions.
Furthermore in the 7th century AD the emperor became more powerful. Prince Shotoku
(574-622) ruled as regent to Empress Suiko. He was a patron of the arts and learning.
He brought scholars from China and Korea to Japan and he adopted the Chinese
calendar.
Shotoku also built the Horyuji Buddhist temple and monastery in 607. It burned down in
670 but it was rebuilt and became a center of Buddhist learning. Today they are the
world's oldest surviving wooden structures.
After him, in 646, a series of reforms were made known as the Taika. From then on all
land in Japan belonged to the emperor. Peasants were made to pay taxes to the emperor
either in goods like rice or cloth or in labor by working on building sites or by serving as
soldiers. In 670 a census was held to find out how many taxpayers there were. By the
late 7th century Japan was a centralized and highly civilized kingdom.
At that time the capital of Japan was moved when an emperor died as people believed
it was unlucky to stay in the same place afterwards. However, following the Chinese
custom, the Japanese decided to create a permanent capital. They built a city at Nara in
75
710. At that time Japan was divided into provinces. In 713 the governor of each Japanese
province was ordered to write a report about his province. The reports described the
products of each province as well as its plants, animals and other resources. However in
the 8th century Buddhist monks and priests began to interfere in politics. So in 784
Emperor Kammu (737-806) decided to move his capital. Eventually, in 794, he moved
to Heian-Kyo, which means 'capital of peace'. Later the city's name changed to Kyoto
and it remained the official capital of Japan till 1868.
The Heian Period in Japan

The era from 794 to 1185 is called the Heian period. During this period the arts and
learning flourished. About 1000 AD Lady Murasaki Shikibu wrote the world's first novel
The Tale of Genji a story about the life of a prince called Genji. Another book from that
time is a diary written by a lady in waiting named Sei Shonagon. It is called The Pillow
Book.
The main piece of armor to protect a samurai torso was called a haramaki. It had skirts
called kasazuri to protect the lower torso. A samurai
helmet was called a kabuto. A kabuto had neck guards
called shikoro. It sometimes had a crest called a
kaijirushi. The neck was also protected by a piece called
the nowdawa. Samurai also wore masks called mempo.
They wore armored sleeves called kote to protect their
arms. Eventually in 1180 civil war broke out between
rival powerful families in Japan. On one side were the
Taira family (also called the Heike). On the other side
were the Minamoto family (also called the Genepi). The
Minamoto were supported by the Fujiwara. They were
led by two brothers Yoritomo and Yoshitsune. The Taira
were finally defeated by the Minamoto in a naval battle at Dannoura in 1185.
76
EXERCISE
I. Identification. Write your answer on the space provided before each number.
(N.R20pts.)
___________________ 1.He built the Horyuji Buddhist temple and monastery in 607
___________________ 2.What do you call the period whenJapanese learned to grow
rice and make tools of bronze and iron?
___________________ 3.He led the republican revolution which ended the rule of
the Qing Dynasty
4.The first emperor in China.
___________________ 5. Wrote the world's first novel The Tale of Genji a story
about the life of a prince called Genji.
___________________ 6. The Chinese dynasty known for starting the Silk Road
trade connecting China with Central Asia and Europe.
___________________ 7. The first and shortest imperial dynasty in China
___________________ 8. He started to build the Forbidden City in Beijing
___________________ 9. He unified all the tribes in Mongolia
___________________ 10.The ancestors of modern-day Manchus who annihilated
the Liao Dynasty and invaded the Northern Song’s capital.
___________________ 11. The river believed to be Chinese civilization started
___________________ 12. He moved the Japan capital to Heian-Kyo, which means
'capital of peace'
___________________ 13. The first Chinese dynasty to have historical records
remaining
___________________ 14. The clan defeated by the Minamoto in a naval battle at
Dannoura in 1185
___________________ 15. The main piece of armor to protect a samurai torso
___________________ 16. The dynasty famous for great building projects such as
the Great Wall
___________________ 17. The Japanese term means 'cord marked' because those
people marked their pottery by wrapping a cord around it.
___________________ 18. He was also called Temujin.
___________________ 19. He conquered the Song Dynasty and founded the Yuan
Dynasty
___________________ 20. During his reign multiethnic country became more
united in Han dynasty
77
II. Complete the table below by filling in the needed information. Write at least 5
contributions of the following eastern civilization. You may write using specific
words/ statement or in a sentences. (2pts each/30pts.)
CHINESE MONGOLIAN JAPANESE
78
MAKE CONNECTIONS


Neatness 10 pts.
TOTAL: 50 pts.
79
80
South-South East Asia
Civilization & World War I & II UNIT
IV
Unit 4 dwells on South and Southeast Asia civilization and also its
contribution to the world. It also gives brief review on how Asia was
affected and its involvement during the emergence of World War I and
II. Furthermore, this unit will give an insights how Asian response to
economic, social and political aspect in the evolution of history.
Learning Outcomes:
A. Identify the civilization that emerged in South Asia and its

contribution to the world,
B. Discuss how caste system became a hindrance in establishing

equality in Indian society,
C. Identify the civilization that developed in Southeast Asia and its

contribution,
D. Analyze the effects of World War I and II to Asian Countries; and
E. Share insights on how people in present time can contribute in

promoting egalitarian society.
81
COURSE STUDY GUIDE
Program : Bachelor of Secondary Education Major in Social Studies
Course Code: SSE 3112
Lesson 1 WEEK NO. 4
Module Topic South-South East Asia Civilization & World War I & II
A. Identify the civilization that emerged in South Asia and its contribution to the
world,
B. Discuss how caste system became a hindrance in establishing equality in Indian
society,
C. Identify the civilization that developed in Southeast Asia and its contribution,
D. Analyze the effects of World War I and II to Asian Countries; and
E. Share insights on how people in present time can contribute in promoting
Intended Learning egalitarian society.
Outcomes
No. of Hours
Tasks )
A. What are the civilization that emerged in South Asia and its contribution to the
world?
B. How caste system became a hindrance in establishing equality in Indian society?
Study Questions C. What are the civilization that developed in Southeast Asia and its contribution?
D. What are the effects of World War I and II to Asian Countries?
E. How people in present time can contribute in promoting egalitarian society?
Print Printed module of ”South-South East Asia

Civilization & World War I & II”
a. Provided with the course study guide (module), the students are required to
read Module 4: South-South East Asia Civilization & World War I & II. In addition,
they can utilize the given learning resources as a reference to counterpart the
lesson/ topic.
Learning Activity b. Every lesson begins with an identification of the learning outcomes which
serve as the bases for a focused lesson development.
Required Output Exercise, Make Connections and Written Test



MICHELLE R. GIMENA, LPT
JHON MARK I. AROA, MEd NERISSA S. LOPEZ, EdD
82
South Asia Civilization LESSON
1
Early History
Some of the oldest human remains in

South Asia date back to around 75,000
years ago. These early humans made
tools and lived a nomadic hunter/gatherer
life. Artifacts indicate that around 5000
BCE, farming developed in South Asia.
Slowly, people began to live in permanent
places and villages slowly developed—
eventually these villages turned into cities
and created one of the earliest human
civilizations in the world.
This civilization is known by many names: Ancient India, Indus Valley, and Harappan
Civilization. Historians and archeologists believe the Indus Valley Civilization began
around 3000 BCE. There is evidence of trade between Ancient India
and Mesopotamia as early as 3200 BCE. This another evidence suggests Ancient India
relied on trade in a larger way than other early civilizations.
83
Ancient India
Ancient India is often called the Harappan
Civilization because one of the ancient cities was
called Harappa. Harappa was just one of 1500 cities
in the Indus River Valley. Another well-known city
is called Mohenjo-Daro. Historians estimate
Ancient India to be the biggest of all four early
civilizations. This civilization was not discovered
until the 1920’s CE, and much of this civilization
remains a mystery. One reason the Indus Valley
civilization is so mysterious is because historians have not been able to translate their
complicated written language called Indus Script. There are thousands of artifacts with
400-600 different written symbols. Most of these symbols were pressed into soft clay
with seals. A seal is similar to a stamp that makes an impression in the soft clay. Seals
are sometimes in a cylinder shape so they can be rolled on the clay. Indus Script symbols
have been discovered in Mesopotamia, which suggests they maintained a regular trade.
The archeologist had found the remains of

cities to be incredibly well planned
out. Historians estimate that each major
city could support as many as 80,000
people, so Ancient India was by far the
largest early civilization. The buildings were
made from mud-bricks that had been fired
in a kiln to make it harder. A kiln is a hot
oven or furnace to bake clay pottery. City
planners started by digging water wells and
water drainage systems with main roads and
small roads laid out in a square grid. Finally,
homes were built along the roads,
84
sometimes with multiple stories. It appears that most urban homes had water drain
systems in their home--a technology that wouldn't be matched in history for over 3000
years. However, most people didn't live in the urban areas. Most people lived in farming
villages in rural areas.
Farmers domesticated several plants including melons, wheat, peas, dates, sesame seeds,
and cotton, as well as many animals. Archeologists have discovered what food the Ancient
Indian people ate by examining the teeth of skeletons and food storage areas. Another
example of how well planned the Indus Valley civilization was their grain storage
building. Some historians believe they have discovered a massive granary nearly 200
feet long to store and dry wheat. However, there is no evidence of grain in this building,
so once again, historians are uncertain about the mysterious Indus Valley civilization.
Ancient India was different from the Egyptians and Mesopotamians in several ways. One
way they are different is that there appear to be very few large structures in Ancient India.
One of the largest structures that has been discovered is called the Great Bath. Basically
it’s public pool that is over 40 feet long, 20 feet wide,
and nearly 10 feet deep. If large temples or palaces
once existed, they are gone today. This leads to a
curious question--did Ancient India have kings or high
ranked religious leaders? What did the social pyramid
look like? The remains of the civilization suggest they
were a very egalitarian society. Egalitarian means
everyone in society was basically equal. Another
difference is in military and weapons. There is very
little evidence of weapons and military culture in the
Indus Valley. Another difference is that astronomy
seems to be less important in India than in other civilizations unless the text has been
lost.
85
The Indus Valley religion is also mysterious because
the language hasn't been translated. Historians
believe they may have worshiped a Mother
Goddess. They believe the Great Bath could have
been used for some type of baptism. A small
artifact has been found that some historians think
may be a priest (right), but archeologists have yet
to find a temple of any kind. Some of the Indus
Script symbols are related to the images of the
modern religion of Hinduism (left), but historians
don't all agree about the symbols. The image to
the left shows a three-faced person sitting in the
lotus position. The lotus positions is
a Yoga position of meditation where a person sits
upright with their legs folded in their lap. Yoga is a
spiritual practice of meditation, breathing, and body
position used in many religions, especially
Hinduism.
By 1500 BCE, the once vast and powerful civilization began to decline at some point it
suddenly ended. Historians are uncertain why this area’s power declined. There are some
theories that a great earthquake crumbled cities and changed the path of rivers, which
caused them to move to a new location. Another theory claims the climate may have
changed, which forced them to move. Yet another theory suggests invading armies
destroyed some cities and forced most people to move. One thing we know for sure is
that the civilization that once lived in this area ended and new people moved into this
area.
86
Vedic Period
Around 1500 BCE, Indo-
European people migrated to India.
These people came from the area
between the Black Sea and the Caspian
Sea (purple on the map on the left).
Between 4000 and 1000 BCE, Indo-
Europeans migrated all over Europe and
Asia. Some went to Europe and
influenced the Romans and the Greeks;
some settled in Turkey and became the
Hittites, others migrated southeast instead. Some stopped in Iran, later becoming
Persian, while others continued southeast to Pakistan and India. The slow migration did
not arrive in northern India until about 1500 BCE. In India, the Indo-Europeans are
sometimes called the Aryans.
Some people have disputed this arrival of

the Indo-Europeans, however, the spoken
language that these Indo-European people
brought to India, recorded in Sanskrit, is
very similar to other Indo-European
languages such as Greek and Latin. There
are many examples of similar words
between the languages spoken in these
areas. In addition, some DNA evidence
supports the arrival of the Indo-Europeans to these regions. However, this is a theory of
history that some historians don’t agree with.
87
In addition to their spoken language, the Indo-Europeans brought their religious beliefs
with them to India. The story and beliefs of Hinduism were recorded in a collection of
stories and songs called the Vedas. There are many historians that believe the Hindu
religion actually began in the Indus River Valley civilization. The Vedas were first written
down in a language called Sanskrit. Sanskrit was a spoken language that was written
down in different writing systems that developed later on such as Devanagari--the early
form of Hindi (picture on right), India's main language today. Indo-Europeans also
brought the domesticated horse into South Asia—this suggests the Indo-Europeans were
at least semi-nomadic.
The Indo-Europeans first

settled along the Indus River, in
the same place where the Indus
Valley people had lived. They
settled down and mixed with
the local Indian people. They
lived there and eventually
expanded throughout the Indo-
Gangetic Plain. It was at this
time that the caste
system got started in India. It
is believed that the Indo-
Europeans had a similar division of their society, but historians don’t agree about how the
caste system originated. The caste system is the permanent division of people into certain
levels within society. Each level or caste has particular jobs such as merchant, warrior, or
priest.
88
Castes were very important to people's
identities. There were four castes, but there
was another group below the four castes
known as Dalits or Untouchables.
Untouchables usually did the worst jobs, like
cleaning up people's poop from the gutters,
collecting garbage, and dealing with dead
bodies. The lowest of the castes was the
Sudras - the servants and farmhands who did
not own their own business or their own land,
and who had to work for other people. The largest number of people belonged to this
caste. Above them were the Vaisyas, or farmers and traders, who owned their own farms
or businesses. Above these people were the Kshatriyas, or warriors. The most powerful
caste was the Brahmins (pictured below), the priests and other leaders. Many historians
believe that when the Indo-Europeans arrived they treated the native Indus Valley people
as the Untouchables.
There were also dozens of smaller groups within each caste. People who came from
different castes could not eat together. Usually people from one caste did not marry or
make friends with people from another caste. Untouchables were not allowed in temples
and were seen as “polluted” compared to Brahmins who were “pure”. Today, the caste
system is outlawed by the modern Indian constitution, and in urban areas most people
ignore the caste traditions. However, in traditional rural areas caste divisions still exist.
The developing Indian culture of the Indo-European mixed with native Indus Valley people
began to grow quickly. Their civilization spread from the Indus River Valley to the Ganges
River. Similar to other civilizations, kingdoms developed as the territory expanded.
89
Indian Kingdoms and Foreign Invasions
For about 1000 years the Indo-Europeans and

native Indians mixed and migrated throughout the
northern part of the region. Cities began to grow
in number, and size and by 600 BCE these slowly
developed into 16 different kingdoms called Maha
Janapadas. It was during this time period
that Siddhartha Gautama gave up his title as a
prince to search for truth and an end to the
suffering. On his rare trips out of the royal palace,
Siddartha noticed most people suffering through
life. He also grew tired to the priests who
dominated society. He gave up his royal life and
started a quest to find real truth. After years of
searching, he achieved “enlightenment” and
became known as the Buddha or “enlightened one”. The Buddha traveled throughout
90
South Asia and taught others his new ideas—these teachings became known as the
religion of Buddhism.
Another religion called Jainism also

developed during this time. Both of these
new religions clearly developed
from Hinduism in the same
way Christianity and Islam clearly
developed from Judaism. These new
religions were a rebellion against cultural
ideas such as the caste system and
importance of priests in religion. Some of
the first significant architecture in South
Asia also came from these new
religions. Since many of the building of the Indus
Valley have been lost to erosion, Buddhist
architecture has become India's most famous
architecture. The first development is called
a stupa. A stupa (left picture) is a mound-like
structure that contains the ashes and relics of a
loved Buddhist leader. Later, the stupa transformed
into a new Buddhist structure called a pagoda. A
Pagoda (below, right picture) usually has many
levels or "tiers" of roofs. It is also a Buddhist
temple. Today Buddhist pagodas can be found all
over China, Japan and Southeast Asia.
In 520 BCE, the Persians invaded and took control of northern Indian subcontinent. This
conquest was under the mighty Persian leader Darius the Great. Persia controlled this
region for about 200 years until Alexander the Great invaded South Asia. Alexander and
91
his army were far from home and completely exhausted from years of constant war as
they rampaged toward the east. It was in India that Alexander’s army finally refused to
fight, and Alexander the Great was forced to return to Greece. The pattern of Persia
conquest followed by Greek conquest occurred in Ancient Egypt, Ancient
Iraq (Mesopotamia), and Ancient India. The only ancient civilization that didn't suffer
from the Persian and Greek conquest is ancient China. This is mainly due the barriers of
geography. Ancient China is separated from these other areas of civilization by vast
deserts and high mountains. These obstacles are very difficult to pass even in today's
society. This is the main reason that China developed in a unique way. The Silk Road
trade route between China and the rest of the world, over a 1000 years later would finally
link all four major civilization areas.
SOUTHEAST ASIA CIVILIZATION
HISTORY OF SOUTHEAST ASIA
Cultural influence in southeast Asia

comes at first either from India or
China. In the 1st century BC Indian
traders penetrate Burma. Further
east, in Vietnam, Bronze Age culture
infiltrates gradually from China at
some time before the 3rd century BC.
With these exceptions, the region is
still occupied at this time by Neolithic
communities.
92
The kingdom of Nam-Viet
A narrow coastal strip of southeast Asia,

between the Red River and the Mekong (the
extent of modern Vietnam), becomes
prosperous when rice begins to be cultivated in
the last few centuries BC. It also offers useful
harbours for merchant ships to trade round the
coast. On both counts it is of interest to a
powerful neighbour to the north, the empire of
China. In about 207 BC an imperial delegate to
the Red River region, around modern Hanoi, sets himself up as ruler of a kingdom called
Nam -Viet. A century later, when the Han dynasty is extending the reach of the Chinese
empire, Nam-Viet is annexed. From 111 BC it is listed as a Chinese province.
The Indian influence: from the 1st century AD
The northern part of Vietnam, being a

continuation of the coastal strip of southern
China, remains for much of its history under the
control of its larger neighbors. But the rest of
southeast Asia, separated from China by
mountain or jungle, or consisting of large
offshore islands such as Sumatra and Java, is
exposed to a different influence. Civilization,
when it reaches these areas, must come from
the sea. And of the two civilized neighbors, to west and east, India proves to have more
energetic traders than China.
93
Cham, Khmer and Mon: from the 1st century
The early centuries of Indian influence see several
royal dynasties, some Hindu and some Buddhist,
rivalling each other for power and territory in
southeast Asia. The Cham establish themselves in
a region which becomes known as Champa
(approximately south Vietnam); the Khmer are
their neighbors to the west, in Cambodia; further
again to the west are the Mon, ruling in Thailand
and southern Burma.
By the 11th century the Mon have been largely displaced by Burmese in the west, and are
under pressure from Thais in the region now known as Thailand. The Burmese and the
Thais are tribal groups, pressing southwards from regions to the east of Tibet.
Sumatra and Java: from the 7th century

Meanwhile similar Hindu or Buddhist monarchies have been established in the Malay
Archipelago - in the Malay peninsula itself, and in the islands of Sumatra and Java. From
the 9th to the 12th century rulers in these territories build spectacular temple complexes
in the service of one or other of the Indian religions. The great shrine of Borobudur in Java
is one of the earliest to survive, dating from about 800. In the tradition of the Buddhist
stupa, it is a monument rather than a building. The stupa rises from the center of a
massive stepped-pyramid base, decorated with reliefs depicting the stages of Buddhist
enlightenment.
Angkor, Pagan and changing fortunes: 10th - 15th c.
94
In Cambodia the Khmer dynasty makes its
capital, from the 9th century, in the city of
Angkor. A series of huge Hindu temples
culminates in the great 12th-century Angkor
Wat. The temples are engulfed by the jungle,
after the fall of the cit y first to Chams from the
east (in 1177) and then to Thais from the west
(in 1431). Angkor is rediscovered in the 1860s,
to become one of the wonders of the world.
To the west, the new Burmese dynasty has its capital from the 11th century at Pagan on
the Irrawaddy. Thousands of elaborate shrines survive there - some in the tradition of
Buddhist stupas, others in the style of Hindu temples.Warfare between the dynasties of
southeast Asia is an almost continuous process, bringing gradual changes in the size and
shape of rival kingdoms. An example is the shrinking of the Khmer territory under pressure
from Thais in the 15th century, when Angkor is abandoned in favour of a new capital
further south at Phnom Penh.
95
ASIA DURING WORLD WAR I
Asia During World War I
While the Pacific theater was a major

and well-known battleground of
World War II, it may come as a
surprise that Asian nations played a
role in World War I. Both Japan and
China actually declared war on
Germany in hopes of gaining regional
dominance. While China never sent
troops into battle, its involvement in
World War I was influential—and had
impacts that stretched far beyond the
war, going on to shape the country's future indelibly.
Under the rule of the Qing Dynasty, China was the most powerful nation in the East for
nearly three centuries. But losing the First Sino-Japanese War to Japan in 1895 put an
end to that. And the downhill slide didn’t end with losing the war; a subsequent series of
treaties divvied up chunks of China between Russia and Japan, a continuation of the
creation of European concessions like Hong Kong or the French settlement in Shanghai.
96
WORLD WAR II IN THE PACIFIC
World War II in the Pacific (1941-43)
With Britain facing Germany in Europe, the United States was the only nation capable of
combating Japanese aggression, which by late 1941 included an expansion of its ongoing
war with China and the seizure of European colonial holdings in the Far East. On December
7, 1941, 360 Japanese aircraft attacked the major U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor in
Hawaii, taking the Americans completely by surprise and claiming the lives of more than
2,300 troops. The attack on Pearl Harbor served to unify American public opinion in favor
of entering World War II, and on December 8 Congress declared war on Japan with only
one dissenting vote. Germany and the other Axis Powers promptly declared war on the
United States.
After a long string of Japanese victories, th e

U.S. Pacific Fleet won the Battle of Midway in
June 1942, which proved to be a turning point
in the war. On Guadalcanal, one of the
southern Solomon Islands, the Allies also had
success against Japanese forces in a series of
battles from August 1942 to February 1943,
helping turn the tide further in the Pacific. In
mid-1943, Allied naval forces began an
aggressive counterattack against Japan,
involving a series of amphibious assaults on key Japanese-held islands in the Pacific. This
“island-hopping” strategy proved successful, and Allied forces moved closer to their
ultimate goal of invading the mainland Japan.
Toward Allied Victory in World War II (1943-45)

97
In North Africa, British and American forces had defeated the
Italians and Germans by 1943. An Allied invasion of Sicily
and Italy followed, and Mussolini’s government fell in July
1943, though Allied fighting against the Germans in Italy
would continue until 1945. On the Eastern Front, a Soviet
counter offensive launched in November 1942 ended the
bloody Battle of Stalingrad, which had seen some of the
fiercest combat of World War II. The approach of winter,
along with dwindling food and medical supplies, spelled the
end for German troops there, and the last of them
surrendered on January 31, 1943.
World War II Ends (1945)
At the Potsdam Conference of July-August 1945,
U.S . President Harry S. Truman (who had taken
office after Roosevelt’s death in April), Churchill
and Stalin discussed the ongoing war with Japan
as well as the peace settlement with Germany.
Post-war Germany would be divided into four
occupation zones, to be controlled by the Soviet
Union, Britain, the United States and France. On
the divisive matter of Eastern Europe’s future,
Churchill and Truman acquiesced to Stalin, as they needed Soviet cooperation in the war
against Japan.
98
Heavy casualties sustained in the campaigns at
Iwo Jima (February 1945) and Okinawa (April-
June 1945), and fears of the even costlier land
invasion of Japan led Truman to authorize the
use of a new and devastating weapon.
Developed during a top secret operation code-
named The Manhattan Project, the atomic bomb
was unleashed on the Japanese cities of
Hiroshima and Nagasaki in early August. On
August 15, the Japanese government issued a statement declaring they would accept the
terms of the Potsdam Declaration, and on September 2, U.S. General Douglas MacArthur
accepted Japan’s formal surrender aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay.
99
EXERCISE
I. Write True if the statement is right and False if the statement is wrong. (Please
Note: 10pts.)
________ 1.Angkor Wat is located in Indonesia

________ 2.Cultural influence in southeast Asia comes at first either from Great
Britain and Dutch
________ 3.Jainism started in Cambodia
________ 4.Pagoda is also a Buddhist temple
________ 5. In North Africa, British and American forces had defeated the Italians
and Germans by 1943
________ 6. Historians and archeologists believe the Indus Valley Civilization
began around 3000 BCE
________ 7. On August 15, 1933 the Japanese government issued a statement
declaring they would accept the terms of the Potsdam Declaration,
________ 8.Caste system started in Vietnam
________ 9. The United States was the only nation capable of combating
Japanese aggression
________ 10. 520 BCE, the Persians invaded and took control of northern Indian
subcontinent
II. Fill in the blanks. Supply the missing words in statements/sentences below. (N.R
15pts.)
1. U.S. General _________________ accepted Japan’s formal surrender aboard the

USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay.
2. On December 7, 1941, 360 Japanese aircraft attacked the major U.S. naval base at
Pearl Harbor in _________________.
100
3. In about 207 BC an imperial delegate to the Red River region, around modern Hanoi,
sets himself up as ruler of a kingdom called _________________.
4. In 520 BCE, the _________________invaded and took control of northern Indian
subcontinent.
5. The stupa transformed into a new Buddhist structure called a _________________.
6. A ________________ is a mound-like structure that contains the ashes and relics of
a loved Buddhist leader.
7. There were four castes, but there was another group below the four castes known as
_______________ or Untouchables.
8. Around 1500 BCE _______________ people migrated to India.
9. ____________________ is a spiritual practice of meditation, breathing, and body
position used in many religions, especially Hinduism.
10.Ancient India is often called the ______________ Civilization.
11.A ________________ is a hot oven or furnace to bake clay pottery.
12.________________ means everyone in society was basically equal.
13.The story and beliefs of Hinduism were recorded in a collection of stories and songs
called the ______________.
14._______________ system is the permanent division of people into certain levels
within society.
15.______________ gave up his title as a prince to search for truth and an end to the
suffering.
III. Make a cariture showing the negative effects of war. Then give a reflective explanation
of your output. The picture below are samples. Please be guided with the rubric for
grading. (50 pts.)
101
CRITERIA Excellent Acceptable Minimal Unacceptable
MESSAGE Key issue and Key issue and Key issue is Key issue and
cartoonist’s cartoonist’s identifiable; cartoonist’s
position are clearly position are cartoonist’s position are
identifiable. identifiable. position may be unclear.
unclear.
20 pts. 20-18 pts. 17-16pts. 15-14pts. 12-1pts.
PRESENTATION Caricature is neat Caricature is neat Caricature is neat Cartoon is messy,

AND CREATIVITY and clean, colorful and clean, colorful some color and color and graphics
and creative and creative creative graphics are lacking;
graphics are used graphics are used; are used; captions captions are
exceptionally well; captions are are included. omitted or
20 pts. captions are readable. unreadable.
readable
20-18 pts. 17-16pts. 15-14pts. 12-1pts.
Explanation The explanation The explanation The explanation The explanation
conveys an conveys conveys a limited conveys little or no
understanding of understanding of understanding of understanding of
the issue; the issue; uses the issue; the issue; does not
excellent use of appropriate attempts to use use symbolism;
appropriate symbolism; title is symbolism; title is title is missing.
symbolism; title is clear and relevant unclear or
10 pts. clear, clever, and to topic. irrelevant to topic
relevant to topic
10pts. 9-8pts. 7pts. 6-1pts.
TOTAL
102
Explanation/Discussion:
103
MAKE CONNECTIONS
WEEK 4 REFLECTIVE JOURNAL
Name: _______________________ Time: _______________________
Directions: Make a reflective journal consisting of 15 sentences as minimum in

expressing your thoughts on the things you’ve learned in this lesson. Make
also an own title of your reflective journal. Please be guided with criteria for
grading.

Neatness 10 pts.
TOTAL: 50 pts.
104
105
REFERENCES
 Lewis Owen, Introduction to Asia.Assistant Professor of Geology, University of California, Riverside.

Author of An Introduction to Global Environmental Issues and Environmental Management: Readings
and Case Studies
 A.M. Celâl Şengör.Associate Professor of Geology, Technical University of Istanbul. Author of The
Cimmeride Orogenic System and the Tectonics of Eurasia.
 Sripati Chandrasekhar.Vice-Chancellor, Annamalai University, India, 1975–78. Member, Rajya Sabha

(upper house of the Indian Parliament), 1964–70. Minister of Health, Family Planning, and Urban
Development, Government of India, 1966–70. Author of Asia's Population Problems and others.
 Joseph E. Spencer.Emeritus Professor of Geography, University of California, Los Angeles. Coauthor

of Asia, East by South.
 Lieven Ferdinand de Beaufort. Professor of Zoogeography, University of Amsterdam, 1929–49.

Director, Zoological Museum, Amsterdam, 1922–49. Author of Zoogeography of the Land and Inland
Waters.
 Pierre Gourou.Honorary Professor, College of France, Paris. Emeritus Professor of Geography, Free
University of Brussels. Author of L'Asie.
 Lewis Owen.Assistant Professor of Geology, University of California, Riverside. Author of An

Introduction to Global Environmental Issues and Environmental Management: Readings and Case
Studies.
 Graham P. Chapman.Professor of Geography, Lancaster University, England. Author of

Environmentalism and the Mass Media; Water and the Quest for Sustainable Development in the
Ganges Valley. Coeditor of The Changing Geography of Asia.
 Clifton W. Pannell.Associate Dean, College of Arts and Sciences; Professor of Geography, University
of Georgia, Athens. Coauthor of China: Geography of Development and Modernization; editor of East
Asia: Historical and Geographical Approaches to Foreign Area Studies.
 https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ancient-art-civilizations/ancient-near-east1/the-
ancient-near-east-an-introduction/a/the-cradle-of-civilization
 https://www.history.com/news/prehistoric-ages-timeline
 https://www.ancient.eu/phoenicia/
106
 https://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/culture/china-history.htm
 http://www.localhistories.org/ancientjapan.html
 https://sites.google.com/site/1ancientcivilizationsforkids/ancient-india
 https://rowman.com/ISBN/9780759114005/Early-Civilizations-of-Southeast-Asia
 http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/plaintexthistories.asp?historyid=ac37
 https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/surprisingly-important-role-china-played-world-war-i-
180964532/
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_War
CONGRATULATIONS
107

SSE3112 Asian Studies

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

SSE3112 Asian Studies

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

SSE 3112:

Week Module Topic Pages

4 South East Asia Civilization 92

Asia During World War I 96

World War II in the Pacific 97

Content Expert/s Nerissa S. Lopez, LPT, EdD

Language Ian V. Rojas, LPT, EdD

Design/Media Michelle R. Gimena, LPT, MaEdc

Flexible Course Syllabus

Bachelor of Secondary Education Major in Social Studies

University of the Semester/Term: First

Course I. Course Information

II. Instructor's Information

Instructor Name Michelle R. Gimena, Email michelletajmahal86@gmail.com

A. Identify the Picto- Module on

2 Minor Task 100 pts. 98%=1.2 84%=2.3

Carodina R. Ginolos, LPT,

Instructor Program Chair Librarian Dean

Unit 2 presents the prehistoric period of humans and give distinct

Unit 3 discuss on the development of Eastern Civilization as

After every lesson/ topic in the module, students are expected to

Unit 1 presents the geography of Asia as well as its famous

C. Explain why Asia is a continent of diversity; and

A. What are the physical features of Asia?

Learning Resources Required Suggested

Digital Soft copy of Module on” Introduction to Asia”

Exercise (expanded activities from the module)

Exercise Activity in the Module (phase for transfer of learning)

Assessment Tool Rubric for Make Connections

Prepared by: Reviewed by: Approved for Use:

Date: Date: Date:

Asia is separated from North

Çanakkale, Turkey, on the southern coast of the

Mountains and then turns southwest

Depression to the Sea of Azov and

Sea of Azov, Sergey Sorokin

Asia’s population is unevenly distributed, mainly because of climatic factors. There is

The regions of Asia

5. Central Asia (Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan)

South Asia has a peninsula-like shape that

Image credit: MuchMania/Shutterstock.com

1. There are 48 countries in Asia

3. Largest Country: Russia by landmass,

6. Biggest Island: Borneo in South-East Asia is also

8. Highest Mountains: Mount

In the tropical regions of South-East

Name: _______________________ Time: _______________________

Directions: Make a reflective journal consisting of 15 sentences as

Criteria for Grading

Content and development (including organization of 20 pts.

Unit 2 presents the prehistoric period of humans and give distinct

A. Identify the distinct stone ages and its characteristics,

B. Describe the early civilization that developed in Mesopotamia,

C. Determine the causes of the rise and downfall of the empire

D. Share insights on how people in the present time can contribute

Learning Resources Required Suggested

Digital Soft copy on Module “The Prehistoric Age and https://www.history.com/news/prehistoric-

Required Output Exercises and Make Connections

Assessment Tool Rubric for Make Connections

Prepared by: Reviewed by: Approved for Use:

How Humans Lived Before Written Records

From the invention of tools made for

The end of this period marked the end of

Name: _ Time: _