Tag: social studies

Shintoism is popular in Japan. Shinto also called kami-no-michi, is a Japanese ethnic religion that focuses on ritual practices to be carried out diligently, to establish a connection between present-day Japan and its ancient past.

The Zulu are a Bantu ethnic group of Southern Africa and the largest ethnic group in South Africa, with an estimated 10–11 million people living mainly in the province of KwaZulu-Natal. Small numbers also live in Zimbabwe, Zambia, Tanzania and Mozambique.

The Inca were a South American people who controlled a large empire that stretched along the Pacific coast from Ecuador to northern Chile. The Inca dynasty was founded at about 1200 A.D. and lasted until the end of the 16th century, when the Spanish conquerors came to South America.

Hiuen-Tsang, a Chinese traveller, visited India during the reign of Harsha. His object was to secure authentic Buddhist scriptures and visit places of Buddhist interest. Hiuen Tsang stayed for almost 15 years in India. He visited almost every province in the vast country. He returned to his country with lots of material concerned with the Buddhist faith.

The Chinese calendar is lunisolar. It is based on exact astronomical observations of the sun's longitude and the moon's phases.

Hermit kingdom is a term applied to any country, organization or society which willfully walls itself off, either metaphorically or physically, from the rest of the world. The Joseon dynasty of Korea was frequently described as a hermit kingdom during the latter part of the dynasty.

Gunpowerder was discovered by Chinese. The alchemists were trying to find a potion for immortality and instead they wound up making an explosion. So the  opposite effect came out of the original idea. Gunpowder consists of potassium nitrate, common charcoal and sulfur.

Remains of Indus Valley Civilization in Rajasthan have been found at Kalibanga. Kalibanga has given the evidance of both Pre-Harappan culture in lower layer and Harappan civilization in the upper layer. The Kalibanga flourished for at least 450-600 years.

In the ancient times the civil servants on higher posts were recruited through a competition in China. The exam based on merit was designed to select the best administrative officials for the state's bureaucracy. This system had a huge influence on both society and culture in China and was directly responsible for the creation of a class of scholar-bureaucrats irrespective of their family pedigree.

The remains of one of the most sophisticated prehis toric native civilizations north of Mexico are pre served at Cahokia, Illinois. The people who lived at this site were called the Mound Builders.