Ancient China

Ancient China: Section 1Contrasting Climate and Landforms

Southern China- warm and wet as a result of the Monsoons from the South China Sea

Northern- cool and dry, dependent on rivers as a source of water

“The Middle Kingdom”

• Geographic features such as mountains , deserts and seas blocked off China from the rest of the Ancient world.

• They only knew of the nomadic people to the North and West of them

• China had no knowledge of Egypt, India, Greece, Rome, etc.

• They were sure they lived in the center of the earth that they called themselves the “Middle Kingdom”

Rivers, the Birthplace of Civilization

The Huang He river and the Yangtze River would overflow. This would provided rich, fertile soil ideal for farming near

the rivers. Both deposit yellow silt Chang Jiang/Yangtze located in central China Huang He/Yellow River is located to the north Farming done between the two rivers—area called North

China Plain

China’s Sorrow

• The Huang He river was also called “China’s Sorrow” because it was very unpredictable

• Destructive floods would come without warning

• At times the floods would cut new paths for the river

The Bonds of Family

Traditional Families- A household in ancient China might contain as many as 5 generations living together.

Most privileges in a family would belong to the elders (they would make household decisions)

Women were typically governed by men (their fathers, husbands or sons)

A Varied Climate

Western China: dry like Western United States

Northern China: like New England (Maine, New Hampshire, Connecticut, etc.)

• Wheat and millet grown in the drier northern lands

Southeast China: like southern United States

• Rice grown in the moist climate

Shang Dynasty Around 2000 B.C.

farming settlements along the Huang He grew into cities.

The beginning of Chinese culture developed.

China is the oldest, longest lasting civilization in the world!

Shang Kings Dynasty: line of rulers from

the same family

1766 B.C. Shang family started to rule some cities.

Kings were responsible for religious activities.

Claimed to rule with gods’ permission

Controlled central portion of North China Plain

Relatives ruled distant areas

Protected themselves from nomads, the Zhou, to the North and west with chariots.

Shang Families Respect for family and ancestors very important

Family was closely tied to religion

Believes spirits of ancestors could bring good fortune to family

Family paid respect to father’s ancestors by making animal sacrifices

Men were in charge of the family

Family NamesThe Chinese were the first people to

have 2 names. One name was for the family, one

was for the individual.In Chinese society the family name

comes first.

Developing Language

Oracle bones—animal bones or turtle shells on which Shang royal priests used to interpret messages from the gods.

Priests would make scratch marks on bones and shells—early form of writing

Developing Language Continued…

Pictograph system of writing developed

Used simple drawings/symbols for words or ideas

To barely be able to read and write must know at least 1,500 Characters in the Chinese alphabet

Scribe needed to know 10,000 characters

Ancient China Section 2: The Life of Confucius

Confucius was the most famous and important Chinese thinkers.

Born 551 B.C.Noble but poor familyLoved learning and self-taught himselfThought to be China’s first professional teacher

Education was very expensive—Confucius charged a small fee but would also take in students who were poor if they truly wanted to learn.

The Life of Confucius (cont.)

Confucius wandered North China looking for rulers to follow his teachings.

Was unsuccessful finding a rulerDied 479 B.C.—72 years oldFelt his life was a failure.

Teachings of Confucius Confucius never wrote down his

teachings. Students gathered his sayings and made

up a philosophy, after his death. A philosophy is a system of beliefs or

values. This philosophy became known as

Confucianism, one of several important philosophies of ancient China.

Teachings of Confucius (cont.)

Confucius’s goal—order in society.If people would behave properly to

one another, order and peace would return.

People should know their place in family and in society.

You should respect people above and below you.

Five Relationships

Father and Child

Elder Brother and Junior Brother

Husband and Wife

Friend and Friend

Ruler and Subject

Confucius created code of proper conduct for people.Each relationship has its own duties and own code of conduct.Relationships fall under two categories:

• Proper conduct in the family

• Proper conduct in society

Proper Conduct

Society Authority should be

respected.

Ruler should lead in a right, moral way and subjects will obey.

Ruler should treat subjects with respect.

Family Confucius believed

respect and good behavior started at home.

Filial Piety—respect for one’s parents and ancestors

Impact of Confucius Confucius teachings

became basic training for members of civil service groups.

Civil service group of people who work for the government.

Before Confucius ideas, government posts given to sons of important people. Afterward jobs given on merit. Candidates had to pass

official exams. (Exams were based on

Confucius teachings.)

Ancient China Section 3:Chinese Dynasties

What’s a dynasty?

A sequence of powerful leaders within the same family

Chinese history is measured and described through the various dynasties.

Chinese Dynasties• Xia Dynasty About 1994 BCE - 1766 BCE

• Shang Dynasty 1766 BCE - 1027 BCE • Zhou Dynasty 1122 BCE -256 BCE• Qin Dynasty 221 BCE - 206 BCE • Early Han Dynasty 206 BCE - 9 AD • Xin Dynasty 9 AD - 24 AD • Later Han Dynasty 25 AD - 220 AD • Three Kingdoms - Period of Disunion

220 AD - 280 AD • Sui Dynasty 589 AD - 618 AD • Tang Dynasty 618 AD - 907 AD • Song Dynasty 969 AD - 1279 AD • Yuan Dyansty 1279 AD - 1368 AD • Ming Dynasty 1368 AD - 1644 AD • Manchu or Qing Dynasty 1644 AD -

1912 AD

The First Dynasty?Xia or Shang?

According to legend, the Xia Dynasty is the first Chinese dynasty that existed from 1994 BCE - 1766 BCE.

However, there is no archeological evidence to prove the existence of the Xia dynasty.

Therefore, the Shang Dynasty is the first known dynasty with historical evidence

Cycle of Chinese Dynasties (dynastic cycle)

1. A new dynasty rises. -A strong local ruler defeats the others -He often adds land to China -Believed to have mandate (or approval) from the heavens

2. The new dynasty rules -Restores peace -Chooses local officials -Makes reforms

3. The dynasty grows weak-Rules don’t do the hard work of running the empire-Tax the people too much-Can’t deal with disasters such as famine, earthquakes, invasions

4. The dynasty falls-Dynasty is believed to no longer have mandate from the heavens-Rebellions put an end to the weakened dynasty

5. A period of local violence follows -New dynasties fight for power and restore peace and order

The Shang Dynasty

Arose sometime after 1700BCSome of the finest bronze work

of Ancient ChinaFirst to introduce a Chinese

writing language

Who was Shi Huangdi?

• Ruler of the Qin Dynasty• Originally, his name was Zheng• “cracking his long whip, he drove the

universe before him… His might shook the four seas.”

• By 221 Zheng extended his rule to cover most of modern day China

• Renamed himself Shi Huangdi or “first emperor”

The Qin Unified ChinaShi Huangdi

stopped battles within warring states. Co

Conquered rival states

Drove out nomadic invaders

China grew the largest it had ever been!

The Qin Unified China Cont.

• Huangdi killed or put into prison anyone who opposed him

Wanted total control of China:

• Took land away from defeated noble families

• Forced nobles to live at the capital so he could watch them

• This weakened noble families’ power. He divided China into districts, and

each district was run by the emperor’s most trusted officials

Organizing the Government

Shi Huangdi build highways and irrigation projects.

• Forced peasants to work on projects such as building roads

• These roads helped his army to rush to the scene if a rebellion occurred.

• Set high taxes for peasants to pay

Unifying the Culture• Shi Huangdi ordered one type of

currency (money) to be used throughout China. This united China.

• Ordered a common system of weights and measures

• He tried to control the thoughts of people by outlawing the ideas of Confucius and other thinkers.

• Killed 460 government critics and Confucianists

• Ordered the burning of books unless they were about medicine, technology, or farming

Great Wall of China

Throughout China’s history, people were constantly worried about attacks from the north. Different towns built walls to help protect their borders.

Shi Huangdi set out to connect those walls by building the Great Wall of China

Great Wall of China Cont’d Shi Huangdi ordered farmers,

merchants (peasants), and criminals to form an army of about 300,000 workers

Many died and the people resented the emperor.

Great Wall linked many small walls that were built during the time of the Warring States.

Earliest walls built of earth, later stone and brick were used.

When finished the wall stretched for 1,400 miles. (The distance from Washington DC to Denver, Colorado)

Terra-cotta ArmyIn 1974, 8,000 life-size statues were

discovered in Northern China.

For over 2000 years these soldiers protected the tomb of Shi Huangdi

No 2 statues are identicalWith his underground army Shi Huangdi

planned on ruling a second empire in the afterlife

End of the Qin Dynasty

Shi Huandi died in 210 BCThis started four years of chaos and civil

warMarked the end of the Qin dynasty

The Han Dynasty

One of the rebels that helped overthrow the Qin dynasty was Liu Bang

Liu Bang became the 1st emperor of the Han dynasty by 202B.C.

The stable government of the Han dynasty lasted about 400 years

Han Government

Liu Bang kept Qin policies of central government, but lowered taxes.

Made punishments less harsh.

Peasant men owed the government a month of labor/work a year on government projects.

Peasants built roads, canals, and irrigation projects.

Han Government Cont…

Bureaucracy: network of appointed officials that assist in government

Officials helped Liu Bang enforce rules.

Bureaucrats put family members and trusted people in local government positions.

Set up a system of tests to find the most educated and ethical people for the imperial bureaucratic state.

• Tested people on their knowledge of Confucianism.

Empress Rules

Liu Bang died 195 B.C.

Widow, Empress Lu took the thrown for their young son.

Outlived son and continued to put babies on the throne so she could rule for them.

When she died in 180 B.C. all her family members were killed.

Wudi- The Warrior Emperor

The Han Dynasty reached its peak under the rule of Liu Bang’s great grandson Wudi

Wudi (descendent of Liu Bang) ruled the Han empire from 141-87 B.C.E.

Made improvements to the Great Wall

Extended Chinese territory

Made many military conquests including southern Chinese provinces, northern Vietnam, and northern Korea.

Chased nomadic invaders out of northern China

China was almost as large as modern day China.

Collapse of Han Dynasty

The Han empire faced rebellions, peasant revolts, floods, famine, and economic disasters, but stayed in power until 220 C.E./A.D.

After Wudi’s death the Han dynasty slowly began to fall apart

Warlords (leaders of armed local bands) took control

Only Chinese knew how to make silk during the Han dynasty.

Silk is a luxury fabric around the world.

Achievements of Ancient China Section 4: The Silk Road A trade route that went from China to the

Mediterranean Sea

It was a series of routes that covered more than 4,000 miles

The Silk Road Cont’d

Crossing the Silk Road was dangerous, travelers were easily killed by desert sandstorms

Few travelers made the entire journey, generally goods were passed trader to trader

Once they reached the Mediterranean goods such as silk were shipped to Ancient Greece, Rome, India, and Egypt.

Silk Road Cont’d

Silk Road received its name from silk, made only in China

Trade of Ideas- The silk road was also a way of spreading ideas.

Buddhism spread from India into China via the silk road