The History of ChinaShang Dynasty

SSWH2 The student will identify the major achievements of Chinese and Indian societies from 1100 BCE to 500 CE.

c. Describe the development of Chinese civilization under the Zhou and Qin.

Chinese Dynasties• Shang Dynasty 1766 BCE - 1027 BCE • Zhou Dynasty 1122 BCE -256 BCE • Qin Dynasty 221 BCE - 206 BCE • Han Dynasty 206 BCE - 220AD • Later Han Dynasty 25 AD - 220 AD • Period of Disunion 220 AD - 589 • Sui Dynasty 589 AD - 618 AD • Tang Dynasty 618 AD - 907 AD • Sung Dynasty 969 AD - 1279 AD • Yuan Dyansty 1279 AD - 1368 AD • Ming Dynasty 1368 AD - 1644 AD

Geography

• North China– Cold Winters– Soils are dry and

permeable– Agriculture requires

drought resistant crops

• South China– Warmer and wetter– Waterlogged fields– Agriculture thrives on

rice

Geography

• Isolation due to:• ocean, desert, high

mountains • cut off from trade• Little to no

opportunity for cultural diffusion

• most unique of our world’s early civilizations.

PEACE ETERNITY

Features of the Shang Dynasty• First written records:

calligraphy writing and paper making

• Sharp division between king’s nobles and the peasants

• Wood used as building material (not mud-dried bricks as in other regions)

• Peasants used wooden tools• Shang made magnificent

bronze weapons and ceremonial vessels

Pics: Bronze work of the Shang period (1700-1027 B.C.). A toilet, an ax, and a cooking cauldron.

Shang Dynasty 1766 BCE - 1027 BCE

• First organized river society

• introduced writing on oracles bones

• local trade• ancestor worship• bronze age, Huang

He river

LOVE TOLERANCE LUCK

Shang Dynasty• Construction of cities along

the Hwang He river (yellow river)

–Shang cites are huge–Elite homes = walled-in

from surrounding communities–Higher proportion of

jade and other elite goods in society

Central govt power• Influence varied according to

distance from the capital.• Shang rulers = traveled widely • assisted by a complex hierarchy of

nobles.• Local lords = responsible for

collecting taxes and supplying men for public projects.

• Armies as large as 30,000 soldiers were assembled to fight “barbarians.” Bronze age blades shang dynasty

circa 1200 bce

Shang farming and economy• Millet = main crop in North

China.• rice and wheat in Southern

China• Stone hoes, harvesting

knives, and wooden digging sticks used• Irrigation common• agricultural labor may have

encouraged rural families to grow • led to large-scale population

growth.

Shang bronze• Shang civilization is famous for its bronzework.• Bronze was used to make food and drinking vessels, weapons,

chariot and cavalry fittings, and musical instruments.• Indications are that the origins of bronzeworking were local not

imported

Shang Religion• Polytheistic nature gods

(gods of water, wind, fire, rock, earth)

• Ancestor Worship – result of strong belief in family and importance of family taking care of each other

• Folk Spirits – similar to the bogeyman, tooth fairy, leprechauns

Shang dynasty circa 16th/11th bce

Shang social system• Kings = divine• Grain = tribute to king and

court = funded lavish lifestyle.• The lower = farmers and

craft workers.• At the bottom of the lower

class = war captives = slaves or served as sacrificial victims for rituals and temple dedications.

Shang writing• Chinese writing was

formalized during Shang times.–Chinese written

language = over 3,000 symbols.–Chinese writing =

related closely to the political, military, and ritual activities of the upper class

Oracle bone

SSWH2 The student will identify the major achievements of Chinese and Indian societies from 1100 BCE to 500 CE.

c. Describe the development of Chinese civilization under the Zhou and Qin.

• List five facts which will help you remember this element:• • • • •