1. Ancient China

2. Geography Shapes Ancient China 3. Geographic Features of China Civilization centered around two rivers which broughtwater and silt Made farming possible Isolated by Barriers Water barriers: Yellow Sea, East China Sea, & Pacific Ocean Desert barriers: Gobi Desert & Taklimakan Desert Mts.: Pamir, Tian Shan, & Himalaya mts. Geographically isolated Made spread of ideas & goods difficult Few outside influences 4. Two River Systems Chang Jiang a.k.a. Yangtze Rivers Central China Huang He (or Yellow River) North China Ancient farming Done between Chang Jiang & Huang He Silt made fertile soil Center of Chinese civilization 5. A Varied Climate Had varied climate Western China: dry, mostly deserts & mts.; sparsely populated & usable farmland Northeast China: cold winters & warm summers Southeast China: mild winters & hot, rainy summers Climate variety lead to variety of crops produced Rice, wheat, soybeans, & millet 6. The Shang Dynasty Shang Kings 1766 B.C. Shang family began to control some cities Set-up dynasty (a family or group that rules for several generations) Kings: responsible for religious activities Ruled w/ gods permission Ruled central North China Plain Used chariots to defend themselves against nomads 7. Shang Families Respect for parents & ancestors was important Close tie to religion Spirits of ancestors could bring good fortune Animals were sacrificed Men ruled within the family 8. Developing Language Kings claimed to be able to influence gods Received messages through oracle bones Animal bones that were scratched to question the gods(became early form of writing) Developed pictographs Used huge # of symbols Could read Chinese w/o being able to speak it Helped to unify a large varied land 9. The Zhou Dynasty Zhou moved down from the northwest Clashed w/ Shang 1027 B.C. Wu Wang led forces & defeated Shang Adopted many Shang ways New ideas also introduced 10. The Zhou & the Dynastic Cycle New dynasty est. Dynasties rose & fell in a pattern Dynastic Cycle Trouble resulted from rulers losing heavens favor Claimed last Shang ruler was bad & god took away Shang right to rule & gave it to Zhou Mandate of Heaven Bad or foolish ruler = approval of the gods would betaken away Examples: uprisings, invasions, floods, or earthquakes 11. Zhou Government Central govt was weak People w/ family ties or other trusted people were in charge Local rulers (lords) owed loyalty & military service to king King promised in return to protect their lands Lords became more powerful as cities grew More group under their power Less dependent on king Lords began to fight with each other & other peoples Added lands expanded Chinese territory 12. The Time of the Warring States Invasion was a constant theme 800 B.C. Nomads from the north & west invaded 771 B.C. Invaders destroyed capital city of Hao & king was killed Kings were weak Lords fought constantly As their power grew they claimed to be kings of their own territories (Time of the Warring States) 13. Chinas Ancient Philosophies 14. Intro During Time of Warring States Chinese societyexperienced much disorder Kings & Warlords fought over land, while scholarswondered what it would take to bring peace 3 ways of thinking developed Legalism Confucianism Daoism 15. Legalism Belief that a powerful, efficient govt and a strict legalsystem are the keys to social order Feared disorder Strong govt & strict laws would restore order 16. Strict Laws & Harsh Punishments Legalists believed human nature was wicked People do good only when forced to Govt should pass strict laws to control behavior inpeople Needed to make people afraid to do wrong 17. An Increase in Government Control Legalists believed rulers should reward those whocarried out their duties well Punishment was, however, stressed more than rewards Shang Yang (Legalist) Wanted people to report lawbreakers Those who didnt should be executed Legalists Did not want people ? or complain about the govt Arrested those that did Burned books that contained different philosophies orideas 18. Confucianism Confucius Lived from 551-479 B.C. during time of unrest in China Wanted to restore order Believed more in peace to end conflict Respect for others was absolutely necessary for peaceand order Govt leaders should set good example for people tosee Ideas were collected in a book called the Analects Became belief system of Confucianism 19. The Five Relationships Code of proper conduct/behavior for people 5 basic relationships in Confucianism each with its own duties and its own code Father and son Elder brother and younger brother Husband and wife Friend and friend Ruler and subject*Two basic categories: proper conduct in the family &proper conduct in society 20. Proper Conduct Confucius Good conduct & respect began at home Husband good to wives, wives obeyed husbands, brothers kind to brothers, younger had to follow wishes of older Most important teaching Filial piety: treating parents w/ respect Behavior in society Authority should be respected Ruler was to live correctly & respect subjects Subjects should obey if they did Peace in society would come if followed 21. The Impact of Confucianism Chinese found ways to avoid conflict and livepeacefully Many rulers tried to live up to Confuciuss model for agood ruler Groundwork was laid for fair and skilled govt officials 22. Daoism Laozi 500s B.C. Book of his teachings was Daodejing The Way Believed a universal force called the Dao (or Way) guides things All creatures, except humans, live in harmony w/ this force Humans argue about right and wrong (arguments are pointless) To relate to nature humans had to find individual was to follow Each should learn to live in harmony w/ nature & their inner feelings Natural order was more important than social order Social order would follow if everyone learned to live in their own individual harmony 23. Following the Way Daoists Didnt not argue about good and bad & didnt try to change things Accepted things as they were Didnt want to be involved with govt Thought govt should leave people alone Yin and Yang Two things that interact w/ each other and represent the natural rhythms of life Yin (black): all that is cold, dark, & mysterious Yang (white): all that is warm, bright, and light Forces complement each other; forces always change and evolve Helps people understand how they fit into the world Daoists pursued scientific studies Astronomy & medicine 24. The Qin & the Han 25. The Qin Unified China New rulers of China New Emperor: Shi Huangdi Unified & expanded China 26. A Legalistic Ruler 221 B.C. Shi Huangdi began to end internal battles between warring states Believed in legalism (killed 460 critics & Confucianists) Also burned books w/ ideas he disliked 27. Uniting China Huangdi wanted strong central govt To gain control Tried to weaken Chinas noble families Took their land & forced them to live at the capital This strengthened emperors power Linked lands together Built highways & irrigation projects Forced peasants to work & set taxes high to pay for projects Set govt standards for weights, measures, coins, &writing Made business easier everywhere in China 28. The Great Wall Wall along northern boarder to keep out nomadicinvaders Great Wall linked together other walls built duringWarring States period Peasants & criminals were forced to build the wall Many died from hard labor Great resentment among people 29. The Qin Dynasty Ends 210 B.C. Shi Huangdi died Buried in an elaborate tomb guarded by army of clay soldiers 30. The Han Dynasty Shi Huangis son was not an effective ruler Rebellion & civil war broke out Military leader Liu Bang ended civil war & reunited China (started Han Dynasty) 31. Han Government Liu Bang kept Qin policies of strong central govt, butlowered taxes Made punishments less harsh Peasants owed 1 month labor on emperors public projects Built roads, canals, & irrigation projects Bureaucracy was set up System of departments to carry out the work of the govt Officials chosen by ruler ran offices Helped enforce emperors rule Han put family members & trusted people in local govt Later skills of people determined appointment Set up system to find most educated & ethical people Tested people on their knowledge of Confucianism 32. Empress Rules 195 B.C. Liu Bang died Wife Empress Lu ruled for their young son Actually outlived her son & continued to place infantson the throne (allowed her to retain power becauseinfants were too young to rule) When she died those loyal to Liu Bang executed everymember of Empress Lus family 33. Expanding & Unifying the Empire 141 87 B.C. Wudi ruled China (descendant of Liu Bang) Called Martial Emperor because he used war to expand China Brought southern Chinese provinces, northern Vietnam, & northern Korea under his control Chased nomadic invaders out of northern China To unify: Encouraged conquered people to assimilated (adopt Chinas culture) Chinese farmers sent out to settle newly colonized areas Encouraged to marry conquered people to spread Chinese culture Schools were set up to teach about Confucianism Appointed local scholars to govt offices Han faced rebellions, peasant revolts, floods, famine, &economic disasters but strong govt & unified population helpedthem stay in power 34. Life in Han China Han were industrious people whose civilization prosperedfor many decades Daily Life in Han China Most worked on farms Farmers lived in villages near the land they worked Lived in 1-2 story houses Rich farmers had ox to pull plow, but poor had to pull plowthemselves Farmers had a few simple tools to make farming easier They wore simple clothing & sandals Grew wheat & millet in the north & rice in the south Vegetable gardens were kept for additional food Fish and meat were available, but expensive 35. City living Cities were centers of trade, education, and govt Merchants, craftspeople, & govt officials lived here Cities were crowded & had many kinds ofentertainment Musicians, jugglers, & acrobats Also had street gangs 36. The Legacy of Ancient China 37. The Silk Road Han Dynasty Only Chinese knew how to make silk it was important in opening trading routes to the west 38. A Trans-Eurasian Link Silk Road: overland trade route Traders carried silk & other goods on caravan trails From China-Asia-Mesopotamia-Europe Called trans-Eurasian because they stretched across twocontinents 100 B.C Silk Roads were well est. Traders made fortunes carrying goods Trips could take several years Cities along the road provided food, water, shelter & goods for trade Goods traded: silk, paper, jade, pottery, sesameseeds, oil, metals, precious stones, & horses 39. Cultural Diffusion Ideas & cultural customs also moved on the Silk Roads Known as cultural diffusion Can occur whenever one group of people comes in contact w/ another group of people New goods, ideas, & customs began to enter China i.e. military techniques, Buddhist teachings, westerncultural style Chinese art, silks, & pottery influenced the west 40. The Spread of Buddhism Buddhist missionaries entered China during HanDynasty Few followers at first After fall of Han Dynasty China suffered The Buddhist promise of escape from suffering attracted many Chinese Buddhism was modified by Chinese to better fit w/ their own traditions 41. Influential Ideas & Beliefs Philosophies continued to influence China & theworld Standards of Confucianism remained significant inChinese govt & education Spread to Japan, Korea, & Vietnam Daoism had lasting influence in China Became religion w/ priests, rituals, & volumes ofwritings Remained primarily a Chinese belief system 42. Chinese Inventions & Discoveries Population of China was growing Farming was the most important & honored profession Agricultural Improvements Perfected a two blade plow Better iron farm tools Both helped increase crop production Collar harness for horses Horses could pull heavier loads Wheelbarrow Water mills 43. Paper A.D. 105 Paper was invented Made from mixture of old rags, mulberry tree bark, & fibersfrom the hemp plant Inexpensive paper made book more available Paper also affected the govt Now govt documents were not recorded on wood, but paper;more convenient 44. Silk Allowed Chinese to get silver and gold from lands to the west Was important because China did not have rich depositsof either mineral