Chapter 8Chapter 8Chapter 8Chapter 8

Ancient ChinaAncient ChinaAncient ChinaAncient China

The Shang DynastyThe Shang Dynasty

From the early settlements along the Huang He River, the Shang kingdom rose to dominate a large part of the region.

The language and culture of the Shang would have a lasting influence in all of China

Rising SettlementsRising Settlements

Farming villages grew along the Huang He River

In these villages, people used stone tools and made pottery and silk cloth

There were chiefs who organized workers and commanded warriors

Some chiefs led warriors to attack and capture nearby villages

Monday, February 10, Monday, February 10, 20142014

Homework: sign and return chapter 7 quizzes / page 260 rise and fall of dynasties

Do Now: Take out notes started Friday

Founding the Shang Founding the Shang dynastydynasty

Around 1700 BC, a kingdom began to expand founding the Shang dynasty

This dynasty lasted about 600 years

This is the earliest dynasty we have written records for

GovernmentGovernment

Strong rulers ran the government

Power stayed within the family

Brother to brother, from youngest brother to oldest son

Leaders organized groups of farmers to clear and prepare new land

With large groups, more crops were grown. With more crops, more troops could be supported

The Shang attacked neighboring lands and grew greatly. They grew rich and built walls around

WritingWriting

The earliest written records from China are on oracle bones from the Shang dynasty

Animal bones or turtle shells carved with written characters used to tell the future

Questions are written on the bones which were heated until cracked - the crack was interpreted by the king or priest

Oracle bonesOracle bones

Oracle bones were also used to record important records and events related to their questions.

The Shang did not use an alphabet, instead they used pictographs

By 1300 BC, they developed a writing system

Bronze MetalworkingBronze Metalworking

Shang artisans created pottery and jade carvings, but are most known for their bronze metalwork.

These objects include finely decorated pots, cups, and weapons

The Shang used bronze in religious ceremonies offering food and wine to their gods and ancestors

Page 258 Key Terms

The Zhou DynastyThe Zhou Dynasty

A lot of what we know about the fall of the Shang is written about the Zhou dynasty

Around 1050 BC the Zhou overthrew the Shang

Shang rulers grew corrupt and governed badly so warriors refused to fight

The Zhou justified their victory over the Shang because they declared that heaven supported change in leadership and that it bestowed on them the Mandate of Heaven

Mandate of HeavenMandate of Heaven

The Mandate of Heaven permitted a leader to seize control by force, if necessary

Victory served as proof that heaven supported change in leadership

To stay in power, the rulers of a new dynasty would have to act virtuously - serve the interests of the people

Losing the Mandate of Losing the Mandate of HeavenHeaven

If a dynasty lost its Mandate of Heaven, omens such as uprisings and natural disasters would occur

Government under the Government under the ZhouZhou

The Zhou king kept control of his large kingdom because he placed family members in charge of individual regions

Overtime, the ties between the local nobles and the king weakened

In 771 BC, a group of nobles joined nomadic invaders to try to overthrow the king

Weakened PowerWeakened Power

With help of other nobles, the Zhou survived the attack

HOWEVER the power of the king decreased - they became dependent on the nobles who had helped them stay in power

States that had once been part of the Zhou kingdom began to rule independently and fighting broke out between warlords of the smaller states

Tuesday, February 11, Tuesday, February 11, 20142014

•Homework:

–Poster due Friday

–Chapter 8 test Friday

•Do Now: Open to your notes from yesterday

The Warring StatesThe Warring States

In the latter part of the Zhou dynasty, minor battles began to escalate to full warfare

This time period became known as the Warring States period which lasted about 250 years

Read page 260-261, Describe the Zhou society

Spiritual TraditionsSpiritual Traditions

Some ancient Chinese viewed Earth as a flat square, with Heaven stretching above

Both heaven and earth were populated with spirits

Heaven was viewed as a home for the spirits of sun, moon, strs, and storms

Spirits: Good & BadSpirits: Good & Bad

Good spirits made the rains fall and the crops grow, helped sailors travel safely and they brought happiness

Harmful Spirits made it unsafe to walk the roads at night. They may hide in a house bringing bad luck

During festivals, people used loud sounds to frighten evil spirits away

Honoring AncestorsHonoring Ancestors

The most important spirits to many ancient Chinese were their ancestors

They believed that family members lived on after death

They needed to be provided and cared for

The key to a good relationship was for the living to honor the dead

Poster DirectionsPoster Directions• You will be assigned either Confucianism or Daoism

• You are to complete the given worksheet comparing two viewpoints (Confucius and Laotzi) and then create a poster representing the goal of the philosophy

–Your poster should include the actions that will achieve the goal, the view of the government and authority, the view of education, and the view of the individual

–Your poster must also include a personal philosophical saying that would shape a solution to a current problem