China’s first civilizations developed in river valleys

Ancient India and China Section 4

The development of civilization in early China was aided by features like long rivers, fertile soils, temperate climates, and isolated valleys.

• China’s first civilizations developed in river valleys

• Two major rivers supplied water for earliest civilizations

– Chang Jiang, also called Yangzi

– Huang He, or Yellow River

– Both flow east from Plateau of Tibet to Yellow Sea

Rivers, Soils, Climates• Annual floods deposited rich

soil, loess, on flood plains

• Valley of Huang He particularly fertile due to loess

– Fine dusty soil

– Carried into China by desert winds

Loess

China’s Geography


• Legend says earliest Chinese ruled by Xia dynasty

• No written, archaeological evidence Xia dynasty existed

• Most historians date beginning of Chinese civilization to rise of Shang dynasty

Xia

• Archaeological discoveries suggest Chinese civilization began in Huang He valley

• People started growing crops there 9,000 years ago

Beginnings of Civilization

China’s Geography


According to ancient Chinese records, the Shang dynasty formed around 1766 BC, although many archaeologists believe it actually began somewhat later than that.

• China ruled by strong monarchy

• At capital city, Anyang, kings surrounded by court

• Rituals performed to strengthen kingdom, keep safe

Government and Society

• King’s governors ruled distant parts of kingdom

• King also had large army at disposal

• Prevented rebellions, fought outside opponents

Order

• Shang China largely agricultural

• Most tended crops in fields

• Farmers called on to fight in army, work on building projects—tombs, palaces, walls

Agricultural Society

The Shang Dynasty


Leisure

• Ruling elite had free time to pursue leisure activities, hunting for sport

• Wealthy enjoyed collecting expensive bronze, jade objects

Afterlife

• power—Shangdi (god above)

• Tombs held remains of sacrificed prisoners of war

• Believed in afterlife where ruler would need riches, servants

Artifacts

• Much of what is known comes from studying royal tombs

• Contained valuable items made of bronze, jade

Ancestor Worship

• Shang offered gifts to deceased ancestors to keep them happy in afterlife

• Steam from ritual meals nourished ancestors’ spirits

Shang Elite


Oracle Bones

As part of worship, Shang asked ancestors for advice

• Sought advice through use of oracle bones

– Inscribed bits of animal bone, turtle shell

– Living person asked question of ancestor

– Hot piece of metal applied to oracle bone resulting in cracks on bone’s surface

– Specially trained priests interpreted meaning of cracks to learn answer


Shang Artifact: Oracle Bone


Writing• Development of Chinese writing closely tied to use of oracle bones

• Earliest examples of Chinese writing, questions written on bones themselves

• Early Shang texts used picture symbols to represent objects, ideas

End of Dynasty • Shang ruled for more than 600 years, until about 1100 BC

• Ruling China’s growing population proved too much for Shang

• Armies from nearby tribe, Zhou, invaded, established new ruling dynasty

Bronze • Shang religion led to great advances in working with bronze

• Highly decorative bronze vessels, objects created for religious rituals

• Also built huge structures like tombs; created calendar, first money systems

Shang Achievements and Decline


Summarize

How did religion influence other aspects of Shang culture?

Answer(s): ritual meals for ancestors; oracle bones connected to early writing; bronze work for rituals; built stable tombs


In that case, they said, it was the will of the gods that that dynasty be overthrown and a new one take power.

Beginning around 1100 BC, the Zhou rules China for several centuries. The Zhou dynasty is divided into two periods. During the Western Zhou, kings ruled from Xian in a peaceful period. Later conflict arose, kings moved east to Luoyang, beginning the Eastern Zhou period.

Religion•When Zhou conquered Shang, leaders worried Chinese people would not accept them

Their supreme God wasTian, or heaven.•Introduced idea they ruled by Mandate of Heaven

•Gods would support just ruler, not allow anyone corrupt to hold power

Government

The Zhou Dynasty

• Zhou said Shang overthrown because they lost gods’ favor

• Later rulers used Mandate of Heaven to explain dynastic cycle, rise and fall of dynasties in China

• If dynasty lost power, it obviously had become corrupt

Dynastic Cycle


Zhou Dynasty

• Merchants and craftsmen were one social group that outside the social pyramid of the Zhou feudal state.

• Government/Social Levels– Zhou adopted feudalism.

• King owned land• King gave land to the

nobles in exchange for food, warriors

– Nobles gave peasants small plots of land to work.


• Before Zhou, Chinese metalwork done almost exclusively in bronze

• Zhou learned to use iron, became backbone of economy

• Iron was strong, could be cast more cheaply, quickly than bronze

• Iron weapons strengthened Zhou army, as did new weapons like catapult and creation of China’s first cavalry

• Population grew under Zhou

• Farmers learned new techniques, increased size of harvest, created food surpluses; cities also grew

• Roads, canals allowed better transportation, communication

• Introduced coins, use of chopsticks

Growth• Conflict arose during latter part of

Zhou dynasty

• Clan leaders within China rose up against king

• As time passed, more and more local leaders turned against Zhou, further weakening rule

Decline of the Zhou

Zhou Achievements


Small States Fight

Result of rebellions was Warring States Period

• 403 BC to 221 BC, number of small states fought each other for land, power

• Zhou still nominally in charge, but power almost nonexistent by mid-200s BC

• Qin, new dynasty, arose to bring end to Warring States Period, Zhou dynasty


Analyze

How did China change under the Zhou?

Answer(s): iron technology, population grew, new farm techniques, more food, cities grew, roads and canals built, coins and chopsticks introduced

China’s first civilizations developed in river valleys

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