China’s First Civilizations

Did you know the Chinese invented fireworks?

Looking Back – Looking Ahead

In earlier chapters, you learnedthat many civilizations developedin river valleys. China’s civilization

also began in a river valley, butmountains and deserts affected its

development.

Main Ideas• Rivers, mountains, and deserts

helped shape China’s civilization. (page 277)

• Rulers known as the Shang became powerful because they controlled land and had strong armies. (page 278)

• Chinese rulers claimed that the Mandate of Heaven gave them the right to rule. (page 281)

Main Idea• Rivers, mountains, and deserts

helped shape China’s civilization.

Huang He Tian Shan

Gobi Desert

Rivers, mountains, and deserts helped shape China’s civilization.• Huang He – Yellow River• Flooded (China’s Sorrow)

• Destroyed homes/Killed people• Left behind RICH silt• Could grow LARGE amounts of

food on very small farms

Nile Vs. Huang He

• Nile leaves 2 pounds of silt per cubic yard of topsoil

• Huang He leaves 57 pounds of silt per cubic yard of topsoil

Rivers, mountains, and deserts helped shape China’s civilization.• Chang Jiang/Yangtze River

Rich soil for farming• Only 1/10 of China’s land can be

farmed• Most of land is mountains and

deserts (bad for farms)

Rivers, mountains, and deserts helped shape China’s civilization.• Mountains and Deserts separated

China – Think about Egypt’s geography

• Himalaya – Southwest• Kunlun Shan and Tian Shan

mountains to the west• Gobi Desert – Cold/Rocky…East of

Tian Shan and Kunlun Shan

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Huang He River

Chang Jiang River

Kunlun Shan

Tian Shan

CHECK• What were the two important river

in early Chinese Civilization?• Huang He and Chang Jiang• What did the rivers provide?• Rich silt – could grow a lot of food

on small farms

CHECK

• What is the cold, rocky location east of the Tian Shan and Kunlun Shan Mountains?

• Gobi Desert

CHECK

• How was the effect of geography in China similar to the effect geography had on Ancient Egypt

• Geography (mountains/deserts) separated China from other civilizations

Main Idea• Rulers known as the Shang became powerful

because they controlled land and had strong armies.

SHANG

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POWERFUL!!

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Controlled Land

STRONG Army

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Shang Dynasty

• Huang He Valley – First center of Civilization in China

• First Dynasty – Xia – Know almost nothing about them

• Dynasty• A line of rulers who belong to the

same family

Shang Dynasty

• 2nd Rulers – Shang dynasty• Anyang – China’s 1st Capital City• Used Bronze weapons to take over

nearby areas• Warlords governed territories• Warlords

• Military leaders who command their own armies

Shang Dynasty

• King had LARGER armies to control borders

• Armies helped King keep power• Aristocrats – warlords and royal

officials (upper class)• Aristocrats passed power from

generation to generation

Shang Dynasty

• Few Artisans and traders• MOST people were FARMERS

• Farmers did not own land• Aristocrats owned the land

• Some slaves

Shang – gods and spirits

• People in Shang China worshipped gods and spirits.

• Tried to keep gods and spirits happy

• Angry gods and spirits were thought to cause bad events such as a poor harvest or loss in battle

Shang - Ancestors

• People in Shang China honored ancestors – offerings

• Hoped ancestors would bring good luck – help in times of need

Shang – Telling the Future

• Kings believed gods gave them special power and wisdom

• Priests scratched questions in oracle bones – hot metal rods made bones crack

• Priests interpreted the cracks as answers to the questions

Shang – Telling the Future

• Kings used answers from oracle to determine courses of action

• Scratches were first known Chinese writing

Chinese Writing

• Pictographs – pictures that represent objects

• Ideographs – pictures that represent ideas (2 or more pictographs combined)

Shang Artists

• Silk for fine clothes• Vases/Dishes of fine white clay• Statues of ivory and Jade• BEST KNOWN for bronze objects

CHECK

• 1st Chinese Capital• Anyang• Who ruled Shang territories?• Warlords• MOST Chinese people were…?• They were farmers

CHECK

• Shang worshipped…?\• Gods and spirits – tried to keep

them happy • Shang honored who?• Ancestors…hoped for help in time

of need…good luck

CHECK

• Chinese writing used __ and __?• Pictographs and Ideographs• Shang artisans were best known

for?• Bronze objects

Main Idea• Chinese rulers claimed that the

Mandate of Heaven gave them the right to rule.

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Right to RULE

Cruelty = Loss of Power

• Shang Kings were very wealthy most other people were VERY poor

• Kings began to treat the poor with cruelty

• Zhou Dynasty results from rebellion

Zhou Dynasty• Ruled for 800 years - longest rule

in Chinese history• King was head of government• Bureaucracy under King • Bureaucracy – appointed officials

who are in charge of different parts of government

Zhou Dynasty

• Aristocrats (not Warlords) ruled territories

• Aristocrats passed rule of territories to son or other relative when they died

• King main purpose was to carry out religious rituals – the people’s link to heaven

Zhou Dynasty

• Zhou Kings believed they were in charge of China because the gods wanted them there

• Mandate of Heaven• Gods chose King to rule with

goodness and wisdom

Mandate of Heaven

• King expected to rule according to Dao (proper way)

• King’s duty – keep gods happy• Bad harvest, loss in battle = angry

gods = king failed• People had the right to overthrow

and replace the king

Mandate of Heaven

• Gave people right to overthrow evil King

• Clearly stated King was not a god• Could only be questioned by

overthrowing the king

New Tools

• Irrigation developed during Zhou Dynasty

• Iron plows increased food production = larger population

• Silk = important trade item

Zhou Dynast Falls

• Over time – rulers of territories gained power and set up their own states

• States battled each other – 200 years – Period of the Warring Stated

Zhou Dynast Falls

• Used swords, spears, crossbows• Invented saddles and stirrups• Qin defeated other states with

huge cavalry

CHECK

• What is the Mandate of Heaven?• Mandate of Heaven says the gods

put kings in charge of China• Importance of Mandate• Kings had to be good rulers – gave

people right to overthrow

Check• Importance of Iron Plow• Led to increased land farmed,

increased population, increased trade

• Development that allowed Qin to create a cavalry and defeat other states during the Period of the Warring States

• Saddles and Stirrups

OK BIG PICTURE

• Test Prep