Early Dynasties of China

Marsha StovallBurns Middle School

The Shang Dynasty1750 B.C. – 1045 B.C.

• Archaeologists have found huge walls, royal palaces, and royal tombs from the Shang Dynasty.

• These remains show that the Shang might have built China’s first cities.

China’s First Capital

• This dynasty was located along the Huang He River valley.

• Anyang was China’s first capital located on the river.

Shang Society

• The people of the Shang dynasty were divided into groups.

• The most powerful group was the king and his family.

The Aristocrats

• The king, the warlords, and the royal officials made up the upper class, known as the aristocrats.

• The aristocrats passed their land down from one generation to another.

The Farmers

• Most of the Chinese people were farmers who worked the land that belonged to the aristocrats.

• They grew millet, wheat, rice, and raised cattle, sheep, and chickens.

The Shang Military

• Armies used bronze weapons and chariots to control the Huang He valley.

• Armies also controlled the kingdom’s borders.

Spirits and Ancestors

• People in Shang China worshipped gods and spirits.

• People also honored their ancestors, or departed family members.

Telling The Future

• The duty of the Shang king was to contact the spirits before making important decisions.

• They used oracle bones. The priests would scratch questions on the bones. They then heated them until they cracked.

• They interpreted the cracks for answers to their questions

The Chinese Language

• Early Chinese writing used pictographs and ideographs.

• Most characters represent whole words.

Shang Dynasty

Shang Artists

• Silk was produced to create beautiful clothes.

Shang Artists

• Shang artisans made vases and dishes from fine white clay.

• They also carved objects from ivory and jade

Shang Bronze

• The Shang are best known for their works of bronze.

• Shang bronze objects included sculptures, bells, vases, and urns.

End of the Shang

• During the rule of the Shang, a great gap existed between the rich and the poor.

• In 1405 B.C. an aristocrat named Wu Wang led a rebellion.

• After defeating the Shang, Wu began a new dynasty called the Zhou.

Zhou Dynasty

• In 1405 B.C., an aristocrat named Wu Wang led a rebellion against the Shang Dynasty.

• Wu began a new dynasty known as the Zhou.

The Zhou Government

• The Zhou king was the head of the government.

• Under him was a large bureaucracy.

• The Zhou king was in charge of defending the kingdom.

Mandate of Heaven

• The Chinese considered the king their link between heaven and earth.

• His chief duty was to carry out religious rituals.

Mandate of Heaven

• According to Zhou rulers, a heavenly law gave the Zhou king the power to rule.

• The people expected the king to keep the gods happy. A disaster or failed crops was a sign that he failed in his duty.

• People could then overthrow the king.

Farming Tools

• During the Zhou dynasty the Chinese developed an irrigation system.

• The farmers could grow more crops than ever before

Farming Tools

• Iron plows were used to break up land that had been too hard for farming.

• Crop production increased, leading to a rise in population

Silk Trade

• An important trade item was silk.

The Zhou Empire Falls

• Over time the local rulers became more powerful and would not obey the king.

• They set up their own states and in 403 B.C. fighting broke out.

• This is called the “Period of Warring States.”

The Warring States

• The warring states used large armies of foot soldiers.

• The armies fought with swords, spears, and crossbows.

Chinese Inventions

• The Chinese invented the saddle and stirrup.

• This allowed the soldiers to use spears and crossbows while riding horses.

End of the Zhou

• In 221 B.C., the ruler of Qin, one of the warring states, defeated the other states and set up a new dynasty.