China’s First Civilizations

Chapter 7, Section 1 Objectives

• After this lesson, students will be able to:– describe how rivers, mountains, and deserts helped

shape Chinese civilization.– explain how rulers known as the Shang became

powerful because they controlled land and had strong armies.

– describe how Chinese rulers claimed the right to rule by a Mandate of Heaven.

Why is China Important?• world’s largest population• one of the fastest growing

economies in the world• experiencing major

infrastructure growth• leader in sciences (computers

& mathematics)• historically and culturally

significant• communist government• a new superpower?

China’s Geography – page 224

• Huang He (Yellow River) – flows from Mongolia to the Pacific Ocean– particularly fertile due to

loess

• Chang Jiang (Yangtze River) – flows east across China and empties into the Yellow Sea

China’s Geography – page 226

• Less than 1/10 of China’s land is arable (fit for farming)– Himalayas – southwest– Kunlun Shan & Tian Shan –

western border – Gobi & Taklimakan Deserts

• Gobi – a cold, rocky desert east of the Kunlun Shan and Tian Shan Mountains

The Shang Dynasty – page 226

• The Huang He valley was the site of the first Chinese civilizations.

• Xia dynasty (?)• Shang dynasty – founded c. 1750 B.C.– most historians use the rise of this dynasty as the

beginning of Chinese civilization– made the city of Anyang China’s first capital city

The Shang Dynasty – page 226

• Shang dynasty– strong monarchy– aristocracy (nobles

whose wealth comes from the land they own) made of warlords and officials

– large army– agricultural society (farmers

could be pulled for other projects)

Spirits and Ancestors – page 227

• spirits in mountains, rivers, etc.• ancestor worship– family was central to society– believed departed ancestors could bring good fortune

and good luck– offerings made even today

Telling the Future – page 228

• government and religion closely linked

• oracle bones – first example of Chinese writing

The Chinese Language – page 228

• pictographs – characters that stand for objects• ideographs – a character that joins two or more

pictographs to represent an idea– advantage: people from all over could read = unity– disadvantage: too many characters too remember (needed

to know 1,500 to be barely literate)

Shang Artists – page 229

• bronze casting – the best-known Shang art form

The Zhou Dynasty – page 229

• Wu Wang led a rebellion against the Shang, and created the Zhou dynasty (1045 B.C. – 256 B.C.).– dynasty lased for more than

800 years– developed the idea of the

Mandate of Heaven

What Was the Mandate of Heaven? – page 230

• mandate – a formal order• Mandate of Heaven – idea that the king had been

chosen by heavenly order to rule; Zhou claimed that principle gave them the right to rule– catches:• Dao – the proper way kings were expected to rule• people had the right to overthrow an unjust king or one that has

apparently lost the Mandate of Heaven

– dynastic cycle

The Dynastic Cycle in China

New Tools and Trade – page 230

• iron– population boom

• roads and canals• coined money introduced• silk

The Zhou Empire Falls – page 231

• “Period of the Warring States”• invention of the saddle and stirrup allowed for

mounted combat

Chapter 7, Section 1 Questions1. Between which two rivers is the heartland of China

found?2. Why is China’s arable land limited?3. What is a dynasty?4. What were oracle bones and how were they used?5. What is the Mandate of Heaven and which dynasty

used it as a justification for their rise to power?6. How is the dynastic cycle connected to the Mandate of

Heaven?

Life in Ancient China

Chapter 7, Section 2, page 233

Chapter 7, Section 2 Objectives

• After this lesson, students will be able to:– describe the three main social classes Chinese society,

landowning aristocrats, farmers, and merchants.– explain how Chinese philosophies grew out of a need for

order in China.

Life in Ancient China – page 233

• Chinese social classes• tenant farmers – people

pay rent by giving the landlord a portion of their crops

What was Life Like in a Chinese Family? – page 234

• Family was the basic building block of Chinese society.

• filial piety – practice that requires children to respect their parents and older relatives

• The leader of the family was usually the oldest male.

Who Was Confucius? – page 236

• Confucius – China’s first great teacher and thinker– goal: to bring peace to

society– basic premise: people

needed to have a sense of duty

– Confucianism – taught that if each person does his or her duty, society as a whole will do well

What Is Daoism? – page 238

• Laozi – the “Old Master”(?) founded Daoism– people should give up their

worldly desires– turn to nature and the Dao– turn away from worldly

concerns and live in peace with nature

– Dao De Jing

Confucius and Laozi – page 238

What Is Legalism? – page 239

• Hanfeizi – thought people were naturally evil– developed Legalism – taught that people needed

harsh laws and punishment to make them live rightly

– strong ruler necessary– aristocrats liked Legalism

Chinese Ethical Systems – page 239

Chinese Ethical Systems

Confucianism• Social order, harmony, and good government should be based on family relationships.• Respect for parents and elders is important to a well ordered society.• Education is important to both the welfare of the individual and to society.

Daoism• The natural order is more important than social order.• A universal force guides all things.• Human beings should live simply and in harmony with nature.

Legalism• A highly efficient and powerful government is the key to social order.• Punishments are useful to maintain order.• Thinkers and their ideas should be strictly controlled by the government.

Chapter 7, Section 2 Questions

1. What is unique about the ancient Chinese social structure?

2. Define filial piety.3. Name the founders of Confucianism, Daoism, and

Legalism.4. Which philosophy was centered around a strong

system of laws and punishments in order to keep society in order?

5. Compare Confucianism and Daoism.

The Qin and Han Dynasties

Chapter 7, Section 3, page 240

Emperor Qin Shihuangdi – page 241

• Period of the Warring States – period of violence that made people look for a way to restore order

• Qin Shihuangdi (sp) – “First Qin Emperor” (221 B.C.)– from the state of Qin (China)– establishes the Qin Dynasty

(221 B.C. – 206 B.C.)

A Powerful Ruler – page 241

• Qin Shihuangdi– based his rule on the

ideas of Legalism• eliminated opposition • burned books • instituted a practice called

“strengthening the trunk and weakening the branches”

– created an autocracy – a government that has unlimited power and uses it in an arbitrary manner

A Powerful Ruler – page 242

• accomplishments– set standards for writing,

law, currency, weights, and measures

– over 4,000 miles of roads constructed

– irrigation projects improved farm production

– early Great Wall (one we know today built in the Ming Dynasty)

Why Did the People Rebel? – page 242

• Four years after Qin Shihuangdi’s death, the Qin dynasty was overthrown.– farmers, scholars, and aristocrats were all displeased

with how he had ruled

The Han Dynasty – page 244

• Liu Bang – founded the Han Dynasty (202 B.C. – A.D. 220)

• Han Wudi – wanted talented people to work in government; developed the civil service exam– population reaches 60 million

under Han Wudi– expansion policy –”Martial

Emperor”

An Era of New Inventions – page 245

• waterwheels• iron drill bits • steel• paper• rudder• advances in medicine– acupuncture – treatment that is supposed to ease

pain by sticking needles into the skin

The Silk Road – page 246

• Silk Road – network of trade routes that stretched from China to southwest Asia– China exported silk,

spices, tea, & porcelain– Zhang Qian – explored

areas west of China; brought back stories of the Roman Empire