Ancient China Ancient China Geography Chinas earliest civilization

Ancient China

Ancient China: Geography China’s earliest civilization developed along the Huang He (yellow river) river as well as the Yangtze river. The yellow river flooded unpredictably and provided much needed fertile soil but was called China’s sorrow because when it flooded, dams sometimes broke and killed crops and causing starvation. The Himalayas to the south kept China’s early civilization Isolated from the Indus valley civilization.

The Shang Dynasty Religious Beliefs – The ancient Chinese were like earlier other river valley civilizations in that they were Polytheistic They prayed to many gods and nature spirits, but believed that gods would not respond to the pleas of mere mortals. Therefore, the Chinese began Ancestral Worship because it was believed that they

The Oracle Bone [Charge: ] In the next ten days will there be a disaster? [Prognostication: ] The king, reading the cracks, said, "There will be no harm; there will perhaps be the coming of alarming news. " [Verification: ] When it came to the fifth day, ding-you, there really was the coming of alarming news from the west. Zhi Guo, reporting, said, "The Du Fang [a border people] are besieging in our eastern borders and have harmed two settlements. " The Gong-fang also raided the fields of our western borders.

The Zhou Dynasty In 1027 B. C a group of people claiming ancestry to the Zhou family marched out of their kingdom on the western frontier to overthrow the Shang. They set up the Zhou Dynasty. To justify their rebellion against the Shang, the Zhou promoted the idea of the Mandate of Heaven, or the divine right to rule. In other words, they believed that their ancestors chose them to rule. The Zhou rewarded their supporters by granted them control over different regions. This is called Feudalism in which local lords governed their own lands and owed loyalty in return.

Period of Prosperity under New Dynasty Period of Decline • Taxes people too much • Brings peace • Stops protecting people • Builds roads, canals and other public works • Gives land to peasants • Protects people New Dynasty claims Mandate of Heaven • Lets roads and walls fall apart • Treats people unfairly The Dynastic Cycle Period of Rebellion Old Dynasty loses Mandate of Heaven in the people’s eyes PROBLEMS: • Natural disasters • Peasants revolt • Invaders attack empire • Bandits raid in provinces