Ancient China and China Review Chinas Geography Be

Ancient China and China Review

China’s Geography Be familiar with the Gobi Desert, the Pacific Ocean, and the Himalayan mountains. Know the two main rivers that contributed to Ancient Chinese civilizations success Huang He (yellow river) (North) Chang Jiang (Yangzi river) (South) Developed Jade – hard gemstone

China’s First Dynasties The Xia Dynasty Believed to be China’s first dynasty Was not a proven dynasty, because of no writing system Founded by Yu The Great Built roads and irrigation projects The Shang Dynasty Writing began Developed China’s first writing system Developed bronze, glazed pottery, and silk industries Used oracle bones to predict the future Oracle – a prediction

Ancient Chinese Dynasties: Zhou Dynasty Set up a loose central government Feudal power held by strong nobles Feudalism - This system features an exchange of land in return for military and other services Zhou Social Hierarchy 1. Kings 2. Lords and Warrior – people of high rank 3. Peasants – farmers with small land Warring States Period a period in China marked by civil wars and disorder Lords fought other lords for land, wealth and power Family structure began to fall – Sons killing fathers --- Brothers killing Brothers Philosophies developed during this time to bring Chinese society back in order

Ancient Chinese Dynasties: The Qin Dynasty Military dictatorship centralized China (Legalist Philosophy) Emperor Shi Huangdi Destroyed nobles’ feudal power Developed a system of taxation Established standardized currency and weights and measures Started the development of the Great Wall (1500 miles) Terra Cotta Warriors guarded his tomb

Ancient Chinese Dynasties: Han Dynasty Empire – stretched from central Asia to the China Sea Made Confucianism their main religion and political philosophy Han Leaders supported Daoism Han inventions First paper made in China Seismograph – device that measures earthquakes Sundial – device used to tell time Acupuncture – inserting fine needles through the skin to cure disease or relive pain

Ancient Chinese Dynasties: Han Dynasty (continued) Silk Road 4, 000 mile long route that stretched across Asia’s deserts through the middle East to the Mediterranean Sea. Han’s mane trade route The Han monopolized silk - a soft, light, highly valued fabric Traded fruits, silks, and spices in Rome (1 st century CE) Buddhism came from India on the silk road

Chinese Philosophies Confucianism Developed by Confucius Taught that China needs to return to ethics, or moral values. Honor and obey your elders and leaders Daoism Laozi – the most famous Daoist teacher Stressed living in harmony with the Dao, the guiding force of all reality. Stressed balance – (Yin & Yang) “Let nature take it’s course” “Go with the flow” Legalism The belief that people were bad by nature and needed to be controlled Harsh rules with harsh punishments

China Reunifies The Period of Disunion Historians sometimes call the time of disorder that followed the collapse of the Han dynasty. Sui Took China out of the Period of Disunion Grand Canal Tang and Song Advances in agriculture Highly populated cities Important Inventions Gunpowder Compass Woodblock printing

Confucianism and Government Neo-Confucianism New form of Confucianism that tied in Confucius philosophical beliefs and spiritual Buddhist beliefs. Bureaucracy Body of unelected government officials Civil Service as a government official Scholar-officials – an educated member of government

Yuan and Ming Dynasty Yuan Mongols Not Chinese – different culture, language, and religion Conquered all of China, most of Asia and Europe Under the rule of Genghis Khan and his grandson Kublai Khan Ming Chinese regained power Great sea voyages Zheng He – great sailor The Forbidden City Renovated the Great Wall of China