East China Sea Ancient China Chapter Seven Within

East China Sea

Ancient China Chapter Seven

Within the Himalayan Mountains is the “The Roof of the World” the huge plateau, or raised plain that forms most of Tibet. This plateau sits higher than most of the mountains in the United States. These mountains contribute to China’s isolation by forming a natural border with India; while the Gobi Desert creates one between China and Mongolia.

The two rivers that begin in the Tibetan Plateau are the Huang River and the Indus River, which begins a 3, 000 mile trip across northern China. The Huang has been a major force in China’s history. It picks up silt along its winding journey. The Huang River is also known as the Yellow River, and it empties into the Yellow Sea. It is also called China’s Sorrow by its people because of its irregular and hazardous flooding.

It spreads silt along the North China Plain to create one of the world’s largest deltas. It also creates miles of fertile marshland. The North China Plain is a large lowland region of eastern China watered by the flooding of the Huang River. Farming communities developed along the lower part of the Huang River about 4, 000 B. C. . China’s oldest civilization grew from these farming communities. Civilizations later spread to wetter land along the Chang (Yangtze) River.

Loess is a fine, dusty yellowish-gray soil that is found in China. It is easily carried by wind and rain. It has been a blessing and a curse to Chinese farmers: Blessing - provided fertile soil; Curse - its lightness makes it easy for storms to carry it away.

Ancient Chinese farmers made use of the Huang Valley’s fertile soil. They also fought to control river flooding in the spring.

Huang farmers needed to control floods. They began building earth levees to hold back the Huang River. A levee is a wall that keeps a river within its banks. Over time, what happened because of the build up of loess? Over time, a thick layer of mud built up along the riverbed

The ancient Chinese farmers (like the Sumerians) built canals to bring water to their fields. What happened to these canals? They became clogged with loess Loess provided a rich soil. What did the farmers grow in this region? Rice, millet (at type of grain), wheat, green onions, ginger, grapes, peaches, plums and wild chestnuts When farmers cleared trees from rich loess-lands to plant crops, what happened? And what is it? Erosion § Erosion is the wearing away of soil by wind or water usually due to deforestation.

Huang River or Yellow River

Is all of China suitable for farming? Why? Growing crops is difficult or impossible to the north because of the windswept steppes A steppe is a dry, grassy, treeless plain found in Asia and Eastern Europe. Like people in other river valleys, farmers along the Huang raised crops. Along China’s northern steppes, people herded animals.

Mandate of Heaven Sometimes Chinese rulers inherited the throne; however, some would fight for the right to rule. The Chinese believed that rulers came to power because of their destiny, or fate. This idea was called the Mandate of Heaven. A mandate is a law or an order.

Importance of Family The family was the center of early Chinese society. It was considered more important than the individual or a nation. Traditional families may have as many as five generations in one household. This is called an extended family. The status of each person in a Chinese extended family depended on age or gender. The center of authority was the oldest man. He decided who his children and grandchildren would marry.

The First Dynasty Lesson 2 Shang Dynasty 商朝

At the same time that Egypt was being united and city-states and towns were expanding in the Fertile Crescent and Indus Valley, farms along China’s Huang river were growing larger. By about 1700 B. C. one kingdom had won control over the large Huang River delta One of its earliest capitals was a city called Shang, which became the state’s name. Since it was ruled by one family for a long period of time, the government became

Writing The Shang Dynasty had a type of writing that used signs or pictures. Historians stated that records were written on bamboo or silk. Those are no longer in existence; however, writing was found on bronze pots and stone. Oracle Bones were cattle or sheep bones used by special priests to predict the future. The bones were heated over fire until they cracked. The pattern of cracks was used to answer questions about the future.

The Emperor’s Clay Army Qin Dynasty Lesson 3

The Shang dynasty came to an end around 1100 B. C. . For many years afterward there was conflict and turmoil in the Huang River Valley. Slowly one region, called Qin (pronounced CHIN) built up its strength. Qin’s ruler was a general who would one day order the making of the great clay army. The name China came from the Qin name because it is sometimes spelled Chin.

In 211 B. C. this general led a real army to take control of the Huang River delta. He eventually conquered all of northern China. The Qin general declared himself China’s emperor. Supreme ruler of the land This emperor took the name, Shihuangdi, which means “First Grand Emperor” He boasted that his Qin dynasty would last for 10, 000 generations. It only lasted 15 years.

What played a part in the victory of the Qin armies? (Bluebook page 169) The original Qin region was protected by the Qinling Mountains on one side and by the Huang River on the other. Shihuangdi had new ideas about how a government should be run. He split the empire into 36 provinces. A province is a political division of land.

He set up a single system of writing that local leaders used to report to the capital. Written language also helped the government to record and collect taxes. Shihuangdi also created a single system of money to be used throughout the empire. Why would this be helpful to the empire? Coins were made out of bronze and had a hole in the center which allowed people to keep their money on a string.

Under Shihuangdi’s leadership, unified China grew bigger and stronger. The empire also became increasingly rich by the taxes from China’s farmers. Farmers were required to build the highways that linked the cities of the empire. Farmers were also required to strengthen and connect walls along the empire’s northern border. These walls were built to keep out the people of the northern steppes. It was not effective because people could enter by bribing the guards.

Later walls made up the Great Wall of China that eventually grew to be more than 1, 500 miles long! Why were farmers considered to be the backbone of the Qin Empire? What special jobs did they do? They built everything! Farmers, soldiers, and builders

Farmers also spent most of their time growing crops such as wheat, rice, and other crops. One of the greatest building projects in the Qin Empire was the construction of a tomb for Shihuangdi. The emperor wanted his tomb to be a spectacular mirror of the real world. Describe the clay army (read pages 170 -171 in BB)

How long did the Qin dynasty actually last? 15 years What did the farmers and nobles do after Shihuangdi’s death? They revolted against his dynasty’s harsh rule China’s first emperor would leave a lasting legacy, which included a centralized system of writing, government, and money.

Confucius Changes China Han Dynasty Lesson 4

In 206 B. C. , Shihuangdi’s Qin dynasty was overthrown by rebel armies. These armies were led by a farmer-turned- general called Han Gaozu. His family began the mighty Han dynasty, which would rule China for over 400 years. During the Han dynasty, China expanded north to what are today North and South Korea and south to the country of Vietnam. Find these on page R 10 and draw an illustration of these countries and label them.

Very good students sometimes were sent to the empire’s best school, the Grand School. During the Han Dynasty many inventions were made. Han craft workers invented the seismograph and paper which provided a way to keep written records. They made paper from the bark of mulberry trees. These trees feed China’s silkworms.

Silk Making- page 180 Silk is made from silkworms. Ancient Chinese farmers discovered how to make silk around 2700 B. C. . In the spring women cut the leaves from the mulberry trees to feed the silkworms. The silkworms spin cocoons that are unwound and made into thread. Why did Chinese emperors decide to keep silk making a secret from other civilizations?

What would rulers threaten people with if they told the secret of making silk? Death (this threat worked for over 3, 000 years) Silk production is still limited mainly to China remains the largest producer of silk. Japan is second, countries of the former Soviet Union are third. The only significant producer of silk in the Americas is Brazil.

The Silk Road was an ancient and famous trade route between China and Europe. Its main export was silk. It was a series of routes that covered more than 4, 000 miles. It ran all the way from China to the Mediterranean Sea. It provided a route for trade and ideas