The Ancient China River Valley Civilization Top 10

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The Ancient China River Valley Civilization Top 10

The Ancient China River Valley Civilization Top 10

Oops… 11

Oops… 11

11. China is in the region known as East Asia • East Asia is

11. China is in the region known as East Asia • East Asia is the portion of Asia that refers to China, Japan, North and South Korea, Taiwan, and, debatably, Mongolia.

To follow up on the ‘parts of Asia’ thing, Asia gets divided into FIVE

To follow up on the ‘parts of Asia’ thing, Asia gets divided into FIVE distinct regions (and the northern part pretty much gets ignored in this course because the historically important part of Russia for 9 th grade is in Europe). These are: (2016 -7: you needn’t write this down) • East Asia: China, Japan, the Koreas, Taiwan, maybe Mongolia • South Asia: India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan (and Seychelles and Maldives) • Southeast Asia: Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar (Burma), Singapore • Central Asia: (basically the ‘stans’ other than Pakistan and Afghanistan, plus maybe Mongolia and southern Russia ) • Southwest Asia: (this is the Asian portion of the Middle East) • Notes: • Northern Russia gets ignored in 9 th grade Global because of a lack of historical importance in this part of the course. • Indonesia, the Philippines, and some tiny island nations south of Southeast Asia, are considered part of Asia but get largely ignored in the global history course, I believe because they are too diverse and too confusing. • Afghanistan is kind of ‘it’s own deal’ and doesn’t get regionally or culturally grouped with anyone or anywhere else

10. China is Geographically isolated from its neighbors • The Himalaya Mountains separate China

10. China is Geographically isolated from its neighbors • The Himalaya Mountains separate China from South Asia! • The Gobi Desert separates China from Central Asia • The Yellow Sea and the Sea of Japan separate China from Japan • Dense rain forests separate China from Southeast Asia

9. The Huang He River… the River of Sorrows • Much like the Nile,

9. The Huang He River… the River of Sorrows • Much like the Nile, Tigris, Euphrates, Indus, Ganges, and Brahmaputra Rivers, the Huang He floods predictably. However, several of its ‘extreme’ floods have killed tens of thousands of people, and sometimes more… • In 1931, flooding on the Huang He killed over one million people, and left 80 million people homeless.

8. Loess • Loess is the yellow colored silt carried by the Huang He.

8. Loess • Loess is the yellow colored silt carried by the Huang He. • The river is known as the Yellow River because of this silt. • This fertile silt is deposited along the shores when the river floods, and is also carried to the Yellow Sea.

7. The Chang Jiang • The Huang He is not China’s only river valley

7. The Chang Jiang • The Huang He is not China’s only river valley that led to civilization. Further to the south, the Chang Jiang ALSO led to the development of River Valley Civilizations

6. Dynasty • A DYNASTY is a family that rules continuously over several generations.

6. Dynasty • A DYNASTY is a family that rules continuously over several generations. • China’s political history up until the 1900 s was a dynastic cycle; basically, even when a ruling family died out, it was replaced by another dynasty, so even though the ruling family changed at times, the SYSTEM remained in place

5. The Mandate of Heaven • Basically, this was how the Chinese EXPLAINED the

5. The Mandate of Heaven • Basically, this was how the Chinese EXPLAINED the dynastic cycle. • If an Emperor was doing a good job, then the Gods would favor him, and he and his descendants would continue to rule. • If the Emperor was doing a poor job, the Gods might send earthquakes, floods, droughts, or allow the people to rebel, leading to the END of that dynasty.

4. Confucianism! • Confucianism is a belief system based on the writings of Confucius.

4. Confucianism! • Confucianism is a belief system based on the writings of Confucius. • Confucius’s writings are called the Analects. • Confucius believed in THE FIVE RELATIONSHIPS (which you should study in your video notes) • One of these relationships was filial piety, or the natural respect that a son owes his father. • Confucius’s teachings created a ‘moral’ construct to for the Chinese people to follow. • Confucius’s writings also inspired political ideas, such as creation of a Civil Service, or Bureaucracy, that required testing of applicants. • Confucianism remains a powerful philosophy in China, and influences Japanese, Korean, Taiwanese, and Southeast Asian culture

3. Daoism/Taoism • Daoism is a belief system that stresses ‘Harmony with Nature’ •

3. Daoism/Taoism • Daoism is a belief system that stresses ‘Harmony with Nature’ • It is a complex and ritualized form of Animism • It became formalized as a religion through the writings of Laozi (Lao Tzu) • Dao means ‘The Way’ • Daoism feature ‘Yin’ and ‘Yang’, a balance of opposing forces • Daoist priests used ‘Oracle Bones’ to predict the future and for healing • Daoism forms the basis of Japan’s similar belief system Shinto.

2. A POWERFUL CHINA was established during the Qin Dynasty • During the Qin,

2. A POWERFUL CHINA was established during the Qin Dynasty • During the Qin, China became a great world greatest power. During this time… The Chinese invented PAPER The Chinese practiced CALLIGRAPHY The Chinese made SILK production into a major business The Chinese BEGAN building THE GREAT WALL to protect China from BARBARIAN INVADERS from central Asia, such as The Mongols • POLITICALLY, during the QIN Dynasty, Emperor Shi Huangdi established LEGALISM, an authoritarian, strict, political order with limited freedom and harsh punishments. • •

1. CHINA experienced a GOLDEN AGE during the Han Dynasty • Under Emperor Han

1. CHINA experienced a GOLDEN AGE during the Han Dynasty • Under Emperor Han Wudi, China established a powerful monopoly over Iron and Salt, making the government wealthy • Under Han rule, the government expanded to control what is MOST of modern China. • The Chinese began trading with the Middle East and Europe along the overland SILK ROADS • The Chinese adopted Confucius’s ideas and applied them to government, establishing a Civil Service made up of ‘Scholar-Officials’ • Advances were made in Science, medicine (including acupuncture, engineering, literature, and the arts). • The South Asian (Indian) religion of Buddhism took hold in China during this time. • The Han Dynasty fell when regional warlords stopped supporting the central government. China was thrown into a period of chaos.

And one more… Ethnocentrism • During this time of greatness, the Chinese began to

And one more… Ethnocentrism • During this time of greatness, the Chinese began to view themselves, their nation, and their culture as ‘superior’ to their neighbors • They began to call themselves ‘The Middle Kingdom’ because it was believed that the Gods had placed them in the center of the world due to their greatness • Neighboring countries were forced to give gifts and kowtow (bow down) to the Chinese in order to gain the right to trade with China. • A belief in your own society’s complete superiority is known as ETHNOCENTRISM