8 Features of a Civilization

Writing

Public Works

Arts & Architecture

Social Classes

Job Specialization

Complex Religions

Well organized central

governments

Cities

Chap. 3 Sec. 3

Chinese called their land _______ meaning _______________. It was

the most ______ of the early civilizations which led them to believe that

____ was the center of the _____ and the only source of civilization.

Geography set barriers which limited the movement of people. _______ , _______and ________ divided China from the rest of

the world. The contact they did have was some _____ and attacks by

nomadic______. These groups accepted the __________ of the Chinese

and were usually ________ into the advanced Chinese civilization.

Middle KingdomZhongguo

Isolated

China Earth

Jungles Deserts Oceans

Trade

Invaders Superiority

absorbed

Main regions of China:

_________: east coast; valley of the _________ and Yangzi

Rivers; excellent for_______.

_________; Xinjiang, _________ and Manchuria; rugged

and ____ climate; _____ live here.

Chinese history began in the ________ Valley. People teamed to

_____ and this led to the beginning of a strong ______ government. The

name of the river came from _____(fine yellow soil) that it carried. It got the

nickname "____________" because __________ caused destruction.

Control of China was by ruling families called ________. They

remained in power as long as they provided good ___________. If rulers

became weak or corrupt they believed ______ would withdraw its support.

Heartland Huang He

Farming

Outlying Mongolia

harsh nomads

Huang He

Farm central

Loess

River of Sorrows flooding

dynasties

government

heaven

Chinese Achievement

SHANG DYNASTY (1500 B.C.-1028 B.C.)

United more than ____ city-states in China.

Used war ______ and advanced _____ to protect their

kingdom. Captured new _______ and spread Chinese

civilization.

People began to keep ______ records for the first time. Over

____ characters made it hard to read and write.

A _____ was invented based on phases of the ____

and_____ days a year.

200

Chariots weapons

territories

written

10,000

calendar

365¼

moon

longest

ZHOU DYNASTY ( 1028 B.C.-256 B.C.)

Control by this dynasty was the ______ in Chinese history.

Copper and gold _____ used for the first time. Local _____

owned the land but owed _____ service and other support to

the _____. China became the world's most ______ country

during these years. Ruled by the “____________” the divine

right to rule through orders from the ______.

coins Princes

military

King populated

Mandate of Heaven

Gods

China

QIN DYNASTY (256 B.C.-206 B.C.)

Name _____ derived from the Qin or Ch'in Dynasty.

Shih Huang Ti-"__________" captured new territories and set

up the first Chinese ______.

Completed work on the ___________ which guarded against

invasion. System of _______ was simplified and a uniform set

of _____ adopted.

First Emperor

empire

Great Wall

writing

weights

Mongolia

HAN DYNASTY (206 B.C.- 220 A.D.)

Empire expanded into Manchuria, ______ and central Asia.

Invented______, sundials and water __________.

Doctors used a new method-__________ a piercing of the

skin with needles to relieve pain.

Wrote the world's first ________.

silk wheel & clock

acupuncture

dictionary

New Dynasty

• Brings peace

• Builds roads & canals

• Gives land to peasants

• Protects people

New dynasty claims Mandate of Heaven

Problems

• Floods, earthquakes

• Peasants revolt

• Invaders attack empire

• Bandits raid in provinces

Old dynasty loses Mandate of Heaven

Old Dynasty

• Taxes people too much

• Stops protecting people

• Lets road & wall fall apart

• Treats people unfairly

It is not a religion

Based on the teachings of China’s most influential philosopher

He was concerned with social order & good government

The best leader could rule by good moral example

He stressed the importance of duty, responsibility, & filial piety

The Analects

Harmony resulted from people accepting their place in society

5 Relationships – father to son, elder brother to younger, husband to wife, ruler to subject, friend to friend

Grew out of the teachings of Hanfeizi

Also concerned with social order

The only way to achieve this order was through strict laws & punishments

Strength not goodness is a ruler’s greatest virtue

So cruel that later generations despised it

Focus was on the Tao “The Way” (the universe as a whole)

Concerned with living in harmony with nature – Simple Life

The best type of government is one that governs the least

Emphasized the virtue of yielding – going with your natural course

Believers rejected the unnatural ways of society –

became hermits, mystics, artist, or poets

Evolved into a popular religion with gods, goddesses,

& magical practices (alchemy).Laozi

Became another popular school of thought

Was hard to accept at first. No family loyalty, but loyalty to monks and nuns that gave up family life

Introduced nirvana

Was appealing because of the promise of escape from suffering. No personal salvation in other schools of thinking

Buddhism absorbed Confucian & Taoist traditions in China

• The first dynasty that we know about

• According to legend, there was a Xia dynasty before them but archaeologists have not yet found any written records from this era.

• Writing on bronze vessels and oracle bones have survived from Shang times.

• States fought each other for land until the Shang kings gained control in northern China and set up large cities.

• Peasants grew food for everyone and craftspeople made tools, weapons, clothing, ornaments and household goods from bronze, silk, jade, clay and other materials.

• The royal family lived inside a walled palace with their advisers, and diviners who predicted the future.

• When a king died, servants and animals were sacrificed to go with him to Heaven.

• Warlike Zhou people from the Wei River Valley in the northwest conquered the Shang and began a dynasty that lasted for more than 800 years.

• Zhou rulers enlarged the Shang kingdom and gave land to their relatives and advisers. At first, these noblemen were loyal to the Zhou kings. But during the time of the Warring States, the local lords raised armies

• They forced many peasants to become foot soldiers, and competed with one another for power.

• The Zhou era brought important changes. Cities grew in size and number, and merchants began to carry trade goods between them. Metalworkers forged iron tools and weapons. The use of iron plows made farming easier and increased food production.

• Scholars reacted to the unsettled times by thinking of ways to make ancient China a more peaceful country.

• The powerful Qin conquered the six major kingdoms that remained at the end of the Warring States period.

• The king thanked his ancestors for his success and decided to drop the title wang, which meant "king."

• He renamed himself Shi (meaning "First“) Huangdi (meaning "emperor and divine ruler").

• The First Emperor was very important because he unified ancient China bymaking strict laws, taxing everyone in the country and introducing one script for writing.

• He commanded his subjects to build roads and canals, and to join existing walls into one long defensive wall.

• Qin Shi Huangdi did not agree with the teachings of Confucius andother scholars, and ordered their books to be burned.

• The First Emperor paid magicians, called alchemists, for potions to help him live forever.

• After his death, his dynasty soon collapsed.

• Liu Bang, a government official, gained power and founded this dynasty, which lasted for more than 400 years.

• Han emperors strengthened the Qin system of government and extended ancient China's boundaries.

• They developed a civil service, based on the teachings of Confucius, to run the empire and keep records in a central place.

• Scholars who wanted to become government officials had to study very hard.

• The government organized the salt and iron mines, and state factories began mass-producing objects-from iron and steel farming tools to silk cloth and paper.

• Han emperors began to control the eastern end of the Silk Road that linked Asia and Europe.

• Buddhism started to spread throughout ancient China.

• The Han dynasty finally collapsed after a succession of weak child emperors and droughts and floods.

scholars peasants artisans merchants

The country

depended on them to

produce food

Respected by everyone

because they could read &

write

Used their skills to make things that people needed (weapons, tools, & cooking utensils)

They made nothing, yet grew rich by trading goods.