Ancient ChinaWhat were the contributions

of Classical China?

MAP OF CHINA

MAP OF CHINA

ChinaHuang He

River

Pacific Ocean

Silk Road

Geography of China The earliest civilizations in

China were centered along the Huang He River (or Yellow River) around 5000 BCE

China is located in Eastern Asia and was very isolated from other civilizations• Europeans knew little of

China until 1200 CE (AD)

Geography of China While geographically isolated, China still

influenced the western world via the Silk Road

The Silk Road Silk was a prized commodity in the

West and the demand for Chinese silk led to the development of arguably the most important trade route in ancient history• The Romans and Greeks even referred to

the Chinese as “Seres”—meaning the land where silk comes from

The Silk Road was so vast that many outposts had to be built along the way to relay trade• Goods moved from stage to stage

The Great Wall of China The Great Wall of China was

constructed through various stages to protect the Chinese from northern invaders, particularly the Mongols

Emperor Qin Shi Huang is credited with connecting and rebuilding many of these walls• Emperor Shi Huang is responsible

for building much of what is considered the Great Wall of China

The Great Wall of China The Great Wall stretches over

4,000 miles along the northern border of China

The Wall was not effective at keeping invaders out• The wall was better suited for

signaling warnings and regulating trade

The Wall became a symbol of power and civility for the Chinese• Divided and protected the

civilized from the savage

Political Patterns of Ancient China: The Dynastic Cycle

China was ruled by a succession of ruling families—known as dynasties• Examples include the

Qin, Ming, Han, Zhou, etc.

The rulers were considered divine (holy)

Political Patterns of Ancient China: The Dynastic Cycle

The dynasties served under the Mandate of Heaven• The philosophy or belief that heaven

grants rulers the right to rule based on their ability to govern well and fairly

The rulers did not have to be of noble birth and at any point the mandate could be removed• This happened regularly during

times of famine and natural disasters

Contributions of China: Civil Service System

The Civil Service System was established to elect/appoint government positions• Jobs were given based on merit

(ability) rather than family or wealth

The Han Dynasty instituted the Civil Service System based upon the writings of Confucius

Contributions of China: Civil Service System

The Civil Service System consisted of an exam that could last days

The system was established to find the best people for the jobs, as well as recruit candidates from throughout the empire

In theory anyone could take the exam—in reality it was almost exclusive to wealthy males

Contributions of China: Trade Exports

The Chinese produced a variety of valuable and prized trade exports—including silk, paper, and porcelain