Geography of China “The Roof of the World”, a huge plateau that forms most of Tibet, is where many of Asia’s rivers begin. A plateau is a raised plain. The Huang River begins its 3,000 mile trip across China to the Yellow Sea from this plateau.

The Huang River Valley As the river flows from west to east, it curves around the edge of the Ordos Desert and picks up loess - dusty, yellow soil that has been deposited by wind. Loess washes into the Huang River giving it a yellow color. Huang means “yellow” in Chinese.

During the summer months, huge amounts of loess are washed into the Huang making it the muddiest river in the world. This loess silt helps farmers because it is very fertile. The Chinese farmers could not allow the Huang River to overflow freely because their fields could be easily washed away.

Unfortunately, the loess is easily carried away by storms and floods since it is so light and fluffy. Agriculture Along the Huang About 3,000 years ago, farmers began building earth levees to keep the river within its banks. Ancient Chinese farmers built canals to bring water to their fields. The loess had to be cleared away so it would not clog the canals.

Farmers in the Huang Valley grew rice, millet (grain), wheat, green onions, ginger, and harvested fruits: grapes, peaches, plums, and wild chestnuts. The population grew because the farmers were so successful. Farmers cleared trees to make more land into fields. This land clearing caused erosion, the wearing away of soil by wind or water.

A famine can occur when crops fail because too much soil has been eroded. Famine is a time when very little food is available and people starve. Not all regions in China were suitable for farming. People on the windswept steppes herded sheep and cattle on horseback. A steppe is a dry, treeless plain.

The First Dynasty City-states grew up along the Huang River. The largest city in the Huang River delta was called Shang. Shang became the name of the province as well as the city. One family ruled the city of Shang for over 600 years.

A dynasty is when a family rules an area for a long time like the Shang dynasty ruled. Towns Along the Huang River The Shang kings created new towns by giving land to their relatives, the nobles. Towns were important centers of production. They supplied food, clothing, other products, and soldiers.

The Shang province capitol was moved to Anyang. The ruins of Anyang taught archaeologists about the social pyramid, housing, and specialized work done in ancient China. At the top of the social pyramid were the king and his family, then the nobles, followed by craftworkers, farmers, and finally prisoners of war.

Royalty lived in palaces, while ordinary people lived and worked in pit-houses. Metal workers knew how to work with bronze to make tools and chariots. Buried Treasures The tomb of Fu Hao, a noblewoman, allowed archaeologists to see many examples of ivory and bronze items from this era. Lady Hao ruled her own town, led troops to war, and is remembered because her tomb preserved records about her life.

Ancient Chinese writing began as pictures of objects and was later simplified so that it would be easier to write quickly. Archaeologists have found examples of this writing on bronze pots and stone. Writings were also written on silk and bamboo tablets, but these have not survived. “Dragon bones”, or oracle bones contained writing used by priests to predict the future.

People of the Shang dynasty worshipped many different gods. They believed that their gods controlled nature. Shang Chinese also believed that their ancestors lived in another world and controlled human life. The king’s ancestors would be helping him, proving that he was the right person to be king.

The Emperor’s Clay Army Shihuangdi declared himself emperor of China when he and his soldiers from Qin took control of northern China. Shihuangdi boasted that his Qin dynasty would last for 10,000 generations (200,000 years), when in reality it lasted 15 years.

The Rise of an Empire Shihuangdi divided his empire into 36 provinces, political divisions of land. The emperor let farmers own their own land which weakened the power of the nobles which forced many nobles to move to the capital city of Xianyang. He unified his empire by using one system of writing and one money system throughout the empire.

A single written language helped the government record and collect taxes. Bronze coins were made with holes in the center so people could keep their money on a string.

The geography of the original Qin region was protected by the Qinling Mountains on one side and the Huang River on the other, making Xianyang a fortress. Soldiers could march out from this starting point and expand the Qin Empire.

Farmers Build the Empire As the Qin Empire’s conquest grew, the government began making ever greater demands on its people. Farmers were the backbone of the Qin Empire, working as farmers, soldiers, and builders. They kept the empire strong. Farmers were also called upon to build or strengthen walls along the empire’s northern border to keep invaders out of the northern steppes.

This Great Wall of China grew to be more than 1,500 miles long and is the only man-made structure visible from space. Farmers lives still centered around the seasonal floods of the Huang.

One of the greatest building projects of the Qin Empire was the tomb of Shihuangdi. The emperor wanted a spectacular tomb to mirror his real world. About 8,000 clay soldiers and horses stood guard ready to protect the emperor.

Archaeologists have not yet unearthed his tomb, but have read accounts by an ancient Chinese historian. The historian wrote that the tomb was laid out like a giant map of the empire with models of rivers flowing with machine pumped mercury, stars painted on the ceiling, and crossbows protecting the entrance.

Confucius Changes China Han Gaozu, a farmer turned general, and his armies overthrew the armies of the Qin Empire in 206 B.C. His rule began the Han dynasty that ruled China for over 400 years. During Han Gaozu’s rule, China expanded to include modern day Korea and Vietnam.

Rise of the Han Dynasty Han rulers based their philosophies on the teachings of Confucius. The Han rulers kept the Qin dynasty’s system of government but awarded government jobs to educated people rather than the nobles. Wudi, the first strong emperor of the Han dynasty, created Confucianism schools to prepare students for government service.

Wudi’s government set up schools in each province to teach Chinese literature. The best students were sent to the Grand School to learn about China’s poetry, history, proper behavior, and folk songs. Chinese scientists and mathematicians learned to predict eclipses of the sun, doctors discovered new medicines, and poets wrote of the beauty of the land.

Han craftworkers invented paper by pounding the bark of mulberry trees. The first seismographs were invented to detect earthquakes and send help to affected areas. Farmers remained the center of China’s economy and society.

Confucius Confucius lived between 551 B.C. and 479 B.C. Confucius won many followers when he suggested a peaceful way of living during a time of conflict. Confucianism taught that the Chinese culture had lost its ancient traditions that had once made society just and good. Good people would make a good civilization. Through education, people could become good again.

The central idea of Confucianism was to have respect within the family. Just as a child must respect a parent, a subject must respect the ruler. The ruler had the added responsibility to be just and good. Confucianism also believed that the emperor received a right to rule from the gods called the Mandate of Heaven and echoed the Shang belief that the gods spoke to kings through oracle bones. Confucius’s thoughts were recorded by his students in a book called The Analects.