Ancient China & Confucianism

Huang He (Yellow) River Geography of China Using this map as a guide, fill in the dominant physical features of China on your own map. Based on China’s geography, where do you think the majority of people in ancient China lived? Explain your answer. From which directions does China face the biggest risk of invasion? Gobi Desert Taklimakan Desert China’s Heartland Huang He (Yellow) River Yellow Sea Plateau of Tibet Himalayas Yangtze River East China Sea Kunlun Mountains South China Sea

Geography of China (cont.) Rivers: Huang He (Yellow): north Frequent violent flooding Deposits of silt good for agriculture Yangtze: south

Chinese Culture Family Hierarchy Religion Writing main loyalty for Chinese respect, obedience & loyalty to ruler Hierarchy strict social classes Religion spirits of ancestors helpful or not Oracle bones Writing characters written language same for all spoken dialects

Early Chinese Dynasties Shang (1700 – 1027 B.C.) overthrown by the … Zhou (1027 B.C. – 256 B.C.) justified conquest by Mandate of Heaven - ruler has approval of gods Dynastic cycle - loss of Mandate of Heaven leads to new dynasty lost power to nobles who gained power & fought move away from ancient values

Confucianism Confucius wanted to restore social order & moral living through good family relationships Sayings of Confucius - the Analects Five Constant Relationships: Parent & child Husband & wife Older sibling & younger sibling Older friend & younger friend Ruler & subject filial piety – respect for parents & ancestors

Confucianism (cont.) Government: Created the bureaucracy – trained civil service who run the government Examination system (later)– education valued; had to pass an exam on Confucian texts to serve in the government Confucianism spreads: spreads to Japan, Southeast Asia & Korea

Legalism highly efficient & powerful gov’t was the key to social order punishments used to maintain social order thinkers & ideas should be strictly controlled by the gov’t

Qin Dynasty Shi Huangdi ended the fighting between Chinese states & united China adopted legalism & burned Confucian books to prevent criticism established an autocracy – government that has unlimited power Forced peasants to work on the Great Wall of China