Ancient China River Valley Civilization

Geography of China Huang He (Yellow River) is about 2,900 miles long and carries silt Gained its name from the yellow soil it carries Known as the “River of Sorrows” because it has unpredictable flooding Yangtze River is about 3,400 miles long and is in central China Rivers and valleys created a food-producing region Brought with it fertile farming regions Irrigation and transportation

Terrain Only 10% of China’s total land area, located in the east, is suitable for farming Most of China consists of mountains, deserts, and plateaus Gobi Desert- created a natural barrier and helped to keep China isolated Mountains: Tian Shan and Himalayas

Monsoons China’s climate varied from region to region and was based on elevation

Isolation Having little contact with other cultures meant that the Chinese believed their culture was the center of the Earth. Chinese called themselves the Middle Kingdom If they did have contact with other cultures it was often marked by conflict Isolation leads to ethnocentrism

Xia Dynasty (2205-1766 BCE) Little is known about this dynasty, only have archaeologist evidence. There was no written language Founder: Yu the Great King: a strong royal authority who controlled irrigation Performed rituals and sacrifices Waged war Mediated between the world of spirits and humans Had walled towns Contributions: assembled armies, built cities, carved jade, cast and worked with bronze, created pictograms, designed first calendar

Shang Dynasty (1766-1122 BCE) Historians have information about this dynasty Government was run by a king but with clans Clans- groups of families who claim a common ancestor Had large palaces with tombs of rulers Capital city: Anyang King controlled small areas while nobles controlled most of the land Warlike society

Social Structure

Religion Prayed to many gods and nature spirits Prayed to dead ancestors to intercede with the gods help Believed the universe was held in delicate balance between two forces: yin and yang When these forces were in balance, peace and prosperity would result Believed in supernatural forces with which they could communicate through oracle bones Priests scratched questions on bones to be answered by gods Written language began when priests wrote down questions addressed to gods or spirits

Contributions Pictographs (drawings of objects) and ideographs (drawings of thoughts and ideas) Only upper class learned to read and write Famous for bronze works Created axes, knives, spears Horse-drawn chariots Studied the movements of the planets Created the calendar Made silk- became China’s most valuable export

Zhou Dynasty (1100-256 BCE) Zhou Dynasty overthrew the Shang Dynasty Zhou is the longest lasting dynasty in Chinese history Had a feudal type of government Feudalism- local lords controlled their own regions but owed military service to the ruler Kings had great power and prestige

Mandate of Heaven and Dynastic Cycle Zhou told the people the gods had become angry at the Shang for their cruelty Right to rule: Mandate of Heaven Each dynasty claimed the Mandate of Heaven Dynastic cycle: the rise and fall of empires King was seen as the link between heaven and earth Kings were expected to rule in the proper way, known as Dao

Economy China’s economy grew Used iron to make tools which led to the production of more food With the production of food, the population grew Trade occurred Chinese had copper coins which is one of the earliest forms of a money economy Made trade easier

Family in Ancient China Family was a symbol of social order Filial Piety: members of the family would subordinate their needs and desires to those of the male head of the family

Contributions Have two of the first written books: Book of Documents: Zhou conquest of Shang Book of Songs: Earliest poetry Astronomers studied planet movement Developed the calendar Discovered how to make silk- most valuable export

Fall of the Zhou Had a decentralized administration Left power in local lands “Period of Warring States”