The Geography of China Ancient Chinese civilization developed in the valleys of two rivers in China: the Huang He or “Yellow River” (rich, yellow silt) the Chang Jiang or “Yangtze River.” Only 12 percent of China can be used for agriculture. Mountains and deserts cover much of the remaining land.

POLITICAL Organized as Dynasties Dynasty: a family of rulers whose right to rule is passed on within the family (remember Egypt and Menes?) Order of early Chinese Dynasties: Xia, Shang, Zhou, Qin, & Han Chinese Dynasties Song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIC4zom3w0g

The Mandate Of Heaven The Mandate of Heaven was a political-social philosophy that served as the basic Chinese explanation for the success and failure of monarchs. Whenever a dynasty fell, the reason invariably offered by China's sages was that it had lost the moral right to rule which is given by Heaven alone. In this context heaven did not mean a personal god but a cosmic all-pervading power. 

ECONOMIC Traded with India and other nearby countries using the “Silk Road” and ships

ECONOMIC Silk Paper Porcelain (China)

RELIGIOUS General Characteristics: Belief in life after death Ancestor worship Supernatural forces Oracle bones Specific religions: -Confucianism -Taoism -Buddhism

Brief Overview Confucianism: based off teachings of Confucius, key principals were duty and humanity, political and ethical philosopher not spiritual Daoism: taught by Laozi, put forth proper forms of human behavior Legalism: proposed that humans are evil by nature so strict laws must be created and enforced, harsh and cruel rulers

SOCIAL STRUCTURE King Aristocracy – Wealthy Landowners Peasants – farmers on the aristocracy’s land Merchants & Artisans (very small in number) Slavery also existed

SOCIAL STRUCTURE General Characteristics: Filial Piety: the needs of everyone in the family come after the needs of the father WOMEN: -Stay home & care for family -No positions of authority MEN: -Patriarchal (male-dominated) -Provided food -Physical labor

INTELLECTUAL Pictographs – picture symbols to represent objects Ideographs – combination of pictographs to represent an idea Public schools – males only

ARTISTIC Great Wall Royal palaces Terra Cotta Warriors Paintings Jade Bronze objects

TECHNOLOGY Silk Great Wall Water mills Irrigation Paper/textile production Sailing ships with rudders Terra cotta soldiers Crossbow

LEADERSHIP QIN SHIHUANGDI CONFUCIUS LAOZI

CONFLICT Great Wall was built to protect from invaders from the north Civil wars Clashes of wealthy families and creation of new dynasties (China was ruled by a family dynasty until 1911 CE)