ANCIENT CHINA

VOCABULARY

Ancestor Worship The belief that your ancestors continue to influence the spirits and watch over extended family

Civil servant A group of people whose job it is to carry out the work of the government

Confucius A Chinese philosopher and teacher whose beliefs had a great influence on the Chinese way of life

currency The type of money used by a group or a nation

dike A protective wall that controls or holds back water

Extended Family Closely related people of several generations

Liu Bang (LYGH bahng) The founder of the Han dynasty

philosophy A system of beliefs and values

Shi Huangdi (surh hwahng dee) Found of the Qin dynasty and the emperor of China

Silk A valuable cloth, originally made only in China from threads spun by caterpillars called silk worms

The Silk Road An ancient trade route between China and Europe

Sima Qian (sih mah chen) A Chinese scholar, astronomer and historian who wrote the most important history of China entitled Historical Records

warlord A local leader of an armed group

Wudi Chinese emperor who brough the Han dynasty to its greatest power

Geographical Influence Mountains, sea, and desert provide some protection and isolation Vulnerable to northwest River valleys 1. Yellow (Huang Ho) earliest civilization - damaging floods 2. Yangtze - very important in unification- transportation- irrigation 3. Chang river the longest river in China

Earliest Civilizations In China Earliest- Neolithic- Ban Po- similar to other parts of the world/ one of the oldest Shang Dynasty 1500-11 BCE in North China along the Huang Ho- raised silk worms- silk part of lure and fascination of China, famous for bronze sculpture, daggers, jade jewelry paid homage to ancestors- family important Chou (Zhou) 1027-256-longest-developed foundations for Chinese society

Ancient China – A Way of Life - Confucianism Moral and ethical code highly developed treat everyone with consideration Advocated paternalistic government Value on family head- ancestor respect Values- loyalty, righteousness, wisdom, sincerity very practical and humanistic Gentility

Daoism (Taoism) created by LaoTzu (Lao Zi) contemporary of Confucius Tao= the road way Absolute=sum of existence Goal to bring people into harmony very introspective not as influential as Confucius

Women and the 3 Obediences/4 Virtues Women should obey their fathers Morality Women should obey their husbands Modesty Women should obey their sons Proper speech Excel in domestic skills (cooking, cleaning and raising children) **Disclaimer: This is not what I am teaching is relevant today but only in the content of understanding the culture of Ancient China.

Relationships in Ancient China father-child ruler-subject husband-wife elder brother-younger brother friend-friend

Zhou (Chou) Dynasty Feudal society- emperor gave out fiefs Shang thought they had a divine right- Chou rulers had responsibility Zhou did take title “Son of Heaven” compared to medieval Europe- had a code for dress, fighting etc. no contracts

Ancient Philosophies About 500BCE Buddha, Confucius, Greek Philosophers and Chinese - Lao Tze Called a flowering period India more concerned with cosmos and soul China more concerned with ethical life on earth Ironic comparison of Asoka and Shi Huangdi

Qin (Ch’in) Dynasty 221-206 BCE dominated by “The First Emperor” Qin Shi Huangdi (Chin Shi Huang Ti) ambitious= understatement centralized the government- rid of feudal lords constructed roads and canals The Great Wall- sacrifice AND An amazing tomb found in 20th Century

Han Dynasty 202BCE-220 CE(Roman Times) Similar: built cities, officials to carry out edicts, heavy taxes collapsed under invasions and internal revolts contact along the Silk Road, Buddhist Missionaries to China combination of Confucius and legalism advanced in science and literature invented rubber, paper, magnetic compass, acupuncture Short period of Civil War- Sui Dynasty connected two rivers with canal- over extended

Tang Dynasty 618-907 CE Contributions Internal renewal (improved lives of people) and external expansion Used formal civil service exam to recruit-set up university Tried to equalize land holdings- fought corruption literature and art flourished- Tang horses p 203 Inventions- paper during Han- used for clothes and tp- 589 used for writing- invented printing, gun powder, encyclopedia

Song(Sung) Dynasty 960-1279 moved the capitol east- economic expansion- used paper money, used abacus- Silk Road traffic at height when dangerous went to sea routes first period of great oceanic commerce trades tea, silk and porcelain for exotic woods and precious stones

Chinese Inventions The Arts Medicine Technology Silk Weaving Acupuncture (The treatment of disease using needles) Paper made from wood pulp Bronze Working Herbal Remedies (the use of plants in the practice of medicine) Iron plow for breaking up soil Architecture (temples and palaces) Circulatory system (the discovery that blood travels through the body) Rudder (a device used to steer ships) Poetry and history Seismoscope (a device that registers the occurrence of earthquakes Jade Carving Compass Wheelbarrow

Chinese Develop Paper and Writing Chinese first used wooden scrolls and bone to keep records and write. Later they wrote messages and even whole books on silk 105 A.D. invented paper. Early paper was made from tree bark, hemp and old rags

Chinese and Learning Rulers encouraged their people to study the philosophy of Confucius and other philosophers Expressive poetry flourished under the Han dynasty Confucius is known as the “first teacher”

The Silk Road Ancient trade route between China and Europe Chinese kept the secret of making silk a high priority and grew rich from the trade of this material Individuals found guilty of relating the secret of making silk were executed

The Great Wall of China Originally created during the Han dynasty by the first emperor Shi Huangdi Built to protect China from invaders in the North Original wall built in 10 years Due to the continuous additions over the many generations the Great Wall of China is not a single wall but a system of walls The Great Wall of China is over 4,500 miles in length