SHOWS THE MAJOR CHINESE STATES JUST PRIOR TO THE EXTENDED MILITARY WARRING PERIOD BEFORE Qin became first great empire They were looking for a way to end warfare, and 3 different ethical systems developed Early China

Warmup Take a guess (just for fun!): how many Chinese characters there are in the modern-day language? Altogether there are over 50,000 characters, though a comprehensive modern dictionary will rarely list over 20,000 in use. An educated Chinese person will know about 8,000 characters, but you will only need about 2-3,000 to be able to read a newspaper.

Geography of China The Huang He River is more than 2900 miles long. It flows across central china and empties into Yellow Sea 12 percent of the total land is suitable for farming. Much of China is mountainous and contains deserts. The mountains and desert acted as barriers, separating the Chinese from the rest of the Asia China is isolated because of natural barriers

Huang He River Referred to as “China’s Sorrows” because floods, caused by the loess-clogged river, destroyed crops and led to mass starvation Provided a source of water for cities Linked cities within dynastic region Flooding in China deposited rich soil for farming

Ancient China Dynasty – A series of rulers from a single family.

Origins of Chinese Culture Family and Society Chief loyalty throughout life was to the family, then to the King, then to the country.

Origins of Chinese Culture Religious Beliefs Ancestral Worship – to show respect and honor of the family They believed their ancestors had the power to bring good/bad fortune to living family members Oracle Bones – used to communicate with the gods

Origins of Chinese Culture Calligraphy Each character represents one idea rather than a letter. Literate – 1,000 characters Educated – 10,000 characters Difficult to learn because so many characters

Art as a Societal Reflection During the Shang and Zhou dynasties, bronze statues, textiles, and lacquerware were highly regulated by the royal court The court could choose to allow you to work on your artwork Or not! Bronze statue Bronze statues like this one were often used in ritual services like sacrifices. Lacquer bowl Silk clothing

Art as a Societal Reflection During the Han dynasty, a landowning and merchant class appeared and grew Those people started having “leisure time” to paint, draw, create poetry & learn calligraphy Professional artists versus common people became a class distinction Calligraphy Paintings

Art as a Social Reflection Buddha Religion, especially Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism, became very influential in artwork Buddhist artwork showed a lot of peace, nature, and of course Buddha Daoism was very influenced by the natural flow of life Confucianism stressed filial piety in its artwork Landscape Loyalty to the emperor

Chinese Government Mandate of Heaven In China, it is divine approval thought to be the basis of royal authority. God-given right to rule

Chinese Government Dynastic Cycle The historical pattern of the rise, decline and replacement of ruling dynasties. Dynastic Cycle=Mandate of Heaven Example: Zhou dynasty overthrew the Shang Dynasty claiming that the gods had given them the Mandate of Heaven

GREAT WALL OF CHINA Shi Huangdi forced poor people to build it Built for protection from barbarians (Mongolian ancestors of Genghis Khan) Great Wall of China

An Empire Unifies China Zhou and Qin Dynasties

Zhou Dynasty Kings ruled China from 1027 BC to 256 BC Did not follow Chinese values of social order, harmony, and respect for authority

Zhou Dynasty Inventions Bronze coins Iron-tipped ox-drawn plows

Confucius 551-479 BC China’s most influential scholar Wanted to restore China’s ancient values of conformity and respect Confucianism became the foundation for the Chinese government and social order Bureaucracy – civil service exam to see who can get governments jobs Education became very important in order to get better jobs The teachings of Confucius had a philosophical impact on China giving the Scholars a higher social status

Confucius Believed social order, harmony, and good government could be restored in China if society was organized around five basic relationships. Ruler and Subject Father and Son -Filial Piety – respect for parents/elders Husband and Wife Older Brother and Younger Brother Friend and Friend

Yin and Yang Two powers that represented the natural rhythms of life Yin = feminine Yang = masculine Both complement/complete each other

Qin Dynasty Replaced Zhou Dynasty Shi Huangdi – First Chinese Emperor Conquered the other Chinese states through complete annihilation War used to be “a gentleman’s affair” Shi Huangdi – First Chinese Emperor Began rule at age 13 Employed Legalist ideas

Qin Dynasty Highly efficient and powerful government that crushed opponents Burned books by Confucius and other people who disagreed with the Emperor Established an autocracy

Autocracy A government in which the ruler has unlimited power Dictatorship/monarchy Totalitarianism How does the cartoon represent an autocracy?

Qin Dynasty Set uniform standards for writing, law, currency, and measures Forced peasants to build over 4,000 miles worth of roads Irrigation systems helped improve farm production Used forced labor to build the Great Wall of China to prevent invaders (Mongol descendants of Genghis Khan) from entering China

Great Wall of China Built by peasants who were forced to work or face death Around 1 million died 1,400 miles long and 20-25 ft. high CANNOT SEE THIS FROM SPACE WITH THE NAKED EYE!

Activity Xia (2070 – 1600 BC) Qin (221 – 207 BC) Han (206BC – 220 AD) Timeline of Dynasties Seven (7) groups of 4 One group will make the physical timeline of dynasties The other groups will make: 1) lists of contributions/inventions 2) draw pictures 3) list famous scholars/emperors/artists/explorers/generals from those dynasties 4) list important events and religions MAKE THESE COLORFUL AND AWESOME! Xia (2070 – 1600 BC) Qin (221 – 207 BC) Han (206BC – 220 AD) Middle Dynasties (220 – 960 AD) Song and Yuan (960 – 1368 AD) Ming and Qing (1368 – 1796 AD)

Example Timeline of Dynasties Pictures List of inventions Important people Important events and religions