River Valley Civilizations The Rise of China

Question One Identifying: What was the Dao? The Dao or “Way”meant that a ruler should rule justly and effectively How did the Dao affect the Zhou Dynasty? The citizens had the right to remove and replace the ruler.

Question Two Describing Describe ancestor worship – the worship and reverence of ancestors, often done by burning replicas of ancestral items. Describe filial piety – refers to the duty of sons and daughters to respect and obey the oldest male in the family (to put their desires second).

Question Three Making Connections: How did China’s physical geography influence the location of its early civilizations? Chinas’ geography encouraged the majority of the Chinese people to concentrate in the fertile river valleys. The mountains and deserts isolated the Chinese culture from other cultures.

Question Four Analyzing Information: What characterized China under the Shang dynasty? China was mostly a farming society ruled by an aristocracy under the Shang dynasty. The early Chinese were known for ancestor worship, consulting supernatural forces and developing expertise in bronze casting.

Question Five Describing: What contributed to the success and longevity of Zhou rule? The Mandate of Heaven contributed to political stability by granting the ruler authority and by sanctioning dynastic succession.

Question Six Informative/Explanatory: Explain the role of religion in policies during the Shang and the Zhou dynasties. What effects did religious beliefs have in these two political systems? The Chinese believed in the Mandate of Heaven to explain the rule of various emperors. The Shang kings consulted oracles for political advice. Religion contributed to stability or lack of stability of emperors and the Chinese government.