Chapter 7: China

Lesson #1 “China’s First Civilizations”

Section #1 China’s Geography

Question # 1 How did the Huang Ho get the nickname Yellow River? Answer: It’s yellow soil.

Question # 2 What are the names of China’s 2 Largest rivers? Answer: Huang He (Yellow) River and Chang Jiang (Yangtze) River.

Question # 3 Why did China’s farmers only use 1/10 of the land in China for farming? Answer: Most of China is covered in mountains and deserts.

Question # 4 What geographical features might have made it difficult for people in Ancient China to trade with other civilizations? Answer: The Gobi Desert, Himalayas, and other mountain ranges separated China from neighboring territories.

How did China become known as “The Middle Kingdom?” Question # 5 How did China become known as “The Middle Kingdom?” Answer: The people of China called it that because they thought their kingdom was the world’s leading civilization.

Question # 6 Why was flooding a good and bad thing for the people in China? Answer: Flooding gave them fertile soil, but also drowned people and destroys homes.

Section #2 The Shang Dynasty

Question #7 Where do archaeologist believe the first civilization in China was? Answer: The Huang He Valley.

Question # 8 What makes archeologist believe that the Huang He Valley was the first civilization in China? Answer: The oldest artifacts were found in that area.

Question # 9 Why do you think the earliest civilizations were in the Huang He Valley? Answer: Fertile soil from the rivers.

Question # 10 What do you call a line of rulers that belong to the same family? Answer: Dynasty

Question # 11 What evidence do archeologist have led them to thing that the Shang’s built the first cities in China? Answer: The oldest palaces and royal tombs they’ve found are from the Shangs.

Question # 12 The Shang’s had a social class system. Who was at the top? Answer: Kings and royal families

Question # 13 What type of religion did Ancient China have? Answer: Polytheistic

Question # 14 According to Shang kings, where did they get their power from? Answer: God

Question # 15 How did the Chinese kings ask questions to the gods? Answer: They had the priests scratch the questions on oracle bones and break the bones … then “read” the answers.

Question #16 What type of artwork are the Shangs most known for? Answer: Bronze objects

Question #16 What name was used to describe wealthy landowners in China? Answer: Aristocrats

Question #17 What was the occupation of the majority of Chinese people in Ancient China? Answer: farmers

Question #17 Who did the Chinese farmers work for? Answer: The aristocrats who owned the land

Question #18 Chinese people that poor crops or bad luck was controlled/caused by ___. Answer: The gods

Question #19 Besides the gods, who else could Chinese people pray to to ask for help or good luck? Answer: ancestors

Question #20 Name at least 3 items that Chinese artisans made. Answer: Silk, clothes, ivory statues, jade statues and bronze objects.

Question #20 Name 3 technological advancements made during the Shang dynasty. Answer: A system of writing, a calendar and musical instruments.

Section #2 The Zhou Dynasty

Question #21 Why didn’t many people in China support the Shang kings? Answer: The kings lived in luxury and treated to people poorly.

Question #22 What makes the Zhou dynasty so important in Chinese history? Answer: It lasted longer than any other dynasty in history – more than 800 years.

Question #23 According to Zhou kings, what gave them the right to rule China? Answer: The Mandate of Heaven

Question #24 According to the Mandate of Heaven, what is the “proper” way to rule? Answer: The Dao Way

Question #25 What “rights” did the Mandate of Heaven give the Chinese people? Answer: If the king was dishonest or evil the people could overthrow the king.

Question #26 According to the Mandate of Heaven, was the king considered a god? Answer: No

Question #27 What were technological advancements made during the Zhou dynasty? Answer: Improved irrigation and flood control systems and iron plows.

Question #28 What was the most important item for trade during the Zhou dynasty? Answer: silk

Question #29 How do archaeologists know that the Chinese people traded with people throughout Asia? Answer: Pieces of Chinese silk have been found in the artifacts of many regions as far away as Greece.

Question #30 What was the major factor of the collapse of the Zhou dynasty? Answer: Local rulers (aristocrats) became powerful and fought for control of their territory with Zhou kings.

Question #31 What term is used to describe the 200 years of battles over land between the aristocrats in China? Answer: The Period of the Warring States

Question #32 What invention was a direct result of the battles during the “Period of Warring States?” Answer: The horse saddle and stirrup

Question #33 Who founded the Zhou dynasty? Answer: Wu Wang

Question #34 What do you call a group of officials who are picked to help run the government ? Answer: bureaucracy

Question #35 How did the Zhou kings control their dynasties? Answer: They had aristocrats in charge of their different territories.