China

Geography Long Rivers, fertile soils, isolated valleys Yangtze and Huang He (Yellow) Unpredictable flooding (River of Sorrows) Annual flooding deposited silt Meandering river leads to decentralized government, feudalism Gobi desert also leads to areas isolated, southern area lots rain-good for rice Northern cool and dry-good for grains, isolated

Politics Feudalism-land based government because of isolated pockets Shang dynasty controls Huang He Valley, first organized state Zhou dynasty Government works- palaces, tombs, roads, irrigation Dynastic cycle-Mandate of Heaven, loss of Mandate justifies new dynasty

Economics Farming based economy Northern farms wheat, southern rice Trade with west, to India, SILK ROAD, Cities along the silk road and prosper Silk is unique product, rich Use shells for currency as early as 1800BCE Bronze coins 400BCE, paper money 1100 CE Mining as industry, use of slaves Domesticate animals

Religion Polytheistic, many gods based nature Confucianism and Daoism Worship ancestor spirits Afterlife Oracle bones for predictions Sacrifice small items, food, etc. on alters

Society Hierarchy: Kings, courts-practice to keep Mandate of Heaven Nobles, priests Warrior Artisans, scribes, merchants Farmers Slaves Feudalism, most of population farmed Fathers control daughters, sell slavery, arrange marriages

Intellect Silk, umbrella Paper, first books, =record keeping excels Pictographs, over 1000 symbols Seismograph, astronomy, mathematics Alcohol Bronze Considered themselves Middle Kingdom

Arts Paintings, sculpture Caligraphy Music, dance, literature Pottery, agriculture-collars for animals silks

Decline Shang 1000BCE fall to Zhou-classical period Dynasties decline, lose favor, and are replaced by new dynasties= dynastic cycle Signs of decline are natural disaster, loss of sons, food shortages, military conquest Interpret sign of corruption to justify loss