Bell Ringer Chapter 10: Early China Lesson 1: The Birth of Chinese Civilization Bell Ringer Look at the map of China on pages 276-277: What bodies of water border Chinese lands to the east? What do you think causes the borders of countries to change?

Guiding Question How have rivers, mountains, and deserts shaped the development of China’s civilization? The Land of China Like Egypt, Mesopotamia, and India, China also developed along a river China has gone through many changes over the centuries, but is still a very strong and growing civilization today.

Powerful Rivers The Huang He River stretches across China for 2,900 miles Huang He means “yellow river” The river spreads fertile yellow soil downstream Farmers use this soil to grow lots of wheat on small pieces of land Since 600 BC there have been 1,500 floods of the Huang He These floods have taken millions of lives Nicknamed the river “China’s Sorrow” Over time, people of China moved south along the Yangtze River Runs about 3,915 miles (3rd largest river in the world!) This river also provided rich soil for farming rice It was also an important waterway for trade and transportation

Mountains and Desert Mountains and desert cover most of China’s land Only 1/10th can be used for farming The Himalaya mountains separate China from South Asia The Kunlun Shan and Tian Shan mountains run through wester China The Gobi desert is very rocky and lies east of the Tian Shan mountains This rugged physical geography of China kept t isolated from other civilizations China developed a very unique culture They thought their kingdom was the center of the world

The Himalaya Mountains

Guiding Question Why did China’s Shang rulers become powerful? The First Chinese Dynasty Most of what we know about the early people of China comes from what they left behind Artifacts that date back thousands of years show the Huang He River valley was the birthplace of Chinese civilization As their population grew, the Chinese began building towns along the river

Myths and Legends Who were the Shang? The ancient Chinese created myths to explain the creation of the world Yu the Great dug the first channels to control floods Huang He floods He also founded China’s first dynasty, the Xia dynasty around 2000 BC Archaeologists have found no evidence of the Xia dynasty, instead they think the Shang dynasty was the first around 1750 BC Who were the Shang? Archaeologists have found evidence the Shang built the first cities in China Anyang was the royal capital of the empire The king was most powerful person and served as the political, religious, and military leader

The Shang (continued) At first, the Shang only controlled a small part of northern China Eventually, they would conquer and rule all of the people in the Huang He river valley Kings would appoint Warlords to govern local territories The Kings relied on them to stay in power Warlords and other royal officials made up the upper class, called aristocrats They were wealthy because they owned land They passed this land down to their children Most people were farmers They worked the lands owned by aristocrats Smaller groups included merchants, artisans, and slaves People in Shang China worshipped many gods Shang Ti ruled as the supreme god over the lesser gods They believed gods lived in the mountains and seas, and could control good/bad fortune

Seeking Guidance from Ancestors Shang Kings believed they received the power to rule from the gods, and their wisdom from their ancestors Religion and government were closely linked Kings would contact gods and ancestors before major decisions The kings asked for help using oracle bones Priests would write questions on bones and heat them until they cracked, reading the crack patterns as answers Shang Arts The Chinese made some of the finest bronze objects ever found Poured melted bronze in clay molds These objects included sculptures, daggers, vases, cups, and urns Chinese artists and artisans made many important advances Weavers used silk produced by silkworms to make colorful clothing for wealthy people Artisans crafted vases and dishes from kaolin, a fine white clay They also carved statues from ivory and jade, a green stone

Jade Stone

Guiding Question How did the Zhou claim the right to rule China? The Zhou: China’s Longest Dynasty Legend says the last Shang ruler was an evil tyrant 1045 BC – rebels led by Wu Wang overthrew the Shang government Wu declared a new dynasty called the Zhou The Zhou dynasty lasted for more than 800 years This was longer than any other dynasty in Chinese history

How did the Zhou rule China? Zhou kings governed China much like the Shang The king led government with the help of a bureaucracy Developed a strong army to bring weaker kingdoms under their rule The Zhou kingdom became larger than the Shang The kingdom was divided into territories ran by aristocrats The positions held by aristocrats was hereditary The Chinese believed their kings represented them to the gods Kings would perform religious ceremonies The kings claimed they had the right to rule China because they had the Mandate of Heaven

The Right to Rule Technology and Trade The Mandate of Heaven is the belief that the Chinese right to rule came from the gods This stated the idea that the gods chose a wise and good person to rule honestly The Zhou people expected the kings to rule by the proper dao If there was a bad harvest or natural disaster it meant the king failed and could be replaced Technology and Trade Chinese farmers relied on the rain to water their crops for many centuries During the Zhou dynasty, farmers developed new systems of irrigation Trade expanded greatly during the Zhou dynasty Chinese silk was found as far away as Greece

War Between the States The aristocrats who ruled the territories grew very powerful over time The began to ignore the king’s commands They began to fight one another for more power These wars began around 400 BC and lasted for nearly 200 years The aristocrats needed to make their armies larger to fight these wars They forced farmers to serve as soldiers Chinese soldiers were armed with swords, crossbows, and spears Over the years they began using horses in battle and invented the saddle and stirrup This allowed soldiers to use their weapons while riding horses

Define each content vocabulary word. Individual Activity Content Vocabulary Define each content vocabulary word. Write a sentence about each word using information in the text book that is not part of the definition.

Lesson 2: Society and Culture in Ancient China Chapter 10 Lesson 2: Society and Culture in Ancient China Bell Ringer Why did Shang kings have questions scratched into oracle bones? Why do you think many Chinese today practice the ancient craft of pictographs?

Guiding Question How did Chinese thinkers influence society and government? Chinese Philosophies Many Chinese looked for ways to end the violence during the Period of the Warring States Entire villages of men, women, and children would be wiped out by armies 500 BC – 200 BC 3 major philosophies developed Confucianism, Daoism, and legalism Each philosophy was different, but they had the same goal Each wanted to create a well-run, peaceful society

What Ideas Did Confucius Teach? Confucianism was based on the ideas of a man named Confucius He was born a farmer around 550 BC during the Warring States Period He criticized the kings for their actions Said that if people lived like their ancestors it would bring peace Duty is a major idea in Confucianism This means a person places the needs of family/community over their own Each person has certain duties to fulfill He believed that if each person fulfilled these duties, society would prosper Urged people to seek knowledge “By extensively...studying all learning, and keeping himself under the restraint of the rules of propriety, one may thus likewise not err...from what is right.“ - Confucius

The Influence of Confucius He believed that serving the government should be open to everyone, not just people born to noble families Aristocrats did not like this because they didn’t want to give up their power Over time, China began choosing people through civil service tests Many people followed his teachings and collected them in a book called the Analects After he died in 479 BC, his teachings spread throughout China They continued to shape Chinese government up until the AD 1900s

The Philosophy of Daoism Dao means “path”, often translated as “the Way” Began with the ideas of Laozi, who lived during the same time as Confucius Daoism teaches that people should: Free themselves of worldly desires and live simply Focus on nature and the Dao Differed from Confucianism by teaching that instead of fulfilling their duties, they should just live in harmony with nature Some people believed in both Daoism and Confucianism

Legalism Legalism stressed the importance of a system of laws Became known as the “School of Law” These ideas were introduced by Hanfeizi around 200s BC Unlike Confucius or Laozi, he believed: Humans are naturally evil Strict laws and harsh punishments are necessary to make people behave Many aristocrats liked this because it allowed them to enforce their rules This led to cruel punishments for event the smallest crimes

Guiding Question How was early Chinese society organized? Chinese Life Society was made up of four social classes: Land owning aristocrats Farmers Artisans Merchants

Lives of the Aristocrats These families were very wealthy They owned large estates with big houses, courtyards, and gardens They had finely crafted furniture and carpets in every room After the father died, families would split the land up between all of the male heirs This resulted in the heirs owning much smaller properties Lives of the farmers About 9 out of 10 Chinese farmed for a living They lived in rural villages surrounded by mud walls The farmers rented fields owned by aristocrats by paying them with part of their crops Farmers owned a small plot of land for personal use The government required certain things from the farmers: Required to pay taxes Required to help build roads Required to fight during war time

Artisans and Merchants Artisans were skilled workers who made useful object Many were architects, artists, and woodworkers Many learned their trade from their fathers, and passed it on to their sons Merchants lived in towns and provided goods/services Some became wealthy, but were not respected by society People thought they were only interested in their own gain, not what’s best for society Merchants were banned from government jobs

Chinese Families Roles of Men and Women The family was at the center of Chinese society Farmers had many children to help with the work Chinese families took care of members in need They practiced filial piety This was the idea that people should obey and respect their parents Required people to take care of their parents as they grow older The oldest male was the head of the family Their needs came before everyone else This was very important in Confucianism Roles of Men and Women Men were respected for the jobs they did (farming, attending school, running government, fighting) These jobs were considered more important than women’s Women mostly raised children, managed the house and finances

Complete BOTH Guiding Questions. Individual Activity Complete BOTH Guiding Questions. WRITE 5 SENTENCE PARAGRAPHS FOR EACH. USE SPECIFIC EXAMPLES FROM THE TEXT IN YOUR ANSWERS.