1. China Classic Empires

2. China’s Geography Huang He Yangtze Yellow Sea Huang He
The Yellow River, aka China’s sorrow because of frequent flooding.
Yangtze
(Chang Jiang)
Yellow Sea
North China Plain
Plain between two major rivers. Most populated area of China.
Huang He
Yangtze
Yellow
Sea

3. China’s Geography Tian Gobi Taklimakan Himalaya Plateau of Tibet
Fertile Land
10% of the land is good for agriculture
Physical Landscape
Desert: Gobi
Taklimakan Desert
Mountains
Himalaya
Tian Shan
Plateau of Tibet
High plateau N. of the Himalaya.
Tian
Gobi
Taklimakan
Plateau
of Tibet
Himalaya

4. Quick Check How would you describe the Geography of China?
How can this geography influence settlement patterns?
Can the geography affect how people move around? Relate to each other? Explain.

5. Zhou Dynasty 1027-221 BCE Political Structure
Lasted almost 900 years, longest lasting dynasty in Chinese history
Political Structure
The top of political structure was a King. The King was the link between heaven and earth and had divine-like powers. He ruled by the Mandate of Heaven.
Decentralized gov’t: Feudalism

6. Life Under the Zhou Irrigation and Water Projects Farming Advancements
Began to control the flow of rivers to water crops. Farming could be more reliable without dependence on rains. Remember only 10% of their land was arable.
Farming Advancements
Iron plows, increase arable land.
Changes in Warfare
Iron Weapons were developed.
Infantry (foot soldiers) and Cavalry (soldiers on horseback) became more prevalent.
Began to use the crossbow

7. Life Under the Zhou Trade
An agricultural surplus led to an increase in trade.
The most important trade item was silk.
Silk is made from the cocoons of silkworms
Cultural diffusion – spread of cultures through trade.

8. Life Under the Zhou Filial Piety Role of Women
Family members were responsible to obey the needs and wants of the male head of the family.
Everyone had to know their place.
Children were expected to provide for their parents in old age
Role of Women
Ancient China was a patriarchal, or male dominated, society.
Some women had power, but this was generally looked down upon.
Women were expected to raise children and work in the home.

9. Mandate of Heaven/Dynastic Cycle
The mandate of heaven was used to explain the rise and fall of different dynasties.
When a ruler took over they claimed they had earned the mandate of heaven, or they would not have been able to win. This was closely tied to the Dynastic Cycle
Dao: The Way
The King was responsible to rule by the Dao, he had to keep the gods happy to protect people from natural disaster, or bad harvest.
If he didn’t do this he would lose power.

10. The Dynastic Cycle New Ruler Gains the Mandate of Heaven
Dynasty founded by powerful leader
Period of Rebellion
Ruler loses the Mandate of Heaven
Period of Great Power and Prosperity
Golden Age
Period of Decline and Corruption

11. Decline of Zhou Later Zhou rulers began to become corrupt.
Warring States Period
Civil war broke out between the kingdoms
At the end of this the emperor Qin Shihuangdi of Qin dynasty unified China under a single leader, becoming the first Emperor of China.

12. Qin (Chin) Dynasty Modern China named after Qin 221-206 BCE
First Emperor came to power in 221 BCE
Shi Huangdi (Shihuangdi)
Came to power at the age of 13

13. Shi Huangdi Ruling philosophy – Legalism
Needed a stable gov’t after Warring state period
Style of rule – centralized power to avoid another civil war
Treatment of people
People who opposed his rule were punished or executed
Held mass book burnings to get rid of ideas contrary to what he believed
Started to persecute other philosophies

14. Shi Huangdi
Reforms
Unified written Chinese, having a common written language allowed for easier communication
Created a single currency to make trade easier
Built roads throughout empire to make travel easier
Dug the Grand Canal from the Yangtze to Central China to make trade and travel easier
Centralized administrative system
Standard system of weights and measures
Simplified standard alphabet
Began work on the Great Wall

15. Great Wall Xiongnu – nomadic warriors to the north of China
Kept invading along the northern borders
Mastered the art of fighting on horseback, using horse archers to attack
Shi Huangdi ordered that a wall be built across the northern border
Already some walls, had them joined together
Massive construction project
Many people died and are allegedly buried inside the wall

16. The Great Wall is the world's longest man-made structure, stretching over 6,352 km
(3,948 miles)

18. Fall of the Qin Dynasty
Shi Huangdi accomplished his work in only ten years
Drove his people mercilessly
Imposed heavy taxes, imposed forced labor, and brutally crushed all hints of dissent
Many angered by Shihuangdi’s harsh rule
After his death, another period of civil war
Next dynasty became one of the greatest and longest lasting in Chinese History

19. TerraCotta Army
Emperor Qin built a huge tomb, containing a life-sized army constructed of terra cotta soldiers. It took more than 700,000 men 38 years to construct it.

20. Qin Check
What were the accomplishments/achievements of the Qin Dynasty?
What caused the decline of the Qin Dynasty?

21. Han Dynasty 202 B.C. through 220 A.D.
Emperor Gaozu is the 1st Emperor of the Han Dynasty.
He begins restoring order and a sense of justice to the empire - - attempting to unify China.
Lowers taxes
Eases off legalist policies and ideas
Appoints Confucian scholars as advisers
This sets foundation for a strong Han dynasty.

22. Emperor Wudi….AKA Wu

23. 141 B.C B.C.
Known for strengthening the government and economy.
He set up Confucian academies and made Confucianism the state philosophy.
Economic growth came from improvements to canals and roads.
Granaries were set up across the empire to buy and store grain …controlling the market when it was scarce.

24. 141 B.C. - - - 87 B.C. Created a monopoly on iron and salt.
What is a monopoly?
Expansionism was practiced under Wudi’s leadership. The empire stretched to Central Asia, Korea and Vietnam.
What was expansionism?

25. 141 B.C B.C.
Established an overland trade route, such as the “Silk Road”, which connected China to the Roman Empire and other regions.
Silk Road - Trade goods, ideas, and diseases exchanged
Emperor Wu of Han sought horses to fend off the nomadic horsemen raiding Chinese villages
What brought the decline of the Han Empire? (p. 92)

26. Decline of Han Dynasty Infighting among ruling elites
Inequitable distribution of land - tax burden fell on peasants rather than on large landowners
Series of peasant rebellions
Generals usurp (take over) political power - become warlords

27. Decline of Han Dynasty
220 CE generals divide empire into three kingdoms.
Emigration of nomadic peoples into Northern China kept country disunited

28. Han Check Why was the Han period known as the Golden Age for China?
What were the accomplishments/achievements of the Han Dynasty?
What caused the decline of the Han Dynasty?

29. Main Philosophies of Chinese Empires