1. SHOWS THE MAJOR CHINESE STATES JUST PRIOR TO THE EXTENDED MILITARY WARRING PERIOD BEFORE Qin became first great empire
They were looking for a way to end warfare, and 3 different ethical systems developed
Early China

2. Warmup
Take a guess (just for fun!): how many Chinese characters there are in the modern-day language?
Altogether there are over 50,000 characters, though a comprehensive modern dictionary will rarely list over 20,000 in use. An educated Chinese person will know about 8,000 characters, but you will only need about 2-3,000 to be able to read a newspaper.

3. Geography of China
The Huang He River is more than 2900 miles long.
It flows across central china and empties into Yellow Sea
12 percent of the total land is suitable for farming.
Much of China is mountainous and contains deserts.
The mountains and desert acted as barriers, separating the Chinese from the rest of the Asia
China is isolated because of natural barriers

4. Huang He River
Referred to as “China’s Sorrows” because floods, caused by the loess-clogged river, destroyed crops and led to mass starvation
Provided a source of water for cities
Linked cities within dynastic region
Flooding in China deposited rich soil for farming

5. Ancient China
Dynasty – A series of rulers from a single family.

6. Origins of Chinese Culture
Family and Society
Chief loyalty throughout life was to the family, then to the King, then to the country.

7. Origins of Chinese Culture
Religious Beliefs
Ancestral Worship – to show respect and honor of the family
They believed their ancestors had the power to bring good/bad fortune to living family members
Oracle Bones – used to communicate with the gods

8. Origins of Chinese Culture
Calligraphy
Each character represents one idea rather than a letter.
Literate – 1,000 characters
Educated – 10,000 characters
Difficult to learn because so many characters

9. Art as a Societal Reflection
During the Shang and Zhou dynasties, bronze statues, textiles, and lacquerware were highly regulated by the royal court
The court could choose to allow you to work on your artwork
Or not!
Bronze statue
Bronze statues like this one were often used in ritual services like sacrifices.
Lacquer bowl
Silk clothing

10. Art as a Societal Reflection
During the Han dynasty, a landowning and merchant class appeared and grew
Those people started having “leisure time” to paint, draw, create poetry & learn calligraphy
Professional artists versus common people became a class distinction
Calligraphy
Paintings

11. Art as a Social Reflection
Buddha
Religion, especially Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism, became very influential in artwork
Buddhist artwork showed a lot of peace, nature, and of course Buddha
Daoism was very influenced by the natural flow of life
Confucianism stressed filial piety in its artwork
Landscape
Loyalty to the emperor

12. Chinese Government Mandate of Heaven
In China, it is divine approval thought to be the basis of royal authority.
God-given right to rule

13. Chinese Government Dynastic Cycle
The historical pattern of the rise, decline and replacement of ruling dynasties.
Dynastic Cycle=Mandate of Heaven
Example: Zhou dynasty overthrew the Shang Dynasty claiming that the gods had given them the Mandate of Heaven

15. GREAT WALL OF CHINA Shi Huangdi forced poor people to build it
Built for protection from barbarians (Mongolian ancestors of Genghis Khan)
Great Wall of China

16. An Empire Unifies China
Zhou and Qin Dynasties

17. Zhou Dynasty Kings ruled China from 1027 BC to 256 BC
Did not follow Chinese values of social order, harmony, and respect for authority

18. Zhou Dynasty Inventions
Bronze coins
Iron-tipped ox-drawn plows

19. Confucius BC
China’s most influential scholar
Wanted to restore China’s ancient values of conformity and respect
Confucianism became the foundation for the Chinese government and social order
Bureaucracy – civil service exam to see who can get governments jobs
Education became very important in order to get better jobs
The teachings of Confucius had a philosophical impact on China giving the Scholars a higher social status

20. Confucius
Believed social order, harmony, and good government could be restored in China if society was organized around five basic relationships.
Ruler and Subject
Father and Son
-Filial Piety – respect for parents/elders
Husband and Wife
Older Brother and Younger Brother
Friend and Friend

21. Yin and Yang Two powers that represented the natural rhythms of life
Yin = feminine
Yang = masculine
Both complement/complete each other

22. Qin Dynasty Replaced Zhou Dynasty Shi Huangdi – First Chinese Emperor
Conquered the other Chinese states through complete annihilation
War used to be “a gentleman’s affair”
Shi Huangdi – First Chinese Emperor
Began rule at age 13
Employed Legalist ideas

23. Qin Dynasty
Highly efficient and powerful government that crushed opponents
Burned books by Confucius and other people who disagreed with the Emperor
Established an autocracy

24. Autocracy A government in which the ruler has unlimited power
Dictatorship/monarchy
Totalitarianism
How does the cartoon represent an autocracy?

25. Qin Dynasty
Set uniform standards for writing, law, currency, and measures
Forced peasants to build over 4,000 miles worth of roads
Irrigation systems helped improve farm production
Used forced labor to build the Great Wall of China to prevent invaders (Mongol descendants of Genghis Khan) from entering China

26. Great Wall of China
Built by peasants who were forced to work or face death
Around 1 million died
1,400 miles long and ft. high
CANNOT SEE THIS FROM SPACE WITH THE NAKED EYE!

27. Activity Xia (2070 – 1600 BC) Qin (221 – 207 BC) Han (206BC – 220 AD)
Timeline of Dynasties
Seven (7) groups of 4
One group will make the physical timeline of dynasties
The other groups will make: 1) lists of contributions/inventions 2) draw pictures 3) list famous scholars/emperors/artists/explorers/generals from those dynasties 4) list important events and religions
MAKE THESE COLORFUL AND AWESOME!
Xia (2070 – 1600 BC)
Qin (221 – 207 BC)
Han (206BC – 220 AD)
Middle Dynasties (220 – 960 AD)
Song and Yuan (960 – 1368 AD)
Ming and Qing (1368 – 1796 AD)

28. Example Timeline of Dynasties Pictures List of inventions
Important people
Important events and religions