1. China

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

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

6. 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

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

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

9. 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