1. River Dynasties in CHINA

2. Objectives
To explain the effects of geography on cultural development in China
To describe the growth and structure of the Shang Dynasty
To describe Shang family structure, religion, and technology
To summarize the rise and fall of the Zhou Dynasty

3. Map Label the following: Questions: Oceans Mountains Rivers
Pacific
Indian
Mountains
Himalayas
Rivers
Indus
Ganges
Huang He (Yellow)
Yangtze
Questions:
What geographic features might have prevented trade between China and the Indus Valley?
What area of China was weak to invasions? What physical features were located there?

4. Geography of China
Long distances and physical barriers separated it from Egypt, the Middle East, and India
This isolation led to the belief that China was the center of the earth and sole source of civilization

5. Tien Shan and Himalayas

6. Southeast Jungles

7. Gobi Desert

8. Regions:
China’s Heartland:
Huang He (yellow)
river, and the Yangzi
river supported
the largest
populations

9. Xinjiang, Mongolia, and Manchuria
Xinjiang and Mongolia are harsh and rugged
Mainly nomads and subsistence farmers
At times invaders from these regions conquered China
Genghis Khan and the Mongols

10. River of Sorrows Chinese history starts in Huang He valley
Called “yellow” river because of the loess that turns the river yellow
Called “China’s Sorrow” because of the constant flooding

11. First Dynasties Peking Man- Homo erectus
skeleton discovered near Beijing
on the Yellow River, settled 500,000 yrs ago
Myth: 2000 B.C.E. first civilization arose
Mythic ancestor of Chinese: P’an Ku
A leader named Yu tamed Huang He river
No written records
Fact
organized state rose around 2000 B.C.E. with irrigation of Hwang He river
By 1000 B.C.E.
Used pottery, Rode horses
Used Bronze, Introduced Iron
Writing developed
Scientific advances
Interest in music

12. Shang Dynasty 1532 B.C. E. Shang controlled Huang He valley
Invaders?
Dominated until
1027 B.C.E.
Decline due to Invasion
Characteristics:
First to leave written
Records
constructed impressive tombs and palaces

13. Writing
Oracle bones: animal bones or turtle shells on which priests wrote questions to ancestors or gods’
by interpreting the cracks in the bone, they answers were provided

14. Written Chinese 4,000 years ago
Each character represented a word or and idea
Over 10,000 characters
Calligraphy was an art form
Writing was a unifying force since not everyone spoke the same language.

15. Zhou Dynasty 1027 B.C. overthrew the Shang Lasted until 256 B.C.
To justify overthrowing the Shang, the Zhou promoted the idea of Mandate of Heaven, or divine right to rule
Explains the dynastic cycle
Floods and famine were a sign that the dynasty was out of favor with the gods.

17. Feudal States Zhou rewarded supporters with land
Feudalism: system of government in which local lords governed their own land but owed military service to ruler
Eventually feudalism became more powerful than the dynasty

18. Economic Growth Iron-making leads to more food production
New crops and irrigation systems
Commerce expanded, use of money
New roads and canals
Led to increase in population

19. Warring States Period
771 B.C.E. – nomads sacked the Zhou capital of Hao and murdered the monarch
A few family members escaped and ruled from new capital for 500 years
Powerless, couldn’t control noble families
Warlords claimed to be “kings” of territory
Led to “warring states” period
Warring States
Warfare changed, no longer honorable
Peasants main force on battlefield
New weapons such as a crossbow
Central values changed
No longer order, harmony, and respect for authority…. Now chaos, arrogance and defiance

21. Homework: