1. China

2. 1. Huang He River AKA- Yellow River
Gets it’s name from the rich yellow silt that it carries from Mongolia to the Pacific Ocean
Flooded the land, creating rich silt for farming
However, flooding also destroyed many houses and many people drowned
This led it to be called “China’s sorrow”

4. 2. The Yangtze River Longest river in Asia
Also had rich soil for farming

5. 3. China’s Geography
Only a little more than one tenth of China’s land can be farmed
Mountains and deserts cover most of the land

6. 4. Mountains and Deserts
China’s mountains and deserts acted as walls separating the Chinese from most other people
Chinese people united over time to form the “Middle Kingdom”

7. 5. The Shang Dynasty Anyang: China’s first capital
The people of the Shang Dynasty were divided into groups
The most powerful group was the king and his family
Shang kings chose warlords to govern the kingdom’s territories
Warlords: military leaders who command their own armies

8. 5. The Shang Dynasty (cnt.)
Warlords and aristocrats made up the upper class
Aristocrats: nobles whose wealth came from the land they owned
A few people were traders and artisans, but most people were farmers
Farmers worked the land that belonged to the aristocrats
Small number of slaves

9. 6. Religion in the Shang Dynasty
Worshipped gods and spirits
Believed that spirits lived in mountains, rivers, and seas
Offerings of goods made gods and spirits happy
Honored ancestors so that they would bring good luck in times of need

10. 7. Government in the Shang Dynasty
Kings believed that they received power and wisdom from gods, spirits, and ancestors
It was the duty of the King to contact ancestors, spirits, and gods before making important decisions
Kings asked for help using oracle bones

11. 8. Oracle Bones
Priests scratched questions on the bones and placed them on hot metal rods
This caused them to crack
They believed that the patterns of the cracks formed answers from the gods

12. 9. Chinese Language Pictographs: characters that stand for objects
Ideographs: join two or more pictographs to create an idea

13. 10. End of the Shang Dynasty
During the Shang dynasty, kings lived in luxury and began to treat people cruelly
An aristocrat named Wu Wang lead a rebellion to overthrow the Shang Dynasty

14. 11. Zhou Dynasty
Ruled for over 800 years, longer than any other dynasty in Chinese history
The Zhou kings were the head of the government
Under the king was a large bureaucracy
Bureaucracy: made up of appointed officials who are responsible for different areas of government

15. 12. Mandate of Heaven Mandate: formal order
Mandate of Heaven was a heavenly law that gave the Zhou king the power to rule because of his talent and virtue
King’s duty was to keep the gods happy
Gave the people rights
People had the right to overthrow a dishonest ruler
Natural disasters were signs that the king had lost the Mandate of Heaven

16. 13. Fall of the Zhou Dynasty
Local leaders became powerful and stopped obeying Zhou kings
Fighting broke out
200 years- “Period of the Warring States”
221 B.C. the ruler of Qin used a cavalry to defeat the Zhou Dynasty and set up the Qin Dynasty

17. 14. Life in Ancient China Nine out of ten Chinese were farmers
Farmers ranked above merchants and looked down on them
Filial Piety: children had to respect their parents and older relatives
Men grew crops, went to school, ran the government, and fought wars
Women stayed home and raised children

18. Chinese Philosophies Confucianism Daoism Legalism Founder Confucius
Laozi
Hanfeizi
Main Ideas
People should put the needs of their family and community first
People should give up worldly desires in favor of nature and the Dao
Society needs a system of harsh laws and strict punishment

19. 15. Qin Dynasty Qin Shihuangdi- “the First Qin Emperor”
Based rule on legalism
Had anyone who opposed him killed or punished
Made the central government strong
Unified China
One currency

20. 16. Great Wall of China
Nomads from the Gobi Desert, called “Xiongnu”, often attacked
Built walls to keep them out
This STARTED the Great Wall of China (rest was built 1,500 years later)

21. 17. End of the Qin Dynasty Qin Shihuangdi was viewed as cruel by many
Aristocrats didn’t like him because he reduced their power
Scholars didn’t like him because he burned their writings
Farmers hated him for forcing them to build roads and the Great Wall
Four years after his death, civil war broke out and the Qin Dynasty was overthrown

22. 18. Han Dynasty Founded by Liu Bang in 202 B.C.
Once a peasant, but became a military leader
Declared himself Han Gaozu- “Exalted Emperor of Han”
Threw out harsh policies of the Qin dynasty

23. 19. Han Wudi Han dynasty reached it's peak under Han Wudi
Wanted talented people to fill government posts
Created long, difficult, tests that people had to take and pass in order to get a government job
These tests became “civil service examinations”

24. 20. Fall of the Han Dynasty
During the Han dynasty, the population grew from 20 million to 60 million
Lived in peace for 150 years
Emperors after Han Wudi were weak and foolish, causing the central government to lose respect and power
Wars, rebellions, and plots against the emperor caused the fall of the Han dynasty

25. 21. The Silk Road
Silk Road: large network of trade routes stretching 4,000 miles from western China to southwest Asia
Trip over the Silk Road was expensive because merchants had to pay taxes to kingdoms along the way
Carried only expensive goods