1. Bell Ringer Chapter 10: Early China
Lesson 1: The Birth of Chinese Civilization
Bell Ringer
Look at the map of China on pages :
What bodies of water border Chinese lands to the east?
What do you think causes the borders of countries to change?

2. Guiding Question How have rivers, mountains, and deserts shaped the development of China’s civilization?
The Land of China
Like Egypt, Mesopotamia, and India, China also developed along a river
China has gone through many changes over the centuries, but is still a very strong and growing civilization today.

3. Powerful Rivers
The Huang He River stretches across China for 2,900 miles
Huang He means “yellow river”
The river spreads fertile yellow soil downstream
Farmers use this soil to grow lots of wheat on small pieces of land
Since 600 BC there have been 1,500 floods of the Huang He
These floods have taken millions of lives
Nicknamed the river “China’s Sorrow”
Over time, people of China moved south along the Yangtze River
Runs about 3,915 miles (3rd largest river in the world!)
This river also provided rich soil for farming rice
It was also an important waterway for trade and transportation

4. Mountains and Desert Mountains and desert cover most of China’s land
Only 1/10th can be used for farming
The Himalaya mountains separate China from South Asia
The Kunlun Shan and Tian Shan mountains run through wester China
The Gobi desert is very rocky and lies east of the Tian Shan mountains
This rugged physical geography of China kept t isolated from other civilizations
China developed a very unique culture
They thought their kingdom was the center of the world

5. The Himalaya Mountains

6. Guiding Question Why did China’s Shang rulers become powerful?
The First Chinese Dynasty
Most of what we know about the early people of China comes from what they left behind
Artifacts that date back thousands of years show the Huang He River valley was the birthplace of Chinese civilization
As their population grew, the Chinese began building towns along the river

7. Myths and Legends Who were the Shang?
The ancient Chinese created myths to explain the creation of the world
Yu the Great dug the first channels to control floods Huang He floods
He also founded China’s first dynasty, the Xia dynasty around 2000 BC
Archaeologists have found no evidence of the Xia dynasty, instead they think the Shang dynasty was the first around 1750 BC
Who were the Shang?
Archaeologists have found evidence the Shang built the first cities in China
Anyang was the royal capital of the empire
The king was most powerful person and served as the political, religious, and military leader

8. The Shang (continued)
At first, the Shang only controlled a small part of northern China
Eventually, they would conquer and rule all of the people in the Huang He river valley
Kings would appoint Warlords to govern local territories
The Kings relied on them to stay in power
Warlords and other royal officials made up the upper class, called aristocrats
They were wealthy because they owned land
They passed this land down to their children
Most people were farmers
They worked the lands owned by aristocrats
Smaller groups included merchants, artisans, and slaves
People in Shang China worshipped many gods
Shang Ti ruled as the supreme god over the lesser gods
They believed gods lived in the mountains and seas, and could control good/bad fortune

9. Seeking Guidance from Ancestors
Shang Kings believed they received the power to rule from the gods, and their wisdom from their ancestors
Religion and government were closely linked
Kings would contact gods and ancestors before major decisions
The kings asked for help using oracle bones
Priests would write questions on bones and heat them until they cracked, reading the crack patterns as answers
Shang Arts
The Chinese made some of the finest bronze objects ever found
Poured melted bronze in clay molds
These objects included sculptures, daggers, vases, cups, and urns
Chinese artists and artisans made many important advances
Weavers used silk produced by silkworms to make colorful clothing for wealthy people
Artisans crafted vases and dishes from kaolin, a fine white clay
They also carved statues from ivory and jade, a green stone

10. Jade Stone

11. Guiding Question How did the Zhou claim the right to rule China?
The Zhou: China’s Longest Dynasty
Legend says the last Shang ruler was an evil tyrant
1045 BC – rebels led by Wu Wang overthrew the Shang government
Wu declared a new dynasty called the Zhou
The Zhou dynasty lasted for more than 800 years
This was longer than any other dynasty in Chinese history

12. How did the Zhou rule China?
Zhou kings governed China much like the Shang
The king led government with the help of a bureaucracy
Developed a strong army to bring weaker kingdoms under their rule
The Zhou kingdom became larger than the Shang
The kingdom was divided into territories ran by aristocrats
The positions held by aristocrats was hereditary
The Chinese believed their kings represented them to the gods
Kings would perform religious ceremonies
The kings claimed they had the right to rule China because they had the Mandate of Heaven

13. The Right to Rule Technology and Trade
The Mandate of Heaven is the belief that the Chinese right to rule came from the gods
This stated the idea that the gods chose a wise and good person to rule honestly
The Zhou people expected the kings to rule by the proper dao
If there was a bad harvest or natural disaster it meant the king failed and could be replaced
Technology and Trade
Chinese farmers relied on the rain to water their crops for many centuries
During the Zhou dynasty, farmers developed new systems of irrigation
Trade expanded greatly during the Zhou dynasty
Chinese silk was found as far away as Greece

14. War Between the States
The aristocrats who ruled the territories grew very powerful over time
The began to ignore the king’s commands
They began to fight one another for more power
These wars began around 400 BC and lasted for nearly 200 years
The aristocrats needed to make their armies larger to fight these wars
They forced farmers to serve as soldiers
Chinese soldiers were armed with swords, crossbows, and spears
Over the years they began using horses in battle and invented the saddle and stirrup
This allowed soldiers to use their weapons while riding horses

15. Define each content vocabulary word.
Individual Activity
Content Vocabulary
Define each content vocabulary word.
Write a sentence about each word using information in the text book that is not part of the definition.

16. Lesson 2: Society and Culture in Ancient China
Chapter 10
Lesson 2: Society and Culture in Ancient China
Bell Ringer
Why did Shang kings have questions scratched into oracle bones?
Why do you think many Chinese today practice the ancient craft of pictographs?

17. Guiding Question How did Chinese thinkers influence society and government?
Chinese Philosophies
Many Chinese looked for ways to end the violence during the Period of the Warring States
Entire villages of men, women, and children would be wiped out by armies
500 BC – 200 BC
3 major philosophies developed
Confucianism, Daoism, and legalism
Each philosophy was different, but they had the same goal
Each wanted to create a well-run, peaceful society

18. What Ideas Did Confucius Teach?
Confucianism was based on the ideas of a man named Confucius
He was born a farmer around 550 BC during the Warring States Period
He criticized the kings for their actions
Said that if people lived like their ancestors it would bring peace
Duty is a major idea in Confucianism
This means a person places the needs of family/community over their own
Each person has certain duties to fulfill
He believed that if each person fulfilled these duties, society would prosper
Urged people to seek knowledge
“By extensively...studying all learning, and keeping himself under the restraint of the rules of propriety, one may thus likewise not err...from what is right.“
- Confucius

19. The Influence of Confucius
He believed that serving the government should be open to everyone, not just people born to noble families
Aristocrats did not like this because they didn’t want to give up their power
Over time, China began choosing people through civil service tests
Many people followed his teachings and collected them in a book called the Analects
After he died in 479 BC, his teachings spread throughout China
They continued to shape Chinese government up until the AD 1900s

20. The Philosophy of Daoism
Dao means “path”, often translated as “the Way”
Began with the ideas of Laozi, who lived during the same time as Confucius
Daoism teaches that people should:
Free themselves of worldly desires and live simply
Focus on nature and the Dao
Differed from Confucianism by teaching that instead of fulfilling their duties, they should just live in harmony with nature
Some people believed in both Daoism and Confucianism

21. Legalism Legalism stressed the importance of a system of laws
Became known as the “School of Law”
These ideas were introduced by Hanfeizi around 200s BC
Unlike Confucius or Laozi, he believed:
Humans are naturally evil
Strict laws and harsh punishments are necessary to make people behave
Many aristocrats liked this because it allowed them to enforce their rules
This led to cruel punishments for event the smallest crimes

22. Guiding Question How was early Chinese society organized?
Chinese Life
Society was made up of four social classes:
Land owning aristocrats
Farmers
Artisans
Merchants

23. Lives of the Aristocrats
These families were very wealthy
They owned large estates with big houses, courtyards, and gardens
They had finely crafted furniture and carpets in every room
After the father died, families would split the land up between all of the male heirs
This resulted in the heirs owning much smaller properties
Lives of the farmers
About 9 out of 10 Chinese farmed for a living
They lived in rural villages surrounded by mud walls
The farmers rented fields owned by aristocrats by paying them with part of their crops
Farmers owned a small plot of land for personal use
The government required certain things from the farmers:
Required to pay taxes
Required to help build roads
Required to fight during war time

24. Artisans and Merchants
Artisans were skilled workers who made useful object
Many were architects, artists, and woodworkers
Many learned their trade from their fathers, and passed it on to their sons
Merchants lived in towns and provided goods/services
Some became wealthy, but were not respected by society
People thought they were only interested in their own gain, not what’s best for society
Merchants were banned from government jobs

25. Chinese Families Roles of Men and Women
The family was at the center of Chinese society
Farmers had many children to help with the work
Chinese families took care of members in need
They practiced filial piety
This was the idea that people should obey and respect their parents
Required people to take care of their parents as they grow older
The oldest male was the head of the family
Their needs came before everyone else
This was very important in Confucianism
Roles of Men and Women
Men were respected for the jobs they did (farming, attending school, running government, fighting)
These jobs were considered more important than women’s
Women mostly raised children, managed the house and finances

26. Complete BOTH Guiding Questions.
Individual Activity
Complete BOTH Guiding Questions.
WRITE 5 SENTENCE PARAGRAPHS FOR EACH.
USE SPECIFIC EXAMPLES FROM THE TEXT IN YOUR ANSWERS.