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China

China. 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

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China

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  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

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