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Asian Empires. Korea. Classical China. was centered on the Huang He River ( Yellow River ) and was geographically isolated. Gobi Desert. Huange He River. Geographical barriers include the Gobi Desert in the northwest. Himalaya Mountains in the southwest .
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Asian Empires Korea
Classical China was centered on the Huang He River (Yellow River) and was geographically isolated. Gobi Desert Huange He River
Geographical barriers include the Gobi Desert in the northwest. Himalaya Mountainsinthe southwest. Yellow Sea, to the east, and South China Sea to the southeast.
Barbarian invaders raided Chinese settlement in the North. These barbarians were the Mongols, skillful horseman who raised trouble with the Chinese.
Mongol Armies • Destroyed cities and countryside • Conquered China, Russia, and Muslim states in SW Asia • Created the largest empire ever
Genghis Khan, ruler of the Mongols, conquered most of Asia, including China and Russia. He ruled and conquered using great strategies and fear. He believed in terrifying his enemies.
Due to these invasions from the North, China builds a man-made barrier to keep the Mongols out, the Great Wall of China.
The Great Wall of China was built by Qin Shi Huangdi, emperor of China. It was built as a line of defense against invasions from the North.
Qin Shi Huangdi First Chinese Emperor. Terracotta army buried with Shi Huangdi. Over 2,000 of them.
China was governed by a succession of ruling families called dynasties. Chinese rulers were considered divine. The godsgave them the right to rule as long as their rule was just.
They served under a Mandate of Heaven. Dynastic Cycle Dynasty is founded by a powerful leader Period of Rebellion and overthrow of Dynasty Period of great power and prosperity Period of Decline
Silk Road It facilitatedtrade. Helped to maintain contact between China and other cultures as far away as Rome
The Silk Road extends from China to the Mediterranean Sea. This helped with Cultural Diffusion, spreading ideas and culture from China to Rome.
Trade was spread from such cities as, Xi’an (Chang’an) in China to Samarkand in Uzbekistan.
Besides spreading trade, the Silk Road was used to spread such ideas as religion. Buddhism, one of India’s main faiths, spread to China on these major trade routes.
China’s Contributions Many scientific and technological advances came about during the Tang and Song Dynasties. Porcelain a white ceramic made of a special clay and mineral only found in China
Silk was kept secret for thousands of years by the Chinese. They raised worms which feed off of mulberry leaves. The worms are killed in their cocoons and then unwrapped as a continuous thread of over 2,000 feet. It takes approximately 2,000 cocoons to make a pound of silk. Silk production was eventually spread to other Asian countries like Japan.
Paper • Paper making technology spread from China to the Muslim world and from there to Byzantium and Western Europe
Block Printing was invented by the Chinese. A printer would carve a word or letter in a block of wood, ink the block, and then print. Chinese writing is made up of thousands of characters.
Paper money was invented to replace the heavy metal coins used by merchants, especially those crossing the silk road.
Water Wheels • Used the movement of running water to provide power to grind grain. • Technology spread to Europe during the Middle • Ages.
Magnetic Compass • Before its invention, navigators had to depend on the positions of the sun, the moon, and the north star for their bearings. Used by the Chinese for centuries before the compass reached Europe. Helped to make the Chinese powerful seamen.
Civil Service - A system developed during the HanDynasty. Chinese civilians could take examinations to see what governmentjobs they qualified for.
This system of testing was well received by Confucian scholars. The Civil Service system was part of the Chinese bureaucracy. It included 18 ranks of civil service jobs.
Confucianism Confucianism was never a religion, it was a philosophy. It became the foundation for Chinese government and social order.
"Confucius cared most about people and was perhaps the first great humanist in history."--Sanderson Beck Confucius spread beyond China and influenced civilizations throughout East Asia. For Confucius, social order of family and governmentwere the most important.
His disciples wrote The Analects, a compiling of Confucius beliefs. These beliefs included: Belief that humans are good, notbad Respect for elders
Emphasis on education Ancestor worship Helped to form the social orderin China Code of politeness still used in Chinese society today
Taoism (Daoism) Viewed by Chinese as a philosophy and a religion. Chinese thinker, Laozi, is the founder. His values for people included:
Humility - people can do little to influence the outcome of events Simple lifeandinner peace - by seeking harmony with nature.
Laozi believed that governmentshould do as little as possible and leave the people alone. Yin/Yangrepresent opposite for both Confucianism and Taoism. It is the balance of opposites(i.e. good/bad, dark/light, man/woman)
Buddhism Begins in India and spreads throughout Asia
Is a religion that stressed that everyone could reach Nirvana - inner peace. In order to reach Nirvana Buddhist most follow: Four Noble Truths Eightfold Path
Buddhism is divided into two major sects: Mahayana and Theravada
Mahayana - this sect offered salvation to all who worked to save humanity. Primarily found in Tibet, Mongolia, China, Korea, and Japan.
Theravada - this sect held to the Buddha’s strict, original teachings. Practiced primarily in Burma, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam.
