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Early Chinese Civilizations

Early Chinese Civilizations. Mr. Bermudez. The Impact of Geography. Yellow River Yangtze River Great Food Producing Regions Only 10% of China’s Land is Suitable for Farming China Very Isolated. The Shang Dynasty. 1750-1045 B.C.E

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Early Chinese Civilizations

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  1. Early Chinese Civilizations Mr. Bermudez

  2. The Impact of Geography • Yellow River • Yangtze River • Great Food Producing Regions • Only 10% of China’s Land is Suitable for Farming • China Very Isolated

  3. The Shang Dynasty • 1750-1045 B.C.E • Aristocracy: upper class whose power is passed from one generation to the next. • Shang Kings divided realm into territories, governed by aristocratic military leaders • Had the power to choose and remove • Chinese kings buried in royal tombs with faithful servents

  4. Shang Dynasty

  5. Religion and Culture • Oracle Bones: communicates with supernatural forces; asking questions • Believed in life after death • Ancestor worship • Known for bronze casting

  6. The Zhou Dynasty • 1045-256 B.C.E (longest lasting dynasty) • Large complex bureaucracy • Mandate of Heaven: King ruled by authority of heaven • King keeps the order in the universe • Must rule with goodness and efficiency • Must rule by the Dao: the Way. Keep the gods pleased

  7. Social Structure • Filial Piety: Duty of members of the family to male head of family • Everyone has a place • Concept is important to Confucianism • Male supremacy

  8. Zhou Accomplishments • Irrigation Systems: • More food=population reaches 50 Million • Chinese Silk Manufacturing • Pictographs: Picture symbols/character which represent objects • Ideographs: characters that combine two or more pictographs to represent an idea.

  9. Fall of the Zhou Dynasty • Bad leadership • Period of the Warring States: 403 B.C.E civil war

  10. Chinese Philosophy • Confucianism, Daoism, and Legalism • Dominated Chinese thinking • Concerned about the material world and CREATING A STABLE SOCIETY

  11. Confucianism • Confucius: First Teacher. Upset about the violence and moral decay of his time • Confucianism: system of Confucian idea, written down in the Analects • Political and Ethical- not spiritual • Collective not individual • Filial Piety • Merit not hereditary rank

  12. Confucius Says • “If there is righteousness in the heart, there will be beauty in the character. If there is beauty in the character; there will be harmony in the home. If there is harmony in the home, there will be order in the nation. If there is order in the nation, there will be peace in the world. • “ Let the ruler be filial and kind to all people; then they will be faithful to him.” • “Do not do unto others what you would not wish done to yourself”

  13. Daoism • Laozi: Old Master; The Way of the Dao • Daoism: doesn’t concern itself with the meaning of the universe. Rather it sets human behavior. • Way to follow will of heaven is not through action but inaction • Do not interfere with the natural order • “The Universe is sacred. You cannot improve it. If you try to change it you will ruin it. If you try to hold it, you will lose it.”

  14. Legalism • Legalism: Humans are evil by nature. “School of Law” • Believed a strong ruler had to create an orderly society. • Believed in harsh laws and stiff punishments • People were not capable of being good.

  15. Rise and Fall of Chinese Empires 3-4

  16. The Qin Dynasty • Qin Shihuangdi: “The First Qin Emperor” • United China • Created single currency system • Building of roads • Built a canal to supply his army • Terracotta Army(6,000 figures)

  17. The Great Wall • Need for protection • Xiongnu: nomadic people living in the Gobi, mounted on horses, traveled to find pastures • Connected earlier walls to create the Great Wall of China

  18. Political Changes • Legalism adopted as regimes official ideology • Highly centralized state • Civil Division • Military Division • Censorate: making sure officials were doing their job • Provinces and Counties-officials do not inherit position • Broke up aristocracy land holdings, tax peasants directly

  19. Fall of the Qin • Qin Shihuangdi first and last emperor of his dynasty • Confucian Intellectuals and Aristocracy rose up

  20. The Han Dynasty • Founded under Liu Pang/Han Gaozu • Confucianism becomes official state philosophy • Civil Service Examinations • Han Wudi: Expands empire • pushed back the Xiongnu • 150 years of peace

  21. Han Technology and Culture • Textile manufacturing, water mills and windmills, iron casting-to steel, paper • Rudder for ships and fore-and-aft rigging: ships could sail into the wind • Confucian Schools

  22. Fall of the Han Empire • Weak rulers • Intrigues at court • Peasant uprising • Nomadic migrations • Civil War

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