Chapter 7: China

1. Chapter 7: China

2. Lesson #1 “China’s First Civilizations”

3. Section #1 China’s Geography

4. Question # 1 How did the Huang Ho get the nickname Yellow River? Answer: It’s yellow soil.

5. Question # 2 What are the names of China’s 2 Largest rivers? Answer: Huang He (Yellow) River and Chang Jiang (Yangtze) River.

6. Question # 3 Why did China’s farmers only use 1/10 of the land in China for farming? Answer: Most of China is covered in mountains and deserts.

7. Question # 4 What geographical features might have made it difficult for people in Ancient China to trade with other civilizations? Answer: The Gobi Desert, Himalayas, and other mountain ranges separated China from neighboring territories.

8. Question # 5 How did China become known as “The Middle Kingdom?” Answer: The people of China called it that because they thought their kingdom was the world’s leading civilization.

9. Question # 6 Why was flooding a good and bad thing for the people in China? Answer: Flooding gave them fertile soil, but also drowned people and destroys homes.

10. Section #2 The Shang Dynasty

11. Question #7 Where do archaeologist believe the first civilization in China was? Answer: The Huang He Valley.

12. Question # 8 What makes archeologist believe that the Huang He Valley was the first civilization in China? Answer: The oldest artifacts were found in that area.

13. Question # 9 Why do you think the earliest civilizations were in the Huang He Valley? Answer: Fertile soil from the rivers.

14. Question # 10 What do you call a line of rulers that belong to the same family? Answer: Dynasty

15. Question # 11 What evidence do archeologist have led them to thing that the Shang’s built the first cities in China? Answer: The oldest palaces and royal tombs they’ve found are from the Shangs.

16. Question # 12 The Shang’s had a social class system. Who was at the top? Answer: Kings and royal families

17. Question # 13 What type of religion did Ancient China have? Answer: Polytheistic

18. Question # 14 According to Shang kings, where did they get their power from? Answer: God

19. Question # 15 How did the Chinese kings ask questions to the gods? Answer: They had the priests scratch the questions on oracle bones and break the bones … then “read” the answers.

20. Question #16 What type of artwork are the Shangs most known for? Answer: Bronze objects

21. Question #16 What name was used to describe wealthy landowners in China? Answer: Aristocrats

22. Question #17 What was the occupation of the majority of Chinese people in Ancient China? Answer: farmers

23. Question #17 Who did the Chinese farmers work for? Answer: The aristocrats who owned the land

24. Question #18 Chinese people that poor crops or bad luck was controlled/caused by ___. Answer: The gods

25. Question #19 Besides the gods, who else could Chinese people pray to to ask for help or good luck? Answer: ancestors

26. Question #20 Name at least 3 items that Chinese artisans made. Answer: Silk, clothes, ivory statues, jade statues and bronze objects.

27. Question #20 Name 3 technological advancements made during the Shang dynasty. Answer: A system of writing, a calendar and musical instruments.

28. Section #2 The Zhou Dynasty

29. Question #21 Why didn’t many people in China support the Shang kings? Answer: The kings lived in luxury and treated to people poorly.

30. Question #22 What makes the Zhou dynasty so important in Chinese history? Answer: It lasted longer than any other dynasty in history – more than 800 years.

31. Question #23 According to Zhou kings, what gave them the right to rule China? Answer: The Mandate of Heaven

32. Question #24 According to the Mandate of Heaven, what is the “proper” way to rule? Answer: The Dao Way

33. Question #25 What “rights” did the Mandate of Heaven give the Chinese people? Answer: If the king was dishonest or evil the people could overthrow the king.

34. Question #26 According to the Mandate of Heaven, was the king considered a god? Answer: No

35. Question #27 What were technological advancements made during the Zhou dynasty? Answer: Improved irrigation and flood control systems and iron plows.

36. Question #28 What was the most important item for trade during the Zhou dynasty? Answer: silk

37. Question #29 How do archaeologists know that the Chinese people traded with people throughout Asia? Answer: Pieces of Chinese silk have been found in the artifacts of many regions as far away as Greece.

38. Question #30 What was the major factor of the collapse of the Zhou dynasty? Answer: Local rulers (aristocrats) became powerful and fought for control of their territory with Zhou kings.

39. Question #31 What term is used to describe the 200 years of battles over land between the aristocrats in China? Answer: The Period of the Warring States

40. Question #32 What invention was a direct result of the battles during the “Period of Warring States?” Answer: The horse saddle and stirrup

41. Question #33 Who founded the Zhou dynasty? Answer: Wu Wang

42. Question #34 What do you call a group of officials who are picked to help run the government ? Answer: bureaucracy

43. Question #35 How did the Zhou kings control their dynasties? Answer: They had aristocrats in charge of their different territories.