Chinese River Valley Dynasties

1. Chinese River Valley Dynasties

2. Geography of China • Natural Barriers • Pacific Ocean to the East; Taklimakan Desert and Tibetan Plateau to the West; Himalaya Mountains to the Southwest; Gobi Desert to the North

3. Geography (continued) • Ancient Chinese dynasties develop in the areas around the Yellow (Huang He) and Yangtze (Chang Jiang) Rivers. • Due to surrounding mountains and deserts, civilization in China centered around these two rivers (not much other land for farming) • The Yellow River is named for the fertile yellowish silt that it deposits when it floods (loess)

5. Geography (continued) • Yellow River also floods, but is unpredictable like the Indus (not reliable like the Nile)

6. Ancient Chinese Civilization • People have inhabited China for nearly 1.7 million years, but civilization developed later than Egypt and Indus • Xia Dynasty (no written records, so limited information) • Shortly after 2000 B.C. the first leader Yu was a mathematician and engineer • Used flood control methods and irrigation to harness the Yellow River • Agriculture flourished, lead to food surpluses, and thus cities/civilization

7. Civilization (continued) • Shang Dynasty (1532-1027 B.C.) • First gained power in northern China • First to leave written records (more known) • Anyang is one of the oldest cities, and was one of the capitals (built mostly of wood) • Higher classes lived in wood houses with clay and straw inside city walls (lower classes lived outside walls in hovels • Also used chariots (probably from contact with western Asia, just like Egypt)

8. Shang Dynasty (continued) • King and Nobles at top and Peasants at the bottom • Nobles owned land, and paid King for right to control; peasants farmed the land with sticks, hoes, and sickles

9. Shang Culture • Begin ancestor worship (Veneration of the Dead; not just Chinese) • Believed that worshipping the ancestors would help the ancestors in the afterlife, but also appease them and help those still alive in the afterlife • This concept leads to filial piety; if the family is respected on earth, by honoring, elders, father, and continuing the lineage, then the family is honored in the afterlife

10. Culture (continued) • Eldest man controlled property and important decisions; women were treated as inferiors

11. Religion • Shang Di – supreme god • Lesser gods worshipped as well • Used oracle bones to consult gods • Earliest writing was on these, priests would write questions, then poke with hot poker causing bone to crack, then the priest would interpret what the cracks meant

12. Chinese Writing • First appeared on oracle bones • Symbol represents idea not sound • Very few, if any connection between the spoken language, and the written language • Possible to read but not speak language (example from book: English and French speakers under stand 2 + 2 = 4; but we may not under stand “deux et deux font quatre”)

13. Writing (continued) • Advantage: Even if spoken language was different in different regions, the written language could be shared • Disadvantage: Since characters represented ideas and not sounds, thousands of characters had to be memorized, not just the ability to form words from sounds

14. Art and Advancement • Commoners who were skilled in special crafts were in a slightly higher class, but still outside the city walls. • Bronze was the main material used in art • The early Chinese also learned to get silk from silkworms, and made fine things (ex. shoes) that they felt made them civilized, if not superior

15. Zhou Dynasty • Pronounced Jo • Overthrew Shang Dynasty around 1027 B.C. • Zhou started Mandate of Heaven as justification for overthrowing the Shang ruler • Basically stated that Shang king was bad ruler, so he fell out of favor with gods, and was replaced

16. Dynastic Cycle • Lasts until 1900s A.D. • People use mandate of heaven to justify rebellion; new dynasty established; dynasty gains power; peace and prosperity ensue; dynasty becomes corrupt; natural disaster occurs; dynasty overthrown

17. Feudalism Begins • Early form of feudalism established • Nobles given land because the area they ruled was so large; nobles pledge loyalty to rulers, and protection for the people on the land • This system leads to fighting amongst nobles for more land and power

18. Zhou Advancements • Introduction of coined money • Developed blast furnaces to make cast iron; not done in Europe until the Middle Ages (used for making weapons and agricultural tools) • Advancements lead to higher food production = bigger cities

19. End of The Zhou Dynasty • Zhou ruled from about 1027 – 256 B.C. • Hao, the capital city, was taken over by nomadic tribes. Zhou leaders moved the capital, and continued the dynasty in name only • War broke out amongst nobles all over the country; much like the Middle Ages in Europe • Order will be restored later through dynastic cycle

20. Japan • Though nearby, Japan develops differently; mostly because of geography • Samurai Warriors and Bushido (Way of the Warrior) • Basically classical chivalry; upper class, military nobles • Shoguns (generals) • Actually held almost all of the power

21. Japan (continued) • Economy based primarily on farming, though only 20% of land is arable • Oddly, trade was slow to develop on this island country