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Early Chinese Civilization: Yellow River

Early Chinese Civilization: Yellow River. Aim: What factors made China’s Yellow River Valley an important early civilization?. Ancient China: Yellow River (Huang He River) 4000BC to 1122 BCE. Vocabulary.

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Early Chinese Civilization: Yellow River

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  1. Early Chinese Civilization: Yellow River Aim: What factors made China’s Yellow River Valley an important early civilization?

  2. Ancient China: Yellow River (Huang He River)4000BC to 1122 BCE

  3. Vocabulary • Cultural diffusion – the spread of ideas, customs, technologies from one culture to another • Mandate of Heaven – the belief that God chooses who will lead a country (also called “divine right”) • Dynasty – a ruling family (and a “dynastic cycle” is the rise and fall of different dynasties) • Feudalism – the system of government in which local lords govern their own land/farmers, but pay it back in military service to the ruler

  4. Geography of China • China’s geography isolated it from other civilizations • The Pacific Ocean, the Gobi Desert and tall mountain ranges prevented opportunities for cultural diffusion • Made it difficult to trade, travel, transport good, explore, expand, etc. • Developing in this isolation, China became one of the most unique of the world’s early civilization

  5. Features of civilizations • Cities • Laws/Government • Organized religion • Job specialization • Social classes • Writing system • Science/Technology

  6. Cities • Kingdoms were divided into territories, which were ruled by military leaders/warlords • Although the majority of ancient China was farmland, trade led to economic expansion and the growth of cities • Better roads and canals connected them

  7. Laws/Government • People believed that their rulers got their authority to lead from God • Mandate from Heaven • “Divine rule” • They blamed the natural disasters on these rulers, and were allowed to remove them from power if something went wrong • This led to a pattern of rise and fall of dynasties in China, known as the dynastic cycle

  8. Dynastic cycle

  9. Organized religion • Polytheistic • Believed in supernatural forces – asked Gods for help when needed • They also believed that when the greatest people died, their spirits could get in contact with those Gods and ask them for help • So they prayed to their ancestors to have the Gods bring their family good fortune

  10. Jobs • Most people had jobs in agriculture (farming) • Trained government workers were called “civil servants” • The Silk Road: people traveled and traded along the Silk Road, which helped develop more cultural diffusion

  11. THE SILK ROAD

  12. Social Classes • In China, it is more important to do what is best for the “group” community rather than what is best for one single person (the “individual”) • There was an emphasis on family and respecting ones elders • People believed that their very best ancestors were able to communicate with the Gods, so they prayed to them for their help

  13. Writing System • Chinese writing was unique to others • Symbols and pictures stood for thoughts and ideas, not sounds • Developed calligraphy (the art of fine handwriting) and paper making • This allowed the many different groups who spoke different languages to all understand the same writing system

  14. Science/technology • Bronze and iron weapons • First coined money • Improved roads and canals

  15. End Please take your quiz and fill out your Review Sheet on the Early Civilization in China! 

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