Early Civilization in China ( 中国 ): The Shang ( 尚 ) and Zhou ( 周 ) Dynasties ( 王朝 )

1. Early Civilization in China (中国): The Shang (尚) and Zhou (周) Dynasties (王朝) Ms. Catsos World History (历史)

2. What’s special about Chinese history? Why should Americans care? • China – Longest “unbroken” history among world civilizations (at least 5,000 years) • The history for at least 1 in every 5 people (20%) in the world today (USA = 4.5%) • China likely to re-emergewith the world’s largest economy before 2025 • China owned the world’s largest economy during 18 of the past 20 centuries (until the 1870s)

3. China’s first civilizations developed in river valleys (流域) • Two major rivers supplied water for earliest civilizations • 1.Chang Jiang (长江 ), also called Yangzi • 2. Huang He (黄河), or Yellow River China’s Geography (中国地理 )

4. Annual floods (洪水) deposited rich soil on flood plains (冲积平原) • Valley of Huang He particularly fertile due to loess (黄土), a fine dusty soil carried into China by desert winds • Also called the “River of Sorrows” (悲伤河) The Huang He/Yellow River (黄河)

5. Crops • Southern China (中国南部)—warm, receives plenty of rainfall, excellent region for growing rice (水稻) • Northern China (中国北方)—cooler and drier; suitable for grains, wheat (小麦), millet (粟)

6. Isolation (隔离) • Relative isolation • Mountains (山), desert (沙漠), and jungle (林) protected China from invasion

7. Summarize What geographic features influenced life in early China? Why was China called the “middle kingdom”? Answer: Rivers deposited rich soil for farming; mountains, hills, and desert isolated the area.

8. Government (政府)and Society (社会) • China ruled by strong monarchy (国王) • Loyal clan (氏族) leaders acted as the king’s governors and ruled distant parts of kingdom • The king’s army prevented rebellions, fought outside opponents • Most people were peasant farmers (农民) The Shang (尚)Dynasty (1600-1122 BC)

9. Ancestor (祖先)Worship • Shang offered gifts to deceased ancestors to keep them happy in afterlife • Steam from ritual meals nourished ancestors’ spirits • Believed the universe was balanced between yin (陰 - stood for Earth, darkness, and female forces) and yang (陽 - stood for Heaven, light, and male forces)

10. Oracle Bones (甲骨) As part of worship, Shang asked ancestors for advice through use of oracle bones • Inscribed bits of animal bone, turtle shell • Living person asked question of ancestor • Hot piece of metal applied to oracle bone resulting in cracks on bone’s surface • Specially trained priests interpreted meaning of cracks to learn answer

11. Chinese Writing Oracle bones were the earliest form of writing in China. The characters eventually evolved into modern script.

12. Chinese Writing Chinese has thousands of characters- compared to 26 letters in the English alphabet. It takes knowledge of 5000-10000 characters even to read a newspaper!

13. Tones in the Chinese Language • Every sound in Chinese can have four tones: • 1st: flat • 2nd: rising • 3rd: scooping • 4th: falling • The tone can change the meaning of a word:

14. Shang Achievement and Decline • Bronze (铜器) • Shang religion led to great advances in working with bronze • Highly decorative bronze vessels, objects created for religious rituals • Also built huge structures like tombs • Created calendar and money system • End of Dynasty • Armies from nearby tribe, Zhou, invaded, established new ruling dynasty

15. Government Dynastic Cycle • When Zhou conquered Shang, leaders worried Chinese people would not accept them • Introduced idea they ruled by Mandate of Heaven (天命) • Gods would support a just ruler and not allow anyone corrupt to hold power • Zhou said Shang overthrown because they lost gods’ favor • Later rulers used Mandate of Heaven to explain dynastic cycle, rise and fall of dynasties in China • If dynasty lost power, it obviously had become corrupt The Zhou (周)Dynasty (1027-256 BC) In that case, they said, it was the will of the gods that that dynasty be overthrown and a new one take power.

17. Zhou Achievements • Zhou learned to use iron (鐵), became backbone of economy. Iron was strong, could be cast more cheaply, quickly than bronze. Iron weapons strengthened Zhou army, as did new weapons like catapult and creation of China’s first cavalry • The Chinese learned to make silk, which became China’s most valuable export.

18. Zhou Achievements cont. • The first books of China come from the Zhou period. They were written on strips of wood or bamboo. Example: Book of Songs, one of the first books.

19. Zhou Achievements, cont. Growth • Population grew under Zhou • Farmers learned new techniques, increased size of harvest, created food surpluses; cities also grew • Roads, canals allowed better transportation, communication • Introduced coins, use of chopsticks

20. “Warring States Period” (戰國) • 403 BC to 221 BC, number of small states fought each other for land, power • Zhou still nominally in charge, but power almost nonexistent by mid-200s BC • Qin (秦), new dynasty, arose to bring end to Warring States Period, Zhou dynasty

21. Analyze How did China change under the Zhou? Answer: iron technology, population grew, new farm techniques, more food, cities grew, roads and canals built, coins and chopsticks introduced