Ancient China

1. Ancient China Global Studies 9 Mrs. Hart and Mrs. Bernier

2. Geography of China The physical features of China – mountains, deserts, jungles and ocean – geographicallyisolated Chinese culture.

3. Geographic Isolation The geographic isolation of China led to ethnocentrism, the belief that their culture was superior to those of other people. They believed that their civilization was the center of the earth, so they called it the Middle Kingdom.

4. Yangzi and Huang He Rivers Like in other regions of the world, Neolithic people in China learned to farm in the Yangzi and Huang He (Yellow) River valleys. The Huang He got its name for the loess or fine windblown soil that settled in the river. When it sank, it raised the water level and could cause flooding. It earned the name “River of Sorrows”.

5. The Shang Dynasty The Shang Dynasty came to power about 1650 B.C. Clans, groups of families, controlled most of the land. They ruled China until about 1027 B.C.

6. Shang Social Structure • Shang Emperor 2. Royal Family/ Noble Warriors 3. Merchants/Crafts- people 4. Peasants

7. Shang Religion The Shang were polytheistic. The king was the link between the people and their chief god, Shang-di. The Chinese believed they had to pray to their ancestors because they were closer to the gods. This was called ancestor worship.

8. Yin and Yang The ancient Chinese also believed that the universe was held in delicate balance between two forces, the yin and yang.

9. Yin and Yang Yin was linked to Earth, darkness, and female forces, while yang was associated with Heaven, lightness, and male forces.

10. Chinese Writing The Chinese system of writing used pictographs and ideographs, signs that expressed thoughts or ideas. There are more than 10,000 characters that make up the Chinese written language. They also turned a fine, fancy, handwriting into an art form known as calligraphy.

11. Chinese Oracle Bones Oracle bones have some of the oldest examples of Chinese writing. They are animal bones or turtle shells, on which Shang priests wrote questions addressed to the gods or spirit of an ancestor. The priest then heated it until it cracked. He then interpreted the pattern of the cracks, providing answers or advice from ancestors.

12. The Zhou Dynasty The Zhou overthrew the Shang in 1027 B.C. and set up their own dynasty which lasted 800 years. They believed that they had become the gods’ chosen people to rule.

13. Mandate of Heaven The idea that the gods gave a certain dynasty the right to rule became known as the Mandate of Heaven. It later became part of the dynastic cycle, or the rise and fall of dynasties.

14. Zhou Feudalism The Zhou ruled under a system known as feudalism. Under this system, the Zhou king granted control of large areas of land to their supporters, local lords. The lords controlled their own regions, but owed military service to the king.

15. Chinese Achievements *Astronomy – studied movement of the planets and recorded eclipses of the sun. *Calendar with 365 ½ days. *Silk – made silk threads from the cocoons of silkworms. *Silk Road – the trade route that developed linking China and the Middle East. *First books – made from bamboo or wood.