China’s First Civilizations

1. China’s First Civilizations Chapter 5, Section 1

2. Did You Know? • Where are the Qinling Mountains?

3. Answer • They stretch far west to east and form the geographic line between north and south China.

4. China’s Geography • The Huang He is also called the what? • This river flows how many miles? • What did the flooding of the river bring?

5. Answer • Yellow River • It flows for more than 2,900 miles across China. • Flooding of the river brought destruction but also good farming conditions to China.

6. China’s Geography • The Chang Jiang is also called what? • How long is it? • Where is it?

7. Answer • It is also called Yangtze River. • It is about 3,400 miles long. • It flows across central China.

8. China’s Geography • Why does China has very little farmland?

9. Answer • China has very little farmland because much of the country is either mountains or deserts.

10. China’s Geography • When was the “Middle Kingdom” created?

11. Answer • The Middle Kingdom was created after the Chinese people united to form one kingdom.

12. Discussion Question • What effect did the mountains and deserts have on the Chinese people?

13. Answer • The mountains and deserts separated the Chinese from most other peoples.

14. The Shang Dynasty • Archaeologists believe the _______ was the center of Chinese civilization.

15. Answer • Huang He Valley

16. The Shang Dynasty • The first rulers were probably part of the_______. Little is known about them.

17. Answer • Xia dynasty

18. The Shang Dynasty • Archaeologists know much more about the next dynasty, _____. • These kings ruled from about 1750 B.C. to 1045 B.C. • ______ was China’s first capital. It was built during this dynasty.

19. Answer • Shang Dynasty • Anyang

20. The Shang Dynasty • Archaeologists believe the Hang He valley was the center of Chinese civilization. • The first rulers were probably part of the Xia dynasty. Little is known about them. • Archaeologists know much more about the next dynasty, the Shang. • The Shang kings ruled from about 1750 B.C. to 1045 B.C. • Anyang was China’s first capital. It was built during the Shang dynasty. • People of the Shang dynasty were divided into groups. • The king and his family were the most powerful group. • Warlords and other royal official were in the class below. • They were aristocrats: nobles whose wealth came from the land. • Traders and artisans were below aristocrats. • Most of the lower classes were farmers. • Slaves captured during wars were the lowest class.

21. The Shang Dynasty • Archaeologists believe the Hang He valley was the center of Chinese civilization. • The first rulers were probably part of the Xia dynasty. Little is known about them. • Archaeologists know much more about the next dynasty, the Shang. • The Shang kings ruled from about 1750 B.C. to 1045 B.C. • Anyang was China’s first capital. It was built during the Shang dynasty. • People of the Shang dynasty were divided into groups. • The king and his family were the most powerful group. • Warlords and other royal official were in the class below. • They were aristocrats: nobles whose wealth came from the land. • Traders and artisans were below aristocrats. • Most of the lower classes were farmers. • Slaves captured during wars were the lowest class.

22. The Shang Dynasty • Archaeologists believe the Hang He valley was the center of Chinese civilization. • The first rulers were probably part of the Xia dynasty. Little is known about them. • Archaeologists know much more about the next dynasty, the Shang. • The Shang kings ruled from about 1750 B.C. to 1045 B.C. • Anyang was China’s first capital. It was built during the Shang dynasty. • People of the Shang dynasty were divided into groups. • The king and his family were the most powerful group. • Warlords and other royal official were in the class below. • They were aristocrats: nobles whose wealth came from the land. • Traders and artisans were below aristocrats. • Most of the lower classes were farmers. • Slaves captured during wars were the lowest class.

23. The Shang Dynasty • Archaeologists believe the Hang He valley was the center of Chinese civilization. • The first rulers were probably part of the Xia dynasty. Little is known about them. • Archaeologists know much more about the next dynasty, the Shang. • The Shang kings ruled from about 1750 B.C. to 1045 B.C. • Anyang was China’s first capital. It was built during the Shang dynasty. • People of the Shang dynasty were divided into groups. • The king and his family were the most powerful group. • Warlords and other royal official were in the class below. • They were aristocrats: nobles whose wealth came from the land. • Traders and artisans were below aristocrats. • Most of the lower classes were farmers. • Slaves captured during wars were the lowest class.

24. The Shang Dynasty • Archaeologists believe the Hang He valley was the center of Chinese civilization. • The first rulers were probably part of the Xia dynasty. Little is known about them. • Archaeologists know much more about the next dynasty, the Shang. • The Shang kings ruled from about 1750 B.C. to 1045 B.C. • Anyang was China’s first capital. It was built during the Shang dynasty. • People of the Shang dynasty were divided into groups. • The king and his family were the most powerful group. • Warlords and other royal official were in the class below. • They were aristocrats: nobles whose wealth came from the land. • Traders and artisans were below aristocrats. • Most of the lower classes were farmers. • Slaves captured during wars were the lowest class.

25. The Shang Dynasty • Archaeologists believe the Hang He valley was the center of Chinese civilization. • The first rulers were probably part of the Xia dynasty. Little is known about them. • Archaeologists know much more about the next dynasty, the Shang. • The Shang kings ruled from about 1750 B.C. to 1045 B.C. • Anyang was China’s first capital. It was built during the Shang dynasty. • People of the Shang dynasty were divided into groups. • The king and his family were the most powerful group. • Warlords and other royal official were in the class below. • They were aristocrats: nobles whose wealth came from the land. • Traders and artisans were below aristocrats. • Most of the lower classes were farmers. • Slaves captured during wars were the lowest class.

27. The Shang Dynasty continued • People in the Shang dynasty believed in many spirits and gods and honored ancestors with offerings. • Shang kings believed they received wisdom and power from the gods, spirits, and ancestors. • Kings asked for help from oracle bones. • Early Chinese writing used pictographs: characters that stand for objects • Ideographs: are two or more pictographs joined to represent an idea. • Artisans created many works of ivory and clay but are best known for their bronze objects.

28. Discussion Question • How does the Chinese language differ from the alphabet system used by Americans? • In the American alphabet, each letter represents a sound. The letters, or sounds, are put together to make words: ________ • In the Chinese language, each marking, or symbol, represents a whole word: _________

29. Answer • Phonetic • Symbolic

30. The Zhou Dynasty • Wu Wang: and his followers rebelled against the ________ Dynasty and created the _______ Dynasty. • The Zhou dynasty ruled LONGER or SHORTER than any other dynasty in Chinese history.

31. Answer • Shang Dynasty • Zhou Dynasty • Longer

32. The Zhou Dynasty ______ in the Zhou dynasty served at the head of the government. • A ___________ (official who are responsible for different areas of government) served under the king. • The Zhou kingdom was divided into smaller territories. • Each territory was lead by ___________. • Zhou kings were thought to be the link between the ____ and ____. • ______________ was a heavenly law that gave Zhou kings the power to rule. • It also gave people the right to: ________________. • ________: was the proper way kings were to rule their people.

33. Answer • Kings • Bureaucracy • An aristocrat • Gods and the people • The Mandate of Heaven • overthrow an evil ruler • The Dao

34. The Zhou Dynasty continued • Irrigation and flood-control systems were developed during the Zhou dynasty. • Farm tools, such as the plow, were developed. • Silk was an important trade during the Zhou. • The “Period of Warring States” occurred before the fall of the Zhou dynasty. • During this time, the local rulers began fighting with each other.

35. Discussion Question • What innovative weapons and equipment were used during the Period of Warring States? • The Chinese used crossbows for fighting and invented the saddle and stirrup.