Transcript ANCIENT CHINAx

ANCIENT CHINA
Announcements

Test will be March 17th (Tuesday).
Key Terms
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Dynasty:

dy·nas·ty (dī′nə-stē)n. pl. dy·nas·ties
 1.
A succession of rulers from the same family or line.
 2.
A family or group that maintains power for several
generations: a political dynasty controlling the state.

Different dynasties exist in China from 2000 BCE – 1911 CE
 How
many years is that?
Geography
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

The Yellow River
 Carries yellow silt from Mongolia to the Pacific
Ocean.
 Merges with the Yangtze (Chang Jiang) river to
create a very fertile area.
10% of its land is fertile enough to grow crops.
Surrounded by mountains and river valleys, making
transportation difficult.
History
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Civilization starts around 2000 B.C.E.

Chinese history is divided into Dynasties that have different emperors and
empresses.

China is known as having the longest lasting civilization.
The Xia Dynasty (2000 BCE-1600 BCE)

The Xia people were farmers, with bronze weapons and clay pottery.

Silk is one of the most important products China has ever created. Most
historians agree that the Xia Dynasty was producing silk clothing, though
silk production may have started much earlier.

Some historians believe that this was a mythical dynasty since the only
written history of it comes from the next dynasty and information tends to
contradict itself.
The Shang Dynasty (1600 BCE-1046
BCE)

The Shang were the oldest Chinese civilization to leave behind written
records, called oracle bones—turtle shells, cattle shoulders or other bones
on which were written important clues to Chinese history.

The Shang’s used the oracle bones for divination.
Mandate of Heaven
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Mandate of Heaven: The law that allowed Chinese emperors to rule—it
said that the ruler was blessed by Heaven to rule the people. If he lost
the blessing of heaven he should be removed
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This idea was used to overrule the Shang Dynasty by the Zhou.
The Zhou Dynasty (1046 BCE-256 BCE)

Longest lasting dynasty.

Created crossbows.
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Started the concept of the Great Wall
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Iron was introduced in China starting the Iron Age
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Beginning of Confucianism and Taoism.
Qin Dynasty :221 BCE to 206 BCE
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Beginning of the imperial age.
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Standardization of currency, language, roads and enforcement of
national laws.

Imperial basically means "empire of".
 an
extensive group of states or countries under a single
supreme authority
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Beginning of the Great Wall of China.
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Terracotta Army
The Han Dynasty: 206 BCE - 220 CE
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Confucianism becomes the official belief of the empire.
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Chinese imperialism began as it conquered land in China, Mongolia, Vietnam,
and Central Asia.
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Imperial Examinations: Tests were qualified for people who wanted
governmental jobs. This is a system that is used today in many places,
including the U.S.
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Inventions:
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Paper, compass, and porcelain
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The Silk Road
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Shaped culture of today’s china and many people in china consider
themselves to be Han.