Transcript River Dynasties in China

River Dynasties in China
• 1. Human-made objects, such
as tools and jewelry
• 2. A people’s unique way of
life
• 3. Ways of applying
knowledge, tools, and
inventions to meet peoples’
needs
• 4. A complex culture with five
characteristics including
advanced cities
• 5. Professional record keepers
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
A. Technology
B. Scribes
C. Civilization
D. Artifacts
E. Cuneiform
F. Culture
• 6. A system of Sumerian
writing
• 7. Area in modern-day Iraq.
Means “land between the
rivers”
• 8. A series of rulers from a
single family
• 9. The process in which a new
idea or product spreads from
one culture to another
• 10. The belief in more than
one god
• A. Mesopotamia
• B. cultural
diffusion
• C. Cuneiform
• D. Polytheism
• E. Dynasty
• F. Hieroglyphics
Add these to the back of your answer sheet
21. What are the five characteristics of
a civilization?
22. What are the first civilizations?
23. Give three specific examples of
cultural diffusion from the first
civilizations
–tell me what the item is, where it came
from, and where it went
Geography
• Somewhat isolated by natural barriers.
• Most of the 10% of China that is suitable for
farming lies in a plain between the Huang He
and Chiang Jiang Rivers in Eastern China
• China was not completely protected by
natural boundaries and was frequently
invaded
Map of China
Civilization Emerges in Shang Times
• Shang rose to power in northern China
• Created walled cities made of wood to protect
from invaders
• Lasted from 1700-1027 BC
Culture
• Family: Central to Chinese society
• Social Classes: society was sharply divided
between nobles and peasants
• Religious beliefs: Believed the spirits of
ancestors would bring good fortune or
disaster to a family. Also worshiped a main
god, Shang Di, and several lesser gods
Writing
• Very few links between the written language
and spoken language
• Advantage: People in all parts of China could
learn the written language even if their
spoken language was very different
• Disadvantage: Enormous number of written
symbols to be memorized.
Zhou Dynasty
• Zhou used Mandate of Heaven to justify their
conquest of the Shang
• Dynastic cycle: pattern of rise, decline and
replacement of dynasties
• Zhou established feudalism: political system in
which nobles are granted the use of lands that
legally belong to the king. In return, nobles
owe loyalty and military service to the king.
Technology and Warring
• Technology
– Roads and canals
– Coined money
– Blast furnaces produced cast iron that was used to
create weapons and tools
• Warring States:
– Zhou ruled from 1027-256 BC until nomads killed
the royal family. Chaos replaced order as
competing nobles attacked each other