Transcript Chapter 7: Early China

New Things
• Will do bell ringers weekly now. Keep all
on same page and turn in at the end of the
week for a weekly bell ringer grade.
• Participation grade. Will be based on your
participation in class. If you take notes do
your classwork sit in your assigned seat
and do not have to be told anything two
times you will get a 100. Otherwise you
will lose points.
Section 1: The First Civilizations (pg. 224)
Chapter 7: Early China
I.
China’s Geography
(pages 225-226)
A. Huang He, or the Yellow
River, flows for more
than 2,900 miles across
China. Flooding of the
river brought destruction
and good farming
conditions to China.
B. Chang Jiang, or the
Yangtze River, is about
3,400 miles long and
flows across central
China.
C. China has very little
farm land because
much of the country is
either mountains or
deserts.
D. The Middle Kingdom
was created after the
Chinese people united
to form one kingdom.
The mountains and deserts separated the
Chinese people from most other peoples.
II.
The Shang Dynasty
(pages 226-229)
A. Archaeologists believe
the Huang He valley
was the center of
Chinese civilization.
B. The first rulers were
probably part of the Xia
dynasty.
C. The Shang kings ruled
from about 1750 B.C. to
1122 B.C.
D. Anyang was China’s
first capital. It was built
during the Shang
dynasty.
E. People of the Shang dynasty
were divided into groups.
The king and his royal family
were the most powerful
group. Warlords and other
royal officials were in the
class below the kings. They
were aristocrats, nobles
whose wealth came from the
land they owned. Traders
and artisans were below
aristocrats. Most were
farmers. Slaves captured
during wars were the lowest
class of people.
The Shang Dynasty
According to ancient Chinese records, the Shang dynasty formed
around 1766 BC, although many archaeologists believe it actually
began somewhat later than that.
Government and
Society
• China ruled by
strong monarchy
• At capital city,
Anyang, kings
surrounded by
court
• Rituals performed
to strengthen
kingdom, keep safe
Order
• King’s governors
ruled distant parts
of kingdom
• King also had large
army at disposal
• Prevented
rebellions, fought
outside opponents
Agricultural Society
• Shang China
largely agricultural
• Most tended crops
in fields
• Farmers called on
to fight in army,
work on building
projects—tombs,
palaces, walls
Ancestor Worship
•Shang offered gifts to deceased
ancestors to keep them happy in
afterlife
•Steam from ritual meals nourished
ancestors’ spirits
F. People in the Shang
dynasty believed in
many spirits and gods
and honored ancestors
with offerings.
G. Shang kings believed
they received wisdom
and power from the
gods, spirits, and
ancestors.
H. Early Chinese writing
used pictographs, or
characters that stand for
objects. Ideographs are
two or more pictographs
joined to represent an
idea.
I. Artisans created many
works but are best
known for their bronze
objects.
Video Clip
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zf01jXjp
OYw
Bell ringer
• Write the questions
and answers. You
have until 5
minutes after the
bell to complete.
• 1. What was the
name of the first
capital in China?
2. How did Chinese
people show respect
to their dead
ancestors?
3. Where was the
center of Chinese
civilization at this
time?
Shang Achievements and
Decline
Writing
• Development of Chinese writing closely tied to use of oracle bones
• Earliest examples of Chinese writing, questions written on bones themselves
• Early Shang texts used picture symbols to represent objects, ideas
Bronze
• 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, first money systems
End of Dynasty
• Shang ruled for more than 600 years, until about 1100 BC
• Ruling China’s growing population proved too much for Shang
• Armies from nearby tribe, Zhou, invaded, established new ruling dynasty
Did you know???
• How does the Chinese
language differ from the
alphabet system used by
Americans?
• In the American alphabet,
each letter represents a
sound. In the Chinese
language, each marking,
or symbol, represents a
whole word.
III.
The Zhou Dynasty
(pages 229-231)
A. Wu Wang and his
followers rebelled
against the Shang
dynasty and created the
Zhou dynasty.
B. The Zhou dynasty ruled
longer than any dynasty
in Chinese history.
C. Kings in the Zhou
dynasty served at the
head of the government.
A bureaucracy—officials
who are responsible for
different areas of
government—served
under the king.
D. The Zhou kingdom was
divided into smaller
territories. Each
territory was led by an
aristocrat.
E. Zhou kings were
thought to be the link
between gods and
people.
F. The Mandate of Heaven
was a heavenly law that
gave Zhou kings power
to rule. The Mandate of
heaven also gave
people rights.
G. The Dao was the proper
way kings were to rule
their people.
H. Irrigation and floodcontrol were developed
during the Zhou
dynasty. Farm tools,
such as the plow, were
developed.
I.
Silk was an important
trade item during the
Zhou dynasty.
J. The Period of Warring
States occurred during
the fall of the Zhou
dynasty. During this
time, the local rulers
began fighting each
other.
Zhou Achievements
• Before Zhou, Chinese metalwork done almost exclusively in bronze
• Zhou learned to use iron, 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
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
Decline of the Zhou
• Conflict arose during latter part of
Zhou dynasty
• Clan leaders within China rose up
against king
• As time passed, more and more
local leaders turned against Zhou,
further weakening rule
Mandate of Heaven
• Remember the Mandate of Heaven gave
the Chinese dynasties the right to rule the
right way, aka Dao, and to keep the gods
happy. This gave the people the right to
overthrow the government if they did not
rule the right way. Write about some
problems you can see that might occur
from having a form of government that
works this way, what would happen if we
operated this way. 6-7 sentences.