Transcript Ancient_China

Ancient China
Dynasties, Philosophers
and Ancient Life
Geography
Huang He (Yellow River)
 Named for the rich yellow soil it carries
 Runs from Mongolia to the Pacific Ocean
Chang Jiang (Yangtze River)
 Runs east across Central China to the Yellow
Sea
 Longer than the Huang He
During the Shang Dynasty, China began to
grow.
The first city was the Anyang (China’s first
capital)
Life in Ancient China
Landowning aristocrats
Peasant farmers
Merchants
Aristocrats owned large estates. They lived in large houses with
courtyards and gardens. They had fine furniture and silk hangings.
The houses were surrounded by walls.
Farmers lived in simple houses inside village walls. The aristocrats
owned the fields outside the walls and the farmers worked the land.
They grew wheat, millet, and rice.
Merchants included shopkeepers, traders and bankers. They lived in
towns and provided services to the landowners. Merchants were not
allowed government jobs.
Ancient Life
Filial Piety: Children had to respect their parents,
and older relatives. Family members placed the
needs and desires of the head of the family
above their own.
 For farming, Chinese created terraces for farming
and used insects to protect crops.
 They used bronze and iron tools such as a hoe,
plow blade and shovel.
 Ancient China worshiped spirits and ancestors.
 Oracle Bones: carvings on bones that priests
would read and interpret.
 Pictographs: characters that represent objects
 Ideographs: characters that represent ideas

Four Chinese Dynasties
Shang
Zhou
Qin
Han
When
1750-1045 BC
1045-256 BC
221-206 BC
202BC-220 AD
Important
Leaders
-Numerous kings
with large armies
and control over
the land.
-Ruled from
capital city of
Anyang.
Wu
Qin Shihuangdi
Liu Bang
Main Ideas/
Accomplishm
ents
Developed social
classes
*Fu Hao, first
female in China’s
history to receive
the highest
military rank
-Longest dynasty
in Chinese history
-Established
Mandate of
Heaven
And Dao (duty)
-Bureaucracy
-Strengthened
central
government.
-Created one
monetary
system.
-Population and
landmass grew
under Han
-Opened China to
trade (built Silk
Road)
Influences on
Chinese
Culture
Influenced
Chinese religion
and culture
-created written
language
-calendar
-musical
instruments
-Use of bronze
Developed
irrigation and
flood-control
systems.
Introduced use of
censors to check
on government
officials.-Qin built
Great Wall
Created
government’s
civil service
exam.
-inventions:
steel, paper,
acupuncture,
advanced sea
travel.
Ancient China
Chinese Philosophers
Confucianism
Daoism
Legalism
Founder
Confucius
Laozi
Hanfeize
Main Ideas
People should
put the needs of
their family and
community first
People should
give up worldly
desires in favor
of nature and
the Dao
Society needs a
system of harsh
laws and strict
punishment
Influence on
Modern Life
Many Chinese
today accept his
idea of duty to
family. His
ideas helped
open up
government
jobs to people
with talent.
Daoism teaches
the importance
of nature and
encourages
people to teat
nature with
respect and
reverence.
Legalists
developed laws
that became an
important part
of Chinese
history.
Shang
dynast
y
begins
1750
BC
1045
BC
Wu
Wang
creates
Zhou
dynasty
551
BC
Hanfei
zi
develo
ps
Legali
sm
Qin
dynast
y
begins
Confu
cius is
born
300
BC
300 BC
Laozi’s
ideas of
Daoism
become
popular
221
BC
190
AD
Rebel
armies
attack
Han
capital
202
BC
202 BC
Liu
Bang
founds
Han
dynasty
200
BC
100
AD
190
AD
100
AD
Silk
Road
Establi
shed
Ancient China Timeline Overview