Transcript The Great Sorrow

Can you guess who invented the
following?
Geography
• China is located on the continent of Asia.
• The climate in ancient China includes seasons
similar to those in North America.
• The ancient Chinese fished, farmed, and
irrigated the land. There is a variety of plant life
in China.
• The land in ancient China consists of forests,
hills, mountains, and deserts.
• http://www.fcps.edu/KingsParkES/technology/an
cient/china.htm
Yangtze River
• The Yangtze (Long River)
• third longest river in the world
– It is about 4000 miles long.
• It floods each year and leaves fertile soil
along the banks.
• has high banks, which keeps homes safe
from the annual flooding
The Huang He
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The Huang He (Yellow River)
about 3000 miles long
It also floods each year.
The banks along the Huang He River are
low.
• Civilization in ancient China began along
the Yellow River about 5000 years ago.
The Great Sorrow
• People called all rivers in China by the nickname
"The Great Sorrow".
• Each year during the flood season, all homes
along the Huang He River were destroyed.
• The ancient Chinese had to rebuild their homes
and their lives.
• People learned the techniques of flood control.
The rich began to build their homes high above
the river.
Chinese Civilization Begins
• Approximately 4,500 B.C.E.
• Began settling into farming villages along
the Huang He River, then along the
Yangtze River
• People tamed animals
– Used to provide food
– Helped with farming
Chinese Civilization Begins cont.
• Used irrigation
• Used bronze and copper tools
• Silk (a major resource in China) also was
developed.
• Writing system existed
Dynasties
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Dynasties- a succession of rulers in the same family
Rule was passed down from father to son.
Dynasties lasted for hundreds of years.
Dynasties
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Xia (Hsia)
Shang
Chou (Zhou)
Late Chou
Ch'in (Qin)
Han
T'ang
Ancient China Cheat Sheet
Early Period
-10,000 – 1,500
B.C.E.
-Xia Dynasty
-Silk
-Baked brick
houses
-Flood control
and irrigation
Bronze Age
-1,500 – 600
B.C.E.
-Shang and
Chou Dynasties
-Chinese writing
-Mandate of
Heaven
-chariots
-bronze
Classical Age
-600 B.C.E. –
200 C.E.
-Late Chou,
Ch’in, and Han
Dynasties
-Confucius
-Taoism
-Great Wall
Ancient China Cheat Sheet cont.
Age of Division
-200 – 600 C.E.
-A bunch of dynasties
-Invention of
gunpowder
-Tea first started to be
enjoyed
Early Medieval Period
-600 – 900 C.E.
-T’ang dynasty
-Called the Golden Age
-Buddhism
-“Tea and Horse” policy
-Many inventions
during this time
Religion
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Believed appointed rulers were gods
Mandate of Heaven
Based on four principles:
The right to rule is granted by Heaven.
There is only one Heaven therefore there can be
only one ruler.
• The right to rule is based on the virtue of the
ruler.
• The right to rule is not limited to one dynasty.
Confucius
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Born in China about 2,500 years ago
Teacher and thinker
Developed system of ethics
Taught people how to behave and how to
get along
• Stressed need of family and state
• Philosophy called Confucianism
Buddhism
• A religion based on the teachings of
Buddha
• Teaches that desire causes pain
• To get rid of pain, a person must overcome
desire and attachment to things of this
earth.
– Person must meditate and follow Eightfold
Path
Four Noble Truths/Eightfold Path
• Four Noble Truths- life is ruled by four
truths
– Life is filled with suffering.
– Suffering is caused by people’s wants.
– Suffering can be ended if people stop wanting
things.
• Eightfold Path- 8 laws to stop people from
wanting things
Eightfold Path
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To know the truth
To intend to resist evil
To not say anything to hurt others
To respect life, property, and morality
To work at a job that does not injure others
To try to free one’s mind from evil
To be in control of one’s feelings and thoughts
To practice appropriate forms of concentration
Taoism
• Tao (pronounced Dow) means “The Way
(to happiness)
• Taoism is NOT a religion.
• Philosophy- way of looking at life and a
way of thinking about things
• Taoists believe if you look at life and think
about things in the right way, you’ll be
much happier.
Taoism cont.
• Think of the story of The Ugly Duckling
– When does the duckling stop feeling ugly?
– When he recognizes who he really is, which
would be a beautiful swan.
– He finds his way to happiness.
Great Wall
• built over 2,000 years ago by Qin Shi
Huangdi, the first emperor of China during
the Qin (Ch'in) Dynasty (221 B.C - 206
B.C.).
• About 5,000 km long
• Built as a form of
defense from nomadic
groups and invaders
Silk Road
• Not actually a road- a route that led from
China to Rome
• 4,000 miles long
• Rome had gold, silver, and precious gems.
• China had silk, spices, and ivory.
• Ideas also traveled along the Silk Road;
ideas that affected everyone.
Silk Road continued
• Romans were in the search of “the Silk
People”.
• Sent people on the search
• Routes were dangerous- faced desolate
white-hot sand dunes in the desert,
forbidding mountains, brutal winds, and
poisonous snakes.
Chinese Inventions
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Paper
Silk
Matches
Wheelbarrows
Gunpowder
the decimal system
the waterwheel
tangrams
Medicines
Dominoes
jump rope
Kites
tea ceremony
Folding umbrella
Ink
Calligraphy
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Sundial
Astronomy
porcelain china
lacquer paint
pottery
Fireworks
paper money
Compass
Seismograph
Cards
Printing
Abacus
Wallpaper
the crossbow
ice cream
• THE BIG MYTH