Transcript Ancient India - Cobb Learning

Ancient China
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Oldest continuous civilization in the world
Began around 3000 BC along river valleys
Most important along Huang He (Yellow) River
Developed in virtual isolation from rest of the
world “Middle Kingdom”—center of universe
Geographical Influences
• Mountains, sea, and desert provide some
protection and isolation
• Vulnerable to northwest
• River valleys 1. Yellow(Huang Ho) earliest
civilization - damaging floods 2. Yangtzevery important in unificationtransportation- irrigation
The Xia and Shang Dynasties
• According to legend, China founded by Yu
the Great, who began the Xia Dynasty.
• No archaeological evidence
• First documented dynasty is the Shang
(1700-1000 BC)
Earliest Civilizations- most
isolated
• Earliest- Neolithic- Ban Po- similar to other parts
of the world/ one of the oldest
• Shang Dynasty 1500-11 BCE in N China along
the Huang He- raised silk worms- silk part of lure
and fascination of China, famous for bronze
sculpture, daggers, jade jewelry paid homage to
ancestors- family important
• Chou (Zhou) 1027-256, longest-developed
foundations for Chinese society
Religion and Society
• Mandate of Heaven—good/bad events
were result of rulers abilities
• Created Divine Right concept, but with
idea that bad rulers would lose mandate
and should be deposed
• Dynastic kingdoms
• Complex written language
• Bronze tools and weaponry
Decline
• Shang Dynasty
plagued by weak
rulers in later years
• Finally overthrown
by Wu, who
established the
Zhou Dynasty which
lasted over 800
years