Transcript Ancient China - MrPawlowskisWorldHistoryClass

Ancient China: Early
Dynasties, Philosophies, and
Religion
Ancient China – Introduction
 Geography
 Civilization in China developed along the fertile
Huang He (Yellow River) over 4,000 years ago.
 Settlements began around 5000 BCE.
 Rule
 Early China was ruled by a series of
dynasties
 A series of rulers from the same family.
 Many dynasties made influential
contributions to China
Early Chinese Dynasties
 Shang
 Settled on the banks of the Huang He River on
1532 BCE to 1027 BCE.
 First family of Chinese rulers to leave written
records – first true Chinese civilization.
 Remembered for their advancements in culture
and technology:
 Ideographic written script to keep track of
taxes, rent, etc.
 Bronze-metal casting
 Expansion in the silk industry
 Zhou
 1045 – 256 BCE on the banks of the Huang He.
 Stronger rulers due to a new ruling idea – Mandate of
Heaven
 If rulers were just, they had the authority to rule from
heaven.
 Military advancements: crossbow and cavalry
 Technological advancements: iron plows, better
irrigation, better roads for trade.
 Qin
 221 – 206 BCE – short
lived dynasty.
 Qin Shi Huangdi – only
ruler of the Qin dynasty.
 Put the government
under his direct control
– violent and
demanding!
 Mostly remembered for beginning the construction
on the Great Wall of China
 Conscripted tens of thousands of workers many of
whom died and were buried into the wall itself.
 Wall was built to keep Mongol and Turkic invaders
out of China.
 The wall was not completed under his rule (1400
miles long!).
Great Wall of China
 In 1974, archeologists discovered Qin’s Burial
Tomb.
 6,000 unique life-sized terra cotta soldiers to
protect him in the afterlife.
 Han
 206 BCE – 220 CE
 Two major
contributions to
Chinese classical
civilization:
 Expansion of trade,
created the Silk
Road.
 Trades goods such
as paper,
porcelain, silk.
Han Dynasty Creates The Silk Road
 Civil service system
 Civilians took exams/tests to get
governmental jobs.
 Tested on Confucian ideas, ritual, culture,
and even physical skills.
 Pass = job in government!
Chinese Philosophical and
Religious Traditions
 Confucianism
 Established by Confucius in 551 BCE during the
Zhou dynasty.
 Ideas to help reform social order in China and
society.
 Beliefs:
 In a society (country),
the well being of the
group is more
important than the
individual.
 In order for society
function, subjects
must carry out duties
(jobs) effectively.
 Code of politeness: people are naturally good
 Filial Piety: respect for parents and elders
 Ancestor worship
 Better education helps subjects and society
 Daoism (Taoism)
 Established by Laozi during the Zhou dynasty.
 Beliefs:
 Dao translates to “the way”
 Seek order and harmony with nature
 Reject social structures and renounce worldly
ambitions – do not matter!
 lead a simple life to achieve inner peace.
 Yin and Yang
 Natural relationship between two opposites.
 To understand a concept/idea, one must
understand it’s opposite.
 One must know evil in order to fully understand
good.
 Natural cyclical balance and relationship.