Transcript Chapter 6 PowerPointx

Ancient China
Chapter 6
Section 1: Geography Shapes Ancient China
Geographic Features of China
Isolated by Barriers
The huge mountain chains, vast deserts, and large bodies of water
acted as barriers between China and other lands making the spread
of ideas and goods difficult
Two River System
Two major rivers flow to the Pacific, the Yangtze River and the Huang
He River
Between these two rivers is where most ancient Chinese farming was
done
A Varied Climate
Just like in the United States, the climate varies
Western China is dry, Northeast China has cold winters and warm
summers, and Southern China has mild winters and hot, rainy summers
Section 1: Geography Shapes Ancient China
The Shang Dynasty
Shang Kings
The Shang family took control and set up a dynasty around 1766 BC and
claimed to rule with the gods’ permission
Shang Families
Believed the spirits of ancestors could bring good fortune, and respect for
family and ancestors was important
Developing Language
Began by scratches on oracle bones which were used to ask questions of
the gods
Eventually developed their own pictographs
Pros: People could read the language without being able to speak it
Cons: There were over 10,000 characters
Section 1: Geography Shapes Ancient China
 The Zhou Dynasty
 The Zhou and the Dynastic Cycle
 Came from the northwest, and adopted many Shang ways
 They introduced the idea that the ruler had to have approval from the gods,
and if the ruler was bad his rule would be taken away (Mandate of Heaven)
 Zhou Government
 There was no strong central government, and regions were ruled by lords who
were loyal to the king
 As the lords’ power grew, they began fighting amongst themselves
 The Time of the Warring States
 In 771 BC, invaders destroyed the capital, killed the king, and took control
 The lords were still fighting amongst themselves in their own territories in a time
that came to be known as the Time of Warring States
Section 2: China’s Ancient Philosophies
Legalism
Belief that a powerful, efficient government and a strict legal
system are the keys to social order
Strict Laws and Harsh Punishments
Human nature is wicked and people only do good when forced
Government should pass strict laws to control the way people behaved
An Increase in Government Control
Taught that rulers should reward people who carried out their duties well,
but they stressed punishments more than rewards
 Example: Legalists thought that people who did not report lawbreakers
should be executed
Legalists did not want people to complain about or question
government and wanted those people arrested
Wanted to burn books that contained different ideas
Section 2: China’s Ancient Philosophies
Confucianism
Developed by a man named Confucius whose teachings
were collected into a book called the Analects
The Five Relationships
Each had its own duties and its own code of proper conduct
 Father and son, elder brother and younger brother, husband and wife,
friend and friend, ruler and subject
Proper Conduct
Began at home; parents should be treated with respect (filial piety)
Rulers should live correctly and treat his subjects with respect
The Impact of Confucianism
Helped people find ways to avoid conflict and live peacefully
Laid the groundwork for fair and skilled government leaders
Section 2: China’s Ancient Philosophies
 Daoism
 Created by Laozi in the 500s BC
 The Way
 The Way, or Dao, guides all things, but humans do not live in harmony with this
force
 Each person should learn to live in harmony with nature & his/her inner feelings
 More concerned with natural order than social order
 Following the Way
 Accepted things as they were, did not try to change things
 Tried to understand nature and live in harmony with its rhythms
 Yin and Yang: represents natural rhythms of life
 Black = cold, dark, mysterious
 White = warm, bright, and light
 Complement each other
 Pursued scientific studies in astronomy and medicine
Section 3: The Qin and the Han
 The Qin Unified China
 A Legalistic Ruler
 Ruler Shi Huangdi began ending battles between warring states in 221 BC
 He believed in Legalism and tried to wipe out Confucianism, killing his critics
and burning books that contained ideas he disliked
 Uniting China
 Strong central government and weakened China’s noble families
 Built highways and irrigation projects; standard weights, measures, coins, and
writing
 Forced peasants to work and set high taxes
 The Great Wall
 Built by peasants and criminals; meant to keep out nomadic invaders from
the north
 The Qin Dynasty Ends
 Shi Huangdi died in 210 BC and was buried in an elaborate tomb that
contained an army of terra cotta soldiers
Section 3: The Qin and the Han
 The Han Dynasty
 Founded by Liu Bang, who overthrew the son of Shi Huangdi
 Han Government
 Kept strong central government but lowered taxes and lessened punishments
 Set up a bureaucracy where people were tested and chosen to run various
government offices
 Empress Rules
 Liu Bang’s widow, Empress Lu, retained power through her children after the
death of her husband
 Expanding and Unifying an Empire
 Wudi came to power after Empress Lu and expanded China through warfare
 Encouraged conquered people to assimilate to Chinese culture, and sent
farmers to tend the land and marry conquered people
 Maintained a strong, unified government despite rebellions, peasant revolts,
floods, famines, and economic disasters
Section 3: The Qin and the Han
Life in Han China
Daily Life in Han China
Most worked on farms and lived in villages nearby in oneor two-story mud houses
Rich farmers had oxen to pull their plows, poor farmers
pulled their own plows; both had simple tools
Simple clothing and sandals, which could be stuffed like
a quilt in colder months
City Living
Centers of trade, education, and government
Merchants, craftspeople, and government officials lived
there
Section 4: The Legacy of Ancient China
The Silk Roads
A Trans-Eurasian Link
Overland trade routes were called Silk Roads, and because they
connected two continents they were considered trans-Eurasian
Traders would travel for years carrying silk, paper, jade, and
pottery to trade for sesame seeds, oil, metals, precious stones, and
horses
Cultural Diffusion
Ideas and cultural customs were also shared on the Silk Roads; this
spread of ideas and customs is called cultural diffusion
The Spread of Buddhism
Buddhist missionaries entered China along the Silk Road and
introduced the religion to the Chinese people
Buddhism was adapted to fit better with Chinese traditions
Section 4: The Legacy of Ancient China
Influential Ideas and Beliefs
Standards set by Confucianism are still significant
in China today and spread to Japan, Korea, and
Vietnam
Daoism became a religion in China, but did not
spread to other areas
Together, Buddhism, Daoism, and Confucianism
make up the major religions or ethical systems that
have influenced Chinese life.
Most people’s beliefs included elements of all three
Section 4: The Legacy of Ancient China
Chinese Inventions and Discoveries
Agricultural Improvements
Made life easier for farmers and made more grain available
Improved plow, iron tools, collar harness for horses, wheelbarrow,
and water mills
Paper
Made from a mixture of old rags, mulberry tree bark, and fibers
from the hemp plant
Prior to the invention of paper, writing took place on silk or on
wood
Silk
Beautiful and long lasting, for about 3,000 years only the Chinese
knew how to make silk
Silk allowed the Chinese to get gold and silver from western lands