Occasionally though, China did get invaded from the north and west. Yellow River (a.k.a. River)

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1 China s Geography China was geographically from most of the rest of the world, so it developed without too much interference from the rest of the world. China was protected by the on one side, and desert and mountains on the other. Occasionally though, China did get invaded from the north and west Landforms to know: Yellow River (a.k.a. River) Yangtze River Mountains Pacific Ocean Desert China s Government China culture began around B.C.E., making it younger than the other civilizations we ve met so far Like the other civilizations we ve visited, the Chinese developed a ruling structure with a series of ruling families, called Power in China was passed from father to son for generation to generation Mandate of Heaven The Chinese people their emperors because they were considered divine (holy, or sanctioned by God) The rulers served under a rule called the, which basically said that emperors had God s authority to rule as long as they were just (fair and good) If the rulers became (unfair and evil) then the emperor would lose God s approval and the Mandate of Heaven, and then the people were allowed to overthrow him, and install a new emperor 1

2 The Dynastic Cycle New Ruler Gains the Mandate of Heaven Dynasty founded by powerful leader Period of Rebellion Ruler loses the Mandate of Heaven Period of Great Power and Prosperity Golden Age Period of Decline and Corruption Shang Dynasty ( BCE) É Not centralized Ð Lived in clans Ruled by a common ancestor Ð Social structure hierarchy É É É Ð Religion- polytheistic Chief- - mother goddess (respect) of ancestors Oracle bones 2

Yin and yang- balance between forces Î - earth, dark, female Î - heaven, light, male Writing- very difficult Î 10,000 characters Î - artistic style of writing Zhou Dynasty (1028-256 BCE) É -

3 Yin and yang- balance between forces Î - earth, dark, female Î - heaven, light, male Writing- very difficult Î 10,000 characters Î - artistic style of writing Zhou Dynasty ( BCE) É - authority to rule from heaven as long as their rule is just É Dynastic cycle É system É Achievements É Silk making É - trade between China and other civilizations as far away as Rome É Qin Dynasty Ò É Unification Ð Ð Built for to protect China from northern invaders. Ð Heavy taxes Ð Died 210 BCE 3

4 Han Dynasty (207BCE CE) Ò Emperors Invasion Ð - founded dynasty Appoints Confucian scholars Ð Peak of the empire Sets up a based on iron and salt Expands the Ò Society and Achievements Ð Society Ð Achievements Paper out of pulp (100BCE) Ð Collapse- China s geography kept it from much of the world The Himalayas kept it separated from, and it was really far from Egypt, Mesopotamia and Persia However, it was still occasionally Most of these invasions came from areas north of China, by people called A Wall Goes Up 4

5 Tired of invasion, Chinese emperor constructed a large wall in northern China to keep out the invading migrant Mongols The of China was one of the largest construction projects in human history Great Wall of China The Great Wall of China is the world s longest structure total miles long Many 40 feet tall Built through all types of geography- plains, hills, mountains, deserts Perhaps up to a million people during construction Trade: Positive interaction with the outside world While China wanted to keep out invaders, they welcomed, who came to China to buy things they couldn t find anywhere else People came from as far from Rome to trade with China, traveling a path known as the The Silk Road wasn t an actual road, but rather a path traders took to get to China to do business there Trade products Paper Silk Made from the cocoons of silkworms who ate local Chinese leaves The cocoons are to kill the silkworm Then the cocoons are unwound and combined to make thread 5

6 Confucius seeks to Organize Chinese society Unit 3: Persia, India, & China Richmond- Yarbrough/WHI One of the most important of these thinkers was. Born in 551 BCE, he became a well educated man who thought deeply about the troubles of China. He believed that a time of peace could return if people would work at five basic : ruler and subject, father and son, husband and wife, older and younger brothers, and friend and friend. The family relationships, he thought, were the most important. Confucian Ideas in Government Confucius believed that in order to others one must first govern oneself. Meaning, leaders should practice and be moral. This led to the idea of : Leaders should rule by example. If a ruler is fair and just then his people will follow and do the same. In government, this became a System, in which people are given government jobs based on deserving it due to education and professionalism- not because they know someone Basic Ideas in Confucianism Belief that humans are naturally, not bad Respect for Code of, still in use within Chinese society today Emphasis on Worship Not really worshiping ancestors, but to them in the afterlife for support We Are Family Society was held together by a strong belief in the importance of the - all the people- and not any single person. 6

7 The most important part of society was the family, and children grew up learning to their parents. Ancestor Worship The family played a central role in Chinese, too. The Chinese thought that family members who had died could still the lives of family members still alive. They gave respect to members of the family, hoping to keep them happy. Chinese Writing The Chinese, like the Sumerian s Cuneiform and Egyptian Hieroglyphics, had a written language with - where each symbol represented actual things The written language had thousands of, however, which made it very hard to learn. Only specially trained people learned to read and write. The language included, where you combine many characters to get an idea Taoism (Daoism) Another ancient Chinese philosopher named was interested in finding a way to live in harmony with nature and find inner peace (pronounced with a D sound) believes that nature follows a universal force called the Tao, or the Way. People do not follow this, but they can learn to do so. Laozi believed " " to be the key to truth and freedom. He encouraged his followers to observe, and seek to understand the laws of ; to develop intuition and build up personal power; and to wield power with, not force. Goals of Taoism: Humility Simple life and inner Harmony with 7

8 Yin and Yang Found in both and Taoism For advice in solving everyday problems in life, Chinese people turn to a book called the I. Based on the ideas of Yin and Yang, two opposite powers which out the universe If you can balance these forces in your own life, you can reach Yin is the darker element; it is passive, dark, feminine, downward- seeking, and corresponds to the night. Often symbolized by or Yang is the brighter element; it is active, light,, upward- seeking and corresponds to the day. Often symbolized by fire or wind. These are opposites rather than absolutes. They do not represent good and evil, one force is not seen as morally superior to the other. 8

Unit 4: Ancient River Valley Civilizations - China

Unit 4: Ancient River Valley Civilizations - China Standard(s) of Learning: WHI.4 The student will demonstrate knowledge of the civilization of Persia, India, and China in terms of chronology, geography,