Download Yellow River Valley Civilizations China: Shang

Yellow River Valley Civilizations China: Shang & Zhou Dynasties
 Geography influences civilization
o Temperate (mild) climate
o Rivers
 Huang He (Yellow) River
 Yangtze River
o Isolated river valleys due to geography
o Himalayan Mountains
o Gobi Desert
o Annual spring time flooding
 Rich soil
 loess
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Shang Dynasty
1700 – 1100 BC
Bronze Age
Achievements
 Bronze
o Writing system
 “oracle bones”
o Tomb building & ancestor worship
o Accurate lunar calendar
o Kingdom with large court of nobles
o Large army
Zhou Dynasty 1100 – 250 BC
Justified conquering Shang peoples with “the Mandate of Heaven”
Zhou Accomplishments
o Iron age
o Cavalry & catapult
o Chop sticks
o Coinage (money $)
o Improved farming techniques
 Tiered farming
o Religion/Philosophy
 Rise of Confucianism & Daoism
Confucianism
o Kongfuzi (Confucius) 551 – 479 BC
o Analects (writings)
 To restore order in society their must be respect for family & tradition
 Ruler must show respect for his people
 Meritocracy :jobs earned by skill not social class
 Educated people must do public service
Daoism “the way”
o Laozi (500s BC)
o Dao De Jing (writings)
 Retreat from society & yield to the power of nature
 To achieve harmony in the universe one must find one’s place in nature
 Comes out of Warring States period
 Yin & Yang = “the balance of nature”