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Ancient China
Geography
The geography of Ancient China shaped the way the civilization and culture developed. The
large land was isolated from much of the rest of the world by dry deserts to the north and west,
the Pacific Ocean to the east, and impassable mountains to the south. This enabled the Chinese to
develop independently from other world civilizations.
Rivers
Perhaps the two most important geographical features of Ancient China were the two major
rivers that flowed through central China: the Yellow River to the north and the Yangtze River to
the south. These major rivers were a great source of fresh water, food, fertile soil, and
transportation. They also were the subjects of Chinese poetry, art, literature, and folklore.
Yellow River
The Yellow River is often called the "cradle of Chinese civilization". It was along the banks of
the Yellow river where the Chinese civilization first formed. The Yellow River is 3,395 miles
long making it the sixth longest river in the world. It is also called the Huang He River.
Early Chinese farmers built small villages along the Yellow River. The rich yellow colored soil
was good for growing a grain called millet. The farmers of this area also raised sheep and cattle.
Yangtze River
The Yangtze River is south of the Yellow River and flows in the same direction (west to east). It
is 3,988 miles long and is the third longest river in the world. Just like the Yellow River, the
Yangtze played an important role in the development of the culture and civilization of Ancient
China.
Farmers that lived along the Yangtze River took advantage of the warm climate and rainy
weather to grow rice. Eventually the land along the Yangtze became some of the most important
and wealthy land in all of Ancient China.
The Yangtze also served as a boundary between northern and southern China. It is very wide and
difficult to cross. The famous Battle of Red Cliffs took place along the river.
Mountains
To the south and southeast of China are the Himalaya Mountains. These are the highest
mountains in the world. They provided a nearly impassable border for Ancient China, keeping
the area isolated from many other civilizations. They were also important to Chinese religion and
were considered sacred.
Deserts
To the north and west of Ancient China were two of the world's largest deserts: the Gobi Desert
and the Taklamakan Desert. These deserts also provided borders that kept the Chinese isolated
from the rest of the world. The Mongols, however, lived in the Gobi Desert and were constantly
raiding cities of northern China. This is why the Great Wall of China was built to protect the
Chinese from these northern invaders.
Interesting Facts about the Geography of Ancient China
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Today the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River serves as the world's largest hydroelectric power source.
The Yellow River also has the name "China's Sorrow" because of the terrible floods that
have occurred throughout history when its banks overflowed.
The Taklamakan Desert has the nickname of the "Sea of Death" because of its
temperature extremes and poisonous snakes.
Much of the Silk Road traveled along the deserts to the north and west of China.
The religion of Buddhism is closely associated with the Himalaya Mountains.
Ancient China
Daily Life
Life as a Farmer
The majority of the people in Ancient China were peasant farmers. Although they were respected
for the food they provided for the rest of the Chinese, they lived tough and difficult lives.
The typical farmer lived in a small village of around 100 families. They worked small family
farms. Although they had plows and sometimes used animals like dogs and oxen to do the work,
most of the work was done by hand.
Working for the Government
Farmers had to work for the government for about one month each year. They served in the
military or worked construction projects like building canals, palaces, and city walls. Farmers
also had to pay a tax by giving the government a percentage of their crops.
Food
The type of food that people ate depended on where they were living. In the north the main crop
was a grain called millet and in the south the main crop was rice. Eventually rice became the
main staple for much of the country. Farmers also kept animals such as goats, pigs, and chickens.
People that lived close to the rivers ate fish as well.
Life in the City
Life was much different for those living in the city. People in the cities worked a variety of jobs
including merchants, craftsmen, government officials, and scholars. Many cities in Ancient
China grew very large with some having populations totaling hundreds of thousands of people.
The cities of China were surrounded with formidable walls made from packed dirt. Each night
the city gates were locked shut and no one was allowed to enter or leave the city after dark.
Family Life
The Chinese family was ruled by the father of the house. His wife and children were required to
obey him in all things. Women generally took care of the home and raised the children. Marriage
partners were decided by the parents and the preferences of the children getting married often
had little impact on the parent's choice.
A big part of Chinese family life was the respect of their elders. Children of all ages, even grown
ups, were required to respect their parents. This respect continued even after people were dead.
The Chinese would often would pray to their ancestors and offer sacrifices to them. Respect of
the elders was also part of the religion Confucianism.
School
Only wealthy boys attended school in Ancient China. They learned how to write using
calligraphy. They also learned about the teachings of Confucius and studied poetry. These were
important skills for government officials and the nobles.
Life of Women
The life of women in Ancient China was especially difficult. They were considered much less
valuable than men. Sometimes when a baby girl was born she was put outside to die if the family
didn't want it. This was considered okay in their society. Women had no say in who they would
marry.
Interesting Facts about Daily Life in Ancient China
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Merchants were considered the lowest class of workers. They were not allowed to wear
silk or ride in carriages.
Young girls had their feet painfully bound to prevent their feet from growing because
small feet were considered attractive. This often caused their feet to become deformed
and made it difficult to walk.
Three generations (grandparents, parents, and children) usually all lived in the same
house.
Most homes in the city had a courtyard in the middle that was open to the sky.
Tea became an important part of Chinese culture around the 2nd century. It was called
"cha".
Ancient China
The Silk Road
The Silk Road was a trade route that went from China to Eastern Europe. It went along the
northern borders of China, India, and Persia and ended up in Eastern Europe near today's Turkey
and the Mediterranean Sea.
Why was the Silk Road important?
The Silk Road was important because it helped to generate trade and commerce between a
number of different kingdoms and empires. This helped for ideas, culture, inventions, and unique
products to spread across much of the settled world.
Why is it called the Silk Road?
It was called the Silk Road because one of the major products traded was silk cloth from China.
People throughout Asia and Europe prized Chinese silk for its softness and luxury. The Chinese
sold silk for thousands of years and even the Romans called China the "land of silk".
What goods did the Chinese trade?
Besides silk, the Chinese also exported (sold) teas, salt, sugar, porcelain, and spices. Most of
what was traded was expensive luxury goods. This was because it was a long trip and merchants
didn't have a lot of room for goods. They imported, or bought, goods like cotton, ivory, wool,
gold, and silver.
How did they travel?
Merchants and tradesmen traveled in large caravans. They would have many guards with them.
Traveling in a big group like a caravan helped in defending from bandits. Camels were popular
animals for transport because much of the road was through dry and harsh land.
History
Although there was some trade between China and the rest of the world for some time, the silk
trade was significantly expanded and promoted by the Han Dynasty which ruled from 206 BC to
220 AD.
Later, under the rule of the Yuan Dynasty set up by Kublai Khan of the Mongols, trade from
China along the Silk Road would reach its peak. During this time the Mongols controlled a
significant portion of the trade route, enabling Chinese merchants to travel safely. Also,
merchants were granted more social status during the Mongol rule.
Fun facts about the Silk Road
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It was over 4,000 miles long.
Marco Polo traveled to China along the Silk Road.
Not all that was traded along the Silk Road was good. It is thought that the bubonic
plague, or Black Death, traveled to Europe from the Silk Road.
Very few merchants traveled along the entire route. Goods were traded at many cities and
trade posts along the way.
There wasn't just one route, but many routes. Some were shorter, but more dangerous.
Others took longer, but were safer.
Ancient China
Religion
Three major religions or philosophies shaped many of the ideas and history of Ancient China.
They are called the three ways and include Taoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism.
Taoism
Taoism was founded during the Zhou Dynasty in the 6th century by Lao-Tzu. Lao-Tzu wrote
down his beliefs and philosophy in a book called the Tao Te Ching.
Lao-Tzu was the founder of Taoism
Taoism believes that people should be one with nature and that all living things have a universal
force flowing through them. Taoists didn't believe in a lot of rules or government. In this way
they were very different from the followers of Confucius.
The idea of Yin and Yang comes from Taoism. They believed that everything in nature has two
balancing forces called Yin and Yang. These forces can be thought of as dark and light, cold and
hot, male and female. These opposing forces are always equal and balanced.
Confucianism
Not long after Lao-Tzu founded Taoism, Confucius was born in 551 BC. Confucius was a
philosopher and thinker. Confucius came up with ways that people should behave and live. He
didn't write these down, but his followers did.
Confucius' teachings focus on treating others with respect, politeness, and fairness. He thought
that honor and morality were important qualities. He also said that family was important and
honoring one's relatives was required. Unlike Taoists, followers of Confucius believed in a
strong organized government.
Confucius
Confucius is famous today for his many sayings. Here are a few of them:
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Forget injuries, never forget kindnesses.
It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop.
Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in getting up every time we do.
When anger rises, think of the consequences.
Everything has its beauty but not everyone sees it.
Buddhism
Buddhism was based on the teachings of Buddha. Buddha was born in Nepal, just south of
China, in 563 BC. Buddhism spread throughout much of India and China. Buddhists believe
in a "rebirth" of the self. They also believe that the cycle of rebirth is complete once a person
lives a proper life. At this point the person's soul would enter nirvana.
Buddhists also believe in a concept called Karma. Karma says that all actions have
consequences. So actions you take today will come back in the future to help you (or hurt
you) depending on whether your actions were good or bad.
Ancient China
Dynasties
The civilization of Ancient China dates back thousands of years. Over this long period of time
much of China was ruled by different dynasties.
What is a dynasty?
A dynasty is when one family rules a country or region over a long period of time. Generally, the
head of the family will be the ruler of the land, like an emperor or king. When that ruler dies,
another member of the family will take power, usually the oldest son. When a new family takes
control, then a new dynasty begins.
The first Emperor of China - Qin Shi Huangdi
Mandate of Heaven
The Mandate of Heaven is what the Chinese people believed gave their rulers the right to be
king or emperor. It meant that the gods had blessed that person with the right to rule. A ruler
had to be a good and just ruler to keep the Mandate of Heaven. When a ruler or dynasty lost
power, this meant that they must also have lost the Mandate of Heaven.
Major Dynasties
Here are the major dynasties in the history of Ancient China:
Xia (2205 to 1575 BC) - The first dynasty in China, very little is known about the Xia.
Shang (1570 to 1045 BC) - The Shang ruled much of the area along the Yellow River. Their
last capital city was the great city of Yin.
Zhou (1045 to 256 BC) - The longest ruling dynasty in the history of China, the Zhou first
used the Mandate of Heaven to justify their rule. Much of the land was ruled by feudal lords
who were relatives of the Zhou family.
Qin (221 BC to 206 BC) - The beginning of the Chinese Empire, Shi Huangdi became the
first Chinese Emperor. Although this was a short dynasty much was accomplished including
the beginning of the Great Wall; standards were set for weights, measures, and money; many
roads and canals were built; and a single type of writing was used throughout the country. All
of these advancements would be used in future dynasties to make China strong.
Han (206 BC to 220 AD) - The Han dynasty established the civil service to create a strong
and organized government. Paper and porcelain were also invented during this time. The Han
also embraced Confucianism, poetry, and literature.