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Ancient China
Geography Isolates China
• To the west high mountain
ranges border China
• Tian Shan, Himalayas
• To the south, thick
rainforests separate China
from Southeast Asia
• To the north, the massive
Gobi desert
• To the east, the Pacific
Ocean
Chinese Civilization Begins
• On the flatlands of eastern China settlements begin to appear along the
Huang River
• Called the Yellow River due to the color of the silt it carried
• The buildup of silt on the bottom of the river would cause the river to
flood often
• Chinese peasants would have to build and repair dikes to keep it from
overflowing
• The constant need for work on the river led to the need for a strong,
centralized government.
The Shang Dynasty
• China’s first dynasty, the Shang Dynasty started
around 1766 B.C.
• King Tang led his people in revolt over the
tyrannical ruler Jie
• Set up their capitol in the city of Anyang.
• Relied on the loyalty of princes and heads of
local clans.
• Clan: a group of families who claim a
common ancestor
King Tang of the Shang Dynasty
The Zhou Dynasty
• Longest lasting Chinese dynasty.
From 1122 B.C. until 256 B.C.
• Rewarded their followers by
granting them control over
different regions.
• Feudalism: a system of
government in which local
lords governed their own lands
but owed military and other
support to the ruler
• Chinese use money for the first
time
Zhou dynasty-era copper coin
The Dynastic Cycle
• Dynastic cycle is an important political theory in Chinese history.
• According to this theory, every dynasty goes through a culture cycle of the rise
and fall of successive ruler families
• The dynastic cycle is the belief that the rise and fall of dynasties is controlled by
Heaven. This is called the Mandate of Heaven.
• A dynasty’s Mandate of Heaven could be withdrawn if its rulers became
oppressive, incompetent, neglectful or failed to govern responsibly
Confucius
• Was born in 551 B.C. and grew up to be a
brilliant scholar, hoping to be an advisor to a
local ruler.
• Unable to find a position, he turned instead to
teaching.
• Attracted students from all over, including
Siddhartha Gautama and Socrates
• Never wrote down any of his ideas, his
students collected many of his sayings in the
Analects.
Confucius
Confucianism
• Originally not a religion, but a philosophy concerning
social order and good government
• Confucianism stressed good conduct and careful
thought in all things and encouraged qualities like
loyalty, obedience, self discipline and respect for your
ancestors, elders and superiors.
• It was incorporated into China’s government,
bureaucracy and education system.
Chinese Achievements
• Silk
• Made thread from the cocoons of silkworms
• Woven into cloth, dyed with brilliant colors
• Once only available to nobles, soon became China’s most valuable export
• Writing
• Each character represents a whole word or idea
• Must memorize thousands of symbols in order to understand
• Soon became an art form known as calligraphy
• Books
• Chinese were the first to make books
• Thin strips of wood and bamboo bound together
The Great Wall of China