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China
Geography
1. The mountain range that
separates the Huang and
Chang River valleys is called
the Qinling Shandi.
2. Rice is the leading farm
product in the south and
central part of China, where
rainfall is plentiful. Wheat is
the principal crop of northern
China.
3. China Proper is the
smallest and most historically
significant section - the heart
of China - and stretches from
the eastern seacoast inland.
4. The three great river
systems that wind through
China Proper are the Huang,
Chang, and Xi.
5. The Huang River has a
yellow tint from the fertile soil
of the river valley, which is
called loess. The Chinese
word for yellow is "huang",
which gives the river its name.
6. While the Chinese did
adopt some skills and idea
from other peoples, China's
geographic isolation helped it
to develop a distinct Chinese
culture.
Dynasties
Shang Dynasty
1. Neolithic people lived in the
Huang valley around 2200
BC.
2. Invaders from the North, the
Shang, invaded around 1500
BC and Chinese culture
began.
3. Shang rulers created a
complex bureaucracy - a
government organized into
different levels and tasks.
Today's civil service.
4. Shang dynasty developed a
writing system of special
symbols called characters.
Each character represents a
word. A style became known
as calligraphy.
From Ode of Mulan by [Mi Fei] [Mei
Fei] (aka Mi Fu)
By [Wu Ju]{Wu Chu]
5. Shang was overrun by the
Zhou about 1050 BC.
Zhou Dynasty
1. The Mandate of Heaven.
The Zhou considered their
rulers to be divine. The god of
heaven determined who ruled.
When overthrown, the ruler
lost the "Mandate of Heaven."
2. Ruled for more than 500
years until overrun by the one
of the Warring States, the Qin.
Qin Dynasty
1. Lasted only 15 years
2. "China" from the name of
Qin
3. Established an autocracy absolute rule of the emperor
4. Qin emperor force the
people to start construction of
the Great Wall to keep out
invaders
5. Overthrown by the Han
Han Dynasty
1. Ruled for more than 400
years.
2. Improved upon a
centralized civil service
system to govern China. Still
important in China today.
3. Long period of peace gave
rise trade along the Silk Road.
From China to the
Mediterranean Sea.
4. Camel caravans carried
jade, silk, and other valuable
goods; brought back gold,
silver, and wool.
5. Paper was invented during
the Han Dynasty
6. Finally overrun by nomadic
people from the north around
AD 220.