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Bellwork
• In your notebooks, write at least three
things you know about China.
– Any fact or characteristic is fine, but there has
to be at least three concepts.
Be prepared to discuss these at the beginning of
class.
World History
Section 3, Unit 4
China
Ancient History, Growth, and
Dynasties
Objectives
• Identify the geographic features and location
of China.
• Discuss early events in Chinese history and
how they affected China.
• Evaluate and define the “Mandate of Heaven”
and the Dynastic Cycle.
• Bridge the connection between the Mandate of
Heaven and the Dynastic Cycle
• Discuss and identify the affect of Confucius’
philosophies Chinese culture.
• Identify important changes to the Chinese
empire under the Qin Dynasty
• Describe the impact of the Silk Roads
Ancient China
• The walls of China’s first cities were built
approximately 1,500 years after Ur
(Mesopotamia) was formed, 1,000 years after
the Pyramids, and 1,000 years after the cities of
the Indus Valley were formed.
• Despite it’s “late” start, China has become a
world powerhouse that has existed in various
forms for over 3,500 years (the civilization).
• The survival of China is partly due to its
geography.
Geography
• China has various
natural barriers that
protect it from foreign
threats:
– East: The Pacific Ocean
– A great desert to the
North and West.
– South: The Himalayan
Mountains.
Geography
Desert in China
• Because nearly 2/3rds of
China is vast deserts and
mountains, early
Chinese people moved
farther east, near the
Pacific Ocean. There,
they would farm land
between two rivers: the
Huange He (hwahnghuh) and Yangtze
(yangsee) rivers.
Huang He
Deserts
Yangtze
Mountains
Huang He & Yangtze Rivers
About 90 % of the remaining landmass in
China, that was fertile, was found between these
two rivers. This plain is China’s heartland.
Geography
• Much like Egypt, Mesopotamia, and India,
China too also experienced flooding to
some degree.
– What are some benefits of the flood?
Drawbacks?
• Despite the natural barriers, however, the
Chinese inhabitants did have to contend
with invaders from the West and North in
many cases throughout their history.
Formation of Civilization
• Despite the Chinese civilization forming
after other cultures previously mentioned,
people have existed in the area for 1 mil.200,000 years.
• At around 2000 B.C., Chinese settlers began
farming around the Huang He river. Some
settlements became early cities.
Shang Dynasty
• The Shang Dynasty (16001046 B.C.) was established
by Tang.
• Under Tang, it
experienced immense
growth- which included
large scale building
projects. In fact, the
largest city in Shang was
built entirely of wood.
– The city- Anyang- was built
in the middle of a forest
and, to protect it, the
Chinese citizens created
massive earthen walls to
protect the city.
Culture
• The culture that arose
during the Shang
Dynasty focused very
much on unity.
– From the beginning,
there seemed to be less
emphasis on the
individual.
– Peoples lives were
governed by two entities:
their families and their
king/emperor.
Family
Question: How could the emphasis
on family benefit Ancient Chinese
civilizations?
• Family was central in
Chinese society.
• The belief in family also
affected the Chinese
religious beliefs. The
Chinese believed that the
spirits of family members
could bring good/bad
fortune.
• Every family paid respect
to the fathers ancestors
and made sacrifices in
their honor.
– Question: Why only fathers
ancestors?
Development of Writing
“Water”
• One of the greatest
achievements during
the Shang Dynasty was
the formation of a
Chinese writing system.
• Chinese writing
consisted of characterslogograms- which stood
for a idea, not a sound.
Development of Writing
• People in all parts of China could learn the
same system of writing, regardless of what
spoken Chinese language they speak,
similar to the modern number system.
• There was an enormous number of
characters to memorize. For someone to be
considered fluent, they had to learn 1,000
characters. For a scholar, it was 10,000.
Technology
• During these times,
the Chinese also
learned how to make
silk cloth, which was
created by drawing
fine threads of a silk
worms cocoon and
weaving them into a
Silk cloth
light fabric. Silk
became a symbol of
Chinese civilization.
Silk worm and cocoon
Rise of the Zhou Dynasty
• Around 1027 B.C., a
people called the Zhou
(joh) overthrew the
Shang and established
their own dynasty.
• To justify their
conquest, the Zhou
leaders declared the
final Shang king was a
poor ruler and the gods
had him removed.
Mandate of Heaven
• This idea spread and became the template
for the Mandate of Heaven:
– A belief that a just ruler has divine approval to
rule, while a wicked or foolish king could lose
the right to rule.
Dynastic Cycle
• This belief in the Mandate
of Heaven would soon
lead to the concept of the
Dynastic Cycle: a belief
that dynasties will
experience a period of
growth, decline (which is
marked by floods or
rebellion), and
replacement by a new
dynasty.
Why does it seem like all the Dynasties are
concentrated in one area?
– To the left, this picture
shows how dynasties have
been changing for
thousands of years, up until
the early 20th century.
Warring States Period
• The Zhou ruled from
about 1027 B.C. to 256
B.C.
• For the first 300 years,
the empire was
relatively peaceful and
stable. However, rule
began to decline.
Warring States Period
• In 771 B.C., nomads from north and west attacked
the capital Zhou city and killed the king. Each
noble, being a warrior, claimed to be kings of their
own territory and warfare spread.
• During this time, warfare had lead to the creation of
new technologies, such as a crossbow and new
concepts of battle never before seen.
• However, the period was marked by immense
bloodshed and a loss of previous values- order,
harmony, respect for authority- which defined
Chinese society.
– The dynastic cycle was about to bring about a new
dynasty that would bring order back to China.
Break
• Take a short 2 minute
break before we
continue into the next
section.
Required Reading: Early
China: A Lesson Learned
Ancient China Part 2
• In the last section, we discussed the rise and
fall of three Ancient Chinese dynasties: the
Xia (shyah), Shang, and Zhou (joh).
• We left off discussing the fall of the
dynasties and how new ideas would help
lead into a new powerful Chinese Dynasty.
Philosophy and Social Order
• When the Zhou Dynasty
fell, certain values were
put aside and scholars
wished to restore order.
• China’s most influential
scholar was Confucius (b.
551 B.C.). Confucius lived
when the Zhou Dynasty
was being torn apart by
warring lords. He led a
scholarly life, meaning he
studied, taught history,
music, and moral
character
Confucius (cont.)
• He believed that social
order could be restored
if Chinese society was
centered around five (5)
basic relationships:
–
–
–
–
Ruler and subject
Father and son
Husband and wife
Older brother and
younger brother
– Friend and friend
Filial Piety
• He created a code of
proper conduct which
regulated these
relationships– for
example, a ruler should
treat his subjects with
kindness and subjects
should be loyal.
• Three of Confucius’ 5
relationships relied on
family. He firmly believed
in filial piety- respect for
parents and elders.
Mulan Comparison
• Let’s watch Mulan’s “Reflections” and while
you are watching it, please consider the
following:
Do you see anything in this clip– or from what
you remember about the movie “Mulan”– that
reflects Confucius’ traditional values?
Confucian ideas
• Confucius believed that education can
transform a person into a gentleman.
• He laid the groundwork for bureaucracytrained civil service (those who run the
government).
– Confucians believed in a proper government
system that ruled smoothly.
• Even the emperor was to rule by good virtue.
Civil Servants
• Confucius believed
that it was important
for Civil Servants who
would lead
government to possess
four main
characteristics:
–
–
–
–
Be Precise
Courteous
Providing
Just
Questions
1. How does Confucius’s focus on the family
relate back to “traditional” Chinese beliefs?
2. Do you think that Confucius was right
about the emphasis on education?
3. What are Confucius’ five basic
relationships?
4. What is filial piety?
Qin Dynasty
• A short-lived dynasty
would come to replace
the Zhou Dynasty in the
third century B.C.
• After 20 years, Shi
Huangdi (shir hwangdee), which means “first
emperor”, became the
first emperor of the Qin
Dynasty. He chose to
abandon the title “king”
in favor of this new
name.
Shi Huangdi
• The king began his reign
by halting internal
battles that were
weakening China. He
then defeated invaders
and crushed internal
resistance to his rule.
• He expanded China and
ordered that all noble
peoples live in the
capital city, so that he
could closely monitor
them.
Centralization
• Shi Huangdi also created sweeping
programs for centralization, including:
– Building a highway network that was over 4,000
miles.
– Set uniform standards for Chinese writing, law,
currency, and measurements
– Irrigation projects (which increased farm
production)
– Increased trade
Projects
• However, to do these projects, Shi Huangdi
also:
– Forced peasants to work against their will
– Created harsh taxes
– Created a repressive government
• Although he unified China, he did it at a
cost of human freedom
Two Questions:
What is this a picture of?
Why is this structure so impressive?
Great Wall of China
• Shi Huangdi, and the
dynasty as a whole,
was very unpopular
amongst the masses.
• Despite this, the
emperor required the
poor to work to unify
a great wall across
China’s northern
border.
Great Wall of China (cont.)
• The project was designed to fill in the gaps
between previous walls and force invaders
to go almost to Tibet to attack China.
• The Great Wall of China was built on the
backs of thousands of unpaid laborers.
• The laborers had no option but to build and
many died during the construction.
Terracotta Army
• Qin Shi Huangdi also had a massive terracotta
army built for him near his death. These soldiers
(in which no two are alike) were designed after his
actual army and were to protect him in the afterlife.
Fall of the Qin Dynasty
• Despite such great
building projects, the
Qin Dynasty was
ultimately short-lived.
– The projects actually
made the Qin Dynasty
unpopular among the
people who were forced
to build.
– As well, the Qin Dynasty
was not as stable after Shi
Huangdi’s death.
Fall of the Qin Dynasty
Qin Er Shi, son of Shi Huangdi
• Shi Huangdi’s son was
just as cruel as his
father, but was less able.
• Peasants rebelled just
three years after he took
over.
• Despite the loss of the
Qin Dynasty, the
Dynastic Cycle would
again bring about a new
dynasty to take the place
of the Qin: the Han
Dynasty
Break/Questions
• Lets take a moment and consider the
following:
– What did the Chinese value in life?
– What were the five basic relationships amongst
the Chinese?
– Why did Confucius focus on creating this
relationships?
Once we are done, we will take two minutes to
breathe.
Liu Bang
• Following the fall of the
Qin, two powerful
leaders appeared- Xiang
Yu (shee-ang yoo) and
his general, Liu Bang.
• Overtime, Liu Bang
turned against Xiang Yu.
• Liu Bang won and
became the first
emperor of the Han
Dynasty.
Han Dynasty
• The Han Dynastywhich would rule
China for over 400
years, is divided into
two periods:
– The former Han ruled
for about two centuries
until A.D. 9
– The later Han ruled for
almost another two
centuries.
Centralization
• Liu Bang’s first goal was to destroy the other
rival kings’ power.
• He followed the Qin policy of a centralized
government, in which a central authority runs
the state.
• To avoid the issues during the Qin Dynasty,
Liu Bang lowered taxes and softened harsh
punishments.
– The people were very appreciative of his new
reforms.
Wudi
• Wudi was Liu Bang’s
great-grandson. He
continued many of Liu
Bangs centralized policies.
• Wudi also removed
various nomads from the
area that were threatening
Chinese provinces.
• He also expanded the Han
Dynasty into Manchuria
and Korea and set up
colonies into Vietnam.
Wudi
Emperor
Three
Excellencies
Commanderin-Chief
Generals
Grandee
Secretary
Commandery
Local
Government
Armies
Prefecture
Chancellor
District
Chancellors
Office
10 Ministers
Commune
Village
Wudi
• The emperor relied on a very complex
system to run the Dynasty.
• To pay for the system, the emperor levied
taxes and required peasants to provide the
government one month of service a year–
such as building roads, canals, and
irrigation ditches.
• The emperor filled his armies and expanded
the Great Wall.
Civil Service
• The empire employed
130,000 people, which
include 18 different
ranks of civil service
jobs– government jobs
that civilians obtained
by passing exams.
• These civil servants
were trained in
Confucianism through
new schools the
Dynasty established.
Han Technology
• Advances in technology influenced all of
Han life. The technology includes:
– Paper- invented in A.D. 105
• Prior to this, they wrote on silk or pieces of wood
• Helped spread education and was more convenient
– Collar Harness for horses
– Plow
– Wheelbarrow
– Watermills to grind grain
Silk Roads
• As the Dynasty grew, so did commerce.
• The growth of commerce lead to the
formation of the Silk Road:
–Foreign demand was extremely high
for Chinese silk.
–The Silk Roads opened trade
between the east and west.
Silk Roads
Unified Chinese Culture
• When the dynasty grew,
the Han had to consider
how to assimilate new
people in their culture.
• However, with it’s new
size came instability due
to growing debt and a
growing disparity in
wealth between the poor
and the rich.
Wang Mang
• Finally, in 9 A.D., a Confucian
scholar named Wang Mang
seized control after acting as a
regent for a infant who was
emperor. He took the title for
himself and overthrew the
Han, effectively ending the first
Han Dynasty.
• He attempted to bring the
country under control, such as
by printing money, creating
granaries to feed the poor, and
redistributing land.
Death
• However, in AD 11, a large flood left
thousands dead and millions homeless.
• His empire was unable to quell the fears of
the people and Wang Mang was
assassinated.
• Another member of the imperial Han
family took control– creating the Later Han
Dynasty.
• Peace was restored to China.
Weaknesses Return
• However, within a century, China began to
suffer from similar weaknesses it had
experienced in the latter part of the Former
Han Dynasty.
– By 220 AD, the Later Han Dynasty disintegrated
into three rival kingdoms.
Chinese Legacy
• China would continue to
be a powerful presence in
the world throughout the
following (almost) two
millennia that would
follow.
• However, many Chinese
influences affected various
other cultures around the
world, including those in
Europe, as we will see in
future lessons.
Closure Activity
• On a half sheet of paper, write down two
things you learned about China during this
lesson and one question about China that
this lesson did not answer (or you do not
understand).
• Ball up your paper and, when I say so, toss
the ball to another student in the class.
• We are going to read some of them aloud.
Review the Objectives
• Identify the geographic features and location of China.
• Discuss early events in Chinese history and how they
affected China.
• Evaluate and define the “Mandate of Heaven” and the
Dynastic Cycle.
• Bridge the connection between the Mandate of Heaven
and the Dynastic Cycle
• Discuss and identify the affect of Confucius’
philosophies Chinese culture.
• Identify important changes to the Chinese empire under
the Qin Dynasty
• Describe the impact of the Silk Roads
Questions?
• If you have any questions, please ask now.
Next Lesson
• In the next lesson, we are going to move
away from China and we will not be
discussing it again for several more units.
• We will, however, backtrack and discuss
Greek society.
Review
Please take a China Review Worksheet from
the teacher or download it from the website.