Download Ancient China: Final focus

Ancient China: Final focus
Ancient China
 Dynasties
o Shang
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Zhou
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Be able to locate on a map
The Gobi Desert limited the spread of the Shang dynasty
The first dynasty that can be dated from written records
Shang kings tried to predict the future by scratching on oracle bones
The dynasty weakened because of weak leaders
dynasty
Justified their rule by claiming that the Shang dynasty had lost the
Mandate of Heaven
Longest ruling dynasty
Important events
 Use of the iron plow
 Development of the crossbow
 Use of cavalry and horse-drawn chariots
o Han
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Under Wu Ti’s rule
 Conquered Korea and Manchuria
 Developed a civil service system
 Required candidates for government jobs to take civil service exams
Civil Service
 open to all social groups except merchants
 Merchants were the lowest social class and were forbidden to take the
civil service examination
 Peasants had difficulty entering government service because of the high
cost of education
 Introduction of civil service examinations for government jobs began in
the Han dynasty.
 Candidates for civil service were required to master the Five Classics
Buddhism began during this dynasty
Pax Sinica or Chines Peace (period of peace and prosperity during this dynasty)
o Qin
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People were discontented due to forced labor and high taxes
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Introduced a standardized system of weights and measures
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Qin dynasty was overthrown by the peasant named Liu Bang
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The major reason that the Qin dynasty collapsed after the death
of the first Emperor was that Shihuangdi had angered most of his
subjects who then rebelled.
Ancient China: Final focus
General Information
 China is the oldest continuous civilization in the world
 The Chinese developed a sense of superiority because of their
isolation from other groups of people
 Chinese writing: a uniform system
o Became an art form known as calligraphy
o Gave the Chinese an advantage because all Chinese could
read it even if they spoke different dialects.
 Inventions
o Paper
o Wheel barrows
o Porcelain
o Chinese did not invent silk. They were the first people to achieve silk
making (cloth/threads made from the threads that a silkworm uses
to enclose itself in a cocoon.)
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Mandate of Heaven
o The right to rule was given by God
o Rebels justified overthrowing a government by claiming the old dynasty
had lost the Mandate of Heaven.
o Affected the government of China in that it allowed its new rulers to justify
the overthrow of a declining dynasty
 Huang River
o Nicknamed “China’s Sorrow” because it often flooded and destroyed
crops
o Chinese built dikes to prevent flooding
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Leveling: an economic policy that steadied farm surpluses and
shortages
 Silk Road
o Before the Silk Road: geography (mountains and deserts)
slowed the exchange of goods and ideas and resulted in China’s
isolation.
o Trade route from China to Mediterranean Sea.
o Goods traded: porcelain, silk, jade, bronze, paper, laquerware
Ancient China: Final focus
Religions/Philosophies:
 Buddhism
o Began during the Han Dynasty
 Confucius: a philosopher who emphasized responsible
relationships and respect for the family
 He Taught about
 Importance of family
 Respect for elders
 Ancestor worship
 Ethics began with the family
 He Taught that the primary ethical relationships
include
 Friend and friend
 Ruler and subject
 Father and son
o The teachings of Confucius impacted the Chinese
Government in the following areas
 Respect for elders
 Politeness in society
 Ancestor worship
Daoism:
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Developed by Laozi
Emphasizes the harmony between the individual and nature
Yin and yang: the opposite forces present in nature
Daoism and the concept of yin and yang focus on natural order
Laozi’s teachings did not address politics and government
Ancient China: Final focus
Legalism:
 Stated that people were selfish ad untrustworthy