Download Ancient China

Objectives
• Analyze the impact of geography on the success of the empire of
Ancient China
• Identify the three main dynasties of Ancient China
• Cite and explain each of the key advancements of the three main
dynasties of Ancient China
The Geography of China
• Monsoons impact the climate
• Isolated from other cultures by:
– Gobi Desert in the North
– The Himalayan Mountains to the West and South
– Bodies of water to the East:
• Yellow Sea, South China Sea, Pacific Ocean
• Known as the “Middle kingdom”
– believed they were in the middle of the world, surrounded by natural barriers on all
sides
Geography of China
• Yangtze River is the longest river in Asia and third longest in
the world
• Huang or Yellow River is the second longest river in China
– Loess – sedimentary soil that is formed by the accumulation of windblown silt (creates yellow-brown soil)
– China’s Sorrow – River brought life, but also destructive floods
• To control flooding, the Chinese built dikes (protective walls to hold back
water)
or Yellow
Shanghai
The Dynasties of Ancient China
• 13 dynastic periods, Spanning 4,000
years
• Mandate of Heaven: a traditional
Chinese philosophical concept
concerning the legitimacy of rulers
– Similar to “divine right of kings”
– Heaven would bless the authority of
a just rule
The First Dynasties
• The Shang Dynasty
– built China’s first cities
– Irrigation and farming
– Known for their bronze work
– Developed the first Chinese writing system
• Oracle Bones
– Created a social pyramid
Emperor
Military
Nobles
Priests
Merchants
Farmers
The Shang Dynasty
The Qin (Ch’in) Dynasty
• Prior to the Qin Dynasty, China had broken into 7 warring kingdoms
• Shi Huangdi merged the kingdoms to unify China, and was the first true
emperor
– To protect China from nomadic invaders along the northern border, he ordered the
construction of the Great Wall of China, but did not complete the project.
– Abided by the philosophy of Legalism
• People are evil at their core, and the state is more important than the individual
– Created a “Terra Cotta Army” at his burial necropolis
Legalism 法家
• Legalism is based on three principles:
1.
2.
Fa 法 - The law code must be clearly written and made public.
Shu 術 - Special tactics and "secrets" are to be employed by the ruler to
3.
make sure others don't take over control of the state.
Shi 勢 - It is the position of the ruler, not the ruler himself or herself,
that holds the power.
Qin Dynasty
Ming Dynasty
Hey guys!
The Terra Cotta Army
Terracotta Warriors
in un-restored
condition,
Qin Shi Huang Di's Mausoleum Mound. This is the stairway up the mound.
The Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum is about 1 mile from here.
Han Dynasty
• Dynasty lasts 400 years
• Liu Pang – overthrew the Qin Dynasty and became emperor (202 BC)
– Not a heavy-handed ruler (abandons Legalism for Confucianism)
– Establishes imperial university
• Wu Ti – Liu Pang’s great grandson and Emperor
–
–
–
–
Ruled from age 15-65 as the “Warrior Emperor”
Expanded the empire
Created a public school system (for boys only)
Silk Road to the west
The Silk Road
• Connected Asia with the Mediterranean and European world,
as well as parts of North Africa
• Extends 4,000 miles long
• In addition to silk, many other goods were traded, as well as
various technologies, religions and philosophies
The Silk Road
Tang Dynasty
• China’s Golden Age
– Greatest age for Chinese poetry
– Buddhism reaches its peak
• Also Taoism and Confucianism
– Men granted equal allotments of land in exchange for taxes
– Did not have to be a noble to hold a high position; government exams
– Borders expand from Korea to central Asia (present day Afghanistan)
Tang Dynasty
• Kingdom eventually dissolves into 10 different kingdoms
– Feuds within the government, assassination plots, etc. leave the empire vulnerable
to invasion.