Download Ancient China

RAP—SOL REVIEW
1. What is another name for the Old Stone Age?
2. According to the SOLs, how old is mankind? (How
long have humans been on earth?)
3. What invention signaled the beginning of the Neolithic
Era?
4. What writing system did the Egyptians use?
5. Name the event in which the Hebrews were forced away
from their homeland to live in Babylon? (the Bible was
written down during this time)
6. Who is the founder of Judaism?
7. What did Buddha teach?
Ancient China
World History I
China Today…
Official Name
People’s Republic of China
Total Area
3,600,927 sq. miles
Capital
Beijing
Population (July
2010)
1.351 Billion
Government
Communist party-led state
• Executive (President, Vice-President, State Council,
Premier)
• Legislative (unicameral National People’s Congress)
• Judicial (Supreme People’s Court, Local People’s
Court, Special People’s Court)
Language
Mandarin & other local dialects
Religion
Atheism, Daoism, Buddhism, Christian, Muslim
Terrain
Plains, deltas, and hills in the east; mountains, high
plateaus, deserts in west
Climate
Tropical in south to subarctic in north
China Compared to the U.S.
China
United States of America
POPULATION
1.351 Billion
313.9 Million
SIZE
3,600,927 sq. miles
3,794,083 sq. miles
ECONOMY
GDP (2012) $8.227 trillion
GDP (2012) $15.68 trillion
GDP Growth Rate 7.7% (2013)
GDP Growth Rate 1.9% (2013)
Gross National Income (2012)
$16.08 trillion
Gross National Income (2012)
$17.06 trillion
WHI.4e,f
Classical China was centered on the Huang He
(Yellow River) and was geographically isolated.
Invaders came from the North
Questions
• Why was the Great Wall of China built?
• What were the contributions of classical China to
world civilization?
Ancient China
CHINA
• Migratory invaders raided
Chinese settlements from
the North.
• The Great Wall was built by Qin Shi Huangdi as
a line of defense against invasions. (protection)
Rise of Dynasties in China
• China was governed by a
succession of ruling families
called dynasties.
• The first Chinese dynasty was
the Shang (1766 to 1122 B.C.)
– Most of society were peasants who led grueling
lives working the fields
– Ended in a rebellion led by two Zhou warriors who
claimed a divine right to rule
China became a
feudal state
• Chinese rulers were considered divine, but
they served under a Mandate of Heaven only
as their rule was just (fair).
• Mandate of Heaven—authority granted under heaven
to deserving rulers (basis of royal authority)
Old dynasty is
overthrown;
new dynasty
emerges
Disasters or
invasions occur;
old dynasty is seen
as having lost
Mandate of Heaven;
rebellion is justified.
Strong dynasty
establishes
peace & prosperity;
considered to
have Mandate
of Heaven.
In time, the dynasty
becomes corrupt;
taxes are raised;
power decreases.
Qin Dynasty
• First emperor of the Qin Dynasty is known as
Qin Shi Huangdi
– Unified China using a harsh system called
Legalism to impose order (ended feudalism)
• Heavy taxes and forced labor
– Linked existing feudal walls into the Great Wall
– Standardized weights and measures, produced
coins, and built roads
Han Dynasty
• Eased Legalist policies and
lowered taxes
• Emperor Wudi pursued
expansionism
– Linked China to the West
with the Silk Road
• Confucianism became the
official belief system of the
state
• Hired civil servants to work
for the government
Ancient China
The Silk Roads facilitated trade and contact between
China and other cultures as far away as Rome.
Contributions of Classical China
• Civil service system
• Paid govt positions; had to pass written exams;
positions based on merit
• Paper
• 1st to create paper and have
moveable type
• Porcelain
• Beautiful pottery, dolls, etc.
• Silk
• Made from silkworms
• highly sought after fabric
Contributions of Classical China
Other Contributions
• Writing: calligraphy (characters)
• Mathematics: sundial, water clock
• Science: 365 ¼ days in a solar year
• Farming: irrigation systems; pumps to
control flow of water to fields
Other Contributions
• Inventions: seismograph, wheelbarrow,
umbrella, gunpowder, fireworks, kites,
compasses, & wallpaper
• Medicine: acupuncture; herbal remedies
• Martial Arts: Tai Chi; Karate; etc.
WHI.4e,f
Chinese Culture began around 1500 B.C. Of
Chinese contributions to civilization,
Confucianism and Taoism are among the most
noted.
• Why were Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism
important in the formation of Chinese culture?
Confucius Says…
• It is better to light one small candle than to curse the
darkness.
• Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every
time we fall.
• Only the wisest and the stupidest of men never change.
• When we see persons of worth, we should think of equaling
them; when we see persons of a contrary character, we should
turn inward and examine ourselves.
• To put the world in order, we must first put the nation in
order; to put the nation in order, we must put the family in
order; to put the family in order, we must cultivate our
personal life; and to cultivate our personal life, we must first
set our hearts right.
Contributions of Confucianism
• Belief that humans are good, not bad
• Respect for elders (filial piety)
– Confucius considered this the highest principle
• Code of politeness, still used in Chinese society
today
• Emphasis on education
– For good govt and social order
• Ancestor worship
*an ethical system, not a religion*
Believed that social order,
harmony, and good
government could be
restored in China if society
was organized around 5
basic relationships:
1) ruler and subject
2) father and son
3) husband and wife
4) older brother and
younger brother
5) friend and friend
Contributions of Taoism (Daoism)
Founder: Lao Tzu (Laozi)
• Dao (universal force)
guides all things
• Humans should:
– Be Humble
(Virtue of Yielding)
– Have a simple life (inner peace)
– Live in harmony with nature
– Views government as unnatural; should govern people as
little as possible
• Yin/Yang represented opposites
for Confucianism and Taoism.
Yang
Yin
Chinese forms of Buddhism spread throughout Asia.