Download Ancient Chinese Society

DROPBOX ANCIENT CHINA WORK #1
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1. CHINA VIDEO NOTES
2. CHINESE SOCIETY NOTES
Ancient Chinese Society
I. Geography
1. Mountains
A. Make up 1/3 of China’s area
2. Huang He River
A. Known as the Yellow River
1. A rich yellow soil carried in river gives it
its name.
I. Geography
I. Geography
Great Wall
Qin Dynasty
Yellow River
II. Early History (2000 BC)
1. Yu the Great
A. Founded first Chinese dynasty named the Xia
(SYAH) around 2000 BC.
B. Scientists have yet to find evidence of the Xia
dynasty
III. The Chinese Dynasties
1. Government
A. China was governed by rulers who ruled in a
succession of ruling families called dynasties.
III. The Chinese Dynasties
1. Government
B. Chinese rulers ruled under the Mandate of
Heaven
1. If rulers were just and effective they
received this mandate
2. If rulers did not govern properly:
a. Indicated by poor crops, military
losses
b. Rulers lose mandate and someone
can challenge ruler and take over
III. The Chinese Dynasties
2. Early Religion
A. Oracle Bones (shoulder bones of cattle)
1. Priests would write questions on these
bones and heat them in a fire
2. The Priests would interpret the cracks
on the bones to predict future events
and divine messages. (Especially from
the spirits of ancestors)
III. The Chinese Dynasties
2. Early Religion
A. Oracle Bones (shoulder bones of cattle)
III. The Chinese Dynasties
3. The Qin Dynasty (221 BC – 210 BC)
A. Ruler: Qin Shi Huangdi “First Emperor”
B. Advances
1. Developed a system of weights and
measures to standardized trade
2. Standardized Coins
3. Developed a uniform writing system
4. Set up a code of law throughout China
III. The Chinese Dynasties
3. The Qin Dynasty (221 BC – 210 BC)
A. Ruler: Qin Shi Huangdi “First Emperor”
B. Advances
III. The Chinese Dynasties
3. The Qin Dynasty (221 BC – 210 BC)
C. The Great Wall of China
1. Migratory invaders raided Chinese
settlements from the north. Qin Shi
Huangdi built the Great Wall as a line of
defense against invasions.
2. Scholars believe between 300,000 to
1 million peasants died constructing the
many pieces of the wall.
III. The Chinese Dynasties
3. The Qin Dynasty (221 BC – 210 BC)
C. The Great Wall of China
III. The Chinese Dynasties
3. The Qin Dynasty (221 BC – 210 BC)
D. Lasted only 15 years but produced many
lasting changes in Chinese life. In fact, the
Western name “China” comes from the name
of this dynasty.
IV. Contributions of Classical China
1. Civil Service System
A. Eventually candidates had to take
examinations to qualify for government jobs.
IV. Contributions of Classical China
2. Paper
3. Porcelain – Is a type of pottery that is durable, easy
to rinse, delicately decorated.
4. Silk – The spun thread of silkworms cocoons and
created woven silk cloth from the thread.
V. The Silk Road
1. Facilitated trade and contact between China and
other cultures as far as Rome.
2. Chinese caravans carried jade, silk, and other
valuable goods.
3. These Chinese caravans returned to China with
Greek and Roman gold, silver, and wool
V. The Silk Road
V. The Silk Road
DATABASE TERMS
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1. Dynasty
2. Mandate of Heaven
3. Oracle Bones
4. Qin Shi Huangdi
5. The Great Wall of China
6. Civil Service System
7. Paper
8. Porcelain
9. Silk
10. The Silk Road
11. Trade Caravan
12. Monopoly