Download China Dynasties Cornell Notes 2013

China Dynasties
Cornell Notes
Xia Dynasty
• A dynasty is a line of rulers who
belong to the same family and pass
control from one generation to the
next.
Legend says that the “Great
Engineer” Yu founded the first
dynasty, the Xia (shee-uh) Dynasty.
Shang/Chou Dynasties
Shang Dynasty
Chou (Zhou) Dynasty
1700–c. 250 BCE
• Two families ruled China for the
next 1500 years: first the Shang
family ruled, and then the Chou
family ruled.
• Important contributions of
the Shang Dynasty : the use
of bronze, a system of
writing, ancestor worship,
and the invention of
chopsticks.
• Important contributions of
the Chou Dynasty : the
introductions of Confucianism
and Taoism.
Qin Dynasty
Qin (Ch’in) Dynasty
Emperor: First Emperor Qin
221–206 BCE
• Although he ruled for only 15
years, First Emperor Qin
accomplished great things. He
ruled with absolute control and by
extreme punishment.
Important contributions of the
Qin Dynasty
• First dynasty to rule/create “China”
• First Emperor of China-Shi Huangdi
– United China together
• Strong central government
– Start of bureaucracy
• Military expansion
– Starts the construction of the Great Wall
The Great Wall
• The Great Wall is truly big. Different parts of
the wall are from 15 to 50 feet high. The base
has a width of between 15 and 30 feet.
Han Dynasty
About 200 BCE to 200 CE
• Life was good for many of the
people because of the demand for
Chinese silk and the creation of the
the Silk Road, a major system of
trade routes.
Important contributions of the
Han Dynasty
• Confucian style government
• Rise of Scholar Class
• Introduce Civil Service Examination
• Invent paper and porcelain
T’ang Dynasty
T’ang Dynasty
c. 600–900 CE
The Golden Age of China
• By 600 CE, in early medieval times, China had
become the wonder of the world. It was a time
of prosperity, and experimentation
Important contributions of the
Tang Dynasty
• Period of peace and stability
• Expansion of Silk Road to increase trade
• Buddhism
• Many new inventions
Song Dynasty
960-1279
• Period of peace and stability
• Buddhism + Confucianism = Neo-Confucianism
• Tons of new inventions
Yuan Dynasty
1280-1368
• China falls to the Mongolians/Khans
– Genghis Khan
• Government was extremely cruel to the
Chinese
• Lots of trade with foreigners and the West
– Marco Polo – 1st European account of China
Ming Dynasty
1369-1644
• Expansionist and Isolationist
• Fear of foreign influence
Inventions
The ancient Chinese invented many things we
use today. They invented paper, silk, matches,
the wheelbarrow, gunpowder, the decimal
system, the waterwheel, porcelain, lacquer, the
pottery wheel, fireworks, paper money, the
compass, the seismograph, tangrams,
medicines, dominoes, jump rope, kites, the tea
ceremony, the folding umbrella, ink, the animal
harness, playing cards, printing, the abacus,
wallpaper, and the crossbow.
Conclusion
The ancient Chinese were very clever
people. Their culture was complex
and made many lasting contributions
to the world.
Although outsiders call this land
China, after the Ch’in (Qin) empire,
the Chinese today call themselves the
people of Han.