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China Today
Chinese Ethnic Groups
Han Chinese - 91%
Other 55 ethnic groups- 9%
Manchu
Tibetan
Miao
Mongols
Hui
Yao
Geography and Early China
The Big Idea
Chinese civilization began with the Shang dynasty
along the Huang He.
Main Ideas
• China’s physical geography made farming
possible but travel and communication difficult.
• Civilization began in China along the Huang He
and Chang Jiang rivers.
• China’s first dynasties helped Chinese society
develop and made many other achievements.
Physical Geography
Varied Landscape
• China covers an area of almost 4 million square
miles.
• The Gobi desert lies in the north.
• Low-lying plains in the east make up one of the
world’s largest farming areas.
• Mountain ranges lie in the west, including the
Plateau of Tibet and the Qinling Shandi. There
was limited contact between people in the east
and west.
• The weather and temperature vary from cold and
dry to wet and humid, and monsoons can bring
up to 250 inches of rain each year.
The 4 Old-World
River Valley Cultures
“Peking Man”
(750,000 – 500,000 BCE)
Sinanthropus
pekinesis
Two Rivers of China
Huang He
Chang Jiang
• Also called the Yellow
River
• The longest river in Asia;
also called the Yangzi River
• Nearly 3,000 miles long
across northern China
• Flows across central China
from Tibet to the Pacific
Ocean
• Often floods, and has been
referred to as “China’s
sorrow” because of the
destruction
Yellow River Civilization
Civilization Begins
Farming
• Frequent flooding made the land fertile around the
Chang Jiang and Huang He (Yellow) rivers.
• Along with farming, the Chinese people hunted, fished,
and domesticated animals.
Early Settlements
• Some small villages along the rivers grew into
larger cities.
• Separate cultures developed in the north and the
south. Over time people learned to dig wells and
use potter’s wheels.
• Findings at burial sites suggest that the ancient
Chinese believed in an afterlife and had a
complex social order.
Neolithic Pottery
3000 BCE to
2000 BCE
Pan-Gu: Mythical Creator of the
Universe
“Chung Kuo”
(The “Middle Kingdom”)
Ancient China: History Highlights
Ancient China Begins a
Series of Dynasties
China was made up of many
kingdoms, which had many
different dynasties.
The three major Ancient
dynasties were the Zhou, Qin,
and Han dynasties.
Start here
Emperor is
defeated !!
Rebel bands find
strong leader who
unites them.
Attack the emperor.
Poor loose
respect for govt.
They join rebels
& attack landlords.
A new
dynasty
comes to power.
The emperor
reforms the govt.
& makes it more
efficient.
The
Dynastic
Cycle
Droughts,
floods,
famines occur.
Lives of common
people improved;
taxes reduced;
farming encouraged.
Problems begin
(extensive wars,
invasions, etc.)
Taxes increase;
men forced to
work for army.
Farming neglected.
Govt. increases
spending;
corruption.
Xia Dynasty
Legendary Dynasty--No evidence found until 1959.
Xia Dynasty
• The Xia dynasty might have been founded
around 2200 BC, by Yu the Great.
• Tales say that Yu dug channels to drain
floodwaters and created the major
waterways of North China.
• Archaeologists have no firm evidence that
tales about the Xia dynasty are true.
Yu, the Great – Founder
of the Hsia (Xia)
Emperor Fuxi
 Mythical Hsia
ruler.
 Taught the
Chinese how
to read and
write,
according to
legend.
Hsia Plaque, 1700 BCE
Bronze Age Empires
Shang:
1523-1028 BCE
The Shang Dynasty
Fooled You! No Music!
Shang Dynasty
• Established by 1500 BC, the Shang was the first
dynasty that there is clear evidence to support.
• The Shang reorganized the social order in China:
the top ranking was the royals, then nobles,
warriors, artisans, farmers, and slaves.
• Most citizens lived within the city walls.
• Many cultural advances were made, including
China’s first writing system, complex tools, metal
pots, and ornaments.
1500-950
B.C.:
Earliest
examples of
written
Chinese
Sample of Chinese Writing
Sample text in Chinese
Translation
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They
are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards
one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
(Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights)
Oracle Bones
Oracle Bones Calendar
The Evolution of Chinese
Writing during the Shang
Pictographs
Semantic-Phonetics
Axe Scepter – 1100 BCE - jade
Ceremonial Dagger – 1028 BCE
Shang
Urn
Shang Bronzes
Ritual Wine Vessel – bronze, 13c
BCE
The Zhou Dynasty
Western Zhou:
1027-771 BCE
Eastern Zhou:
771-256 BCE
The Zhou Dynasty and New
Ideas
The Big Idea
Confucius and other philosophers taught ways to deal
with social and political problems in ancient China.
Main Ideas
• The Zhou dynasty expanded China but then declined.
• Confucius offered ideas to bring order to Chinese
society.
• Daoism and Legalism also gained followers.
The Zhou Political System
• The Zhou people worked with other tribes to
overthrow the Shang dynasty in the 1100s BC.
• Zhou leaders believed that their rulers were
mandated by heaven, and that heaven would find
another leader when necessary.
• A new political order was established: the king
granted plots of land to lords, who in turn provided
soldiers and paid taxes to the king. Poor farmers
were granted land as well, and remained under the
rule of the lords.
• The lords helped Zhou rulers keep control of the
dynasty.
Decline of the Zhou
Dynasty
• As the lords’ power grew, they became uninterested
in serving Zhou rulers. Many refused to fight
against Zhou enemies.
• In 771 BC, the Zhou suffered a loss to invaders.
The dynasty survived, but morale weakened, and
the Zhou began to fight among themselves.
• The Warring States Period marked power
struggles between the ruling-class families.
• Problems within the government paralleled
problems within large family systems, which were
breaking down. Bonds of loyalty weakened within
even small families, and disorder fell upon China.
Confucianism
Moral Values
Disgusted with the rude and insensitive
nature of the people around him, Confucius
pushed for a return to ethics, or moral
values.
The Analects
This code of ethics was passed down and
written in a book. These stories focused on
morality, family, society, and government.
Leading by
Example
One of the major ideas Confucius put forth
for the success of both family and
government was leading by example.
Confucius believed that when people
behaved well and acted morally, they were
carrying out what heaven expected of them.
Confucius
Confucianism
• Emperor known as
“Son of Heaven”
• Said to rule with the
“Mandate of Heaven”
•Class of political
administrators to
assist Emperor
• Trained in ritual
and proper conduct
Two Schools of Thought
Daoism
Legalism
• Daoism comes from Dao,
meaning “the way.”
• Legalism is the political
philosophy that people
need to be controlled.
• Daoists believed that
people should avoid
interfering with nature or
each other.
• Laozi wrote The Way and
Its Power, a book teaching
that power and wealth are
unnecessary.
• It is unconcerned with
religion or individual
thought, and prepared
always for war.
• Legalists put their ideas
into practice throughout
China.
Lao Tzu (Old Master)
Created Taoism
Yin and Yang
“Stop thinking and
end your problems.”
• Taoism is a sort of “nature mysticism”
• Taoists express joy and amazement over
nature
• They seek to identify with this nature,
which they
call “Tao”
• In Taoism, the tao refers to the law of
the universe
• To Taoists, the tao brings all things into existence and
governs them.
Yin and Yang
Ritual Food Vessel, bronze
11c BCE (Western Zhou)
Pendant of a Dancer - jade
3c BCE (Eastern Zhou)
Ritual Wine Vessel – 4c
bronze, silver, gold, copper
Zhou Coins - bronze
“T’ien Ming”
The Mandate of Heaven
1.The leader must lead by ability and
virtue.
2.The dynasty's leadership must be
justified by succeeding generations.
3.The mandate could be revoked by
negligence and abuse; the will of
the people was important.
The Qin Dynasty
The Qin Dynasty
The Big Idea
The Qin dynasty unified China with a strong
government and a system of standardization.
Main Ideas
• The first Qin emperor created a strong but strict
government.
• A unified China was created through Qin policies
and achievements.
“Huangdi” – Emperor
 The “Yellow
Emperor.”
 Legend has it that
he ruled for over
100 years.
 Associated with the
invention of
wheeled vehicles,
ships, armor,
pottery, and
silk-making.
Shi Huangdi
• The Legalist Qin king Yin Zheng took the throne in 221 BC
and gave himself the title Shi Huangdi, which means “first
emperor.”
• He burned all books and writings that dealt with any practice
other than Legalism.
• He created a strict government with harsh punishments.
• He used his armies to expand the empire and ensured that
there would be no more revolts in the new territory.
• He claimed all power and took land away from the lords.
Commoners were forced to work on government building
projects.
• China was divided into districts with their own governors.
Unified China
Politics
Culture
Finance
• Shi Huangdi
took complete
control of the
land and the
people.
• Shi Huangdi set
up a uniform
system of law.
• Gold and copper
coins were
standardized.
• Rules and
punishment,
writing styles,
and money were
consistent across
China.
• Uniform weights
and measures
help standardize
trade and other
legal issues.
• There was a
strict chain of
command.
• Taxes and
building
projects were
introduced.
Qin Achievements
Building Projects
• Massive government building projects gave jobs
to many poor workers.
• New roads were built and maintained to provide
easy access to and from these buildings.
Water Systems
• Canals were built to connect rivers and keep trade
fast and efficient.
• Irrigation systems that are still in use today
watered the fields and made more land good for
farming.
The Great Wall Of China
• The Great Wall was built to protect the country from
invasion
• The Great Wall linked previously built walls across China’s
northern frontier.
• The building of the wall required years of labor from
hundreds of thousands of laborers.
The Fall of the Qin:
The Oppressed Rise Up
• Many scholars, peasants, and nobles grew
resentful of Shi Huangdi’s harsh policies and
complete control.
• Upon the death of Shi Huangdi, the country began
to unravel.
• Rebel groups fought among themselves, and
eventually the Qin capital was burned to the
ground.
• With no authority present, the country fell into civil
war.
Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi
The Terracota Warriors
The Han Dynasty
The Han Dynasty
The Big Idea
The Han dynasty created a new form of government that
valued family, art, and learning.
Main Ideas
• Han dynasty government was based on the ideas of
Confucius.
• Family life was supported and strengthened in Han
China.
• The Han made many achievements in art, literature,
and learning.
The Rise of a New Dynasty
• Liu Bang, a peasant fighting in a rebel army,
became emperor due to the Chinese belief in the
mandate of heaven.
• He was the first emperor of the Han dynasty.
• Well liked by both warriors and peasants, Liu
Bang released the country from strict Legalistic
practices and focused on people’s immediate
needs.
• Liu Bang lowered taxes, gave large plots of land
to supporters, and set up a government that
expanded on the ideas of the Qin.
Wudi’s New Government
• In 140 BC, Emperor Wudi took the throne and
shifted the country’s focus back to a strong
central government.
• Confucianism became the official government
philosophy.
• Wudi built a university that taught Confucian
ideals, and awarded his officials with higher
rank if they were familiar with Confucian
principles.
Four Social Classes
under the Confucian System
• Upper Class: The Emperor, his court, and his
scholars
• Second Class: The peasants, who made life
work on a daily basis
• Third Class: The artisans, who produced items
for daily life and some luxury goods
• Fourth Class: The merchants, who bought and
sold what others made
Family Life
Social Classes
and Wealth
Men
Women
• Men were the
head of the
household.
• Women were
taught to obey
their husbands.
• Hard work and
heavy labor
did not reflect
prosperity.
• Rulers had to
obey their
elders too; it
was a crime to
disobey.
• Girls were not
valued as highly
as boys.
• A strong
family was
stressed so
that people
would obey
the emperor.
• Some men
gained jobs
based on the
respect they
showed to
elders.
• Social rank did
not reflect
prosperity.
• Women could
influence their
sons’ families.
Han Achievements
Art
The Han created realistic scenes from
everyday life, advanced figure painting, and
depictions of religious figures and Confucian
scholars.
Literature
Fu style: combination of prose and poetry
Shi style: short lines of verse that could be
sung
Invention of
Paper
The Han Chinese made paper by grinding
plant fibers into a paste and then setting the
paste out to dry in sheets. Later they rolled
the dried pulp into scrolls.
Han Achievements
Sundial
A device for telling time, the sundial uses
the position of the shadows cast by the sun
to tell the time of day.
Seismograph
This device measures the strength of an
earthquake. Chinese scientists believed that
the movement of the earth was a sign of evil
times.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is the practice of inserting
needles into the skin to cure disease or
relieve pain. This practice is still widely used
today.
Han Contacts with
Other Cultures
The Big Idea
Trade routes led to the exchange of new products and
ideas among China, Rome, and other peoples.
Main Ideas
• Farming and manufacturing grew during the Han
dynasty.
• Trade routes linked China with the Middle East and
Rome.
• Buddhism came to China from India and gained
many followers.
Technological Advances
during the Han Dynasty
Farming
Manufacturing
• Iron plow could till more
land and raise more food
• Iron swords
• Wheelbarrow able to haul
more products
• Iron armor
• Silk: a soft, light, highly
valued fabric
Trade Routes
• Chinese goods became highly valued in other
lands, so trade routes began opening up.
• Trading Chinese silk for strong Central Asian
horses became a primary goal under the rule
of Emperor Wudi.
• Central Asians could then take the silk and
trade it for products in other lands.
The Silk Road
The Silk Road was a network of routes stretching more
than 4,000 miles across Asia’s deserts and mountain
ranges, through the Middle East and stopping at the
Mediterranean Sea.
Chinese traders only used the road until they reached
Central Asia, and then gave their goods to local traders.
Travelers banded together for protection along the many
miles of difficult terrain.
China grew rich from trading silk with other lands.
The Silk Roads
Buddhism Comes to China
Contact with New Cultures
• When the Han dynasty began to fail, people looked to old
religions to find answers, but were disappointed.
• After coming into contact with Indian Buddhists on trade
routes, many Chinese brought the teachings home to
China.
Impacts on China
• In hopes of relieving the suffering of human life, both
rich and poor people began to embrace the teachings of
the Buddha.
• The popularity of Buddhism in China is an example of
diffusion: the spread of ideas from one culture to
another.
Chapter 14: China
China Reunifies
The Big Idea
The Period of Disunion was followed by reunification
by rulers of the Sui, Tang, and Song dynasties.
Main Ideas
• The Period of Disunion was a time of war and
disorder that followed the end of the Han dynasty.
• China was reunified under the Sui, Tang, and Song
dynasties.
• The Age of Buddhism saw major religious changes
in China.
Main Idea 1:
The Period of Disunion was a time of
war and disorder that followed
the end of the Han dynasty.
• When the Han dynasty collapsed, China split into several
rival kingdoms.
• This was the Period of Disunion. War was common during
this period.
• Some peaceful developments did take place.
– Nomadic people settled in northern China. Some
Chinese adopted their culture, while invaders
sometimes adopted the Chinese culture.
– In southern China, people fleeing from the north
shared their culture with the southern Chinese while
adopting some of the southern Chinese culture.
Main Idea 2:
China was reunified under the Sui, Tang, and
Song dynasties.
• Sui dynasty
– Yang Jian finally ended the Period of Disunion by
unifying China and creating the Sui dynasty.
– Leaders also began the Grand Canal, linking
northern and southern China.
• Tang dynasty
– This was the golden age of Chinese civilization.
– China grew to include much of Eastern Asia and
part of Central Asia.
– After the Tang dynasty fell, China became divided
again.
• Song dynasty
– China was reunified.
The Tang Dynasty
The Tang
dynasty began
when a former
Sui official
overthrew the
old
government,
and lasted for
nearly 300
years.
The Tang dynasty
was viewed as
the golden age of
Chinese
civilization. Many
lands were
conquered, the
military was
reformed, and
laws were
created. Culture
also flourished.
This dynasty
included the only
woman to rule
China. Empress
Wu was
sometimes
vicious, but she
was also
intelligent and
talented.
Main Idea 3:
The Age of Buddhism saw major religious
changes in China.
Buddhism was spreading quickly throughout the lands. It
first came to China during the Han dynasty.
During the troubled time of the Period of Disunion, many
turned to Buddhism. They took comfort in the teaching that
people can escape suffering and achieve a state of peace.
It influenced many aspects of Chinese culture. Wealthy
people donated money to build temples. It also affected art,
literature, and architecture.
Buddhism came to an end there when the Tang emperor
launched a campaign against it, burning texts and
destroying temples.
Tang and Song Achievements
The Big Idea
The Tang and Song dynasties were periods of
economic, cultural, and technological
accomplishments.
Main Ideas
• Advances in agriculture let to increased trade and
population growth.
• Cities and trade grew during the Tang and Song
dynasties.
• The Tang and Song dynasties produced fine arts
and inventions.
Main Idea 1:
Advances in agriculture led to increased trade and
population growth.
• Chinese
civilization had
always been
based on
agriculture.
They were
expert farmers.
• During the
Song dynasty,
improvements
were largely
due to
irrigation
techniques.
• The amount of
land under
cultivation
increased, and
farmers learned
to grow crops
more efficiently.
• In the north,
farmers grew
wheat, barley,
and other
grains. The
south was ideal
for growing
rice.
• Farmers dug
underground
wells.
• Farms were
more
productive, and
food was
plentiful. This
led to population
growth and
increased trade.
• A new kind of
pump allowed
one person to
do the work of
many.
Main Idea 2:
Cities and trade grew during the Tang and Song
dynasties.
• China’s capital city, Chang’an, was a bustling trade
center.
• Trade grew along with the cities, making China richer
than ever before.
• The Grand Canal, a series of waterways that linked
major cities, carried a huge amount of trade goods.
• During the Tang dynasty, most foreign trade went over
land routes to India, Southwest Asia, Korea, and Japan.
• During the Song dynasty, sea trade allowed China to
open its Pacific ports to other countries.
Main Idea 3:
The Tang and Song dynasties
produced fine arts and inventions.
• The artists and writers of the
Tang dynasty were some of
China’s greatest.
• Artists wrote poems,
painted, sculpted in clay,
and made porcelain items.
• Some of the most important
inventions were made during
this time as well.
– Some of these influenced
events around the world.
Inventions
• Woodblock printing was invented. Entire pages
were carved into a block of wood, covered with
ink, and pressed onto paper to create copies.
• Gunpowder and the compass were very
important inventions of the Tang dynasty.
– Gunpowder was used to make fireworks and
signals.
– The compass allowed sailors and merchants to
travel vast distances.
• The Song dynasty brought about the inventions
of movable type and paper money.
Confucianism and Government
The Big Idea
Confucian thought influenced the Song
government.
Main Ideas
• Confucianism underwent changes and
influenced Chinese government.
• Scholar-officials ran China’s government
during the Song dynasty.
Main Idea 1:
Confucianism underwent changes and influenced
Chinese government.
• The dominant philosophy in China was
Confucianism, based on the teachings of
Confucius.
• His teachings focused on proper behavior.
• Confucius taught that people should conduct
their lives according to two basic principles.
– One was ren, or concern for others.
– The other was li, or appropriate behavior.
Neo-Confucianism
• After his death, Confucius’s
ideas were spread by his
followers, but as Buddhism
became more popular,
Confucianism lost some
influence.
• Buddhism stressed a more
spiritual outlook that
promised escape from
suffering.
• Neo-Confucianism
developed due to a desire
to improve Chinese
government and society.
• It was similar to the older
philosophy but emphasized
spiritual matters.
• Neo-Confucianism became
more influential under the
Song, and became official
government teaching after
the Song dynasty.
Main Idea 2:
Scholar-officials ran China’s government during
the Song dynasty.
• The Song dynasty improved the system
by which people went to work for the
government.
• These workers formed a large
bureaucracy, or a body of unelected
government officials.
Civil Service Examinations
• Officials joined the
bureaucracy by
passing civil service
examinations.
• These were a series of
written examinations that
tested students’ grasp of
Confucianism and related
ideas.
• Civil service means
service as a
government official.
• The tests were difficult,
and students spent years
preparing.
• Passing the exam meant
life as a scholar-official,
an educated member of
government.
Scholar-Officials
• Scholar-officials were elite members of society and were
widely admired for their knowledge and ethics.
• They performed many important jobs in the government.
• Benefits included being respected and having reduced
penalties for breaking the law.
• Many became wealthy from gifts given by people seeking
their aid.
• This system helped the stability of the Song government.
Yuan Dynasty: 1279-1368
The Yuan and Ming Dynasties
The Big Idea
The Chinese were ruled by foreigners during the
Yuan dynasty, but they threw off Mongol rule and
prospered during the Ming dynasty.
Main Ideas
• The Mongol Empire included China, and the
Mongols ruled China as the Yuan dynasty.
• The Ming dynasty was a time of stability and
prosperity.
• China under the Ming saw great changes in its
government and relations with other countries.
Main Idea 1:
The Mongol Empire included China, and
the Mongols ruled China as the Yuan
dynasty.
• Genghis Khan organized
the Mongols into a
powerful army and led
them on bloody
expeditions of conquest,
including China.
• By the time of his death,
all of northern China was
under his control.
• Kublai Khan became ruler
of the Mongol Empire and
completed the conquest
of China.
• He declared himself
emperor of China in 1279,
which began the Yuan
dynasty.
Yuan Dynasty:
Mongols Rule China
Genghis Khan
Kublai Khan
Yuan Dynasty
The Chinese
resented being
ruled by
foreigners who
spoke a
different
language,
worshipped
different gods,
and had
different
customs.
• Although Khan
made sure to
keep control of
the Chinese, he
did not force
them to accept
Mongol ways of
life.
• Some Mongols
adopted
Chinese
culture.
• Tax money went
for public-works
projects that
required the
labor of many
Chinese.
• Trade routes
were kept safe
by Mongol
soldiers.
• The Yuan
dynasty ended
when a rebel
army defeated
the Mongols in
1368.
Main Idea 2:
The Ming dynasty was a time of
stability and prosperity.
• Zhu Yuanzhang defeated the
Mongols and started the Ming
dynasty.
• The Ming were known for
their grand building
projects.
• During this dynasty, the
Chinese improved their ship
and sailing skills thanks to
the greatest sailor of the
time, Zheng He.
• The Forbidden City in
Beijing is one example of
their skill. Within some
buildings were 9,000
rooms.
• Zheng He boasted about his
country during his travels
and brought back gifts.
Great Building Projects
• The Ming were also known for their grand
building projects, such as the Forbidden City.
• It was a symbol of China’s glory, and the
common people were not allowed to enter.
• Ming rulers also directed the restoration of the
Great Wall of China.
• This kept the Chinese people safer against
northern invasions.
Main Idea 3:
China under in Ming saw great changes
in its government and relations
with other countries.
• The Ming emperors were powerful and abolished the
offices of some powerful officials.
• The Ming appointed censors. They were officials who
would judge the behavior of local leaders and inspect the
schools and other institutions.
• The Ming emperors tried to eliminate all foreign influences.
• China entered a period of isolationism, a policy of avoiding
contact with other countries.
• Due to a lack of progress during this period, China grew
weak. The Western world had made huge technological
progress and began to take power in some parts of China
by the late 1800s.
Chinese Women in Lotus
Shoes
Photo of a Bound Foot
Manchu Warrior