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Geography of China
China was isolated. Why?
Would you want to cross these to
get into China?
Cliffs along Huang He in Gansu
1. Natural Barriers
a. Mountains: south- Himalayas
west- Kunlun and Tien Shan
b. Large deserts: north- Gobi
west- Takla Makan
c. Pacific Ocean- east
Impact of Isolation
Ethnocentric society developed
Ethnocentrism- the belief that your race
or culture is better than all others.
Called China “Zhongguo” or Middle
Kingdom because they believed they
were between Heaven and Earth.
3. Population Distribution
How people distribute themselves in an area
a. 96% of pop. live along coast and river valleys
because 2/3 of China is mountains and deserts
There’s
farmable
land along
the coast
and river
valleys.
b. Modern China’s population: ~1.6 Billion
people
1 Child Law- To control the population,
Chinese families are only allowed to
have one child. There are many
exceptions.
4. Agriculture
a. Only 11% of the land is arable.
b. Arable = farmable
Farmers practice:
1. subsistence farmingproducing just enough to meet your
basic needs (little or no surplus)
2. terrace farming- carving steps
into the sides of mountains for
farming
5. Rivers in China
a. Huang He (Yellow River)- where
the earliest Chinese civilization
developed.
-loess- fine, windblown soil, very
fertile, settles in river causing
flooding
- known as “China’s Sorrow” because
of flood damage
Xi River
b. Chang (Yangtze)
1. Longest river
2. commercial
c. Xi (Si)
1. southernmost river
2. commercial
6. Coastline
a. Long and irregular (jagged) with
excellent harbors
Used for trade and transportation
The 4 Ancient
River Valley Civilizations
1.
a. supervised flood control projects
(Yellow R.)
b. developed an accurate calendar
c. developed a form of
writing
ideographs- symbols that
represent ideas
Oracle Bones- pictograms
on bone used to predict
the future
The Evolution of Chinese
Writing during the Shang
Pictographs
Ideographs
2.
(“Joe”)
The 4 Ancient
River Valley Civilizations
1.
a. supervised flood control projects
(Yellow R.)
b. developed an accurate calendar
c. developed a form of
writing
ideographs- symbols that
represent ideas
Oracle Bones- pictograms
on bone used to predict
the future
The Evolution of Chinese
Writing during the Shang
Pictographs
Ideographs
2.
(“Joe”)
a. Philosophies of Confucianism,
Legalism and Daoism
developed
b. Economy grew (because of
iron) population grew
c. Broke into warring states
d. Developed the
Mandate of Heaven- a dynasty’s
divine right to rule
Dynastic Cycle- cycle of how
dynasties rise and fall
Ritual Food Vessel, bronze
11c BCE (Western Zhou)
Start here
A new
dynasty
comes to power.
Emperor is
defeated !!
Rebel bands find
strong leader who
unites them.
Attack the emperor.
The emperor
reforms the govt.
& makes it more
efficient.
The
Dynastic
Cycle
Poor lose
respect for govt.
They join rebels
& attack landlords.
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.
Droughts,
floods,
famines occur.
Govt. increases
spending;
corruption.
a. believed in Legalist principles
b. united China & started Great Wall
c. Emperor Shi Huangdi’s Tomb with
his Terra Cotta Army
Shi Huangdi’s Terra Cotta Army
a. Used Civil Service Exam based
on Confucian ideas
- Emperor Wudi- improved life
b. Made achievements in medicine
(acupuncture), science and
agriculture
c. overthrown by foreign invasions
c. invented paper [105 B.C.E.]
d. Est. Silk Road trade route
(618 -907 CE)
a. spread Chinese culture in Asia
b. The printing press,
gunpowder,
small pox vaccine,
and
the earthquake detector
was invented.
Each of the eight dragons
had a bronze ball in its
mouth. Whenever there was
even a slight earth tremor, a
mechanism inside the
seismograph would open the
mouth of one dragon. The
bronze ball would fall into
the open mouth of one of
the toads, making enough
noise to alert someone that
an earthquake had just
happened. Imperial
watchman could tell which
direction the earthquake
came from by seeing which
dragon's mouth was empty.
6. Song Dynasty (Sung) 960- 1279 CE
a. China experienced a “Golden Age”
with a stable government
b. Culture flourished- grew &
succeeded
c. Silk Road grew
- trade between China and the
Fertile Crescent increased. It was
4,000 miles of harsh terrain.
7. Yuan Dynasty (Mongol)
1279 -1368 CE
a. Kublai Khan (non-Chinese) ruled
China
b. Marco Polo visited China. Europeans
became interested in China from his
book.
Kublai Khan
Genghiz Khan
Marco Polo
8. Ming Dynasty 1369 – 1644 CE
a. Revived arts and literature but
isolated China when Europeans
began developing advancing.
Ming Vases, 18c
Ming Painting and Calligraphy, early 16c
Admiral Zheng He (Cheng Ho)
China’s “Columbus?”
Zheng He’s treasure ship was 400 ft. long in comparison to Columbus’ Santa Maria,
which was 85 ft. long. That’s a BIG difference!
9. Ch’ing Dynasty (Manchu)
1644 – 1911 CE
a. The last of China’s dynastic families
came from Manchuria
b. Could not prevent Europeans from
gaining power in China.
Foot-Binding in Ancient China
Broken toes by 3 years of age.
Size 5 ½ shoe on the right
Mothers bound their
daughters’ feet.
For upper-class girls, it became a
new custom.
The Results of Foot-Binding