Download early_chinese_civilization

 If you had to choose between
Buddhism and Hinduism which one
would you have followed in
ancient India and why? (Think
about the caste system and were
you may end up)
Geography
 In between the HUANG HE ( Yellow River, 2,900
miles long) and CHANG JIANG (Yangtze River 3,400
miles long) was on of the greatest food producing
areas in the ancient world.
Geography
 Only 10% of China can be used for agriculture.
Mountains and deserts cover much of the remaining
countryside.
Shang Dynasty
• XIA DYNASTY was the first civilization according to
Chinese history over 4000 years ago.
• SHANG DYNASTY replaced the Xia dynasty (about
1750 to 1122 B.C.)
• An ARISTOCRACY, and upper class whose wealth is
based on land and whose power is passed on from
one generation to another, dominated this farming
society.
Shang Dynasty
 A king ruled the aristocratic warlords and was
expected to protect from invaders.
 When the king died there were ritual sacrifices
performed at his death and corpses of servants were
placed in the king’s tomb.
Shang Dynasty
 Believed strongly in life after death. They believed
their ancestors’ spirits could bring good or bad
fortune to the living family.
 Quingming (Clear and Bright) was a festival in which
they cleaned the grave sights and brought the spirits
food.
Shang Dynasty
 Bronze objects are among the most admired
creations of Chinese art.
Zhou Dynasty
 The leader of the Zhou territory revolted against the
Shang king and created the ZHOU DYNASTY. ( 1045
to 256 B.C.) China’s longest dynasty.
 The king was believed to connect Heaven and Earth.
He performed rituals to bring Heaven and Earth
closer together.
Zhou Dynasty
 The Zhou dynasty claimed their rule by the
MANDATE OF HEAVEN. This view stated that
Heaven, an impersonal law of nature, kept order in
the world through the Zhou king.
 The king was expected to be virtuous and to rule
with goodness and efficiency through the proper
“Way”, called DAO, and the gods would be pleased.
Zhou Dynasty
 The Mandate of Heaven set forth a right of
revolution. It also implied the king was not divine.
Zhou Dynasty
 Later Zhou rulers were weak and corrupt.
 Civil war finally broke out in 403 B.C.
 This began the period known as the Period of the
Warring States.
Warring States
 Warfare and changed in China.
 They had iron weapons and divided up in infantry
and cavalry.
 The cavalry used crossbows, which the Chinese
invented.