Download Ancient China - The Compass 09-10

Ancient China Dynasties
and ages
By Matthew Farner
Neolithic China
• 4000-2205 B.C.
• Lived by farming around the
Yellow River Valley.
• Grew crops like millit, rice, and
wheat.
• Used stone tools for agriculture
as well as weapons.
• They raise livestock like cow
and chickens.
Bronze age
• 2205-256 B.C.
• Discovered the usefulness of
bronze to make tools and
weapons.
• City-states are the basic of
social and political
organization.
• As population increases battles
over territory begin.
Hsia (or Xia) Dynasty
• 2205-1766 B.C.
• Was previously believed to be
legendary.
• Legend says that this dynasty
began when a man named Yu
drained the waters of a flood.
• He became the first king of the
Hsia dynasty.
Shang Dynasty
• 1766-2205 B.C.
• Shang dynasty overthrew the
Hsia dynasty because the last
Hsia king became corrupt.
• Shang society begins to divide
into lower and upper classes.
• Begin to crumble under the
stress of barbarian attacks from
the south and east.
Chou (or Zhou) Dynasty
• 1050-256 B.C.
• Chou dynasty divide into two
sections: Western and Eastern
Chou.
• As population grows, the Chou
people follow a social structure
much like that found in Feudal
Europs.
Imperial China
• 256 BC-589 A.D.
• China is ruled by an emperor,
who claims to have control over
China.
• This period experiences one of
the most prosperous and
culturally advanced dynasties.
• Period ends in dissolution and
disunity.
Qin Dynasty
• 256-206 B.C.
• Overthrew the Chou Dynasty.
• At 211 B.C the first emperor
named Ch’in Shihuangdi,
reunites the city-states.
• The first Great Wall of China
that went from the Pacific
Ocean to the middle of Asia.
Han Dynasty
• 206 B.C.-220 A.D.
• A central government is
established.
• Han dynasty is dived into two
sections: 206 B.C.-9 Western
Han and 25-220 A.D late or
eastern Han.
Three Kingdoms
• 220-256 A.D.
• Three dynasties in three
•
•
•
•
different regions rule China.
The Wei Kingdom located
Northern China.
The Shu Han.
The Wu.
The dynasties crumble under
barbarian invasions from the
North.
Dynasties of the North
and South
• 317-589 A.D.
• After the barbarians destroyed
the three kingdoms they set up
new dynasties.
• They adopt the Chinese form of
bureaucracy and court system
in check.
Sui Dynasty
• 589-618 A.D.
• The Sui Dynasty reunites China
under one Empire, Wen-ti.
• He takes control of the north
and south and the Ch’en
Dynasty.
• A census is also taken for tax
purposes.
T’ang Dynasty
• 618-907 A.D.
• The T’ang government is well
organized.
• Cities become a place for the
rising middle class and get
more money.
• T’ang emperors are tolerant and
allow foreig influences.
Five Dynasties Period
• 906-960 A.D.
• The dynasties held by the five
generals do not last.
Sung Dynasty
• 960-1279 A.D.
• T’ai Tsu uses a centalized army
to take control of China.
• Inventions were made example:
Printing Press.
• The barbarian and jurchen are
hired to fight the Khitan
Monguls. But the Jurchens turn
on the Sung and attack from the
north east.
Yuan (Mongol) Dynasty
• 1279-1368 A.D.
• The Mongols are a set of tribes
that live in North China.
• Kublai Khan defeated the Sung
Dynasty.
• This Dynasty falls apart after
100 years.
Ming Dynasty
• 1368-1644 A.D.
• The first emperor, Chu Huan
Duagn, worked to remake the
government.
• Chinese trading markets do
well.
• This dynasty falls because
government officials take
advantage of the poor .
Ch’ing or Manchu
Dynasty
• 1644-1911 A.D.
• The Manchu leaders chose the
Chinese style of government to
rule their empire.
• Chinese merchants and the
Chinese government refuse to
trade with the west.
Ancient China Facts
• Calligraphy, poetry, and painting
were known as the “Three
Perfections”
• By 8000 B.C. people living along
rivers because of the rich soil
for agriculture.
• The oldest known Chinese
works of art include pottery and
carved jades from 5000 B.C.
Questions and answers
• Q. How would they have a Emperor?
• A. If someone took over China they
would be the Emperor.
• Q. What kind of clothes did they
wear?
• A. They would wear tunies or t-shirts
women wore long tunies. They would
wear padded jackets in the winter.
Bibliography
• Arthur Cotterell. Ancient China.
London: Dorling Kindersley Limited
1994.
• Dale Anderson. Ancient China In Art.
Reed Elsevier, Inc. Chicago, Illinois
2005.
• World Book. The World Book
Encyclopedia Volume 3, 1999:C-Ch.
• “Ancient China Timeline.” Events of
Ancient Civilization, 2002,Pg54
4th P.