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Ancient China
Early Chinese
civilization grew
up on the
Huang He or
Yellow River
and the Yangzi
River.
Winds carried a
yellow dust into
the region for
hundreds of
years.
The dust formed
into a rich soil
called loess.
The Huang He also
carried the dust along
with it giving it a
yellow color.
Every couple of years
the river would flood
leaving loess on the
land behind it.
The river sometimes flooded very
violently and took many lives.
The river has earned the
nickname “The River of Sorrows”
or “China’s Sorrow”.
Shang Dynasty
1700 B.C. a group of
invaders from the
Shang tribe came to
the Huang He valley.
They conquered the
people in the valley
and established rule by
a king.
The king was believed to
be a descendant of the
gods.
They served under a
Mandate of Heaven as
long as their rule was
just.
an ancient Chinese belief and
philosophical idea that Heaven granted
emperors the right to rule based on
their ability to govern well and fairly
Economy
Like all ancient civilizations the
Shang economy was built on
agriculture.
Artisans in China
learned to raise
silkworms and
spin the thread
from the cocoons
into silk cloth.
The silk trade
became very
profitable for
China.
They kept the
process a
secret.
They traded silk
with the Middle
East and the
trade route came
to be known as
the Silk Road.
Chinese religion included ancestor
worship and animism.
Animism – belief that all things in
nature have a spirit.
The most important god was Shang
Di.
Writing
They gave
each word in
their language
a special
symbol.
The symbols
represented
ideas rather
than objects.
Writing was used to compose and
preserve literary works.
Writing became an art form called
calligraphy.
Zhou Dynasty
In the 1100’s
B.C. the Shang
dynasty fell to a
group of
warriors called
the Zhou.
They were led
by Wu Wang.
Feudalism
Due to fighting with
those who still
supported the Shang,
Wu Wang gave up
control of some of his
land to kinsmen.
These land holders
were called lords.
Peasants lived on and worked the
land.
The peasants swore to support
the lord if he was attacked.
This system is called feudalism.
The feudal
system
provided
stability to
China for
almost 200
years.
Achievements of the Shang and Zhou
Silk production.
Astronomy – studied planets and
eclipses.
Calendar – 365 ¼ days.
First Books.
Map Assignment
1. Tibet
2. Yellow River
3. Sea of Japan
4. Korea Strait
5. Gobi Desert
6. Mongolia
7. Southeast Asia
8. India
9. Hindu Kush Mtns.
10.Egypt
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
Nile River
Mediterranean Sea
Tigris River
Euphrates River
Nile Delta
Mesopotamia
Indus River
Ganges River
Persia
Arabian Sea
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