Download Zhou Dynasty ~ 1027 BCE

Early Civilization in China
What Makes China Unique?
•
Geographic
Barriers
• Outsiders
attempted
invasion (distrust
of outsiders)
•
Settlements along
rivers (Huang He
& Yangtze River)
• Need to control
rivers led to the
rise of strong
governments
Notice how all of the
dynasties of China overlap
in the same general area
Shang Dynasty ~ 1650 B.C.E

King = head of clan

Shang Di - Chief God
◦ King had direct connection
◦ Ancestors of families got gifts from
the gods

Most people = peasants
◦ Worked the fields all day

Yin and Yang
◦ Balance of the universe
◦ Yin = Earth;Yang = Heaven
Zhou Dynasty ~ 1027 B.C.E

Overthrow of
Shang Dynasty was
justified by
“Mandate of
Heaven”
◦ Cruel king lost
favor of the gods
◦ Explained the rise
& fall of dynasties
◦ As long as government is
good & lives by Confucian
ideals, it will keep the
Mandate of Heaven.
◦ If the government
becomes weak or corrupt,
Heaven will withdraw its
support & open the path
for a new dynasty to rise
up.
Natural disasters were seen as a sign that the Mandate of Heaven was lost!
Early Chinese Achievements

Writing (Shang)
◦ Oracle Bones – kings questioned the
gods, heated the bones until they cracked
& looked for answers in the patterns.

Silk Making (Shang)
◦ Only royals could afford material
◦ Most valuable export

Astronomy (Han)
◦ Helped make calendar
Economic Growth ~ 700-500 B.C.E

Ironworking
◦ More farm production
◦ Irrigation systems
◦ More food = greater
population

Commerce expanded
through use of money
◦ Trade made easier
◦ Feudal lords expanded
lands
What was the
importance
of silk to China?

Silk (started in 1000 BCE)
◦ Thread spun from cocoons of silkworms
◦ Major trade good
◦ Guarded secret (remained so until the 1200’s)
◦ Started the Silk Road trade route