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Ancient China
China
 About
1000 years after the Indus valley
people built their first cities, another
civilization began in China.
 Started in the fertile valleys between the
Yellow River and the Yangtze Rivers.
 -This
made China very isolated from other
civilizations.
 -Only other outsiders near them were the
Mongols.
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 SOCIETY
 Family
was central to society and
greatly honored, and everyone had a
clear role in society.
 The
elderly had privileges and power
 The young had very little privileges or
power.
 Women were subservient to men.
 Society was divided between the nobles
and peasants
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 Religion
and family were linked
together.
 Spirits
of family were worshipped and were
thought to bring good or bad fortune
 Every family paid respect to its ancestors
and made sacrifices in their honor.
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
The Rulers
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People also gave obedience and respect to the
ruler.
The ruler had supreme responsibility for the
welfare of the people.
Like Egypt, China’s history was marked using
dynasties. (rulers)
From Ancient Times until the 1900’s, China has
been ruled by one dynasty after another.
Shang, Chou, Ch’in, and Han
China (Shang Dynasty)

Developed writing
 -Each
character stood for an idea and not
a sound, making it very difficult to learn.
 -People could read it without knowing how
to speak it, allowed people with different
languages the ability to communicate.
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They needed someone to steer them the
right direction….
3 people emerged
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 CONFUCIUS
One philosopher that urged social
harmony was named CONFUCIUS
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
Confucius
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He believed that order and good government
could be restored if society was reorganized
around five basic relationships:
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o
o
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o
The relationship between ruler and subject
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The relationship between father and son
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The relationship between husband and wife
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The relationship between older brother and
younger brother
 o The relationship between friend and friend
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 Another
philosopher was Lao Tzu,
Believed that nature was the key to order
and harmony.
 Believed that a universal force guides all
things: rivers, breezes etc.
 His followers adopted Taoism
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Lao Tzu
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 The
third philosopher was Leglists.
 Believed
that a highly efficient and
powerful government was the key.
 Leglists stressed punishments and rewards
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Leglists
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Together the ideas of these philosophers
would eventually helped unite China
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
Han Dynasty led by Wu-ti
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proclaimed Confucianism the official set of beliefs
of the government
Created a university for people to study writing
Created a 4000 mile trade road to Persia and the
Mediterranean world that came to be known as
“The Great Silk Road”