1. China’s First Dynasties
Preview
Main Idea / Reading Focus
China’s Geography
The Shang Dynasty
The Zhou Dynasty
Map: Shang and Zhou Dynasties
New Philosophies
Faces of History: Chinese Philosophers

2. China’s First Dynasties
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Visual Study Guide / Quick Facts
Video: The Impact of Hinduism as a World Religion

3. China’s First Dynasties
Main Idea
China’s river valley civilizations built the foundations of a long-shared Chinese culture. The achievements of the Shang and Zhou dynasties can be felt to this day.
Reading Focus
How did China’s geography affect its early civilization?
What were the achievements of the Shang dynasty?
How did China change during the Zhou dynasty?
What new philosophies were introduced in China?

4. China’s Geography Rivers, Soils, Climates Loess
The development of civilization in early China was aided by features like long rivers, fertile soils, temperate climates, and isolated valleys.
China’s first civilizations developed in river valleys
Two major rivers supplied water for earliest civilizations
Chang Jiang, also called Yangzi
Huang He, or Yellow River
Both flow east from Plateau of Tibet to Yellow Sea
Rivers, Soils, Climates
Annual floods deposited rich soil, loess, on flood plains
Valley of Huang He particularly fertile due to loess
Fine dusty soil
Carried into China by desert winds
Loess

5. Crops
Most of eastern China covered with fertile soils; some regions better suited than others for growing certain crops
Southern China—warm, receives plenty of rainfall, excellent region for growing rice
Further north—climate cooler, drier; suitable for grains, wheat, millet
Isolation
Combination of rivers for irrigation, fertile soil for planting allowed Chinese to thrive, as did China’s relative isolation
Mountains, hills, desert protected China from invasion
Himalaya Mountains separate southern China from India, rest of southern Asia; vast Gobi Desert prevented reaching China from west

6. Beginnings of Civilization
China’s Geography
Archaeological discoveries suggest Chinese civilization began in Huang He valley
People started growing crops there 9,000 years ago
Beginnings of Civilization
Legend says earliest Chinese ruled by Xia dynasty
No written, archaeological evidence Xia dynasty existed
Most historians date beginning of Chinese civilization to rise of Shang dynasty
Xia

7. What geographic features influenced life in early China?
Summarize
What geographic features influenced life in early China?
Answer(s): Rivers deposited rich soil for farming; mountains, hills, and desert isolated the area.

8. Government and Society
The Shang Dynasty
According to ancient Chinese records, the Shang dynasty formed around 1766 BC, although many archaeologists believe it actually began somewhat later than that.
China ruled by strong monarchy
At capital city, Anyang, kings surrounded by court
Rituals performed to strengthen kingdom, keep safe
Government and Society
King’s governors ruled distant parts of kingdom
King also had large army at disposal
Prevented rebellions, fought outside opponents
Order
Shang China largely agricultural
Most tended crops in fields
Farmers called on to fight in army, work on building projects—tombs, palaces, walls
Agricultural Society

9. Shang Elite Leisure Artifacts Afterlife Ancestor Worship
Ruling elite had free time to pursue leisure activities, hunting for sport
Wealthy enjoyed collecting expensive bronze, jade objects
Artifacts
Much of what is known comes from studying royal tombs
Contained valuable items made of bronze, jade
Afterlife
Tombs held remains of sacrificed prisoners of war
Believed in afterlife where ruler would need riches, servants
Ancestor Worship
Shang offered gifts to deceased ancestors to keep them happy in afterlife
Steam from ritual meals nourished ancestors’ spirits

10. As part of worship, Shang asked ancestors for advice
Oracle Bones
As part of worship, Shang asked ancestors for advice
Sought advice through use of oracle bones
Inscribed bits of animal bone, turtle shell
Living person asked question of ancestor
Hot piece of metal applied to oracle bone resulting in cracks on bone’s surface
Specially trained priests interpreted meaning of cracks to learn answer

11. Shang Achievements and Decline
Writing
Development of Chinese writing closely tied to use of oracle bones
Earliest examples of Chinese writing, questions written on bones themselves
Early Shang texts used picture symbols to represent objects, ideas
Bronze
Shang religion led to great advances in working with bronze
Highly decorative bronze vessels, objects created for religious rituals
Also built huge structures like tombs; created calendar, first money systems
End of Dynasty
Shang ruled for more than 600 years, until about 1100 BC
Ruling China’s growing population proved too much for Shang
Armies from nearby tribe, Zhou, invaded, established new ruling dynasty

12. How did religion influence other aspects of Shang culture?
Summarize
How did religion influence other aspects of Shang culture?
Answer(s): ritual meals for ancestors; oracle bones connected to early writing; bronze work for rituals; built stable tombs

13. The Zhou Dynasty
Beginning around 1100 BC, the Zhou rules China for several centuries. The Zhou dynasty is divided into two periods. During the Western Zhou, kings ruled from Xian in a peaceful period. Later conflict arose, kings moved east to Luoyang, beginning the Eastern Zhou period.
When Zhou conquered Shang, leaders worried Chinese people would not accept them
Introduced idea they ruled by Mandate of Heaven
Gods would support just ruler, not allow anyone corrupt to hold power
Government
Zhou said Shang overthrown because they lost gods’ favor
Later rulers used Mandate of Heaven to explain dynastic cycle, rise and fall of dynasties in China
If dynasty lost power, it obviously had become corrupt
Dynastic Cycle
In that case, they said, it was the will of the gods that that dynasty be overthrown and a new one take power.

14. Zhou Achievements Growth Decline of the Zhou
Before Zhou, Chinese metalwork done almost exclusively in bronze
Zhou learned to use iron, became backbone of economy
Iron was strong, could be cast more cheaply, quickly than bronze
Iron weapons strengthened Zhou army, as did new weapons like catapult and creation of China’s first cavalry
Population grew under Zhou
Farmers learned new techniques, increased size of harvest, created food surpluses; cities also grew
Roads, canals allowed better transportation, communication
Introduced coins, use of chopsticks
Growth
Conflict arose during latter part of Zhou dynasty
Clan leaders within China rose up against king
As time passed, more and more local leaders turned against Zhou, further weakening rule
Decline of the Zhou

15. Result of rebellions was Warring States Period
Small States Fight
Result of rebellions was Warring States Period
403 BC to 221 BC, number of small states fought each other for land, power
Zhou still nominally in charge, but power almost nonexistent by mid-200s BC
Qin, new dynasty, arose to bring end to Warring States Period, Zhou dynasty

17. How did China change under the Zhou?
Analyze
How did China change under the Zhou?
Answer(s): iron technology, population grew, new farm techniques, more food, cities grew, roads and canals built, coins and chopsticks introduced

18. New Philosophies
The conflicts of the late Zhou period led many Chinese thinkers to question the nature of society and people’s roles in it.
Effort to make sense of chaos led to creation of many new Chinese philosophies, or ways of looking at the world
Of many philosophies created during late Zhou period, two became influential in later Chinese history:
Confucianism
Daoism

19. Confucianism Confucius Love and Respect Analects
Confucianism based on teachings of scholar named Kongfuzi, better known as Confucius, who thought people should treat one another humanely
Should express love, respect for others, honor one’s ancestors
Love and Respect
Believed that love, respect had disappeared and was responsible for violence in society; restoring respect for tradition would make society stable
Thoughts on how to improve society collected in book, Analects
Analects
Ruler should treat subjects fairly; subjects reward ruler with respect, loyalty
People should respect members of family, devote selves to public service
Confucian ideas spread elsewhere in Asia, including Korea, Japan, Vietnam

20. Daoism Definition Yin and Yang
Unlike Confucianism, which focuses on improving society, Daoism encourages people to retreat from laws of society, yield to law of nature
Heart of Daoism is concept of the dao, or the way
Dao is the limitless force that is part of all creation
Through the dao, all things in nature connected
Finding one’s place in nature allows person to achieve harmony with universe
Definition
Daoism embraced Chinese concept of yin and yang, representing balancing aspect of nature—male, female; dark, light; hot, cold
Neither can exist without other
Important for two to remain balanced for perfect harmony
Origins of Daoist teachings attributed to philosopher named Laozi
Wrote book called Dao De Jing
Laozi worshipped by some as a god
Yin and Yang

21. Some Lasting Effects
Daoism eventually proved less influential than Confucianism in Chinese history
Still played major role in later dynasties
Idea of balance key concept in China for centuries as result of Daoist teaching
Daoist philosophy led many followers to work for preservation, protection of natural environment

23. What is one difference between Confucianism and Daoism?
Contrast
What is one difference between Confucianism and Daoism?
Answer(s): Daoism—retreat from society and commune with nature; Confucianism—improve society

27. Video The Impact of Hinduism as a World Religion
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