River Dynasties ANCIENT CHINA

SETTING THE STAGE The walls of China’s first cities were built over 4,000 years ago. This is 1000 years after the city walls at Ur in Mesopotamia. This is 1000 years after the pyramids were built in Egypt. This is 1000 years after the sophisticated planned cities in the Indus Valley. The difference??? The civilization that began along one of China’s river systems continues to thrive today.

GEOGRAPHY Natural barriers isolated China from all other civilizations. To the east, the Yellow Sea, east China Sea, and the Pacific Ocean. 2/3 of China is full of mountain ranges and deserts. In western China lay the Taklimakan Desert & Tibet. To the southwest are the Himalayas. To the north are the Gobi Desert and Mongolian Plateau.

RIVER SYSTEMS China has 2 major rivers flowing the mountainous west to the Pacific Ocean. The Huang He or Yellow River in the North. The Chiang Jiang or Yangtze River in central China flowing east. Fertile soil deposited by the Yellow River is called Loess.

Huang He or Yellow River flooding, known as “Chinas Sorrow” No trading for early settlers due to isolation. Constant invasions from the north and west. Only 10% suitable for farming. Bulk of farming occurs between the 2 major rivers in land known as the North China Plain. ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES CHINA’S HEARTLAND

CIVILIZATION EMERGES 1.7 million year old Homo Erectus fossil found near Beijing, China, known as the Peking Man, and proving that people settled the river valley as much as 500,000 years ago B.C.E. farming settlements grew into cities along the Yellow River. The first dynasty in China, the Xia, emerged at this time. Leader – Yu Yu tamed the Yellow River with his flood control and irrigation projects. This allowed settlements to grow. When other river civilizations fell to invasions, the Shang people emerged in China around 1700 B.C.E. to 1027 B.C.E. Shang Dynasty - First Chinese written records

EARLY CITIES Anyang – one of the capitals of the Shang Dynasty Built mainly of wood, in a forest clearing. Not typical of early cities. Higher classes lived in timber-framed houses inside city walls. Peasants and craftspeople lived in huts outside the city. The Shang surrounded their cities with massive earthen walls for protection. Their walls demonstrate their ability to raise and control a large work force. (Who else?) Walls were necessary because of constant warfare

DEVELOPMENT OF CULTURE Family was central to Chinese society. Respect for one’s parents – most important virtue. Elder men made important decisions, women were considered inferior. Arranged marriage for women improved status only through birth of sons. Social Classes Shang society was sharply divided between nobles and peasants. Religious Beliefs Family was closely linked with religion. Fortunes & Disaster powers Oracle Bone’s were used to determine answers from the Gods.

DEVELOPMENT OF WRITING No links between China’s spoken language and written language. Chinese could be read without knowing how to speak it. “Deux et deux font quatre” Major advantage: Written language helped unify people all over China. Major disadvantage: Enormous amount of written characters needed to be memorized for literacy characters to be barely literate, over 10,000 to be a real scholar. Nobleperson’s children learned to write, while peasant children did not.

CHINESE WRITING - CALIGRAPHY

THE ZHOU DYNASTY Zhou people overthrew the Shang! Lasted from B.C.E. Mandate of Heaven – Divine approval from heaven to rule. A wicked or foolish king could lose the Mandate of Heaven and lose his right to rule. Idea became central to Chinese government. It could also be passed to another family. Dynastic Cycle – the rise, decline, and replacement of a dynasty.

FEUDALISM Feudalism - A political system in which nobles, or lords, are granted the use of lands that legally belong to the king. In return, the nobles owe loyalty and military service to the king and protection to the people who live on their estates. The Zhou used this to control lands that stretched far beyond the Yellow River and Yangtze River.

TECHNOLOGY & TRADE Roads and canals were built to stimulate trade and agriculture. Coined money was introduced, which further helped trade. Blast furnaces that produced cast iron were developed. This would go unmatched until the Middle Ages in Europe. Iron weapons and agricultural tools. Tools – led to greater food production Led to more supported, thriving cities.

END OF THE ZHOU Once peaceful empire became weakened. Zhou monarch was murdered and the capital city was sacked. A new capital formed at Luoyang, but the Zhou kings were powerless. In constant conflict, traditional values collapsed. Love of order, harmony, and respect for authority was replaced with chaos, arrogance, and defiance. As per the ______________________, a new dynasty would emerge. Dynastic Cycle

DYNASTIC CYCLE IN CHINA