1. River Dynasties in China
The early ruler introduced ideas about government and society that shaped Chinese civilization.

2. Setting the Stage
China’s first cities were built 1,000 years after the great pyramids of Egypt, and the planned cities on the Indus river in India were built.
The Chinese cities that were built 3,500 years ago still thrive today.

3. The Geography of China
The Geography of China greatly affected the development of the civilizations in China.
Pacific Ocean (east)
Himalaya Mountains (southwest)
Taklimakan Desert and Plateau of Tibet (west)
Gobi Desert and Mongolian Plateau (north)

4. Two Major Rivers
Two major river flow out of the mountainous interior of China to the Pacific Ocean
Huang He (Yellow River)- northern China
Yangtze- central China

5. China’s Heartland
90% of the farmable land lies in the area between the Huang He and Yangtze rivers.
This area has remained at the heart of all of the Chinese civilizations that have developed over time.

6. Environmental Challenges
China’s Sorrow
The Huang He river (Yellow River) was named after the yellow silt (loess) that is deposited as the river flows out of the mountains.
Like the rivers in Egypt, Indus Valley and Mesopotamia, the Huang He river floods frequently bringing both life giving water and disastrous ruin.
In 1887, nearly 1 million people were killed in a catastrophic flood.

7. Isolation Leads to Self Sufficiency
China was geographically isolated from other civilizations, therefore, the people could not rely on trade but rather had to produce their own goods.

8. Civilization Emerges in Shang Times
Fossil remains of China’s first inhabitants date back nearly 1.7 million years. The fossil remains of this homo erectus was given the name Peking Man.

9. The First Dynasties
Before the cites in Mesopotamia were settled, the people in China were farming along the Huang He.
Around 2,000 B.C., some of these settlements developed into China’s earliest cities.

10. Xia Dynasty
The Xia (shyah) Dynasty emerged as the first dynasty when the first cities were being developed.
The leader, Yu, was an engineer and mathematician.
He gained the respect of his people by developing flood-control measures that helped to tame the Huang He. This allowed the cities to grow.

11. The Shang Dynasty
As the civilizations of Mesopotamia, Egypt and the Indus Valley fell, the Shang Dynasty rose to power in China.
This family ruled from 1532 – 1027 B.C.

12. Early Cities
The first cities reveled social division. These cites were built of wood. The higher-classes lived within the protective walls of the city while the peasants lives outside of the city.

13. Constant Warfare
The Shang had to build fortified cities to survive the constant warfare.
The noble class was made up of professional warriors who continuously trained for war.

14. Control through Feudalism
In order to control the vast area of china, the land was divided among the nobles by the king.
The Nobles controlled the land and prospered from its bounty but owed their loyalty and military to the king in return.
Over time the nobles became less dependent on the king and many fought among themselves for more territory.

15. Social Classes The Shang Dyansty was sharply divided by class.
Nobles: The ruling class who owned the land, led by a king.
The nobles governed over many scattered villages and offered protection in exchange for tribute.
Peasants: farmers who worked on the land owned by the nobles.

16. The Origins of Chinese Culture
Peoples lives were governed by their obligations to their king and to their family.
The family was at the center of Chinese society. Respect was the most important virtue valued by the Chinese.

17. Family and Society Men controlled the family and property
Children were expected to obey their father.
Marriages were arranged by fathers.
Bearing sons was the only way for a woman to improve her status in society.

18. Religious Beliefs
The Chinese worshipped their ancestors and made sacrifices in their honor.
Through the ancestral spirits, the people of the Shang Dynasty worshipped the supreme god- Shang Di as well as lesser gods.

19. Development of Writing
The earliest evidence of writing is found on oracle bones, that were used by priests to communicate with the gods.
The writings consisted of characters that stood for an idea, not a sound. There was little relationship between the spoken language and written language of the Chinese
One advantage of this system is that it could be interpreted
throughout China where many different languages were
spoken.

20. Shang Technology and Artistry
The artisans made up a special class of people who like the peasants lived outside of the city walls.
The made weapons, jewelry, and religious items for the city’s nobles.
Bronze-working and silk-weaving were the leading crafts.

21. Zhou Bring New Ideas The Zhou (joh) overthrew the Shang in 1027 B.C.
They adopted much of the Shang culture so little changed for most people.
The Zhou justified the overthrow because they believed that the last Shang ruler was weak and the gods favored the stronger Zhou leader.
This they called the Mandate of Heaven, which gave the ruler god-given authority to rule.

22. The Mandate of Heaven
The Mandate of Heaven became the central theme in Chinese government.
Any type of calamity would be considered a sign that the ancestral spirits were displeased and a new leader was to take control.
Therefore, Chinese history is marked by a succession of Dynastic changes until that last dynasty fell in the early 1900s.

23. Control through Feudalism
In order to control the vast area of china, the land was divided among the nobles by the king.
The Nobles controlled the land and prospered from its bounty but owed their loyalty and military to the king in return.
Over time the nobles became less dependent on the king and many fought among themselves for more territory.

24. Improvements in Technology and Trade
Roads
Canals
Coined money
Civil service to run daily operations and government.
Technology:
Iron
Blast furnaces
Dagger axes
Swords
Knives
Spades
Farm implements

25. A Period of Warring States
For the first 300 years of the Zhou Dynasty it was relatively peaceful.
In 771 B.C. nomads from the north and west sacked the Zhou capital. The king was murdered.
The surviving members of the family fled to the east where they established a new capital and pretended to rule for another 500 years.
In reality, the Zhou were nearly powerless as they had lost control of the noble families.

26. Warlords Compete for Control
With the decline of central control, the warlords abandoned the honor code and set new rules for warfare.
New weapons were developed.
In this time of bloodshed, traditional values collapsed. Chaos replaced order, harmony and respect for authority.

27. Notes Quiz
How did geography play a role in the development of Chinese civilization?
How did writing help to unify China?
According to Chinese beliefs, what role did the Mandate of Heaven play in the dynastic cycle?
What were some of the advancements in technology and trade.
What was at the center of Chinese civilization?