1. Early Chinese civilizations
SSWH2.C,D

2. Geography

3. Family in Ancient China
the basic economic and social unit
a symbol of the social order
Farm Life:
made families important
many people were needed to work the farms
patriarchal family:
important to ancient Chinese family life
every member has his or her own place
the needs of the family members comes second to the head male

4. KNOW YOUR ROLE! Roles: Young children worked in the fields Older sons
expected to undertake physical labor
to provide for their parents
Men
responsible for providing food for their families
governed society
were warriors and scholars
Women
raised children
stayed at home

5. Shang dynasty 1700 BCE – 1027 BCE Class-based society Written language
Large, walled cities with nobles living inside the walls and peasants living outside.
Written language
Shang Dynasty was the first in China to develop writing
Each word = different character
Only the wealthiest would have been literate

6. Zhou Dynasty Replaced the Shang Dynasty in 1027 BCE.
Longest lasting dynasty (1027 – 256 BCE)
The Zhou adopted most of Shang culture, so daily life in China didn’t change with the Dynasties.

7. Mandate of heaven
Used by the Zhou as a reason for overthrowing the Shang Dynasty
The Shang had been bad leaders
So, god took away their right to lead
God gave that right to Zhou
A just leader had god’s approval – known as the “Mandate of Heaven”

8. Dynastic Cycle
Strong dynasty provides peace and wealth, so it claims to have the “Mandate of Heaven”
Wealth declines, leaders become corrupt then lose trust and power
Natural disasters occur (floods, famines, revolts)
People think the Dynasty has lost the “Mandate of Heaven”
New Dynasty leads rebellion and gains control

9. Feudalism Kings had all the power and owned all the land
They gave use of the land to noble families
Peasants worked for the nobles
Everyone depended on the king for land and protection

10. The “warring states period”

11. Decline of the zhou dynasty
Towards the end of the Zhou Dynasty, territorial leaders began to see themselves as kings.
They constantly fought with each other for power
This conflict weakened China

12. How will china be unified?
Confucianism?
Legalism?

13. Confucianism attempts to restore order in china
Who was Confucius?
Real name: Kung Fu Tzu ( BCE)
A scholar who started a new ethical system (a belief of right and wrong)
Wrote “the Analects”
The main idea of Confucianism:
Achieve stability through moral honor and well- ordered relationships

14. Legalism opposes the ideas of Confucius
A well-ordered society is achieved by good relationships and families
Know your place in society and it will prosper
Education and ideas are good for society
A well-ordered society is achieved by a powerful and efficient government
Punishments are good for order
Ideas should be controlled by the government
Confucianism
Legalism

15. What would you choose?

16. Qin Dynasty

17. Qin Dynasty (221 – 206 BCE) A. Legalism Establishes a Dynasty:
In 200 BCE, Shi Huangdi used the ideas of Legalism to defeat many of the warring states and unify China under the Qin Dynasty
Burned books and had hundreds of Confucian scholars murdered

18. Qin dynasty – chooses legalism
Crushed political opposition in China
Nobles were ordered to live in the city under supervision and their land was seized.
Established an autocracy
A government that has unlimited power and uses it in an arbitrary manner.

19. Qin Dynasty Shi Huangdi Builds the Great Wall of China
Peasant and slave labor was ordered to build a massive defensive wall along the Qin’s northern boarder

20. Great wall of china

21. Great wall of china

22. Great wall of china

23. Shi Huangdi’s Clay army

24. Shi Huangdi’s Clay army

25. So, what happened to Confucianism?
IT DIFFUSED:
Confucian scholars opposed war and other coercive measures
lead by moral example …
“We’re just cool like that”  spread because of influence
not by conquest or conversion
legacy of Chinese regimes in Vietnam(southeast Asia) and Korea
embraced in Japan