1. Chapter 8
Ancient China

2. The Shang Dynasty
From the early settlements along the Huang He River, the Shang kingdom rose to dominate a large part of the region.
The language and culture of the Shang would have a lasting influence in all of China

3. Rising Settlements Farming villages grew along the Huang He River
In these villages, people used stone tools and made pottery and silk cloth
There were chiefs who organized workers and commanded warriors
Some chiefs led warriors to attack and capture nearby villages

4. Monday, February 10, 2014
Homework: sign and return chapter 7 quizzes / page 260 rise and fall of dynasties
Do Now: Take out notes started Friday

5. Founding the Shang dynasty
Around 1700 BC, a kingdom began to expand founding the Shang dynasty
This dynasty lasted about 600 years
This is the earliest dynasty we have written records for

6. Government Strong rulers ran the government
Power stayed within the family
Brother to brother, from youngest brother to oldest son
Leaders organized groups of farmers to clear and prepare new land
With large groups, more crops were grown. With more crops, more troops could be supported
The Shang attacked neighboring lands and grew greatly. They grew rich and built walls around

7. Writing
The earliest written records from China are on oracle bones from the Shang dynasty
Animal bones or turtle shells carved with written characters used to tell the future
Questions are written on the bones which were heated until cracked - the crack was interpreted by the king or priest

8. Oracle bones
Oracle bones were also used to record important records and events related to their questions.
The Shang did not use an alphabet, instead they used pictographs
By 1300 BC, they developed a writing system

9. Bronze Metalworking
Shang artisans created pottery and jade carvings, but are most known for their bronze metalwork.
These objects include finely decorated pots, cups, and weapons
The Shang used bronze in religious ceremonies offering food and wine to their gods and ancestors

10. Page 258 Key Terms

11. The Zhou Dynasty
A lot of what we know about the fall of the Shang is written about the Zhou dynasty
Around 1050 BC the Zhou overthrew the Shang
Shang rulers grew corrupt and governed badly so warriors refused to fight
The Zhou justified their victory over the Shang because they declared that heaven supported change in leadership and that it bestowed on them the Mandate of Heaven

12. Mandate of Heaven
The Mandate of Heaven permitted a leader to seize control by force, if necessary
Victory served as proof that heaven supported change in leadership
To stay in power, the rulers of a new dynasty would have to act virtuously - serve the interests of the people

13. Losing the Mandate of Heaven
If a dynasty lost its Mandate of Heaven, omens such as uprisings and natural disasters would occur

14. Government under the Zhou
The Zhou king kept control of his large kingdom because he placed family members in charge of individual regions
Overtime, the ties between the local nobles and the king weakened
In 771 BC, a group of nobles joined nomadic invaders to try to overthrow the king

15. Weakened Power With help of other nobles, the Zhou survived the attack
HOWEVER the power of the king decreased - they became dependent on the nobles who had helped them stay in power
States that had once been part of the Zhou kingdom began to rule independently and fighting broke out between warlords of the smaller states

16. Tuesday, February 11, 2014 Homework: Poster due Friday
Chapter 8 test Friday
Do Now: Open to your notes from yesterday

17. The Warring States
In the latter part of the Zhou dynasty, minor battles began to escalate to full warfare
This time period became known as the Warring States period which lasted about 250 years
Read page , Describe the Zhou society

19. Spiritual Traditions
Some ancient Chinese viewed Earth as a flat square, with Heaven stretching above
Both heaven and earth were populated with spirits
Heaven was viewed as a home for the spirits of sun, moon, strs, and storms

20. Spirits: Good & Bad
Good spirits made the rains fall and the crops grow, helped sailors travel safely and they brought happiness
Harmful Spirits made it unsafe to walk the roads at night. They may hide in a house bringing bad luck
During festivals, people used loud sounds to frighten evil spirits away

21. Honoring Ancestors
The most important spirits to many ancient Chinese were their ancestors
They believed that family members lived on after death
They needed to be provided and cared for
The key to a good relationship was for the living to honor the dead

22. Poster Directions You will be assigned either Confucianism or Daoism
You are to complete the given worksheet comparing two viewpoints (Confucius and Laotzi) and then create a poster representing the goal of the philosophy
Your poster should include the actions that will achieve the goal, the view of the government and authority, the view of education, and the view of the individual
Your poster must also include a personal philosophical saying that would shape a solution to a current problem