1. Ancient China
K. Roberts

2. CHINA Around Huang He (Yellow) River and Chang Jiang (Yangtze) River
flow to the East China Sea
10% of land is farmable
mountains
terraced farming

3. CHINA Dynasty Xia first dynasty of China’s history
considered to be folklore due to lack of written artifacts

4. CHINA Dynasty Shang aristocracy
the kings had warlords to run cities/states
much like Mesopotamia & Egypt - buried leaders with servants
Religion: supernatural forces
oracles would read cracks in bones
ancestral worship
REALLY good at bronze casting
Decline - revolt of Zhou

5. CHINA Dynasty Zhou longest-lasting dynasty Government: Same as Shang
claimed to rule due to Mandate of Heaven
kings required to follow the Dao
family was highly regarded due to farming communities
filial piety

7. CHINA Dynasty Zhou Accomplishments
irrigation/large scale water projects
iron weapons/tools
wrote in pictographs (picture symbols) and ideographs (combined pictographs)
Decline - Period of the Warring States

8. CHINA Philosophy Confucianism
Kongfuzi (Confucius) tried to persuade political leaders to follow ideas
sayings recorded in Analects
Two elements:
Duty
Humanity
became key for the runnings of Chinese culture (i.e. education and civil service exams)

9. CHINA Philosophy Daoism based on teachings of Laozi
Tao Te Ching (The Way of the Dao)
best way to act in harmony with the universe, not to interfere with the natural order

10. CHINA Philosophy Legalism human beings evil by nature
strong ruler was required to create an orderly society
harsh laws and stiff punishments would cause the common people to follow the rules

11. CHINA Dynasty Qin Qin Shihuangdi single monetary system
system of roads throughout empire
had an underground burial mound filled with terra-cotta warriors
to guide him into his next life
expanded China south, only fear was to the North
Xiongnu, residing in the Gobi desert
parts of the Great Wall were built

12. Terracotta Warriors

13. CHINA Dynasty Qin adopted Legalism
literature opposing this view - burned
ruled a centralized state
administrators were appointed and dismissed at will
Qin Shi. took over taxing the people and the land
elimination of rivals
Decline - death of Qin Shi., civil war breaks out four years later

14. CHINA Dynasty Han Liu Pang Confucian policies back in
introduction of civil service examinations
expanded into modern-day northern Vietnam
pushed back the Xiongnu
peasants forced to work for government and military for one month a year

15. CHINA Dynasty Han Achievements: Iron Casting - led to steel invention
developed paper
ships enhanced - leading to more trade
Decline - several things led to decline, but lack of effective leadership and peasant uprisings are the biggest