An Introduction to Ancient China
Maps
Geography
Isolation
- Due to vast amounts of sea, desert, and mountain ranges China was rather isolated
- Prevented trade throughout the area
- Trade located in specific areas
River Systems
- Two major rivers that flow to the Pacific Ocean
- Yangtze & Huang He (Yellow River)
- Allowed for fertile soil
Climate
- Varied throughout the nation
- Allowed for a variety of crops to be grown
- Ex: Rice in the South, Wheat & Millet in the North
Developing Language
The Shang Dynasty
Shang Family Kings
- Appeared about 1766 BC
- Had religious responsibilities
- Claimed they had permission from the gods to rule
- Controlled the central part of the North China Plain
Shang Families
- Respect for parents and elders extremely important
- Believed spirits of ancestors could bring good luck and fortune
- Paid respect to father's ancestors through animal sacrifices
- Men ruled within the family
Shang Kings claimed to receive messages from the gods
- Through oracle bones
- Generally animal bones or turtle shells
- Rulers etched questions onto the bones/shells
- Touched the questions with heated rods until the bones cracked
- They claimed these cracks were messages from the gods
Pictographs
- used simple drawings for words or ideas
- Chinese system of writing uses a large amount of symbols
- educated people know roughly 10,000 characters
Examples
The Zhou Dynasty
Introduction to Power
- Moved down from the north
- Around 1027 BC, Wu Wang, eventually defeated the Shang
Dynastic Circle
- Describes the rise and fall of Chinese rulers
Mandate of Heaven
- believe troubles would come if the rulers fell out of favor with the gods
- when a ruler was bad or foolish, the gods would take power away
- troubles would appear in the form of peasant uprisings, invasions, floods or earthquakes
Homework (Due Tuesday 28 October)
Dynastic Circle
Read pages 254-257 (already posted)
Respond to questions: 3, 4, 5, 6
(post responses on Google Classroom)