Ancient China How Geography Affected Early Chinese Geography Travel and communication was limited due to the Gobi and Taklimakan Deserts to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the east,
and the Himalaya Mountains to the southwest The river valleys were ideal for farming because the floods of the Huang He River and Chang Jiang River left silt to fertilize the soil Earliest Civilization
Chinese Civilization began along the Huang He River also known as the Yellow River Xia Dynasty According to ancient stories Yu the Great was the founder of the Xia Dynasty Shang Dynasty
First dynasty to have been proven by evidence Two Rivers of China Huang He Chang Jiang Also called the Yellow River The longest river in Asia; also called the Yangzi River Nearly 3,000 miles long across northern China
Flows across central China from Tibet to the Pacific Ocean Often floods, and has been referred to as Chinas sorrow because of the destruction Civilization Begins Farming Frequent flooding made the land fertile around the Chang Jiang and Huang He rivers. Along with farming, the Chinese people hunted, fished, and domesticated animals.
Early Settlements Small villages grew into larger cities. Findings at burial sites suggest that the ancient Chinese believed in an afterlife and had a complex social order. Xia dynasty The Xia dynasty might have been founded around 2200 BC, by Yu the Great. Tales say that Yu dug channels to drain floodwaters and created the major waterways of North China.
Archaeologists have no firm evidence that tales about the Xia dynasty are true. Shang Dynasty 1500 BC First dynasty to have been proven by evidence The King was the center of Shang political and religious life Attacked neighboring lands and expanded territory. Priests used oracle bones to make predictions Society: royal family and nobles at highest level artisans at middle level
farmers and slaves at lower level Achievements: writing system, use of bronze, calendar, war chariots, and bows Oracle Bones Whats the importance of oracle bones for people living in China today? Shang Bronze Why would artisans have a higher
social status in early Chinese civilization? The Zhou Dynasty Create a chart in which identify the characteristics of the Zhou Dynasty: Government The Mandate of Heaven Warring States Period Structure of Society Family Relationships Economy and Technology Cultural Life
Qin Dynasty United the Warring States of China Gave himself title of Shi Huangdi (First Emperor) Created the Great Wall to defend from nomadic tribes in the North Created standards that unified Chinas economy and culture Established a single language and characters. Produced uniform coins to be used as currency.
Qin Dynasty Established a central governing system. 36 different provinces that reported to the Emperor To prevent rebellion, he moved noble families to the capital. Created harsh rules Adopted idea of Legalism Strong leader and strong legal system needed to create social order. Censored ideas he found dangerous Implemented harsh laws
Fall of the Qin Dynasty Succeeded in creating a united China but dynasty collapsed fast. Rebellions started because of the dynastys harsh laws. China came back to chaos, with kingdoms fighting each other again. Han Dynasty
Strong Central Government Expansion of China Civil Service System of government employees mainly selected for skills and knowledge Silk Road Trade Route Exchange of goods Safer route to trade Newscast Qin and Han Dynasties
Qin Dynasty Defending the Empire Han Dynasty Reuniting and Expanding China Uniform Standards and the Organization of the Empire The Structure of Government Rule of the First Emperor Legalist Government Harsh Laws
Thought Control The Fall of the Qin Dynasty Civil Service The Silk Road
