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20.1 Early China

20.1 Early China. The Big Idea: Early Chinese history was shaped by three dynasties—the Shang, the Zhou, and the Qin. Chinese Civilization Begins. Two rivers were particularly important in early China—the Huang He and Chang Jiang . Around 7000 B.C. people began to farm along these rivers

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20.1 Early China

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  1. 20.1 Early China

  2. The Big Idea: Early Chinese history was shaped by three dynasties—the Shang, the Zhou, and the Qin.

  3. Chinese Civilization Begins • Two rivers were particularly important in early China—the Huang He and Chang Jiang. • Around 7000 B.C. people began to farm along these rivers • Grew rice in the middle Chang Jiang valley • Grew cereals such as millet and wheat along the Huang He

  4. Villages appeared along the shores of the rivers, and eventually, grew into large towns. • China’s government was born in these large towns.

  5. Shang Dynasty History of the Shang dynasty • Firmly established by the 1500s BC • Ruled a broad area of northern China • Ruled in China until the 1100s BC

  6. Achievements of the Shang dynasty • Invented China’s first writing system • Artisans made beautiful bronze containers for cooking and religious ceremonies. • Soldiers developed war chariots, powerful bows, and bronze armor. • Invented a calendar based on the cycles of the moon

  7. Zhou dynasty • Started a rebellion and overthrew the Shang rulers in the 1100s BC • Ended around 771 BC and China entered a time of disorder known as the Warring States period – when kingdoms fought each other • The Zhou dynasty lasted longer than any other in Chinese history. • The Zhou claimed that they had been chosen by heaven to rule China.

  8. This idea that heaven chose China’s ruler and gave him or her power was called the mandate of heaven. • A new political order formed in China under the Zhou. • The emperor was the head of Chinese society; everything in China belonged to him, and everyone had to be loyal to him.

  9. Qin dynasty • In 221 BC, a king from the state of Qin unified all of China under his control and ended the Warring States period. • The Qin dynasty saw many great advances in China.

  10. History of the Qin Dynasty • The king of the state of Qin unified China under his control and renamed himself Shi Huangdi, a name that means “first emperor.” • Shi Huangdi expanded the size of China to the north and to the south. • Shi Huangdi changed Chinese politics by taking power away from the nobles.

  11. Xi’an became the new capital of China. • The Qin dynasty did not last long. • Shi Huangdi was strong enough to keep China unified, but within a few years of his death, rebellions began around China and the country fell into civil war and the dynasty ended by 206 B.C.

  12. Qin Achievements • Shi Huangdi worked hard to make sure that people from the different areas in China acted and thought the same. • Created a system of laws that would apply equally to people in all parts of China • Set up a new system of money that eliminated local currencies • Created a uniform system of writing that got rid of minor differences between regions

  13. The Qin were great builders, and built a huge network of roads and canals. • To protect China from invasion, Shi Huangdi built the Great Wall, a barrier that linked earlier walls that stood near China’s border.

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