Ancient China: The Yellow (Huang He) River Valley

1. Ancient China: The Yellow (Huang He) River Valley

2. Characteristics of a Civilization • Agriculture • Specialization of labor • Cities • A social hierarchy (mandate of heaven) • Religion/education (Confucianism, Daoism, and Legalism) • Complex forms of economic exchange • Technology • Development of the arts

3. Importance of Rivers

4. Population Growth • Settlements began to pop up along the Yellow and Yangzi Rivers • Need for recognized authorities who could maintain order, resolve disputes, and organize public works projects • Small dynasties followed that extended their control over progressively larger regions

5. Cities • Vast network of walled towns • Local rulers recognized authority of the Shang kings • Capital at Yin contained a complex of royal palaces and eleven royal tombs Royal tomb at Anyang

6. Yellow River • Takes its name from loess soil • Loess-extremely fine, powder-like soil • Terrible floods: “China’s Sorrow” • Wooden instruments could generate large harvests

7. Agriculture

8. Crops • Initially, millet was the main crop (especially in the north) • Sometime thereafter, the Chinese began cultivating rice • Rice production would require a complex irrigation system

9. Social Hierarchy • Royal family and allied noble families • Resided in large, palatial compounds • lived on the agricultural surplus and taxes delivered by their subjects King Wen of Zhou China

10. Social Hierarchy • Privileged class • Rose from the military allies of the rulers • Possessed land and performed military and administrative tasks • Some access to education for those who lived in cities • Artisans and craftsmen • Lived in cities • Worked extensively for the privileged classes lived reasonably comfortably

11. Social Hierarchy • Peasants • Lived in the countryside, did not own land • Provided agricultural, military, and labor services for lords in exchange for: • Land to cultivate • Security • Portion of the harvest • Slaves • Most were captured enemy warriors • Performed manual labor • Some were victims of human sacrifice during funerals and other ritual observances

12. Political-Dynasties • “A sequence of powerful leaders in the same family” • Shang Dynasty 1766-1122 B.C. • Zhou Dynasty 1122-256 B.C. • Tang Dynasty 618-907 A.D. • Song Dynasty 960- 1279 A.D. Shang Dynasty

13. Political • Dynasties were ruled by kings coming from the same blood lines • Feudal system of government • Smaller, more manageable chunks of land divided up amongst loyal aristocrats • Feudal lords would provide crops/taxes to kings in exchange for land and protection • Dynasties would begin and end with the “Mandate of Heaven” • The belief that gods determined the rulers

14. Political • Some dynasties were more tolerant than others • When the Qin came to power in 221 B.C. they ordered all books burned for fear they would inspire doubts about the government or encourage independent thought

15. Economic Exchange • Limited by geographic barriers • Shipbuilding emerged during Zhou era • Evidence of: • Cowrie shells from Burma • Military technology -Mesopotamia • Jade from central Asia • Tin from Malay Cowrie shells used as money

16. Specialization • Bronzesmiths • Jewelers • Jade workers • Embroiderers • Manufacturers of silk textiles • Silkworms are fed mulberry leaves, they molt and spin cocoons, then workers boil the cocoons to produce the raw silk Silkworm cocoon

17. Religion • China did not have an organized religion or official priesthood • Instead, the head of the family lead ceremonies worshipping ancestors’ spirits Burning paper gifts for the departed is one traditional form of ancestor worship

18. Belief Systems • Confucianism • Purpose: fulfill one's role in society with honor and loyalty. Stresses honesty, politeness, loyalty to family and nation • Daoism • Purpose: inner harmony, peace, and longevity. Tao is everywhere “Go with the flow". Yin-yang • Legalism • Purpose: humans are inherently evil and inclined toward criminal and selfish behavior. Thus, if humans live naturally the result will be social disorder

19. Oracle Bones • Fortune tellers ofAncient China • Questions were inscribed on a bone and placed in a fire • The fortune teller used the cracks that developed to answer the questions

20. New Technologies • The Chinese discovered how to make silk from the cocoons of silkworms • Silk became China’s most valuable export, eventually linking them with most of the world through trade Silk making

21. New Technologies Shang nobles used bronze to make fittings for horse-drawn chariots Chinese learned to bind together long, thin strips of wood or bamboo to make books

22. New Technologies • Iron technology was spreading rapidly throughout China • Iron ores were stronger, cheaper and more abundant than copper and tin Shang pictograph of composite bow

23. New Technologies • The Great Wall originated as a barrier against tribal intrusions • Construction started in the seventh century BC • Two sections were built during the Zhou era • As China unified, the various sections were connected

24. Writing • The earliest form of Chinese writing was the pictograph • Unlike most other languages, written Chinese did not include an alphabetic or phonetic component