Ancient China

1. Ancient China

2. Ancient China was a fascinating mix of extreme extravaganceand extreme poverty. The Introduction ancient Chinese inventedpaper, gunpowder, matches, umbrellas, and the compass. They created incredible art, wrote marvelous literature, and held splendid festivals.

3. For thousands of years, the ancient Chinese thought they were pretty much alone on the planet, except for the barbarians to the north, the Mongols. Natural Barriers China’s natural barriers to the west, south, and east helped protect these early people from invasion.

4. China’s natural barriers include deserts. Deserts The Gobi is one of the driest deserts in the world. In the Gobi, there is at least the hope of water, although an oasis is rare. The Taklamakanis called the “Sea of Death.” It is the second-largest desert in the world. It offers poisonous snakes, sandstorms, boiling days, freezing nights, and intense water shortages.

5. Mountains China’s natural barriers include huge mountains. The Himalayas are very rugged, with ten of the tallest peaks in the world. Mount Everest is the highest mountain in the world.

6. China’s natural barriers include three vast seas: the China Sea, the Yellow Sea, and the Pacific Ocean. Seas

7. Rivers Not all of China’s geography acted as barriers. Some of its geographic features provided fertile soil and safe drinking water. China has two major river systems: the Yellow River (Huang He) and the Yangtze River.

8. Rivers The Yangtze (Long River) is the fourth-longest river in the world. It’s nearly 4000 miles long. It has high banks. The Huang He (Yellow River) is about 3000 miles long. It has low banks.

9. The ancient Chinese called all rivers in China “The Great Sorrow” because each year during the annual flood season, the towns along the rivers were destroyed. Each year, they were rebuilt. Rivers Over time, people learned the techniques of flood control. Some built their homes high above the river to avoid flooding.

10. Civilization in ancient China began along the Yellow River about 5000 years ago. These early people harvested silk and used it to weave fine fabrics. They used a potter’s wheelto make Early People beautiful pottery. They baked strong bricks and used them to build their homes. They worked together on flood-control and irrigation projects.

11. Xia Dynasty A dynasty is a line of rulers who belong to the same family and pass control from one generation to the next. Legend says that the “Great Engineer” Yu founded the first dynasty, the Xia (shee-uh) Dynasty.

12. Xia Dynasty Since there was no written language at that time, no one is sure if the great engineer Yu ever existed. However, scientists are sure that these early clever people did exist. Archaeologists have found ruins of their villages.

13. Discussion Question Why do you think these early people chose to live along the banks of a river that flooded each year and destroyed their homes?

14. Shang Dynasty Chou (Zhou) Dynasty 1700–c. 250 BCE Shang/Chou Dynasties Two families ruled China for the next 1500 years: first the Shang family ruled, and then the Chou family ruled. Life continued in pretty much the same way for people during both dynasties.

15. During the Shang and Chou dynasties, protective walls surrounded cities. Rulers, priests, and warriors lived inside the walls. Merchants and craftsmen lived outside the walls in mud houses. Farmers lived in nearby villages. Shang/Chou Dynasties

16. Shang/Chou Dynasties Family: The family was all- important. If one member ofa family did something wrong, the entire family was disgraced. The oldest male served as head of the family. The role of the womanwas to be gentle and toobey her husband.

17. Shang/Chou Nobles Shang and Chou kings and nobles wore gowns of silk. They lived in large, brick homes with tiled roofs, all beautifully decorated and furnished. The air was scented with flowers from the gardens and spices from pots of food steaming on stoves. When they died, the rich were buried in lavish tombs.

18. Most people were farmers. Summer homes were made of bamboo branches. Winter homes were one-room mud houses with thatched roofs, dirt floors, and no furniture. Nobles owned the land. Peasants had to give nobles most of the crops they grew, along with presents of silk and wine. Peasants worked without pay on their landowner’s home, roads, and bridges. Peasant Farmers

19. It was during the annual Spring Festival that, for once, the peasants had an advantage over the nobles. At about age 15, children from several farming villages would gather. Unlike nobles, peasant marriages were rarely arranged. At the annual Spring Festival, boys and girls first met each other and chose a wife or husband. Spring Festival

20. Since merchants and craftsmen did not produce food and were not nobility, they received little respect. When a city was attacked in times of war, they were not taken inside the protective walls, but were left to fend for themselves as best they could. Merchants

21. Warriors During the Shang and Chou periods, there were many wars. Clan leaders were always fighting. Bronze was used as early as the Shang Dynasty to make helmets, daggers, spears, and axes.

22. Warriors War was waged with horse-drawn chariots. Each chariot held a driver, a spearman, and an archer. Behind them came the peasants. The peasants were foot soldiers, dressed in tunics and trousers. They wore no protective gear.

23. Shang Achievements The Shang made many important contributions to ancient Chinese culture. The Shang introduced the use of bronze. It was during the Shang Dynasty that chopsticks were invented.

24. These early people also created a system of writing. Chinese Writing one two zero zero (simple) three four five six

25. Chinese Writing seven eight nine ten dragon law religion river silk rice

26. Ancestor Worship The Shang introduced ancestor worship. The ancient Chinese believed that the ghosts of their dead ancestors had magical powers that could either punish or help them. To keep their ancestors happy, they brought gifts of food and wine to to temples or other special places.

27. To communicate with their ancestors, Shang kings used“oracle bones.” Oracle bones were the bones of animals or turtle shells. The king would ask, “Will it rain tomorrow?” His question wascarved on an oracle bone. When pricked with a hot needle, a pattern of cracks appeared in the bone. Oracle Bones

28. The priest (who was usually a woman) would study the cracks to find the answer to the question. Archaeologists have found over 100,000 oracle bones. The questions they ask tell scientists a great deal about ancient Chinese daily life. Oracle Bones

29. The ancient Chinese also believed in magical beingswith magical powers, such as dragons. In ancient China, dragons did not breathe fire. They had a job to do. Their job was to guard all of China and everything in it—including the rivers, mountains, and forests. Dragons were guardians. Magical Beings

30. Like most ancient civilizations, the ancient Chinese believed in many gods and goddesses. Religion The most powerful god in ancient China was the Jade Emperor. He had many helpers. One of his helpers was the goddess of mercy, pictured as a lady in white sitting on a lotus and holding a baby. People would visit her temple and shake rattles and set off firecrackers to get her attention and ask for her help.

31. Religion Another helper was the god of thunder. One of his jobs was to punish criminals whose crimes had gone undetected. The ancient Chinese believed greatly in reward and punishment. You can see that in their gods.

32. In ancient China, you did not have to be born a god to become a god. If you had lived a life that was especially kind and had always helped others, the goddess Queen Mother Wang could reward you with a peach of everlasting life to eat. Religion These good people became gods with various small jobs to do.

33. Ordinary people who became gods by eating a magical peach were thought of as kindly, wise old men, whose job was to see that everything ran smoothly. Temples were built and festivals were held to honor the gods. Religion All gods were very much a part of daily life.

34. Mandate of Heaven When the Chou overthrew the last Shang king, they had to convince the people—especially the nobles—that they had the right to rule. The Chou told people the “Mandate of Heaven” had appointed them rulers, but only as long as they were good rulers. If the Chou became selfish, heaven would appoint a new leader.

35. Chou Achievements Important contributions of the Chou Dynasty include the introduction of Confucianism and Taoism, which are two ancient doctrines, or ways of behaving and thinking.

36. Confucius was born around 551 BCE. The ruling dynasty was the Chou, but the real power lay in the hands of the local warlords. Aristocrat-scholars, called shi, traveled from one feudal state to another, offering advice on everything from politics to weddings to war. The most famous shi was Confucius. Confucius

37. Confucius stressed the need to develop good moral character through rules of conduct. Confucius Good moral character: Respect father/ruler, study constantly, worship reverently, and be guided by the rules of conduct. Rules of conduct: The rules actually were rules. Everything had to be done a certain way.

38. Here are a few of his sayings: Confucius • If you make a mistake and do not correct it, this is called a mistake • When people are educated, the distinction between classes disappears • When the ruler behaves himself correctly, the people will also

39. Taoism began in BCE times, around the same time as Confucianism. These two doctrines were quite different. Taoism Confucianismwas a set of rigid rules of social behavior. Taoism was (and is) a set of guidelines to help you become happier.

40. To be truly happy, Taoists believe it’s important to understand the way things are. This does not mean that there are not things we need to change about ourselves, but it’s important to recognize and trust our own inner nature and to discover who we are. Taoism

41. In ancient China, both Confucianism and Taoism were important parts of daily life. People followed the teachings of both doctrines every day. Confucianism provided the rules of honorable social behavior, and Taoism provided guidelines you could follow to find your way to personal happiness. Taoism

42. Important contributions of the Shang Dynasty included the use of bronze, a system of writing, ancestor worship, oracle bones, and the invention of chopsticks. Important contributions of the Chou Dynasty included the introductions of Confucianism and Taoism. Achievements Recap

43. What purpose was served by oracle bones? • Where did most peasants meet their future husband or wife? • What metal was important to nobles? • Who owned all of the land? Questions

44. Qin Dynasty Qin (Ch’in) Dynasty Emperor: First Emperor Qin 221–206 BCE Although he ruled for only 15 years, First Emperor Qin accomplished great things. He ruled with absolute control and by extreme punishment.

45. Terra Cotta Soldiers Can you imagine digging in your backyard one day and discovering a life-size terra cotta soldier—made 2000 years ago completely out of clay? That’s what happened in China in 1974. By the time archaeologists had finished digging, they had uncovered over 6000 life-size terra cotta soldiers.

46. Emperor Qin It took 720,000 laborers about 34 years to create this incredible grouping. They finished just in time, right around 210 BCE, when First Emperor Qin died. His son, the second Qin emperor, saw to his burial.

47. Emperor Qin Qin was the first man to control all of China. He did not want to be called a king. He called himself First Emperor Qin. First Emperor Qin only ruled for 15 years. But, in the short time he ruled China, he accomplished an amazing amount of change.

48. First Emperor Qin was a legalist. Legalists believe that people are basically bad. They believe in regulating people’s lives so that people develop the discipline to work hard in the fields and in battle. Legalism • Legalists believe in strict laws • Legalists believe in harsh punishment • Legalists believe in firm management

49. First Emperor Qin was a legalist who ran his dynasty with absolute control and harsh punishment. It was illegal to complain about Qin’s government. If you simply said that things could improve, you could be put to death. First Emperor Qin set about organizing the lives of his people. Qin Dynasty

50. Management: First Emperor Qin divided the empire into 36 provinces. He divided each of the provinces into districts. He put two officials in charge of each of the 36 provinces: a governor and a defender. Part of their job was to put strong people in charge in each district. Bureaucracy