Early Civilization in China (中国):
The Shang (尚) and Zhou (周)
Dynasties (王朝)
Ms. Catsos
World History (历史)
What’s special about Chinese history?
Why should Americans care?
China – Longest “unbroken” history among world
civilizations (at least 5,000 years)
The history for at least 1 in every 5 people (20%)
in the world today (USA = 4.5%)
China likely to re-emerge with the world’s largest
economy before 2025
China owned the world’s largest economy during 18 of
the past 20 centuries (until the 1870s)
China’s
Geography
(中国地理 )
• China’s first civilizations developed in river valleys (流域)
• Two major rivers supplied water for earliest civilizations
1. Chang Jiang (长江 ), also called Yangzi
2. Huang He (黄河), or Yellow River
The Huang He/Yellow River (黄河)
• Annual floods (洪水) deposited
rich soil on flood plains
(冲积平原)
• Valley of Huang He particularly
fertile due to loess (黄土), a
fine dusty soil carried into
China by desert winds
• Also called the “River of
Sorrows” (悲伤河)
Crops
Southern China (中国南部)—warm, receives plenty of
rainfall, excellent region for growing rice (水稻)
Northern China (中国北方)—cooler and drier; suitable for
grains, wheat (小麦), millet (粟)
Isolation (隔离)
Relative isolation
Mountains (山), desert (沙漠), and jungle (林) protected China
from invasion
Summarize
What geographic features influenced
life in early China?
Why was China called the “middle
kingdom”?
Answer: Rivers deposited rich soil for
farming; mountains, hills, and desert
isolated the area.
The Shang (尚) Dynasty
(1600-1122 BC)
Government (政府) and Society (社会)
• China ruled by strong monarchy (国王)
• Loyal clan (氏族) leaders acted as the king’s governors and
ruled distant parts of kingdom
• The king’s army prevented rebellions, fought outside
opponents
• Most people were peasant farmers (农民)
Ancestor (祖先)Worship
• Shang offered gifts to deceased ancestors to keep
them happy in afterlife
• Steam from ritual meals nourished ancestors’ spirits
• Believed the
universe was
balanced between
yin (陰 - stood for
Earth, darkness,
and female forces)
and yang (陽 - stood
for Heaven, light,
and male forces)
Oracle Bones (甲骨)
As part of worship, Shang asked ancestors
for advice through use of oracle bones
Inscribed bits of animal bone, turtle shell
Living person asked question of ancestor
Hot piece of metal applied to oracle bone
resulting in cracks on bone’s surface
Specially trained priests interpreted meaning
of cracks to learn answer
Chinese Writing
Oracle bones
were the
earliest form
of writing in
China.
The characters
eventually
evolved into
modern
script.
Chinese Writing
Chinese has thousands of characterscompared to 26 letters in the English
alphabet.
It takes knowledge of 5000-10000
characters even to read a
newspaper!
Tones in the Chinese Language
Every sound in
Chinese can have
four tones:
1st: flat
2nd: rising
3rd: scooping
4th: falling
The tone can change the meaning of a word:
Shang Achievement and Decline
Bronze (铜器)
Shang religion led to great advances in working with bronze
Highly decorative bronze vessels, objects created for religious rituals
Also built huge structures like tombs
Created calendar and money system
End of Dynasty
Armies from nearby tribe, Zhou, invaded, established new ruling
dynasty
The Zhou (周)Dynasty (1027-256 BC)
Government
• When Zhou conquered
Shang, leaders worried
Chinese people would not
accept them
Dynastic Cycle
• Zhou said Shang overthrown
because they lost gods’ favor
• Introduced idea they ruled by
Mandate of Heaven (天命)
• Later rulers used Mandate of
Heaven to explain dynastic
cycle, rise and fall of
dynasties in China
• Gods would support a just
ruler and not allow anyone
corrupt to hold power
• If dynasty lost power, it
obviously had become
corrupt
In that case, they said, it was the will of the gods that that
dynasty be overthrown and a new one take power.
Zhou Achievements
• Zhou learned to use iron (鐵), became backbone of
economy. Iron was strong, could be cast more cheaply,
quickly than bronze. Iron weapons strengthened Zhou army,
as did new weapons like catapult and creation of China’s
first cavalry
• The Chinese learned to make silk, which became China’s
most valuable export.
Zhou Achievements cont.
• The first books of China come from the
Zhou period. They were written on
strips of wood or bamboo. Example:
Book of Songs, one of the first books.
Zhou Achievements, cont.
Growth
• Population grew under Zhou
• Farmers learned new techniques, increased size of harvest,
created food surpluses; cities also grew
• Roads, canals allowed better transportation, communication
• Introduced coins, use of chopsticks
“Warring States Period” (戰國)
403 BC to 221 BC, number of small
states fought each other for land, power
Zhou still nominally in charge, but power
almost nonexistent by mid-200s BC
Qin (秦), new dynasty, arose to bring end
to Warring States Period, Zhou dynasty
Analyze
How did China change under the Zhou?
Answer: iron technology, population grew,
new farm techniques, more food, cities
grew, roads and canals built, coins and
chopsticks introduced