Ancient and Imperial Shang Emperors
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Imperial=Empire
Yellow Emperors and Xia Dynasty (2070-1600 BCE)
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Stories of past rulers
Question authenticity
Legend sets stage for Chinese rule by dynasties-Mandate of Heaven
Fan Gu-creator
Middle Kingdom-center of civilization
Yu the Great- Great Flood
Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 BCE)
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Time period of the Bronze Age
Oracle Bones-ancestral worship
Capital-Anyang
Appeared to believe in reincarnation
Changes in writing system
Feudalism-decentralization
Land showed wealth. Wealth showed power.
Landlord is followed not emperor. Landlords compete with each other
Zhou Dynasty (1122-256 BCE)
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Divided east and west
Time period of philosophers (Laozi and Confucius)
Developed the Mandate of Heaven-legitimize rule
Feudal state
Coin money
Well field system
Silk Road
Ends in Warring States Period (landlords fighting against each other)
Shi Huangdi Qin. Most brutal and rule followed empire ever. Imperial China. Builds Great Wall of
China.
Qin Dynasty (221-206 BCE)
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Established China's first empire
Shi Huangdi
Legality rule (kinda like Confucianism on steroids)-Bureaucratic administration-the people that
actually help the rulers rule. Advanced government. Centralized control. Military expansion.
Book bannings that targeted Confucianists (censorship). Burned protestors alive.
Built large section of the Great Wall
Terra Cotta Army
Eunuch-castrated male. Soldiers.
Han Dynasty (206 BCE-220 CE)
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Most successful dynasty. Most advancement in technology.
People of the Han-original Chinese
Paper invented 105 BCE
Silk Road trade develops; improves life for many
Buddhism introduced to China
Expanded into Central Asia