Name ______________________________________________ Period ______________ Date: _________
Essential Question: How do empires and dynasties influence society and government?
Empire
Dynasty
Guiding Question Main Idea
How did China’s
Shang rulers become powerful?
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Huang He valley was birthplace of Chinese civilization
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Legend – Xia – first dynasty
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Written records – Shang – first dynasty
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Shang built first cities with palace and temple at the center
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Public buildings and officials homes circled them
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King most powerful person – political, religious and military leader
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Shang conquered neighboring areas and used large armies to defend the kingdom
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Warlords governed local territories
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Kings, warlords, government officials formed upper class
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Most people in Shang were farmers and there was a smaller group of merchants, artisans and slaves
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There were many gods who lived in the mountains, rivers and seas
Connection (can be connection in words or a visual drawing)

How did the Zhou claim the right to rule
China?
How did Chinese thinkers influence society and government?

They believed the gods would bring good or bad fortune and they made many offerings.

Ancestors are honored with offerings

Kings believed they received their power from the gods and the wisdom of their ancestors
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Kings used oracle bones to ask questions of the gods
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Shang used bronze for urns and tools
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Made advances producing silk, ivory and jade
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Rebels overthrew the Shang government and created a new dynasty called the Zhou

King led the government, helped by bureaucrats and strong army
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Kingdom grew so large it was divided into territories

Aristocrats positions were hereditary, passed to a son or family member
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Mandate of Heaven – the king’s right to rule comes from the gods
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Kings must rule the proper way – honor and please the gods, when natural disaster occurred it was because the king had failed

Improved irrigation systems and expanded trade
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Aristocrats grew powerful and fought one another for power

Farmers were forced to serve as soldiers
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Period of warring states begins and people looked for ways to stop the killing

Philosophers tried to create well-run and peaceful society

How was early
Chinese society organized?
How did the Qin
Emperor unite China?

Confucius criticized misrule of kings and believed people had a duty to put the needs of family and community above his own needs

Confucius believed that government service should be open to all men of ability and not limited to those of noble birth.

Civil service tests were used to appoint officials
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Confucius shaped society and government with his teachings
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Daoism was another philosophy that teachers people to give up worldly desires and live simply
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Third philosophy of legalism stressed the importance of laws.

People received harsh punishments were used to force people to do their duty

Society made up of 4 classes

Aristocrats

9 out of 10 were farmers who rented their fields, paid taxes and did some work for the government
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Artisans were skilled worked who made useful objects

Merchants were not respected members of society

Family the center of society – filial piety – responsibility to respect and obey parents

Men were respected because of their jobs

Women raised children, managed house

Qin cavalry defeated the other states and ended the Zhou dynasty

Qin wanted to strengthen and unify China

He ruled with absolute control and harsh

What improvements did the Chinese make under Han rulers? punishment

He increased power by appointing censors who made sure government workers did their work

Qin was so worried about his security that he created a tomb that was guarded by thousands of clay soldiers

Qin united China into one empire.

China was protected on one side by a desert and
Qin planned to join and strengthen walls

Aristocrats and farmers revolted against this harsh rule

A farmer turned soldier began the Han dynasty

Civil service was used to recruit government workers

Government created schools and many rich people became well educated

Population grew and farmers needed to produce more food

Farms were small because the land had been split up over generations and farmers became tenants on their own land

Han Empire conquered lands to the north and a period of peace began

Filial piety became strong and a new class of civil servants was created

New technology such as cast iron plow, water wheels and sailing ships help build this dynasty

Traders grew rich using the Silk Road for trading

After Han Wudi the emperors were weak and people rebelled and China was divided again