What makes China Unique?
• First modern state government
• First civilization that wrote down their history
• Period of Dynasties
• Overall the system lasted from 150 BC – 1911AD
Early Chinese Dynasties
• Xia Dynasty
• Shang Dynasty
• Zhou Dynasty
2205-1766 B.C.E. (REAL????)
1766-1122 B.C.E.
1122-256 B.C.E.
Xia Dynasty
• Ruled China from - 2100
B.C.E. until around 1800
B.C.E.
• No evidence to confirm
existence of Xia
• Did it really happen?
History of Xia
•
Humans are parasites on the
body of the creator (Pangu)
•
Fu Xi –Taught Marriage and
how to domesticate animals
•
Shen Nong – taught trade,
agriculture, and medicine
•
Huangdi – invented calendar,
writing, and ceramics
•
Yao – flood control – passed
power to Shun (commoner)
•
Shun passed power to Yu who
founded Xi
Yu and Xia
• Stopped floods
• Made rule hereditary
• First of Ancient Dynasty
(Shang and Zhou)
• 17 kings over 14 generations
• Jie violent rule (his wife
made him) and overthrown
Xia real? – Yanshi
Dynastic Cycle
• Dynasties would continue
as long as there were male
heirs (although some female
heirs had Emperor like
power)
• WHO SHOULD DECIDE
WHEN A DYNASTY IS
OVER?
Mandate of Heaven
• Dynasties end because Heaven is upset with their
actions:
• Jie was violent so he lost power (Shang conquers them)
• Storms, Famines, and Uprisings always happen toward
the end of dynasties (Coincidence????)
• The last Shang Emperor is believed to have roasted and
eaten his enemies (Zhou take over)
• Conquests are justified – History is made easier for
periods between Dynasties
Exploring the Shang and Zhou
– 25 point class work
• Working in your groups you will read your section and
answer the major questions. (See your handout)
• In addition to answering the questions you will create a visual
of your assigned section.
• You will use this visual to teach your classmates about your
section
Accuracy of Answers
(10 points)
Creativity
and Art
(10 points)
Presentation
(5 points)
Shang Dynasty
Oracle Bones
• 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
Development of Chinese
writing closely tied to use of
oracle bones
Earliest examples of Chinese
writing, questions written on
bones themselves
Early Shang texts used
picture symbols to represent
objects, ideas
Zhou Dynasty
Zhou Dynasty
• Developed MANDATE OF HEAVEN
• Metal Work (Iron)
• Strong Army – Catapult
• Population grew
• 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
Life in China
Aristocrat
• Large houses
• Beautiful gardens
Merchant
• Shopkeepers, traders, and
bankers
• Fine furniture
• Lived in towns and provide
goods and services
• Relied on farmers to grow
crops
• Very rich
• Looked down on by other
classes
Life of a Farmer
• 9/10 Chinese were farmers
• Lived in simple homes
• Farmers grew wheat, millet, and rice on aristocrat’s
farmers
• Farmers grew food for their family on a small plot of
land
• One month a year they helped with gov’t building
projects
• In war time farmers became soldiers