Civilization in the Yellow River Valley
I.
Geographic considerations
a.
Ancient China was ___________________
i. _______________ to East
ii. Gobi Desert to ______________________
iii. Mountains to _________________
iv. ______________________ to South
b. Huang-He (Yellow) & Yangtze Rivers formed . . .
c. ___________________ _______________________was always a problem
II.
Xia Dynasty (2200? BC to 1800 BC)
a. Legendary dynasty =>
b. King Yu – legendary leader (similar to . . .
)
i. Designed . . .
ii. Led to …
III.
Shang Dynasty (1800 to 1027 BC)
a. First historical dynasty confirmed in ________________ ________________
b. Info about dynasty comes from different sources =>
c. Form of Government
i. Well organized . . .
ii. Military was maintained to fight against . . .
iii. King ruled rural land while nobles ruled semi-independent city states =>
d. Society
i. Very hierarchal & ________________________
ii. Shang appear to have been herders transitioning …
iii. ________________ dominated society
iv. Group was more important than _____________________________
1. Family was …
2. ___________________ _____________________ was common
v. Isolation meant no ________________; thus, Chinese were …
e. Technology
i. Metallurgy
1. Bronze metallurgy was ____________________________
2. Iron casting introduced late in kingdom; better than anything …
3. Military used _________________
ii. Writing system
1. ______________________ language
2. Over 10,000 characters =>
3. Modern Chinese written language . . .
4. Language unified country =>
f. Religion: Ancestor Worship
i. If not respected, they could …
ii. Believed in an afterlife
1. King buried with . . .
2. Also buried with . . .
iii. Human sacrifice resorted to so spirits…
IV.
Zhou Dynasty (1027 to 256 BC)
a. Nomadic people who . . .
b. Absorbed Shang _______________
c. Introduced “Mandate of Heaven” concept (see insert in packet)
d. Government
i. Transitioning from city states of Shang to . . .
ii. Central government of Zhou Dynasty exercised greater …
iii. Also taxed ______________ _____________________
e. Technology
i. Built many _________________ and canals
ii. Coined money helped ________________ (why?) =>
iii. Iron casting
1. Iron weapons were a huge advance over …
2. Took Europe ______________ years to catch up to Zhou
V.
Fall of Zhou Dynasty / “Time of Warring States” (481 to 256 BC)
a. Nomads from North, West . . .
b. Nobles asserted their local power =>
c. Period characterized by general collapse of . . .
d. During this time Sun Tzu wrote “_________________________________”
e. Also during this time, _________________, __________________ emerged as philosophical
schools of thought
VI.
The Qin Dynasty (pronounced “Chin”) (242 -202 BC)
a. Arose out of …
i. Ruler took title ________ _____________________ =>
ii. Applied legalist philosophical methods . . .
b. Strategy
i. Destroy . . .
1. Famous saying: “Strengthen the trunk …
2. Commanded all nobility to . . .
3. Confiscated ____________ and _________________ of nobility
ii. Silence criticism
1. Murdered . . .
2. Burned . . .
iii. Centralize the government’s power
1. Massive forced . . .
2. Strict regulation of currency, law – even …
c. Results
i. Unified . . .
ii. Building projects =>
1. Great Wall of China
a. Zhou rulers had built …
b. Shi Huangdi determined to …
c. Built by forced labor of . . .
i. Choice =>
ii. Many who died . . .
d. Over 1400 miles total =>
2. Built magnificent tomb
a. Terra cotta soldiers created =>
b. Terra cotta soldiers had individualized faces =>
c. Location lost until __________
d. Fall of the Qin
i. Regime was . . .
1. High taxes and . . .
2. Scholars were . . .
3. Poor were . . .
ii. Shi Huangdi died & a _________________ _____________ broke out =>
VII.
The Han Dynasty (202 BC – 220 AD)
a. Considered the greatest . . .
i. Liu Bang =>
ii. 202 BC: revolt successful . . .
b. Han Government
i. Based on ______________________________ principles
ii. Goal was . . .
iii. Accomplishments
1. Lowered _____________
2. Civil service created
a. Jobs no longer dependent . . .
b. Started civil service exam =>
c. Now, ____________ person got job, not ______________________
3. Today, Chinese refer to selves as …
c. Technological achievements
i. Paper =>
ii. Hydraulic power =>
iii. Steel =>
iv. Scientific explanation of . . .
d. Beginning of Silk Road
i. From 138 BC, Han emperors …
ii. Began sending ___________________ to other states
iii. Received envoys from _________________________!
iv. Trade route reached _________________________ shore
e. Fall of Han Dynasty
i. Eventually, emperors became . . .
ii. Peasants rebelled =>
iii. Han lost control and …
The Mandate of Heaven Dynastic Cycle
1) Belief that rulers were the “son of heaven” and . . .
2) Dethronement of ruler proved that . . .
3) Bad things happening in society meant ruler …
4) People were then justified in revolting . . .
5) Theory explained & justified the demise of the previous dynasties =>