Ancient China
Titles or Questions
Where did China’s
Civilization begin?
isolated: far away
from other places or
people
What causes the
river to be yellow?
Cornell Notes
China - The Middle Kingdom
Civilization began in Huang Valley, where the Huang He, or Yellow
River
flowed. This river was also called “China’s Sorrow’ because so many
lives were lost due to its floods. Ancient China was called the Middle
Kingdom because they were so isolated that the people of China
thought they were the center of the world!
First Chinese Dynasty
Great King Yu
In 2,200 B.C. the Great Yu built a flood-control system for the Huang He River,
which allowed people to settle and farm the North China Plain. Due to his
success, Yu was made King and head of the first dynasty, the Xia [Sha] Dynasty.
Great King Yu
dynasty: [p. 281]
ruling family
Flood-control system
The 17 rulers of the Xia Dynasty ruled with a heavy hand of force and
practiced human sacrifices. The Xia Dynasty was lost in battle to the Shang
people.
Check for Understanding
Why was the Huang He River also called “China’s Sorrow”?
What did ancient Chinese people call China?
What did the Great King Yu build?
Were the rulers of the Xia Dynasty harsh and forceful, or kind
and easy going?
Shang Dynasty
artifact: an
object made by
a human being
of historical
importance.
In 1760 B.C., the Shang Dynasty came to power in China.
They made many objects from Bronze metalwork. But, the most
important artifacts of Shang history were the written records known as
Oracle Bones, which helped historical scholars learn about ancient China
and its rulers. These carved animal bones and shells were used by the
ancient Shang rulers to tell the future or make important decisions.
Oracle bones:
[p. 284]
Artifact: Oracle Bone
ZHOU [CHO] DYNASTY
Corrupt: to act
dishonestly
The Zhou conquered the Shang Dynasty because the Shang rulers
became corrupt and started the practice of the Mandate of
Heaven [see below].
Warlords, or military rulers of smaller states started fighting with
Mandate of Heaven:
other states. During the end of the Zhou Dynasty, China was in a
[p. 287]
state of constant war, chaos, disorder, and confusion! Then…along
came Confucius!
Warlords: [p. 289]
Chaos: [p. 289]
Gods
Check for Understanding
What were the most important artifacts of Shang Dynasty
history?
How did these artifacts help historical scholars learn about
the Shang Dynasty?
How did the concept of the Mandate of Heaven determine
who should rule a dynasty?
The end of the Zhou Dynasty was a time of…?
Homework: in your Planner
Read Pages: 274 – 291 in textbook!
Vocabulary:
Oracle Bones: [p. 284]
Mandate of Heaven:[p. 287]
Warlords: [p. 289]
Chaos: [p. 289]
Confucius ~
“What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others.”
order: to
eliminate
confusion and
chaos.
Confucius was a Chinese scholar who greatly affected Chinese Society.
His teachings were known as Confucianism.
Chinese people turned to Confucius’ ideas about traditional values
because they believed it could bring order to China.
Filial piety: [p. 309] The most important virtue in Confucianism was filial piety, meaning
total devotion to parents and family.
Confucius started his own school where he taught young men to
become “true gentlemen.”
Legalism
What is Legalism?
Hanfeizi [p. 305]
anarchy: [p. 305]
Legalism: [p.305]
Which type of
society do we live
under?
A teacher by the name of Hanfeizi believed that anarchy and wars in
China were due to the disorder of human nature and that the nature of
man is evil. He believed that a strong system of laws with rewards to
those who obeyed the law and those who broke the law were punished
severely. This way of thinking was called Legalism: the key to social order
is through a strong legal system.
Confucius argued against Legalism and said that the fear of punishment
did not lead to good behavior because people were not made aware of
the wrongness of their actions. Instead, Confucius believed in strong
family values to create social order in Chinese society.
Check for Understanding
What ancient civilization are we studying?
Who was Confucius, and what did he believe in?
What if filial piety?
What was Chinese Legalism?
How did Legalism differ from Confucianism?
Traditional Chinese Family Values
In ancient Chinese families, loyalty to the family was the most
important value. Older family members had more power and rights
than younger ones and men were more important than women.
Therefore, an older male had more power than an older female!
It was the duty of a Chinese wife to obey her husband in all things.
arranged: set up
Children practiced filial piety, or total devotion to their parents &
family!
Marriages were ‘arranged’ to strengthen the family, and many times
the bride and groom had never met before their wedding.
Ancient Chinese believed in the spirits of their ancestors and viewed
the Earth as a flat disk.
Check for Understanding
Who had the most power and rights in an ancient
Chinese family?
What was the duty of every Chinese wife?
What was expected of Chinese children?
How did marriages in ancient China come about?
How did ancient Chinese perceive the Earth?
Homework: in your Planner
Read Pages: 296-311 in textbook!
Vocabulary:
Filial piety: [p. 309]
Hanfeizi [p. 305]
anarchy: [p. 305]
Legalism: [p.305]
Daoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism
Confucianism: [p.
307]
Confucianism was a set of beliefs about how to live that focused on
social behavior so as to create order in Society.
Daoism is an ancient Chinese philosophy that emphasizes a simple
and natural life. Daoism teaches that there are two great forces that
Daoism: [p. 312]
balance in the universe Yin and Yang. Yin represents the female force
in nature: dark, cool, and quiet. Yang is the male force and is bright,
Yin and Yang: [p 313]
warm, and active.
Draw this
symbol
Buddhism was brought to China by Indian missionaries and
merchants and appealed to many Chinese because it promised hope
for after life and hope to escape suffering that neither Confucianism
or Daoism offered.
Check for Understanding
Why did Confucianism bring to ancient China?
What philosophy does Daoism emphasize?
According to Daoism, what are the two great forces
that balance the universe?
How did Buddhism come to China?
What did Buddhism offer that Confucianism and
Daoism did not?
Qin [Chin] Dynasty
How did Emperor
Shi Huangdi unify
China under one
Government?
The Era of the Warring States ended with the Qin Dynasty. Emperor Shi
Huangdi’s main contribution: UNITES China under ONE government. No
other Chinese ruler had been able to do!
Emperor Shi Huangdi ordered that the Great Wall be built to defend the
empire from attacks by Nomads living in China’s northern borders.
Shi Huangdi: [p. 327]
Standardize: to
make the same
Shi Huangdi also standardized many aspects of Chinese life. His
government created a single written language with standard characters,
standard currency [money], weights and measurements, and standard
axles for cart transportation.
Shi Huangdi based his empire’s government on Legalism’s ideas of strict
laws and strong government.
In 210 B.C. Shi Huangdi died and the Qin Dynasty was overthrown.
Check for Understanding
What was Emperor Shi Huangdi do main contribution to
ancient China under the Qin Dynasty ?
Why did Emperor Shi Huangdi order the Great Wall to be
built?
How did standardization help unify China?
Name the emperor that standardized money, language, and
weights in China ?
What ideas did Emperor Shi Huandi base his government on?
Homework: in your Planner
Read Pages: 312-332 in textbook!
Vocabulary:
Confucianism: [p.
307]
Daoism: [p. 312]
Yin and Yang: [p
313]
Shi Huangdi: [p. 327]
Han Dynasty
Liu Bang: [p. 333]
Wudi: [p. 334]
After the fall of the Qin Dynasty, General Liu Bang took control of China in
206 B.C. and founded the Han Dynasty. The Han government followed
Confucianism and encouraged education, lowered taxes, and reduced
punishments.
Zhang Qian: [p. 335] In 140 B.C. a 16 year old boy became Emperor Wudi, and ruled for 50
years. Emperor Wudi sent out an official by the name of Zhang Qian on a
long journey into Central Asia. His travels took him all the way to present
day Afghanistan. His report led to the establishment of first trade route [
the silk road] to the western part of the ancient world.
*Check out Silk Road
Map & Goods on
The Han Dynasty had many innovations and advances in science:
Class website!
Wheelbarrow, paper, seismograph [earthquake detector], and magnetic
compass.
Wheelbarrow
Paper
Seismograph
Compass
Han Dynasty
In order to get the best people for civil service [government] jobs,
Emperor Wudi had people take exams [tests] to ensure that they
qualified for the job. This was the beginning of the Civil Service System.
The Han Dynasty had grown in size, both in land and population [60
million People]! As a result, the Han Empire needed a large bureaucracy,
or central government to effectively control all its people.
What does this map
tell you about?
[hint- look at the
key]
Check for Understanding
Who founded the Han Dynasty?
How did the Han Emperor Wudi find talented people for
government jobs?
What did the reports of Zhang Qian’s long journey lead to?
Why is the Silk Road route so important?
Name 4 innovations and science advances under the Han rule?
What is the system Wudi started to qualify for government jobs?
Why did the Han Dynasty need such a large bureaucracy to rule?
Homework: in your Planner
Read Pages: 333-345 in textbook!
Vocabulary:
Liu Bang: [p. 333]
Wudi: [p. 334]
Zhang Qian: [p. 335]