CHINA
1750 B.C. – 220 A.D.
Geography of China
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Greatly varies
Mountains in West
High plains in Central China
Rolling hills in South
North China Plain
Coast to the East
Rivers of China
• Huang River (Yellow River)
– Has fertile yellow soil called loess
– Causes river to have a yellow tint
– Prone to frequent flooding
• Chang & Xi Rivers
– Deep channels that can be navigated by modern
ships
Isolation
• Caused by distance, mountains, & deserts
• Culture not effected by others (India, Rome,
etc.)
• “Middle Kingdom” – Chinese people thought
their culture was superior so they controlled
when and how they would interact with
others
• Caused strengthening of traditional culture
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Chinese Dynasties
• History generally divided into periods based
on which dynasty ruled
• 4 Main Periods:
– Shang Dynasty (1750 B.C. – 1050 B.C.)
– Zhou Dynasty (1027 B.C. – 221 B.C.)
– Qin Dynasty (221 B.C. – 206 B.C.)
– Han Dynasty (206 B.C. – 220 A.D.)
Shang Dynasty (1750 B.C. – 1050 B.C.)
• Invaders called the Shang swept into the Huang
River Valley and took control
• Established superior irrigation, which helped
them maintain power
• Over time groups of people settled along the
borders of Shang China
• China came under constant attack from these
groups of people
• Zhou eventually overthrew Shang and assumed
control
Zhou Dynasty (1027 B.C. – 221 B.C.)
Zhou Dynasty (1027 B.C. – 221 B.C.)
• Zhou rulers justified their right to rule as
Mandate of Heaven
• Gave nobles land in exchange for military
service
• Conquered neighboring people
• Local nobles became too powerful for rulers
and civil war broke out
• Greatest Legacy – Work of 2 philosophers
Chinese Philosophers
Confucius
• Wanted to bring order to
China’s social and political
life
• Taught the importance of
family and respect
• Teachings eventually
collected and created
Confucianism
Lao Tzu
• Wanted peace and inner
stability for individuals
• Believed in finding harmony
with nature
• Principles of ying and yang
• Teachings eventually
formed Daoism
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Qin Dynasty (221 B.C. – 206 B.C.)
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Shih Huang-ti – Lord of Qin Dynasty
First to call himself Emperor of China
United all of China through conquest
Believed power should rest with absolute ruler
People were not necessarily good, and
government should punish misbehavior
• Rejected Confucianism
Qin Dynasty (221 B.C. – 206 B.C.)
• Accomplishments
– Centralized power by dividing China into districts
– Each district had own military and leaders
– Began construction of roads and canals to unite
more distant areas
– Developed uniform writing and measurement
systems
– Great Wall of China
• Joined existing walls to protect from invasions
• 1,500 miles long, 22 feet high, 15 feet thick
Han Dynasty (206 B.C. – 220 A.D.)
Han Dynasty (206 B.C. – 220 A.D.)
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Qin Emperor died and civil war broke out
Han Emperor emerged as ruler
Invented paper
Established exams to select imperial servants
– Covered history and Confucian ideas
– Strengthened power of emperor by weakening
independence of nobles
– Imperial service no longer a birth right
– Provided opportunity for commoners to climb social
ladder
Han Dynasty (206 B.C. – 220 A.D.)
• Established overland trade routes – Silk Road
connected China to Middle East
• Wealthy families were large so sons could
serve in military and daughters could be
married into other wealthy families
• Wealthy women were well treated and
influential
• Women subordinate to men
Fall of the Han Dynasty
• Emperors were weakened by a series of
rebellions against their authority
• Emperors gave more power to provincial
governors, some of whom became local
warlords
• 221 A.D. – Han Emperor turns power over to
independent warlord
• Han China collapses into civil war
End of the Empires
• Similar to the fall of the Roman Empire
• Vast empire hard to control – Problems with
transportation and communication
• Weakened central control results from
increased power of local warlords
• Early rulers were strong and talented
• Later rulers were weak and overthrown
• Wide spread government corruption
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Chinese Religions
• 3 Main Religions
– Confucianism
– Daoism
– Buddhism
Confucianism
• Based on teachings of Confucius
• Major Beliefs
– Natural Order – Each person has a role in society
which reflects their position in the universe.
– Role of Each Person – People must meet their
obligations for society to live in harmony.
– In relationships there are 2 roles (Filial Piety)
• Superior – Must show love and responsibility
• Inferior – Show loyalty and obedience
– Mandate of Heaven – Ruler benefits his people, and
the people obey their ruler
Daoism
• Based on teachings of Lao Tzu
• People should accept the way of nature rather
than resist it
• Followers accept things the way they are
instead of trying to change them
• You can achieve enlightenment by “nonstriving”, enjoying nature, and using
contemplation to abandon earthly concerns
Buddhism
• Brought by missionaries from India during the
Han Dynasty
• When Han Dynasty fell many people turned to
Buddhism because they felt the teachings of
Buddha helped explain the disruption that
accompanied the collapse
• Emphasized university charity and compassion –
You could end self-suffering by eliminating selfish
desires
• Only Chinese religion that was concerned with
the afterlife
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