China’s First Civilizations

1. China’s First Civilizations

2. Geography- Why were rivers important to the development of China? What other geographic features were important? • Huang He – is also known as Yellow River because of its rich yellow soil (silt) that it carries to the Pacific Ocean • The Yellow River flooded: • Negative – homes destroyed and lives lost – “China’s sorrow” • Positive – left behind rich topsoil (silt) in Huang He valley; large amounts of food grown on small farms • Chang Jiang (Yangtze River) flows east across central China and empties into the Pacific ; River Valley also has rich soil for farming • Mountains and deserts cover most of land and only 1/10 of land can be farmed; acted like a wall around the Chinese separating them from the outside world • Himalaya mountain range closes off China to southwest • Kunlun Shan and Tian Shan – mountain ranges on China’s southwest border • Gobi Desert – vast, cold, rocky desert spreads east from mountains

3. Who were the Shang? What is a dynasty? • China’s first rulers were probably part of Xia dynasty • A dynasty is a line of rulers from the same family • Shang are considered China’s next dynasty. They ruled from 1750-1450 BCE • The Shang may have built first Chinese cities as evidenced by the findings of huge walls, royal palaces and tombs • Anyang – a city in northern China, China’s first capital • Most powerful people – king and his family • First king used chariots and bronze weapons to take over nearby areas and in time Shang kings ruled over most of Huang He valley • Chose warlords to govern territories, although king still controlled large armies who helped him stay in power • Warlords and other royal officials made up upper class; also known as aristocrats who passed their land and power from one generation to the next • Most were farmers and worked land that belonged to aristocrats (grew grains such as millet, wheat and rice; raised cattle, sheep and chickens) • Few people were traders and artisans • A small number of enslaved people captured in war also lived in Shang China

4. Who did the people of Shang China worship? • Worshipped gods and spirits (believed spirits lived in mountains, rivers and seas) • Believed offerings of food and other goods made gods and spirits happy and that they would be angry if not treated well • Angry gods and spirits might cause farmers poor harvest or armies to lose battle • Honored ancestors and made offerings in hope that they would help in times of need and bring good luck - To this day, people offer small paper copies of food and clothing to represent what is needed in the afterlife

5. How did people think they could learn about the future?How did the king ask the gods for help? • Kings believed they received power and wisdom from gods, spirits and ancestors • Religion and government were closely linked (like Mesopotamia and Egypt)- • Kings contact gods, spirits and ancestors before making important decisions • Kings asked for gods’ help by using oracle bones- Priests scratched questions on bones, placed hot metal rods inside bones, causing them to crack and read the pattern of cracks (earliest known examples of Chinese writing)

6. How did Chinese Writing develop? What was the early Chinese writing system like? • Early Chinese writing used pictographs (a character that stands for objects) and ideographs (two or more pictographs to represent an idea)- • Some characters stand for sounds, but most represent whole words, Some carvings are pictures (ie. to go represented by a foot) • Created about 3500 years ago • Earliest forms found on animal bone, which show symbols were used to represent words • Carved in vertical columns reading from top to bottom like modern Chinese writing

7. What did Shang artists and artisans create? • Farmers produced silk • Artisans made vases and dishes from fine white clay, carved statues from ivory and jade • Best known for works of bronze, a metal alloy of tin and copper: (including sculptures, vases, drinking cups and urns – used for rituals honoring ancestors) which involved many steps: • Made clay molds in many sections, carved designs and poured melted bronze into molds

8. What circumstances in Shang China gave Wu Wang the opportunity to lead a successful rebellion? • In 1045 BCE, Wu Wang, an aristocrat in Shang China led a rebellion • People supported him because a great gap existed between the rich and poor • This new dynasty was called the Zhou

9. How did the Zhou government develop? • The Zhou dynasty ruled for over 800 years; the longest in Chinese history • Zhou King was head of government • Large bureaucracy of people responsible for different areas reported to him • The kingdom was divided into smaller territories led by aristocrats appointed by king, land was hereditary • Chinese consider King to be link between heaven and earth • Kings chief duty was to carry out religious rituals

10. What is the Mandate of Heaven and how did it keep a king in power? • A heavenly law that gave the Zhou king the power to rule • This mandate or formal order was called the “Mandate of Heaven” • It means that the king was chosen by the heavens based on talent and virtue and that he would rule with goodness and wisdom • King ruled according to the proper “way” or Dao. It was his duty to keep the gods happy • New Tools and Trade • A natural disaster could signal unhappy gods and give the people the right to overthrow him

11. What new tools and trade routes developed under the Zhou? • Chinese developed irrigation and flood control • Farming tools improved- iron plows • Both advances caused a population increase. More food= more people. • Trade and manufacturing grew- most important good was silk

12. How did the Zhou Empire fall? • Over time the local rulers became more powerful and stopped obeying the Zhou king • This caused the “Period of Warring States” and lasted almost 200 years • At first they fought on foot with swords, spears and cross bows. • This war led to the development of saddle and stirrup and horse riding cavalry • Eventually the ruler of the Qin state used a large cavalry to defeat the other states and set up a new dynasty.

13. Words to Know • Dynasty- a line of rulers who belong to the same family • Aristocrat- A noble whose wealth comes from the land he or she owns • Pictograph- A character that stands for objects, such as the moon and the sun   • Ideograph- Character that represents an idea used in Chinese writing • Bureaucracy- A system of appointed officials who run different parts of the government • Mandate-A formal order • Dao- King ruled according to the proper “way” or Dao. It was his duty to keep the gods happy

14. Questions • Name two rivers important to early Chinese civilizations. • How long did the Zhou dynasty last? • What was the chief duty of Chinese kings? • From what metal did the Chinese make plows and weapons during the Zhou dynasty? • What was the most important trade item during the Zhou dynasty? • What was the first capital city of China? • Who were China’s first rulers? • What do people call the Huang He river?

15. Answers • The Huang He (Yellow River) and Chang Jiang (Yangtze) were the two important rivers in ancient China. The Huang He is known as China’s sorrow. • The Zhou was the longest Chinese Dynasty, it went on for about 800 years. • The chief duty of Chinese kings was to carry out religious rituals to keep the gods happy. • The Chinese made plows and weapons from iron during the Zhou dynasty period. • Silk was the most important trade item during the Zhou dynasty. • The first Capital City of Chinas was Anyang. • China’s first rulers were the Xia dynasty.

16. What was life like in ancient China? • Social class -people who share similar positions in society • Landowning aristocrats, peasant farmers, ands merchants are the three main social classes in ancient China

17. What was life like for the aristocracy of ancient Chinese society? • China’s aristocratic families: • Owned large estates with large houses with tile roofs, courtyards, and gardens; fine furniture, silk hangings surrounded by walls to keep out bandits • Did not own large estates for long because each aristocrat divided land among sons and resulted in less and less for each generation • Relied on farmers to grow crops that made them rich

18. What was life like for farmers in ancient China? • 9/10 of the Chinese were farmers • Lived in simple houses inside village walls • Grew wheat and grain (millet) on fields owned by aristocrats, grew rice in south • Paid for use of land by giving part of crops to landowners • Most owned small piece of land for own family- Ate fish, turnips, beans, wheat or rice, and millet • Paid taxes and worked one month per year building roads and helping with government projects and also served as soldiers during wartime • Dry, mountainous land made it difficult for farming which was greatly needed to feed the large population • Farmers cut terraces – flat areas like steps into mountain slopes, which made land more available for farming and kept soil from eroding • Terraces used for irrigation – rain flowed from one terrace to next (terrace farming still used today) • First to use insects to protect crops from other insects and used frogs and birds for pest control • Used bronze and iron tools for farming and harvesting

19. What was life like for the merchants and tradesman? • Ranked below farmers regardless of wealth • Not allowed to take government jobs • Included shopkeepers, traders and bankers • Lived in towns, provided goods and services to landowners

20. What was family life like? • Big families to help produce more crops and become wealthier • Young children worked fields and older sons raised own crops and provided for parents • Families took care of the aged, young, and sick; Practiced filial piety • Chinese men , usually oldest male – head of the family; sons could be the head in which case mother had to obey the son • Men were respected as they grew the crops; went to school, ran the government, and fought wars • The jobs of the men were considered more important than those of women • Women raised children and managed the household, could not hold government posts • Women in royal court could influence government and convince their husbands to see things their way

21. What are the three main Chinese philosophies? • Developed during the Period of Warring States • As Zhou kingdom weakened, violence grew • Rulers sent armies to destroy enemy states; villages of men, women, and children were beheaded • Chinese looked for ways to restore order and create a peaceful society; several philosophies were born out of this need: • Confucianism, Daoism, and Legalism

22. Who was Confucius and what did he teach? • Ancient China’s first great thinker and teacher who wanted to end problems in China and bring peace • Believed people needed sense of duty (put needs of others before their own) and society would do well • Similar philosophy as Golden Rule-Do onto others as you would have them do onto you. • Traveled through China to persuade others to follow Confucianism • Taught that all men with talent of governing be involved in government (not popular idea with aristocrats) Message was carried and spread throughout China

23. What was the life of Confucius like? • Parents were poor, although may have had money at one time • Seems that parents died when he was very young • Talented scholar devoted to studies • Bookkeeper, stable manager, but wanted to be in government • Concerned with people not holding onto traditional values and struggling government • He taught that people should • Do their duty • Honor promises to others, use education to improve themselves, avoid extreme actions and feeling, • Return to the beliefs and rituals of ancestors • Left politics when government officials were not interested and devoted his life to improving society through learning and teaching • Did not write down ideas but followers put together a book of his sayings called the Lun Yu

24. What is Daoism? • Promotes peaceful society and based on teachings of Laozi (who may not be a real person) • Ideas written in Dao De Jing (The Way of the Dao); tells people how to behave • Seek inner peace and live in harmony with nature • Believe people should give up worldly desires and should look to nature and the Dao – the force that guides all things • Unlike Confucianism which taught people should work hard to improve world, Daoism taught that people should give up their concerns about the world

25. What is Legalism? • “School of Law” disagreed with idea of men in gov’t bringing peace to society • Hanfeizi developed Legalism and taught humans were naturally evil • Believed they needed harsh laws and stiff punishments and strong leader needed to keep order • Led to cruel laws and punishments used to control farmers; followed by many aristocrats

26. Questions and Answers 1. How did farmers pay for the use of the land they farmed? • They gave part of their crop to the landowners. 2. How did the amount of land owned by each aristocrat decrease over time? • Each aristocrat divided his land among his sons, so each generation owned a smaller fraction of the original land. 3. How did farmers in ancient China increase the amount of productive farmland? • They built terraces into the mountain slopes. 4.What three farming methods helped farmers grow more food? • Terrace farming, irrigation and pest control.

27. More Q and A 5. Which of the Chinese philosophies encourages followers to concentrate on duty and humanity? • Confucianism is the philosophy that asks followers to concentrate on their duty. 6. When did the ideas of Daoism become popular? • Daoism became popular between 500 BCE and 300 BCE. 7. Why did Hanfeizi believe that people needed laws and punishments? • To force them to do their duty. 8. Describe the concept of filial piety. • Family members placed the needs of the head of the family above their own.