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Early China, part 1. Geography. Location: Early civilization arouse on Huang He and Yangtze Rivers (Yellow River Valley). Geography. Himalaya MTS Gobi Desert Irregular coastline. Location Affecting Life. Mountains/desert have isolated China from outsiders
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Geography • Location: Early civilization arouse on Huang He and Yangtze Rivers (Yellow River Valley)
Geography • Himalaya MTS • Gobi Desert • Irregular coastline
Location Affecting Life • Mountains/desert have isolated China from outsiders • Called itself the Middle Kingdom • Very ethnocentric
Environmental Problems: • isolated cannot rely on trade, must provide own goods (Where is everybody???) • Rivers flooding • Invasions from East and West where mountains do not exist • Little farming land 10% is useable • Mountains are not good farmland
The dynastic cycle: • 1) Group claims mandate of Heaven • 2) Time of prosperity change • 3) As time goes on, corruption in government takes over people believe they have lost mandate rebellion • 4) New group takes over power and claims mandate
Early Dynasties • Xia Dynasty—1st dynasty • - irrigation and flooding methods to control river and let settlements grow
Qin dynasty –221- 206 BCcreation of wall for protection- Great Wall begins
They will be followed by the Han (206BC -222 AD) Terracotta ArmyDiscovered in 19748,000 soldiers, 100 chariots with 400 horses and 300 cavalry horses
Chinese Culture: • Families: Respect your elders (parents) from Confucianism • Women were not equal men have power ( BAD WOMEN!!)
Social classes: • Nobles and Peasants • Merchants are lowest
Religion: • Traditionally Chinese were spiritual in form of ancestor worship (oracle bones) • Today: Buddhism and Confucianism
Writing System: • good things- unified people • Bad- instead of the 26 letters we have, can you remember over 10,000 characters?
Stress education • Civil Service exam • Created movable type • Mechanical Clock
Song Dynasty 960- 1279 • Improved farming methods of rice • 10 cites of 1 million each • Porcelain • Compass • Gun powder
Other Technology: • Canals and Roads • Coined money • Furnaces to produce iron
Trading: Along the Silk Road • Only link to west
Early Chinese Civilizations will eventually fall to the Mongols (Mughals) • Mongols famous leader: Genghis Khan and Kublai Khan Mongolians were nomadic barbarians - Weapon technology: Bow and Arrow
Pax Mongolia • Time of peace in China under Mongol rule
Marco Polo visits China • Polo’s visit and journal of his visit to China increases European desire to interact with China • Took 24 years