Section+2-4+River+Dynasties+in+China

Chapter 2-4: River Dynasties in China

**__ Key Words: __** - Loess: fertile soil that blows from deserts in West and North - Oracle Bones: bones that priest used to ask the gods questions - Mandate of Heaven: how Zhou explained taking over the Shang - Dynastic Cycle: the cycle of dynasties as explained by the Mandate of Heaven - Feudalism: political system in which nobles are allowed to control land that belong to the king

**__Important People:__** - Peking man

**__ Key Points: __**

//The Geography of China:// - Isolated slightly by natural barriers - East = Yellow Sea, East China Sea, Pacific Ocean; West = Taklimakan Desert, Plateau of Tibet; Southwest = Himalayas; North Gobi Desert, Mongolian Plateau

//River Systems:// - 2 major rivers (The Yellow River, The Yangtze River) - Yellow river deposits fertile silt when floods (silt comes from deserts)

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">//Environmental// //Challenges:// <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">- The Huang He (Yellow River) floods is very devastating <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">- Early settlers supply own good (isolation) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">- Natural <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">boundaries didn't fully protect from invaders

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">//China's Heartland:// <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">- 10% of China farmable <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">- Lies between Yellow River and Chang Jiang (known as heartland) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">- North China Plain

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">//Civilization Emerges in Shang Times:// <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">- Modern humans lived in China = 1.7 million years ago (southwest China) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">- Peking man = people in Northern China 500,00 years ago

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">//First Dynasties:// <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">- 2000 BC settlements grew into cities (before Sumerians settled Mesopotamia) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">- First dynasty = Xia dynasty (Yu was first leader) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">- Shang people rose in power = northern China (dynasty = 1700 BC - 1027 BC) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">- Shang = first to have recorded written language

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">//Early Cities:// <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">- Oldest city = Anyang (built mainly of wood) surrounded by mud brick walls

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">//<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">The Development of Chinese Culture: // <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">- People who lived outside of China = barbarians

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">//Family:// <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">- central to Chinese society <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">- Respect ones parents <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">- Women were inferior (men = power) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">- Girls married ages 13 - 16

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">//Social Classes:// <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">- Nobles and Peasants <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">- Nobles owned land

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">//Religious Beliefs://

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">- Spirits of family ancestors = bringing good luck/bad luck

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">//Developments in Writing://

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">- Character stands for one syllable or unit of language <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">- No link spoken to written language <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">- Written language helped untie the country <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">- Disadvantage = over 1,500 characters to memorize

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">//Zhou and the Dynastic Cycle://

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">- 1027 BC Zhou overthrew Shang (adopted much of the Shang culture) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">- Thought that last Shang ruler was so bad gods took away leadership <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">- Mandate of Heaven was how the people thought that a dynasty was strong or not

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">//Control through Feudalism:// <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">- Land became controlled by nobles that answered to the king

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">//Improvements in Technology and Trade://

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">- Built roads and canals <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">- Coined money <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">- Blast furnaces produce cast iron

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">//Period of Waring States://

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">- 1027 BC to 256 BC = Zhou rule <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">- Rule was normally strong but started to weaken <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">- 771 BC nomads killed Zhou ruler