CHINESE CIVILIZATION

From River Civilization to Isolation

Between which two rivers is the heartland of China found?

The Heartland of China

China’s Sorrow

River Systems Yellow River Yangtze River

Environmental Challenges Floods Geographic isolation Invasions from the

west and north China’s Heartland

North China Plain Remained center of

civilization throughout time

The Dynastic Cycle

Chinese Dynasties and Empires The Hsia Dynasty, 2205-1766 BC The Shang Dynasty, 1766-1050 BC The Chou, 1050-256 BC The Han Dynasty, 206 BC-220 AD Period of Disunion, 220 AD-618 AD Tang Dynasty, 618 AD-907 AD Sung Dynasty, 969 AD-1279AD Yuan Dynasty, 1279 AD-1368 AD Ming Dynasty, 1368 AD-1644 AD Qing Dynasty, 1644 AD-1912 AD

The First Dynasties

Xia (Hsia) 2000 BC Flood control & irrigation

systems Society to civilization

Little archaeological evidence exists No written record – largely

myth Which brings up an

interesting point…

“History is not about facts, it is about cultural memory, which means that what a culture believes its history to be is as important, or even more important, than the ‘facts…’”

The First Dynasties

Shang 1700- 1027 BC First written records Creation of walled cities

Early cities Social stratification Warring culture

City-states China is NOT unified at

this point in historyYin, the Capital of the Shang

Dynasty for 300 years.

What are the benefits and drawbacks of the belief that the group is more important than the individual?

The Development of “a” Culture

The Development of Culture

Family Social Classes Religious Beliefs The Development

of Writing Zhou (Chou)

Dynasty 1027 BC-256 BC

The Dynastic Cycle

Would a ruler who followed Confucian or Daoist ideas have built the Great Wall?

The Great Wall

The Unification of China

Confucius and The One Hundred Schools (551-233 BC) Filial piety = respect for the

family and ancestors Government bureaucracy Confucius’ goals was to reform

government so it could better take care of the welfare of the people

Daoism Legalism Qin (Ch’in) Dynasty

3rd Century BC

Why was agriculture considered the most important and honored occupation in Chinese culture?

The Heart of China

Han Emperors in China

200 BC- 220 AD Centralized

Government Highly Structured

Society Technology &

Commerce Unification

assimilation

What inventions have had the greatest impact on society?

Modern Inventions

Tang and Song China

Tang Dynasty 589AD Expansion of China Muslim invasions Chaos

Song Dynasty 960- 1279 AD Prosperity and

innovation Golden Age Changes in Chinese

society

What are the benefits and drawbacks of isolationism?

Chinese Exploration

Early Modern China

The Rise of the Ming 1368 AD- 1644

Manchus found the Qing Dynasty 1644 AD- 1911