Lesson 2: China’s Past

Picturing Chinese History

�  Previous picture is from Anyang; writing on tortoise shell

�  Early people made stone tools

�  China has longest lasting civilization

�  Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Greece are older, but China’s culture has lasted throughout the ages

�  Remained mostly unified

Picturing Chinese History �  Pictographs = written Chinese language

�  Represent words

�  Similarly written for thouseands of years

�  Makes it easier to interpret ancient writing

Shang Dynasty 1760 – 1500 BCE

�  Considered to be the 1st dynasty

Shang Tang overthew

Xia ruler to begin the

Shang Dynasty

Shang Dynasty

�  Farming was the way of life during this time

Shang Dynasty

�  Warriors rode in horse drawn chariots

Shang Dynasty

�  Began using Bronze to make tools and other items because it was stronger than stone

Shang Dynasty

�  Anyang was the capital of the ancient settlement

�  Oracle bones were found here

�  What were they used for? What did they do to tell the future?

Oracle Bones

Shang Dynasty

�  The first people in China to keep written records

What material did they use to make tools, weapons, and other goods?

What was their main way of life?

THE LONGEST DYNASTY

�  The Zhou dynasty was the longest of any Chinese dynasty.

�  Lasted from 1027 BCE until 221 BCE

�  Conquered the last ruler of the Shang Dynasty

�  There are two parts to this dynasty: The Western and The Eastern

Western Zhou Dynasty

�  Capital = Hao (in Western China)

�  Farmers (wheat, rice, beans, fruit)

�  Slaves worked the land

�  Farmers had to give some of their food to the king

�  Women also helped to harvest food and silk

Western Zhou Dynasty

Western Zhou �  Silk was very important

Western Zhou

Rice Field In China

Eastern Zhou Dynasty

�  Lasted from 770 to 221 BCE

�  The capital was Luoyang, in Eastern China

Eastern Zhou

�  Golden Age because �  New system of money �  Trade increased �  Projects built to control flooding (irrigating, building

canals) �  Walls built to keep out Nomads �  Began using iron for tools. Why not stick with Bronze? �  King’s power began to decrease because of wars, so

many people became scholars, teachers, and officials �  New ways of thinking began

1st Emperor

Qin Dynasty

�  In 221, Qin (king of strongest state in China) became Shi Huangdi

�  The name meant 1st emperor

�  1st time a leader was called an emperor since Xia time (1700 BCE)

Qin Dynasty

�  Standardized money, weights, measurement. How would this affect trade?

�  Great Wall of China built to protect from northern invaders (look at p. 110 in teacher manual)

�  Didn’t like to be opposed �  Wanted to control people �  Banned books �  People revolted

End of Qin Dynasty

�  Much different than the Zhou, this dynasty lasted only 20 years

�  Ended when he died

HAN DYNASTY

�  Began in 206 BCE and lasted until 220 AD (or CE)

�  1st ruler was Han Gaozu = High ancestor

�  He got rid of Shi Huangdi’s ban on books

Han Dynasty

�  Wu Di became leader from 147 to 87 BC �  Lands that belonged to princes and lords �  He decided to tax goods that were imported or

exported �  He had new roads built to make transportation better �  Thought scholars and teachers were important �  Civil Service was created under him: this is using

skills and talents to work in the government �  People had to take exams to prove their ability to

perform their jobs in the government

Han Dynasty

�  Sima Qian (Soomoon chi-an) = a historian

�  He wrote the first complete book of Chinese history �  Covered 3000 years �  Understood that history should not just be written by

kings

Han Dynasty

�  Ban Zhao (jow) �  She continued Sima Qian’s work �  She wanted women to be educated

Han Dynasty Inventions

�  Middlemen: people who go between buyers and sellers

�  Porcelain

�  Paper

�  Ink

Han Dynasty

�  Silk Road-multiple routes from Northern China aross Asia to the Roman Empire