Ancient China & Confucianism

Geography of China

Plateau of Tibet

Taklimakan Desert

Yellow Sea

South China Sea

East China Sea

Himalayas

Gobi

Desert

China’s

Heartlan

d

Yangtze River

Huang He (Yellow) River

Using this map as a guide, fill in the dominant physical features of China on your own map.

Based on China’s geography, where do you think the majority of people in ancient China lived? Explain your answer.

From which directions does China face the biggest risk of invasion?

Kunlun Mountains

Rivers: Huang He (Yellow):

north◦ Frequent violent

flooding◦ Deposits of silt◦ good for agriculture

Yangtze: south

Geography of China (cont.)

Family◦ main loyalty for Chinese◦ respect, obedience & loyalty to ruler

Hierarchy◦ strict social classes

Religion◦ spirits of ancestors helpful or not◦ Oracle bones

Writing◦ characters◦ written language same for all

spoken dialects

Chinese Culture

1. Shang (1700 – 1027 B.C.) overthrown by the …

2. Zhou (1027 B.C. – 256 B.C.)

◦ justified conquest by Mandate of Heaven - ruler has approval of gods

◦ Dynastic cycle - loss of Mandate of Heaven leads to new dynasty

◦ lost power to nobles who gained power & fought

◦ move away from ancient values

Early Chinese Dynasties

Confucius wanted to restore social order & moral living through good family relationships

Sayings of Confucius - the Analects

Five Constant Relationships:1. Parent & child2. Husband & wife3. Older sibling & younger sibling4. Older friend & younger friend5. Ruler & subject

filial piety – respect for parents & ancestors

Confucianism

Government: Created the bureaucracy – trained

civil service who run the government

Examination system (later)– education valued; had to pass an exam on Confucian texts to serve in the government

Confucianism spreads: spreads to Japan, Southeast Asia &

Korea

Confucianism (cont.)

highly efficient & powerful gov’t was the key to social order

punishments used to maintain social order

thinkers & ideas should be strictly controlled by the gov’t

Legalism

Shi Huangdi

ended the fighting between Chinese states & united China

adopted legalism & burned Confucian books to prevent criticism

established an autocracy – government that has unlimited power

Forced peasants to work on the Great Wall of China

Qin Dynasty