Chapter 4 : Ancient China Section One : Early Civilization in China

Chapter 4 : Ancient China Section One : Early Civilization in China

KCWorld Studies

A. The Geography of China Main IdeaEastern Asia’s physical features isolated Chinese

culture from outside influences and helped determine where Chinese people set up communities.

A. The Geography of China

• Natural Barriers– The high, rugged mountain ranges of the Himalayas

and the Tian Shan were difficult to cross. – People could not easily travel across the Gobi and

Taklimakan Deserts. – In addition, groups of people within china’s

boundaries were isolated from one another, therefore communication between the north and south was difficult.

A. The Geography of China

• China’s Agricultural Revolution– About 7000 B.C., communities began to spring up

in China’s river valleys. – Between the 4000 B.C. and 1000 B.C., an

agricultural revolution took place in China.– Local leaders governed the numerous small

farming villages of the Huang He valley. Over hundreds of years, these villages grew into towns and small cities.

B. The Shang Dynasty Main IdeaThe Shang Dynasty developed the first Chinese

civilization by uniting the agricultural communities that had developed in the river valleys of the North China Plain.

B. The Shang Dynasty

• Shang Rulers– At varying times, Shang rulers established walled

capital cities. Anyang and Zhengzhou were among the most important.

– Obedient princes and loyal nobles called lords helped control more distant areas.

– Shang armies used wheeled chariots and bronze weapons to defeat their enemies. Slowly, the Shang kings gained more power over local leaders.


• Ancestor Worship– Religious beliefs influenced Shang culture in many

ways. Ancestor worship was at the heart of these beliefs.

– The power of Shang kings was firmly rooted in religion. The Shang believed royal ancestors had a direct link to a powerful god.

– An oracle is a person, place, or thing that a god uses to reveal hidden knowledge.


• Introduction of Writing– The Shang developed the first Chinese writing

system. Many oracle bones have been found in Shang tombs.

– Shang writing used a symbol or simple picture to represent each object or Chinese word. Spoken Chinese varied widely among the groups of people living in different regions of China.

– When people learned to read and write, they would communicate their thoughts to one another.

C. Shang Society

Main IdeaShang society was divided into distinct social

classes, with the king and royal family at the top and peasants at the bottom.

B. Shang Society

• Artisans and Merchants– Artisans and merchants lived and worked outside

the walls of early Chinese cities. However, they had no official rank in Shang society.

– Artisans crafted goods for nobles and merchants. The beginning of the Shang Dynasty took place at the same time as the Bronze Age in China.

– Merchants traded farm products and objects produced by artisans for spices and goods found in other parts of China.

B. Shang Society• Women’s Roles– At all levels of the Shang society, men had more

authority than women. Wives took direction from their husbands and cared for the children.

– Some Shang women had rights and responsibilities usually associated with men in other cultures.

– Women from royal families did not have political power equal to that of men because they could not become rulers.

– However, symbols arranged on several oracle bones tell much about Lady Hao, a wife of King Wu Ding, who lived about 1200 B.C. She led armies as large as 13,000 troops to fight her husband’s enemies in various parts of China.

B. Shang Society

• Silk Farming– Silk farming, or sericulture, was established in

ancient China about 2600 B.C. In areas where silk was produced, women were responsible for all stages of sericulture.

– By the time of the Shang Dynasty, Chinese women were already making fine, decorative silk fabrics and creating silk embroideries.

– Because silk was so valuable, its production was a great responsibility.

Chapter 4 : Ancient China Section Two: The Zhou, Qin, and Han

Dynasties

Karinaa . World Studies

A. The Early Zhou

Main IdeaThe Zhou believed they had the right to rule

China with the Mandate of Heaven.

A. The Early Zhou

• The Mandate of Heaven– The Zhou used religion to explain their overthrow of the

Shang. They said that the king had earned the approval of a higher power, responsible for keeping order in the universe.

– This divine approval was called the Mandate of Heaven. As long as a king ruled well, it could be assumed that he had a mandate.

– The Zhou claimed that the Mandate of Heaven had passed to their leaders because they were kind and truthful.

A. The Early Zhou • The Dynastic Cycle

– Chinese scholars carefully studied the idea of the Mandate of Heaven. They used what they learned to explain the concept of the dynastic cycle, or why dynasties rise and fall.

– In the dynastic cycle, a dynasty gains control because t is kind and truthful.

– These characteristics win the approval of the gods. The new dynasty provides a good, successful government. This achievement demonstrates to the people that the new dynasty has won the Mandate of Heaven.

B. The Zhou Dynasty

Main IdeaThe Zhou Dynasty became a time of economic

prosperity, but it ended with civil war.

B. The Zhou Dynasty• Times of Economic Prosperity– The Zhou period was a time of economic

prosperity in China. During the Zhou period, better methods of irrigation increased the amount of land suitable for crops.

– The Zhou also developed blast furnaces, which allowed them to make cast iron. They used the iron to make weapons and farm tool.

– As farmers increased food production and artisans made more and varied goods, the Zhou expanded trade with groups outside their borders. The Zhou introduced money in the form of bronze coins.

B. The Zhou Dynasty• Early Books

– At the start of the Zhou period , only people of the upper class could read and write. Although as the population increased and trade flourished, the need for court scribes and government officials grew.

– Education became more important, and tutors began to train young men for government service.

During the same period, educated people wrote books that would later be considered classics. Including The Book of Songs that contains a list of 305 of the earliest Chinese poems.

B. The Zhou Dynasty

• The Decline of the Zhou Dynasty – From about 770-480 B.C., as the Zhou Dynasty

aged, the lords of the outlying territory became more powerful..

– Constant war between groups of people from the same country, or civil war, marked this period.

– Over time, the most powerful lords captured neighboring territories. By 300 B.C., only seven major territories survived.

C. The Qin Dynasty Main IdeaQin Shi Huangdi was

successful in unifying China, but after his death the Qin Dynasty ended.

C. The Qin Dynasty • The First Emperor– Qin Shi Huangdi was determined to reunite China.

He believed that the goal of government was to meet the needs of the nation, not the citizens.

– Qin Shi had no use for learning. He ordered that books be burned, including Zhou court records and copies of all literary books.

– Qin Shi was successful in bringing unity to China. He introduced a set of coins and a system of weights and measures. He also repaired the damage that years of war had done to the roads and extended the canal system.

C. The Qin Dynasty • The Great Wall of China and the Final

Days of the Qin Dynasty– Under the Zhou, many territories

in northern China built high walls to protect their land against invaders.

– During his reign, workers were forced to work under the harshest conditions, in which many died. It took centuries to join, rebuild, and extend the wall. When the Great Wall was finished, it was thousands of miles long.

– The Qin Dynasty was short-lived. The First Emperor died in 210 B.C. One of his sons became the Second Emperor. His reign did not last long. Revolts broke out in all regions of the empire.

D. The Rise and Fall of the Han Dynasty

Main IdeaThe Han Dynasty restored peace, strengthened

government and education, and introduced a variety of technological advances.


• The Civil Service– As the business of government became more

complex, Han rulers created a civil service.– In this system, citizen employees helped to manage

the government and keep its records. Education was an important qualification for civil servants because they had to be able to read and write.

– In 124 B.C. an academy was established. Each year, 50 students studied for an examination. If they passed, they qualified for assignment to a government office.


• From Golden Age to Decline– The Han period was a time of

great advances in technology and the arts. Silk factories became more efficient.

– Over the years, Han armies captured territories from modern-day Korea to northern Vietnam.

– As the Han Dynasty aged, it faced problems similar to the dynasties before it. In A.D. 220, warlords attacked and overthrew the emperor. The Han Dynasty collapsed, and China broke into several kingdoms.

Chapter 4: Ancient China Section Three: Religions and Beliefs in

Ancient China


A. Confucianism

Main IdeaConfucius, China’s great philosopher, taught that

respect for one’s parents is the foundation for a moral civilization.

A. Confucianism

• Social Order– Confucius was an honest man of great

learning. His study of the past left him convinced that the early Zhou period was a golden age.

– Confucius believed that a ruler should lead by a good example. He also believed that all people had an obligation to obey those who were superior to them.

– Confucius taught that be a junzi-a “princely ma,” or gentleman. A gentleman was a person who was educated, had good manners, and understood the importance of ritual and ceremony.

A. Confucianism

• The Five Relationships– Confucius taught that

there were five relationships that governed society. First came the relationship between father and son.

– Next was the relationship between an older and younger brother. Then between husband and wife, between ruler and subject, and between friend and friend.

– According to Confucius, children had to practice filial piety. Filial piety required a child to obey his or her parents during childhood, to care for them when they grew old, and to show respect for them after their death.

A. Confucianism• The Analects and Confucian Influences

– Confucius was a great and inspiring teacher. During his lifetime, many scholars learned from him.

– It is unclear whether Confucius ever wrote down his ideas. However, his followers did record his teachings.

– The emperors of the Han Dynasty recognized the value of the Confucian scholar-gentleman. Men trained in Confucian learning became leaders of their communities. These men, in turn sent bright young men to continue their Confucian education at schools in the capital.

– These Confucian officials formed an educated class that came from all parts of China.

B. DaoismMain IdeaDaoists believe that Dao

is the energy of the universe and nature is controlled by the interaction of negative and positive forces.

B. Daoism• The Laozi

– The Laozi, also known as The Classic of the Way and Its Power, contains the beliefs of Doism. Lao Dan, who lived around 500 B.C., is thought by many to have been the original author, but most experts think the Laozi was compiled around 250 B.C.

– The natural order depends on the interaction of yin and yang. Yin is the negative force. It is dark and weak. Yang is positive, bright and strong. Yin and yang work together to keep the forces of nature in balance.

– Daoists must not worry about worldly matters. They must spend their time meditating on nature.

B. Daoism• Daoist Influences

– Daoism was based both on Daoist beliefs and folk religion. The folk religions of China were based on popular myths, ancestor worship, and local gods.

– In the twentieth century, a Western version of Daoism arose in Europe and North America.

– The close relationship between Daoism and Chinese landscape painting was examined in Introduction to Landscape Painting by Zong Bing.

C. Legalism and Buddhism

Main IdeaBoth Legalism and Buddhism had followers in

ancient China.


• Legalism and the Qin– The Qin period was an example of how Legalist

solutions created a strong government. – People could not travel without permits. They were

heavily taxed and required to work on public projects without pay.

– To keep crime down, the government gathered families into small groups. Each group was responsible for any crimes committed by its members.

C. Legalism and Buddhism• Buddhism Spreads to China

– From it’s beginnings in India, Buddhism spread to Sri Lanka and then to north and south China. Eventually, it found believers in Korea, Japan, and throughout Southeast Asia.

– Buddhism arrived in China as a result of trade along the Silk Road. Buddhism was not popular at first. It was, after all, a religion of foreigners.

– Its appeal lay in its promise of freedom from suffering. Soon Buddhist temples rose in the towns and countryside.


• Reactions to Buddhism– Confucianists and Daoists resented the Buddhists.

They did not approve of certain Buddhist practices, such as the cremation, or burning of the dead.

– The first obligation to ones ancestors was to have children. Critics also objected to the fact that the Buddhist monks paid no taxes.

– On several occasions, the Chinese emperors listened to the critics and closed down the Buddhist temples. However, the temples were not closed permanently.

Chapter 4: Ancient ChinaSection Four: Ancient Chinese Life and Culture


A. The Family

Main IdeaChinese people wanted as many children as

possible in order to have help in the fields, but they preferred sons over daughters.

A. The Family

• The Place of Children– In ancient China, children were the reason for the

family. Even before Confucius, raising children was considered extremely important.

– Parents prayed that they would have sons. They believed that sons were stronger than daughters and could work longer hours in the field.

– Female children were the least valued members of the family. They were also a financial burden. When daughters married, their families had to pay a dowry.

A. The Family• The Place of Women

– Because women were considered to be inferior to men, little attention was paid to them by early writers. It was not until the Han period that even extraordinary women were noticed.

– Even when women spoke for themselves, they accepted a position lower than that of men. Ban Zhao, who was a teacher of girls at royal palace, reflected the general option that women should keep their place:

– “Humility means yielding and acting respectful, putting others first and oneself last … enduring insults and bearing mistreatment … industriousness means going to bed late, getting up early in the morning or night … continuing the sacrifice means serving one's master-husband with appropriate demeanor, keeping oneself clean and pure, never joking or laughing .. There has never been a woman who had these three traits and yet ruined herself or fell into disgrace.

B. Farming and Trade

Main IdeaChina depended on an economy in which

farmers were favored over merchants, while peasants had difficult lives.

B. Farming and Trade

• The Life of a Peasant– Peasants in China were very poor. They worked hard

for their two meals a day. – An ancient proverb states that “All a man needs in

this life is a hat and a bowl of rice.” peasants expected little more than that, and even their bowl of rice was not guaranteed.

– Peasants faced many difficulties. They had to deal with floods and droughts. When taxes were due, they often had to sell their crops at half price to get cash.

B. Farming and Trade• Merchants and Trade– Merchants were

hardworking and clever at bargaining.

– Merchants were regarded as the lowest class of people—even below farmers and artisans.

– For hundreds of years merchants traded silk and lacquerware along the Silk Road. Lacquerware was usually made from wood.

C. Advances in Technology and Culture

Main IdeaChinese scholars were

skilled in many fields, including geography, mathematics, and medicine.


• Medicine – Chinese medicine was practiced long before

recorded history.– During the Zhou period, physicians had to pass an

examination in order to practice medicine.– During the Han Dynasty, Chinese physicians also

began to treat patients with acupuncture.


• Literacy and Literature– Education in ancient China was available only to

the upper classes.– The earliest Chinese literature was written during

the Zhou period. The Book of Songs is the earliest surviving work of the time.

– The five classics were considered the most important works one studied to become a scholar-gentleman.

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Chapter 4 : Ancient China Section One : Early Civilization in China