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DO NOW: CHINESE CIVILIZATION, GREW UP LARGELY IN ISOLATION FROM OTHER CIVILIZATIONS. IN WHAT WAYS DOES ISOLATION BOTH FOSTER AND HINDER GROWTH OF CIVILIZATION?

Aim: How did early civilizations arise in China?

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China is a country in Asia. It is located in East Asia.

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Geographic features isolated China.

Mountains and deserts separated China from the rest of Asia.

The Himalayas separate India from China.

The Gobi desert lies in the north.

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Mountains isolated China. Mountainsseparated China from parts of Asia.

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The Gobi desert stretches formiles along the border of Mongoliaand China.

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Seas protected China’s east.

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China’s isolation helped it develop its own unique culture.

However, Chinese ideas and practices influenced other cultures.

Many Asian cultures were influenced by China’s culture. Cultural diffusion occurred.

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Chinese ideas and practices like the use of chopsticks influenced other

Asian cultures.

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China has many important rivers.

The Huang He or Yellow river floods and is called “China’s Sorrow”.

The Yangtze river is China’s longest and most important river. It is used for transportation.

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The Huang He river is rich in silt. The silt is yellow in color.

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The Yangtze river is the longest riverin Asia and the third longest river in the

world.

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The Great Wall of China was built toprotect China from invaders.

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Ancient Chinese rulers built the Great Wall of China to protect China from nomadic invasions.

Many Chinese died building the vast wall.

This defensive wall was built on the northern border.

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The first known dynasty of China was theShang dynasty. This dynasty united the people living around the Huang He and

Yangtze river valleys.

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• The Shang dynasty emergedaround 1760 B.C.

• It built the first Chinese cities.

• A system of writing developed

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The Zhou Dynasty Around 1027 B.C., the Zhou conquered

the Shang.

The Zhou dynasty lasted longer than any other Chinese dynasty. It lasted from 1027 B.C. to 221 B.C.

Zhou rulers claimed the right to rule or the Mandate of Heaven.

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The Zhou dynasty lasted longer than anyother Chinese dynasty.

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Mandate of Heaven

The Mandate of Heaven was the Chinese belief that the gods picked the emperor to rule but the gods could also remove a bad emperor from power.

The Mandate of Heaven can be viewed as the right to rule.

The ruler kept the Mandate of Heaven for as long as he ruled effectively.

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Zhou rulers claimed

theMandate of Heaven or

theright to rule.

However, the

gods couldremove

the ruler’s right to rule.

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Questions For Reflection:

How did geography influence early Chinese civilizations?

How did Chinese culture take shape under the Shang and the Zhou?

What were key cultural achievements in early China?

Define the Mandate of Heaven. How did the Chinese explain the rise

of a new dynasty?