Dynasties of Ancient China

Dynasties of Ancient China

• Xia Dynasty 夏朝 • Shang Dynasty 商朝• Zhou Dynasty 周朝

– Warring States Period 戰國時代• Qin Dynasty 秦朝• Han Dynasty 漢朝

Xia Dynasty 夏朝 ca. 2200-1800 BC

Pronounced “SHEE-YA”

What’s new with the Xia

Dynasty ?- Get with your 3:00 appointment

Xia Dynasty 夏朝 ca. 2200-1800 BC

• Not a real dynasty ???

• Agrarian (farming) society– Yellow River (Huang He)– terrible flooding

• Yu the Great– canals

• Bronze weapons

Xia Dynasty 夏朝 ca. 2200-1800 BC

• Ruled by shamans (communicated with spirits)

• According to legend, the dynasty ended when the cruel ruler was overthrown

Shang Dynasty 商朝 1700-1050 BC

Pronounced “SHONG”

What’s going on with the Shang ?

- Get with your 6:00 appointment

Shang Dynasty 商朝1700-1050 BC

• Developed along the Huang He (Yellow) River• Social class system

– Landowners– Peasants– Slaves

• No strong central gov’t• Oracle bones and turtle shells

Shang Dynasty 商朝 1700-1050 BC

• Worshipped ancestors and the god Shang Ti

• Jade statues and jewelry• Alcoholism may have contributed

to dynasty’s downfall

Zhou Dynasty 周朝1050-221 BC

Eastern Zhou

Western Zhou

Pronounced “JOH”

What do you know about the

Zhou ?- Get with your 9:00 appointment

Zhou Dynasty 周朝1050-221 BC

• Started where the Shang Dynasty left off– Developed and spread Shang culture

• Strong military– Conquered a large area– Sent criminals to the front lines– Invented the crossbow

• Iron – Weapons– Tools (plows, etc.)

Zhou Dynasty 周朝1050-221 BC

• “Mandate of Heaven”– permission from the ancestors to rule

Warring States Period 戰國時代

722-221 BC

Warring States Period 戰國時代

722-221 BC• Zhou warrior states rebelled

• Warlords conquered surrounding lands

• Western Zhou states vs. Eastern Zhou states

• Breakup of the Zhou Dynasty

Warring States Period 戰國時代

722-221 BC• Philosophy

– Laozi and Confucius– Legalism– Buddhism

• State of Qin wins the war and unifies China

Qin Dynasty 秦朝 221-206 BC

Pronounced “CHIN”

What’s the spin on the Qin ?

- Get with your 12:00 appointment

Qin Dynasty 秦朝 221-206 BC

• 36 warring states united under one ruler

• Qin Shi Huangdi– First emperor of China

• Qin = home region• Shi = family name• Huang = personal name• Di = emperor & star god

Qin Dynasty 秦朝 221-206 BC

• 5000 miles of roads to connect empire

• Standardization of coins, weights, and measures

• Made Qin the official writing system (China is named after the Qin)

Great Wall of China 萬里長

城 • The world's longest man-

made structure 3,948 mi.

Terra Cotta Army 兵馬俑• Qin Shi Huangdi’s tomb

is guarded by a life-size clay replica of his entire army

Qin Dynasty 秦朝 221-206 BC

• Grew paranoid – Executed scholars– Burned books– Hid in his palace

• Upon his death, civil war and chaos brought an end to the Qin Dynasty

Han Dynasty 漢朝 206 BC - AD 220

Han Dynasty 漢朝 206 BC - AD 220

• The Han seized the empire during the civil war following the death of Qin Shi Huangdi

• Government by Confucian ideas– Built Confucian schools

to teach proverbs andsayings

– Scholar bureaucrats chosen by exam (similar to Civil Service Exam)

Han Dynasty 漢朝 206 BC - AD 220

• Stable, long-lasting government– Respect for tradition– Focus on education

• Expanded China’s boundaries almost to where they are today– in Chinese, the country is called the “Middle

Kingdom” 中國 (Zhōngguó)

The Silk Road 絲綢之路• Trade network that connects Chang'an

(today's Xi'an), China, with Antioch, Asia Minor; extends over 8,000 km (5,000 miles)

• A major part of the Han economy

Dynasties of Ancient China

• Xia Dynasty 夏朝 • Shang Dynasty 商朝• Zhou Dynasty 周朝

– Warring States Period 戰國時代• Qin Dynasty 秦朝• Han Dynasty 漢朝