Chap 4.4 Flashcards
What aided the development of civilization in early China?
China’s Geography
The development of civilization in early China was aided by features like long rivers, fertile soils, temperate climates, and isolated valleys
Where did China’s first civilization develop?
•China’s first civilizations developed in river valleys
What 2 major rivers supplied water for earliest civilization?
•Two major rivers supplied water for earliest civilizations
–Chang Jiang, also called Yangzi
–Huang He, or Yellow River
What was geography in eastern China like?
Crops
•Most of eastern China covered with fertile soils
What geographies isolated parts of China?
- Mountains, hills, desert protected China from invasion
- Himalaya Mountains separate southern China from India
- The vast Gobi Desert prevented reaching China from west
How long ago did China civilization start?
•People started growing crops there 9,000 years ago
What was the earliest China civilization?
How do we know?
- Legend says earliest Chinese ruled by Xia dynasty
- No written, archaeological evidence Xia dynasty existed
What was the first Chinese dynasty?
When?
According to ancient Chinese records, the Shang dynasty formed around 1766 BC
What ruled China?
•China ruled by strong monarchy
What was the capital city of the Shang Dynasty?
•Capital city: Anyang
How did the King impose order on the kingdom?
- King’s governors ruled distant parts of kingdom
- King also had large army at disposal
What kind of society was Shang China?
What did most people do?
- Shang China largely agricultural
- Most tended crops in fields
- Farmers called on to fight in army, work on building projects—tombs, palaces
Shang asked _________ for advice
As part of worship, Shang asked ancestors for advice
Where did Shang seek advice from?
Oracle Bones
•Sought advice through use of oracle bones
How did oracle bones work?
–Inscribed bits of animal bone, turtle shell
–Living person asked question of ancestor
–Hot piece of metal applied to oracle bone resulting in cracks on bone’s surface
–Specially trained priests interpreted meaning of cracks to learn answer
What dynasty followed the Shang?
When did they start ruling China?
The Zhou (Djo) Dynasty
Beginning around 1100 BC, the Zhou rules China for several centuri
What happened when Zhou conquered Shang?
•When Zhou conquered Shang, leaders worried Chinese people would not accept them
What idea did Zhou dynasty introduce to China to rule?
•Introduced idea they ruled by Mandate of Heaven
What was the Mandate of Heaven?
•Gods would support just ruler, dynastic cycle
How did Zhou explain the change of dynasty?
it was the will of the gods that a dynasty be overthrown and a new one take power.
What was Zhou’s best achievement?
What was Chinese metalwork before the Zhou?
- Zhou learned to use iron, became backbone of economy
- Before Zhou, Chinese metalwork done in bronze
How did iron weapons strengthen the Zhou dynasty?
What did iron create?
•Iron weapons strengthened Zhou army, as did new weapons like catapult and creation of China’s first cavalry
Who was the most famous teacher to Chinese?
What was the belief called?
Confucius
Confucianism
What was Confucianism teachings based on?
•Should express love, respect for others, honor ancestors
What was the Confucian concept of love and respect?
•Believed that love, respect had disappeared and was responsible for violence in society;
restoring respect for tradition would make society stable
What was the book of Confucius thoughts called?
•Thoughts on how to improve society collected in book, Analects
What were the ideas in Analects?
- Ruler should treat subjects fairly; subjects reward ruler with respect, loyalty
- Devote selves to public service
Where did Confucian ideas spread to?
•Confucian ideas spread elsewhere in Asia, including Korea, Japan, Vietnam
What was Daoism?
What was it focused on ?
•Heart of Daoism is concept of the dao, or the way (the Force in Star Wars again; by Laozi)
Focused on laws of nature
How did Daoism differ from Confucianism?
•Unlike Confucianism, which focuses on improving society, Daoism encourages people to retreat from laws of society, yield to law of nature
What is Dao?
Dao is the limitless force that is part of all creation
What is achieved through Dao?
- Through the dao, all things in nature connected
- Finding one’s place in nature allows person to achieve harmony with universe
What concept did Daoism embrace?
•Daoism embraced Chinese concept of yin and yang,
What is Yin and Yang?
- Representing balancing aspect of nature—male, female; dark, light; hot, cold
- Neither can exist without other
- Important for two to remain balanced for perfect harmony
