EARLY CHINA Flashcards
Discuss China’s history/government.
**10,000BC Yangshao people settled near Huang He River in north central China.
**As early as 5000BC farmers growing rice.
**3000BC advanced civilization, the Lungshan developed in northeast China and moved south to farm rice and harvested silk from silkworms for weaving.
Three social classes.
Legalism.
Discuss China’s geography.
China is located in far eastern Asia. Huang He or Yellow River and the Chang Jiang or Long River. Divided into two parts.
Describe China’s Religion/Architecture/Art.
Numerous gods, controlled sun, moon, stars, rivers, mountains.
Shang Di main god, communicated with priests.
Ancestor worship via ceremonies asking dead ancestors for guidance.
Oracle bones.
Filial piety.
Great Wall.
Describe China’s contribution to Science.
Made the first books using brush and ink on sheets of bamboo and silk bounded together. Invented paper money for trade. Chinese writing. During Han rule, paper from mulberry bark invented, also used iron tipped bamboo poles for drilling.
Used pottery wheel, produced string, baked pottery in kilns.
During Shang Dynasty created bronze ritual vessels, weapons, chariots, and walled cities.
Describe ancient Chinese culture.
Each region of China has its own dialect and culture. Family was a basic unit. Most Chinese lived in farming villages. Important people lived in cities. As a result, stratification of society occurred.
Society made up of rulers and their families. Then were priests who worked for wealthy, then warriors for security, then skilled craftsmen.
Name at least three important people in China’s history.
Nugua.
**Yu the Great, flood control and irrigation project helped birth the first great Chinese Dynasty, Xia Dynasty.
Hou Ji.
King Wu - emperor Han Dynasty longest reign, expanded China to present size.
**Confucius - Zhou Dynasty.Believed in family structure, everyone had their place. Children must respect parents. Modeled leadership of country on same principal, that ruler should act as a good father to his subjects.
Discuss the Xia Dynasty.
- *According to legend, Yu the Great, caused flood waters to recede by digging deep into the rivers forcing them to hold more water. The farmers were able to continue farming. Yu founded the first Chinese dynasty, the Xia. There were no written records at the time thus most info from legends. They ruled 300 years. It’s last King Chieh, was evil.
- *He was overthrown by Chang Tang.
Discuss the Shang Dynasty.
Chang Tang overthrew the last ruler of the CIA Dynasty, king Chieh. Chang Tang’s reign began the Shang Dynasties. The ruler organized the Chinese people and they became skilled engineers, and built great walled cities. Rulers, priests & warriors lived within the walls. Skilled workers lived outside the walls, farmers lived in villages along the rivers.
Mixed tin and copper to produce Bronze.
Discuss the Zhou Dynasty
Ordered to help patrol the borders for the Shang rulers, a leader of the Wei Vally people attempted to overthrow the Dynasty. He was unsuccessful but his son, Wu Martial succeeded and established the Zhou Dynasty in 1122BC. Introduced Feudalism, placing family and friends in positions of power and control of land. Zhou Dynasty use of picture writing helped unite China across different dialects.
Describe the Han Dynasty.
Founded in 206BC, existed for 4 centuries, ended 220AD. Many inventions, wheelbarrow, pulley, paper. Stood for order & stability & Confuscian principles.
Expanded into barbarian territory, controlled the Silk Road trade route, unified China.
Describe China’s Economy.
Ancient Chinese people were primarily farmers who raised millet and rice as staple foods. They designed and built irrigation systems to protect their crops. They also traded silk fabric, pots and plates with other groups.
