shang/zhou china Flashcards
even tho much of china is covered by ____ much of the land is inhabited
mountains
does china have a dense population?
yes
what did the chinese call their land?
zhongguo or the middle kingdom
*they thought they were the center of the universe bc they did not have contact with any other civilization for a long time
what 2 rivers in china centered around?
the huang he (yellow river) and the chang jiang (yangtze river)
what was the yellow fertile silt that was deposited into the shores of these rivers of the yellow and yangtze rivers?
loess
is the huang he river (yellow river) predictable or not?
the yellow river was unpredictable and experienced destructive floods which earned it the nickname ‘river of surrow’
what was the result of the yellow and yangtze rivers flooding being unpredictable?
lives and crops were lost in great numbers
what is the result of the land easily eroding in the upper reaches?
forms ridges and deposits loess into the rivers
what is loess and when was it formed?
the loess is a thick layer of wind-blown silt, several hundred meters deep, formed during the last age where there was little rain
where does the loess end up going?
the loess is deposited in the lower reaches of the rivers
what lines the river to combat flooding?
levees
when does flooding on the yellow and yangtze river take place?
july and august
what was another problem besides flooding in ancient china?
drought is another problem not always solved by irrigation
did ancient china civilizations start record keeping early?
yes and this has given us a lot of information about their history
where was the beginning of china’s writing put on?
oracle bones (turtle shells)
what is the progress of chinese writing?
pictograms –> ideographs –> calligraphy (artistic writing)
how is chinas history normally split up by?
the different dynasties
what is a dynasty?
a dynasty is a ruling family that passes the power to rule down through the generations
what was thought abt chinese rulers?
they were thought to be ‘divine’, or actual gods, and thus were obeyed without question
when was the shang dynasty
1500-1100 BC
what were some of the shang dynasties accomplishments?
- they made bronze and pottery
- developed writing w/ chinese characters
- leather and bronze armor
did they have horse-drawn chariots?
yes
who were the shang conquered by?
zhou
did the shang dynasty have strong leaders?
no, the shang dynasty lacked strong leaders
what religion did the shang believe in?
polytheistic, believing that there were many spirits in nature
who built the first cities in china?
the shang
who did the shang have deep respect for?
their elders and their dead ancestors
when was the zhou dynasty?
1100-256 BC
*long lasting dynasty
what were their leaders like?
strong conquerors but weak rulers
what was the zhou government like?
feudal system; local lords/princes have most authority but owe loyalty to the emperor
who created the mandate of heavan?
the zhou
how did the zhou define the kingship?
an intermediary position between heaven and earth
what is believed to happen to the emperor if they act selfishly or in a corrupt way?
heaven withdraws its mandate and gives it to another ruler. you only know that the mandate has happened when the emperor is successfully overthrown (the power is then given to the person who overthrew him) but if the plan fails then the old emperor can keep their position
what was ancient china most known for making?
silk, pottery, jade and ivory statues and jewelry
when was the warring states time period?
the 250 years between 475 and 221 BC
what was the warring states time period?
when the zhou dynasty was divided between 8 states and the states would have frquent wars until 221 BC when qin conquered them all
where do most westerners see chinese culture beginning?
in beijing
what was the capitol city of shang civilization?
anyang
what were the shang mausoleums like?
the shang mausoleums were tombs for the royal. there were sacrificed bodies found in them (the bodies were missing their heads)
what metal did the shang value more than gold?
bronze
who was fu hao and what were some of her greatest accomplishments?
she provided rituals for ancestors and was a great war general for the shang. she was married to wu ding.
what were the shang kings like?
bad, they came addicted to war and alcohol. they also are claimed to have created many forms of turture.
what present day city was the zhou capitol near?
seon
what happened to the man who slandered his master? what was his punishment?
the crime is written on your face you could pay 500 pieces of bronze and be wiped 500 times by a leather belt
what two weapons did the zhou primarily use?
crossbows and swords
what was the zhou’s method psychological warfare
the convicts would commit suicide in front of their own front line. it did not work
what precocious stone symbolized power and majesty of the zhou noble ranks?
jade
who was the first emperor of china?
qin shi huangdi
how much of the enemy’s population is it estimated that chin killed?
2/3
