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China is located in East Asia. Like all early civilizations we have discussed, the development of China was greatly
influenced by its geography. China was isolated from the rest of Asia and the world by its natural geography. To the
Southwest the Himalaya Mountains provided a formidable border to protect early civilization in China. To the North
lay Gobi Desert and to the east the vast Pacific Ocean, both of which provided natural barriers and added protection.
Finally, to the south of China lay tropical areas with dense jungle. This geographic isolation helped early Chinese
civilizations develop without significant threat of outside invaders. As a result of their geographic isolation, the early
Chinese people referred to their lands as "The Middle Kingdom." Because they had limited contact with outsiders, the
Chinese believed that their civilization was the center, or middle, of the world. This limited contact also allowed
Chinese civilization to develop a unique and vibrant culture.
The first civilization in China developed along the Huang He (Yellow) River. As with all of the other river valley
civilizations we have learned about (Mesopotamia, Egypt and India) the Huang He River provided water for drinking,
washing, irrigation, and transportation. The Huang He River also flooded, leaving behind a very important silt
material called loess. Loess is a fine yellow silt that blows in from the regions north of China, including, Mongolia,
Siberia and the Gobi Desert. The loess would settle at the bottom of the Huang He giving the river a yellowish
color…hence, the name Huang He or Yellow River. As the loess settled at the bottom of the river, the water level
would rise. With added rainfall, the river would overflow and flood the surrounding land. The loess left behind
provided an excellent fertilizer for crops. However, the flooding of the Yellow River was very unpredictable. The
flood waters would sometimes cause great damage, sweeping away crops, homes and villages. As a result, the Huang
He River became known as “the River of Sorrows.” During disastrous floods people could be swept away in the
swirling, muddy waters. After the water receded many lost their lives from devastating famines. Despite the sorrow
the Huang He River occasionally caused, villagers returned to the same locations to rebuild their homes and towns.
The advantages of the fertile soil deposited by the flood waters proved to be too great to abandon the area
completely. Chinese civilization continued to grow along the Huang He River. By 1600 BC, the first Chinese
Dynasty began. The Shang Dynasty took control of the area along the Huang He River and Chinese civilization began
to take shape.
1. What geographic features provided natural barriers to protect early Chinese civilization?
-to the Southwest: ___________________________ -to the East: _________________________
-to the North: _______________________________ -to the South: ________________________
2. Why did the Chinese call their civilization “The Middle Kingdom?” _____________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
3. Along what river did the earliest Chinese civilizations develop? ________________________________________
4. What did this river provide for the Chinese people? __________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
5. What is loess AND where does it come from? ______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
6. What is loess used for? _________________________________________________________________________
7. Why was the river known as the “River of Sorrows?” Explain. _________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
8. Why did villagers continually return to the Huang He River? ___________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
9. What was the first dynasty in China and when did it develop? __________________________________________
The Shang Dynasty
(1766BC- 1100BC)
-The Shang Dynasty controlled the land and people along the Huang He River, where
civilization first popped up in China
-There were 30 kings in the Shang Dynasty who ruled China for around 600 years
-Much of what historians know about the Shang Dynasty comes from archaeological
evidence found in tombs and writings found on oracle bones
-oracle bones were used by the ancient Chinese to predict the future
-From oracle bones, historians have learned much about the first dynasty in China
-from the short readings below, what do historians know about the culture of the Shang Dynasty?
-a pattern, called the Dynastic Cycle, developed to explain how dynasties rose to power and then lost it
-Emperors restore peace to the land -Emperors neglect their jobs and become lazy
-Taxes are lowered -Government officials become corrupt
-Laws are passed to benefit the people -Taxes are raised, angering the people
-The people are treated well -The people claim they are treated poorly by
-Government is fair the government
-Government builds structures to benefit the -Buildings, irrigations canals, defensive walls
people (roads, protective walls, irrigation and roads are neglected by the government
canals)
Problems
-People revolt against the government
-Wars begin and invaders try to enter The Old Dynasty loses the
A New Dynasty claims they -Natural disasters that occur are blamed on
have the Mandate of Heaven Mandate of Heaven…the gods
the failing dynasty
and they replace the Old no longer support the dynasty
Dynasty *Problems are evidence that the Mandate of
Heaven has been lost
Zhou Dynasty, Continued…
-The Zhou Dynasty lasted from 1100BC-403BC
-For hundreds of years, the Zhou Dynasty was strong and stable
-the population of China was growing
-the army was strong, especially with the introduction of iron technology
-however, at the end of the Zhou Dynasty conflict arose
-this conflict was known as the Warring States Period (475BC – 221BC)
-people rose up against the emperors and tried to take power
-local leaders fought one another for land and power
-warfare was continuous
-During the Warring States Period philosophers tried to come up with ideas restore peace in
China
-Three significant philosophies were created that would come to greatly influence Chinese
culture and society for thousands of years: Confucianism, Daoism and Legalism
-What is a philosophy?
-a philosophy is a set of ideas that are based on how people should live and act
-philosophies often discuss how society should be ordered and how governments should be
run
-philosophies do NOT include anything about gods, goddesses, worship practices or the
afterlife
-philosophies deal with life here and now…how to make society better now
-Confucianism, Daoism and Legalism are all examples of Chinese philosophies created during
the Warring States Period
-We are going to learn about each of these philosophies and how they impacted Chinese
society
Confucius
“Without feelings of respect, what is there to distinguish man from beast?”
“If I am walking with two other men, each of them will serve as my teacher. I will pick out the good
points of the one and imitate them. I will pick out the bad points of the other and correct them in
myself.”
“When you see a man of worth, think of how you may imitate him. When you see a man who is
unworthy, examine yourself.”
“Wisdom, compassion and courage are the three universally recognized moral qualities of men.”
*Confucius believed that the key to having a stable and peaceful society is through respectful relationships
*According to Confucius there are Five Relationships in society
1. parent and child
2. older sibling and younger sibling
3. husband and wife
4. ruler and subject
5. friend and friend
-except for friendship, no relationship is considered equal…one person is always superior
*within each relationship there are rules of behavior that must be followed:
Role of Parent: Role of Older Role of Husband: Role of Ruler: Role of Friends:
Sibling:
-The Ideas of Confucius are written in a large work called ‘The Analects’
-Scenario 2: Ted is a successful businessman with a wife and two kids. His parents are getting old and need more
care. He considers asking them to move in with him and his family.
-Scenario 3: Amanda has a chance to make some money on an idea that her friend shared with her. She could
either tell everyone that it was her own idea and make a lot of money, or she could give credit to her friend but lose
her chance to make a large profit.
-When observing human behavior, Laozi saw that people’s desire for power, wealth and success led to
conflict, war and unhappiness
-Instead of striving for power and wealth, Laozi believed that people should live in accordance to the laws of
nature
Laozi thought the goal of life was to achieve oneness with the Dao (the way), a universal force
connected to nature that cannot be defined, only experienced and felt. Daoism teaches that humans
should see themselves as part of nature. The only true rules and laws, according to Laozi, are the
rules and laws of nature, or Dao. To discover how to behave, Daoists believe people should observe
nature and try to live in harmony with it. To discover how nature acts, taught Laozi, sit by a river,
feel a breeze, and observe a drifting cloud. In doing so, one notices that nothing in nature strives for
fame or power. The river, the stream and the breeze move without effort because they follow the
Dao, the way of nature that guides all things. Similarly, a simple creature like a squirrel is naturally
wise because it does not argue or strive for personal glory. The squirrel simply follows the Dao.
-To live in harmony, or the Dao, people must also accept the idea of yin and yang
-yin and yang are opposite, yet equal, forces in nature
-light and dark -night and day
-sharp and dull -good and evil
-liquid and solid -male and female
-soft and hard -heavy and light
-hot and cold -heaven and earth
-anger and happiness
-life and death
-humans can find happiness when they accept the yin and yang in their lives -Quote from Laozi:
-accepting that good things will happen and that bad things will happen “Who can make
-do not dwell on good or bad…just let them happen naturally muddy water clear?
-instead of controlling everything in your life, just let nature guide Let it be still and it
you…everything will balance out. will gradually
-what will happen, will happen become clear.”
-In terms of government, Laozi was opposed to it
-he believed it was unnatural for people to restrict others and to restrict the natural flow of nature
-Laozi believed that laws created by humans were against the Dao
-However, he understood that government was not going to disappear
-he believed that if government was going to exist they should place little restrictions on people
and create very few laws
-he believed that governments should not interfere in the lives of the people
-In general, Laozi believed that harmony and peace could return to China if people lived with the laws of
nature, or the Dao.
-Impact of Daoism
-no government ever adopted Daoism as its philosophy
-BUT, people read the philosophy of Laozi in his book called “The Daodejing” and adopted some of his
ideas
-the vast majority of people continued to live as they had before, but used some ideas to help
them through difficult times
-the idea of balance (yin and yang) became an
important belief in Chinese civilization
-Legalism states that all people, except the ruler, are ___________________________________________
-according to Han Feizi, all people are selfish and have a tendency to engage in ____________________
-as a result of this natural stupidity, it was the ruler’s job to teach his subjects how to behave
-in order to teach proper behavior, a ruler must:
1. ___________________________________
2. have a ________________________________________________________________ and enforce the laws
3. inflict ______________________________________________ on those who break the law
-punishments were to be cruel, often including _________________________________________
___________________________________________
4. never allow ________________________ (or forgiveness) for crimes
5. administer punishment _____________________________________ in the law to all criminals
-every person who breaks a law receives the ___________________________________________
-example: if a person is caught stealing their left foot shall be amputated, they will
receive a permanent government issued tattoo and be sentenced to labor
-each person who committed this crime would receive the same punishment
regardless of who they were or how many laws they had broken previously
-Legalism states that all people, except the ruler, are evil and unintelligent
-according to Han Feizi, all people are selfish and have a tendency to engage in criminal behavior
-as a result of this natural stupidity, it was the ruler’s job to teach his subjects how to behave
-in order to teach proper behavior, a ruler must:
1. create strict laws
2. have a police force to monitor the people and enforce the laws
3. inflict harsh punishments on those who break the law
-punishments were to be cruel, often including body mutilation, forced labor or death
4. never allow pardons (or forgiveness) for crimes
5. administer punishment exactly as outlined in the law to all criminals
-every person who breaks a law receives the exact same punishment
-example: if a person is caught stealing their left foot shall be amputated, they will
receive a permanent government issued tattoo and be sentenced to labor
-each person who committed this crime would receive the same punishment
regardless of who they were or how many laws they had broken previously
-Important Vocabulary associated with -Important Vocabulary associated with -Important Vocabulary associated with
Confucianism: Daoism: Legalism:
-How Confucianism proposes it will -How Daoism proposes it will restore -How Legalism proposes it will restore
restore peace and stability: peace and stability: peace and stability:
-Impact on Chinese Society and -Impact on Chinese Society and -Impact on Chinese Society and
Government: Government: Government:
Who Said It?
-Instructions: You have learned about three Chinese philosophies created during the Zhou Dynasty; Confucianism, Daoism and
Legalism. Now that you know the basic principles of each, read the following quotes. Determine which philosophy the quote
comes from. Name the philosophy and then explain why the philosophy you chose is appropriate. In your explanation, refer to
specific vocabulary or concepts from the philosophy.
“A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving.”
“Seeing that our body, with hair and skin, is derived (made from) our parents, we should not allow it to be
injured in any way. This is the beginning of respect and bringing honor to our parents.”
“Let the ruler be kind to all of the people; then they will be faithful to him. Let the ruler teach the people; then
they will seek to be moral.”
“When the wise man rules the state, he does not count on the people doing good of themselves, but employs
such measures as will keep them from doing any evil.”
-Philosophy this quote comes from: _________________________________
“While his parents are still alive, a son may not move far away.”
“Who can make muddy water clear? Let it be still and it will gradually become clear.”
“If the ruler is too compassionate, the law will never prevail. If the authority it too weak, the inferior will
offend the superior. And so, if penalties are not strict and definite, prohibitions and decrees will take no
effect.”
“Punishments should not be anything but severe and definite. This will make people fear them. Laws should
not be anything but uniform and steadfast. This will make people understand them. The ruler makes no
changes in bestowing rewards, and grants no pardon in carrying out punishments.”
“Those who are ignorant (unaware) about government say: ‘Win the hearts of the people.’...As if all
that the ruler would need to do would be just to listen to the people. Actually, the intelligence of people
is not to be relied upon any more than the mind of a baby....”
-there was one leader of the Qin Dynasty: Emperor Shi Huangdi
-Accomplishments:
1. The Great Wall of China
-he linked previous walls that had been built across China
-Purpose: to keep invaders from the northwest out of China, particularly the Mongols
-300,000 laborers were forced to work on the wall
-the wall was not finished during Shi Huangdi’s rule…other dynasties continued to
work on it for hundreds of years after
2. Terra Cotta Army
-nearly life sized figures of warriors accompanied by chariots and horses
-the warriors are all in battle formation
-they were all part of Shi Huangdi’s elaborate tomb
-warriors were intended to protect and serve him in the afterlife
-it took nearly 700,000 workers and artisans to complete these figures
-the entire tomb has not been uncovered because of the high concentration of mercury
-Han Dynasty emperors followed Confucianism and government officials were required to follow
this as well
-In order to get the best qualified people to serve in the government, a Civil Service Exam was
instituted
-Civil Service Exams are tests that one must take and pass in order to become a government
official
-the Civil Service Exams in China were based on the Confucian texts and knowledge
-Han emperors wanted workers who believed in Confucian ideals, such as respect, honesty,
hard work, education and loyalty
-Generally, it was only the wealthy who could afford the schooling in order to prepare for the test
-However, people in lower classes were allowed to take the test and become government officials
-The Civil Service Exam of ancient China still applies today, as the United States asks those seeking
government employment to pass an exam as well
-During the Han Dynasty, China had a stable and effective government
-the Han Dynasty used Confucianism as its government philosophy
-Confucianism brought stability and social order
-As a result, this stability brought about a Golden Age
-A Golden Age is a time of great cultural and scientific achievements
-The Silk Roads increased demand for Chinese goods throughout Asia, Europe
and Africa
3. The Spread of Buddhism to China
-the Silk Roads linked China to India
-It was in India that the religion of Buddhism was created
-as Chinese merchants traded goods in India, they also traded ideas
-Chinese merchants brought Buddhism back to China around AD 100
-the religion spread rapidly throughout China and it became a major
religion
-Buddhism is still a major religion in China today
-the spread of Buddhism from one group of people to another is an
example of Cultural Diffusion!
-cultural diffusion occurs when groups of people share and exchange
goods, ideas, religions, languages, food, etc.
4. Development of Paper
-the Chinese developed a technique for papermaking
-the paper was made out of wood pulp, just like our paper is today!
-Chinese paper was in scroll form, but still very similar to what we use now!
5. Development of Acupuncture
-the Chinese developed a medical technique called acupuncture
-acupuncture involves sticking fine needles in specific points on the skin to
relieve pressure and pain
-this medical practice is still used throughout the world today