Early China
Geography, Society, interesting Facts.
Geography
Southwest china
Surrounded by Himalayas and Tian Shan, mountains blocked out people
Rainforest divided China for Asia
Traded with with neighboring people
Nomadic invaders
Chinese goods reached the middle east and beyond
- Advanced civilization
- The Yellow River is to the north
- The Gobi Desert and the Taklamakan Desert, borders that kept Chinese isolated
Ancient China. (n.d.). Retrieved December 15, 2015, from http://www.ducksters.com/history/china/geography_of_ancient_china.php
World history book page 92
Shang Dynasty
- 18-16th century B.C.E
- Bronze age
- The people of the Shang dynasty lived off of the land, and settled permanently on farms instead of wandering as nomads.
- Developed complex forms of irrigation and flood control
- Created a social pyramid, with the king at the top, followed by the military nobility, priests, merchants, and farmers.
- Polytheistic
- Shang Chou was a cruel man known for his methods of torture
- Dynasty had been weakened by repeated battles with nomads and rivaling tribes
- Shang Chou was ousted by the rebel leader Wu-wang
Zhou Dynasty
- 1122 B.C. 256 B.C
- To justify rebellion against Shang they created the "Mandate of Heaven"
- Rewarded supporters by granting them control over different regions
- Zhou ruled for over 850 years
- During Zhou dynasty economy grew
- Zhou ended because it was too weak to control feudal lords who ignored the emperor
Early China. (n.d.). Retrieved December 21, 2015, from http://www.shsu.edu/~his_ncp/China1.html
Shang Dynasty — China's First Recorded History. (n.d.). Retrieved December 21, 2015, from http://www.ushistory.org/civ/9b.asp
World History Book Page 93
Everyday Life in Ancient China
- In a family, the father has complete authority over children and wife (patriarchal)
- Weddings were arranged
- Girls valued much less than boys→ Many baby girls drowned or left to die
- Only boys allowed to go to school→ Most did not to work in the fields
- Upper class were called mandarins→ Had to pass an exam to qualify
- Rice farming
- Diet included grains (rice, wheat, millet), meat (duck, pork, chicken, goose, pheasant, dog), vegetables, soups, and fish. They drank wine and tea.
- Weapons and war tools included chariots, cavalry, the crossbow, and rockets, grenades, and bombs
- Rich people lived in houses made of wood → roofs typically tile and curved in shape
- Poorer people lived in houses of only about 2 rooms → roofs thatched and furniture basic (such as wooden benches)
Resource(s): http://www.localhistories.org/chineselife.html
Lambert, Tim. "DAILY LIFE IN ANCIENT CHINA." Life in Ancient China. Local Histories, n.d. Web. 18 Dec. 2015.
Achievements
Paper
Silk
Wheelbarrow
Rubber
Gunpowder
Used often in war
Fireworks
First used for shows but later used to frighten enemies
The Silk Road
Used for trading goods such as gold, silk, ivory, weapons...etc
Agriculture
Irrigation
Carved jade and turtle shells for divination
Acupuncture
Astronomy
Magnetism
Arithmetic
Fractions
Geometry
Resource(s): World History Textbook
Ellis, Elisabeth Gaynor., Anthony Esler, and Burton F. Beers. Prentice Hall World History. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2007. 92-100. Print.