ancient china
DESCRIPTION
Ancient China. Geography of Ancient China. Civilization on the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers Rivers flow out of Tibetan Mountains Chinese saw their land as the center of the civilized world “Middle Kingdom”. Chinese Society was held together by strong bonds. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
![Page 1: Ancient China](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062408/56813c67550346895da5f7b5/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
Ancient China
![Page 2: Ancient China](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062408/56813c67550346895da5f7b5/html5/thumbnails/2.jpg)
Geography of Ancient China
• Civilization on the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers
• Rivers flow out of Tibetan Mountains
• Chinese saw their land as the center of the civilized world “Middle Kingdom”
![Page 3: Ancient China](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062408/56813c67550346895da5f7b5/html5/thumbnails/3.jpg)
Chinese Society was held together by strong bonds.• The group was more important than
the individual• The family central to society
– Elderly had privileges and power– Oldest man in charge of the family’s
possessions– Final approval on all marriages– Respect for parents most important
virtue
![Page 4: Ancient China](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062408/56813c67550346895da5f7b5/html5/thumbnails/4.jpg)
Women in China
• Expected to obey fathers, husbands, and later, their sons
• Marriage arranged between 13 and 16
• Moved into husband’s family’s house
• Only improve status by bearing sons
![Page 5: Ancient China](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062408/56813c67550346895da5f7b5/html5/thumbnails/5.jpg)
Family closely linked to religion• Spirits of the family’s ancestors
thought to bring good fortune on the family
• Family’s paid respect to the father’s ancestors– Not gods but helpful or hurtful neighbors
• Only sons could carry on the traditional religious duties
![Page 6: Ancient China](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062408/56813c67550346895da5f7b5/html5/thumbnails/6.jpg)
Government
• Chief loyalty to the family• People obeyed the ruler like a “super-
grandfather” who was responsible for the people
• Royal authority came from heaven• Mandate of Heaven• Dynastic cycle pattern of strength
and decline in the different dynasties
![Page 7: Ancient China](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062408/56813c67550346895da5f7b5/html5/thumbnails/7.jpg)
The dynasties ruled for 2000 years• Shang• Chou
– Longest in Chinese history
• Ch’in– Shortest and
cruelest
• Han– Mightiest
![Page 8: Ancient China](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062408/56813c67550346895da5f7b5/html5/thumbnails/8.jpg)
Shang Dynasty Civilization
• First civilization along the Yellow River where loess is spread
• Unpredictable flooding “China’s sorrow
![Page 9: Ancient China](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062408/56813c67550346895da5f7b5/html5/thumbnails/9.jpg)
Cities
• Appeared along the Yellow River in 2000B.C.
• Anyang capital to the Shang dynasty
• Houses built of wood
![Page 10: Ancient China](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062408/56813c67550346895da5f7b5/html5/thumbnails/10.jpg)
Social Classes
• Divided between nobles and peasants
• Nobles– Owned land– Served in the army and government– Skilled fighters
• Peasants– Tilled the soil
![Page 11: Ancient China](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062408/56813c67550346895da5f7b5/html5/thumbnails/11.jpg)
Artisans were a special class.• Bronze work• Silk• Embroidery
![Page 12: Ancient China](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062408/56813c67550346895da5f7b5/html5/thumbnails/12.jpg)
Writing System
• Animal bones and shells with written symbols
• Symbols similar to those used today
• Each character stands for an idea
• Same system throughout China
![Page 13: Ancient China](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062408/56813c67550346895da5f7b5/html5/thumbnails/13.jpg)
Chou Dynasty
• No dramatic changes in civilization• For first 300 years ruled a large
kingdom• Gradually lost power• 771 B.C. barbarians invaded and
murdered the Chou monarch• Family moved to Loyang and
pretended to rule
![Page 14: Ancient China](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062408/56813c67550346895da5f7b5/html5/thumbnails/14.jpg)
In truth, they were powerless• Noble families fought for control
– “the time of warring states
• Traditional values collapsed– led to Chinese love of order
• Solutions?
![Page 15: Ancient China](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062408/56813c67550346895da5f7b5/html5/thumbnails/15.jpg)
Confucius urged order
• Society should be organized around five basic relationships– ruler and subject– father and son– husband and wife– older and younger
brother– friend and friend
![Page 16: Ancient China](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062408/56813c67550346895da5f7b5/html5/thumbnails/16.jpg)
Code of Proper Conduct within each relationship• Filial piety- children should respect
parents and elders• If a ruler practiced kindness then
all would go well
![Page 17: Ancient China](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062408/56813c67550346895da5f7b5/html5/thumbnails/17.jpg)
Confucius wanted to change Chinese society• Prince of Lu made him Minister of
Crime• People so impressed with his
wisdom and courtesy that all crime vanished
![Page 18: Ancient China](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062408/56813c67550346895da5f7b5/html5/thumbnails/18.jpg)
Taoists sought harmony with nature• Natural order
important• Nothing in nature
strives for power, fame, or even wisdom
• Followers withdrew from society
• Tao is the way
![Page 19: Ancient China](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062408/56813c67550346895da5f7b5/html5/thumbnails/19.jpg)
Legalist urged harsh government• Highly efficient
powerful government the key to order
• Reward those who do well
• Disobedience punished
• Controlling ideas as well as actions
![Page 20: Ancient China](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062408/56813c67550346895da5f7b5/html5/thumbnails/20.jpg)
Ch’in Dynasty
• From small state of Ch’in in western China
• 256 B.C. destroyed Chou king• 246 B.C. new Ch’in king
– Age 13– ruthless Legalist
![Page 21: Ancient China](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062408/56813c67550346895da5f7b5/html5/thumbnails/21.jpg)
Ch’in Shih Huang-ti (the first emperor)
• Stopped petty wars• Conquered barbarians
to the south• Protected the North
with the Great Wall• Formed a
government that lasted 200 years
• Responsible for the people
![Page 22: Ancient China](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062408/56813c67550346895da5f7b5/html5/thumbnails/22.jpg)
Ch’in Dynasty concentrated on• Stamping out rival armies
– Doubled the size of China– Attacked the barbarians in the North
• Destroying resistance inside the realm– Commanded that all noble families live in
capital city– Changed state boundaries– Built gigantic network of highways
![Page 23: Ancient China](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062408/56813c67550346895da5f7b5/html5/thumbnails/23.jpg)
• Uniform standards for law, money, weight, and measures
• Built Great Wall
![Page 24: Ancient China](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062408/56813c67550346895da5f7b5/html5/thumbnails/24.jpg)
Great Wall provided protection
![Page 25: Ancient China](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062408/56813c67550346895da5f7b5/html5/thumbnails/25.jpg)
Great Wall
![Page 26: Ancient China](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062408/56813c67550346895da5f7b5/html5/thumbnails/26.jpg)
Decline of the Ch’in Dynasty• Son less able• Han marched on the city
![Page 27: Ancient China](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062408/56813c67550346895da5f7b5/html5/thumbnails/27.jpg)
Han Dynasty known for glory, unity, and peace• Hated laws of
Ch’in• Barbarians rarely
threatened• Confucious’s
teachings won influence
![Page 28: Ancient China](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062408/56813c67550346895da5f7b5/html5/thumbnails/28.jpg)
Most powerful Han emperor Wu-ti• 140-87 B.C.• Marshal Emperor• Drove Huns out of Northern border
![Page 29: Ancient China](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062408/56813c67550346895da5f7b5/html5/thumbnails/29.jpg)
Renewal of Learning
• Scholars read old Chinese classics
• Confucianism official
• Founded national university
• Brought back news of the civilized people of Persia
![Page 30: Ancient China](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062408/56813c67550346895da5f7b5/html5/thumbnails/30.jpg)
Search for culture led to trade
• Great Silk Road– camel caravans– Tibet to Syria and
Asia Minor
![Page 31: Ancient China](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062408/56813c67550346895da5f7b5/html5/thumbnails/31.jpg)
After Wu-ti prosperity declined• Peasants suffered
– Burden of taxes and debts– bad harvests– famine and plague– peasants became bandits
• Twice overthrown– Early Han and Later Han
![Page 32: Ancient China](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062408/56813c67550346895da5f7b5/html5/thumbnails/32.jpg)
Buddhism came from the Great Silk Road• Monks taught that
Buddha was a merciful god
![Page 33: Ancient China](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062408/56813c67550346895da5f7b5/html5/thumbnails/33.jpg)
Han Empire collapsed
Buddhism spread