Ancient China – Homework!

Directions:

·  The first column contains terms that are important in the history of ancient China.

·  The description of how that term applies to China has been filled in for you.

·  Write a similarity to one of the earlier river valleys (Mesopotamia(Sumer), Egypt & Indus River Valley) that we have studied with a specific example.

·  Finally, write a difference to one of the earlier river valleys (Mesopotamia(Sumer), Egypt & Indus River Valley) that we have studied – also with a specific example. (use your notes and webs)

·  You will not have a similarity and/or difference for every term. PUT EVERYTHING IN YOUR OWN LANGUAGE – DO NOT JUST COPY!

Term / Similar to . . . / Different than . . .
Geography of China (p. 46) located to NE of the Himalayan Mountains, along the Huang He and Yangtze rivers
Natural Barriers: Huang He (Yellow River) flooded unpredictably, China’s Sorrow, Gobi Desert to North, Himalayan Mts to the west
2 Major Rivers: Huang He and Yangtze Rivers
Loess (p .46) deposited yellow silt (fertile soil)
Unpredictable Flooding (p. 46) Huang He flooded
Trade (p. 46) because of geographic isolation, early settlers had to supply their own goods rather than trading with outside peoples. Invasions from North and West have occurred more than once.
Term / Similar to . . . / Different than . . .
Yu (p. 47) leader of the first Chinese dynasty, the Xia(shyah) 2000 BCE, he designed flood-control and irrigation projects, helped settlements grow
Dynasties (47) Xia Dynasty 2000 BCE, Shang Dynasty 1532 to 1027 BCE first family to leave written records, built palaces, tombs, sequence of rulers of the same family
Anyang (p. 47) capital of the Shang Dynasty, built of wood in a forest.
Walls for protection (p. 48) dirt walls were built around city for protection, 118 feet wide, covered 1.2 square miles, 12 years to build, 10,000 men
Constant Warfare (p. 48) needed walled cities because they were at war constantly. Governed by a ruling class of warrior-nobles headed by a king
Nobles and Peasants (p. 48) nobles owned the land, governed the scattered cities, sent tribute to Shang ruler in exchange for local control
Peasants worked the land, no plows, soil rich two crops a year, millet, wheat, rice. Bronze to precious to use as farm tools
Family and Society (p.48) family central to society, respect for one’s parent, elder man controlled property and made decisions, women were inferior, expected to obey father, husbands, brothers, and sons. Once she had sons she was considered higher in society.
Term / Similar to . . . / Different than . . .
Religion (p. 48) religion close to family, spirits of family ancestors had the power to bring good fortune or disaster to living members of the family. Chinese believed that the gods were meddlesome, troublesome, and helpful neighbors who demanded attention and respect. Live family members paid respect to the ancestors and made sacrifices in their honor.
Oracle Bones (p. 48) a way to consult the ancestors, animal bones and tortoise shells, questions inscribed on them, priests heated them until cracked then read the cracks to get the answer to the question.
Writing (p. 49)
Positives: language was unified under one language
Negatives: more than 10,000 characters
Term / Similar to . . . / Different than . . .
Over-throw by the Zhou (p. 50) 1027 BCE Zhou overthrew the Shang, but kept things the same, but to justify the overthrow Zhou used the mandate of heaven. / ·  Egyptians were overthrown by the Hyksos
·  Akkadians and Amorites took over Mesopotamia / ·  While Indus declined, historians are not sure what caused it.
****Mandate of heaven and Dynastic Cycle***** (p. 50) ancient Chinese philosophy. The mandate determines whether an emperor is sufficient virtuous to rule: if he does not fulfill his obligations as emperor, then he loses the mandate and the right to rule.
1.  Heaven grants the right to rule
2.  Since there was only one heaven, can only be one emperor at any given time
3.  The emperor’s virtue determines his right to rule
4.  No one dynasty has a permanent right to rule
****Feudalism**** (p. 50) a political system in which nobles or lords, are granted the use of the lands that legally belong to the king. In return the nobles owe loyalty and military service to the king and protection to the people who live on their estates.
Term / Similar to . . . / Different than . . .
Zhou Technology (p. 51) roads, canals, coined money, civil service, blast furnaces to cast iron, new weapons, farm tools
Period of Warring States (p. 51) Zhou ruled from 1027 to 256 BCE, first 300 years peaceful and stable. After that rule weakened, nomads from the north and west sacked Hao (capital city). Leader assassinated, warlords and warriors fought each other for control. The warlords became kings of their territories. Warfare changed instead of honorable code of conduct, professional warriors and mercenaries set the rules of battle. Traditional values collapsed became chaos, arrogance, and defiance.

Show Chinese social structure using this pyramid