How do the people, events, and ideas that shaped ancient China -/ continue to influence the world? SL Soe Use the map and the time line to answer the | following questions. | 1, What two rivers run through the Shang Dynasty and 4} Zhou Dynasty territory? | 2. When was the Shang Oyrasty founded? 1027 Zhou Dynasty is founded. 4792 a. 4200 8.c, Hammurabl begins Olmec culture in Mexico begins. his reign, (jaguar Mask)[2] stensovany ae em The sty 86 [1 Presenter ne China Sea yf PACIFIC Panta South OCEAN —China - Confucius is born. | Period of Waring Liv Bang becomes the frst (Gontrait of Confucius) States begins. | emperor ofthe Han Dynasty, Flank of Kush : Foman Republics established. conquers Egypt. (wins ofthe Roman Colosseum)b) Key Ideas BEFORE, YOU LEARNED The first indian civilization arose in the Indus Rivervale. &) Vocabulary TERMS & NAMES oracle bones. animal bones or shells used by the Shang kings to communicate with the gods pictographs_ pictures or drawings that represent words or ideas dynastic cycle patter of the rise and fall of dynasties Mandate of Heaven ancient Chinese belief that ‘a good ruler had the gods’ approval BACKGROUND VOCABULARY favor support or approval NOW YOU WILL LEARN Natural barriers isolated China’s fertile river valleys from the rest of Asia. As a result, Chinese culture developed with limited outside influence, REVIEW dynasty family or group that rules for several generations nomads members of a group of people who have no set home but move from place to place Visual Vocabulary orade bone Db) Reading Strategy Re-create the web diagram shown at right. As you read and respond to the KEY QUESTIONS, use the diagram to help you make inferences about ‘geographic patterns and the North China Plain. LB) see stanbuttder Handbook, page R10. 146° + Chapter 6) ‘ weve MAKE INFERENCES: Natural i Se ae cri | sae ete (Gm crapnic oncanizens \ } Go to Interactive Review @ClassZone.comGeography Shapes Ancient China Connect to What You Know what makes the area you’ live in a good place for people to live? Think about how the geographic features of your area have affected life there. Geographic Features of China W) KEY QUESTION What effect did the physical features of China have on its early development? ‘The river valley pattern you studied in Mesopotamia, Egypt, and the Indus Valley was repeated in China. China's civilization developed because two rivers brought water and silt that made farming possible. Cities grew along the banks of the rivers. Isolated by Barriers Located on the eastern side of Asia, China lies about the same distance north of the equator as the United States. China's lands are bordered on the east by the Yellow Sea, the East China Sea, and the Pacific Ocean. Deserts edge the northern and western lands. To the north is the Gobi (GOHbee) Desert, and to the west lies the Takdimakan (xaH#klubemuhKAHN) Desert. The Pamir, Tian Shan, and Himalaya (1aMeuheLAYeuh) mountain ranges forma * tight curve marking the western border. Unlike the regions of the Nile and Fertile Crescent, where civilizations often interacted, China was geographically isolated. The huge mountain chains, vast deserts, and large expanses of water acted as barriers between China and other lands. This made the spread of ideas and goods to China difficult. As a result, Chinese tivilization developed along very distinct lines. There were fewer outside influences to shape China's culture. ‘4 Shang Bronze Drinking Vessel ‘The Shang were Famous for their excellent bronzework Gobi Desert One of the largest deserts in the ‘world, the Gobi covers more land than Texas ‘and California combined. What two countries share the Gobi Desert? ¥ | | | | | | |Two River Systems Two major rivers flow toward the Pacific Ocean. The Chang Jiang (chahng jyahng); or the Yangtze River, is found in central China. The Huang He (hwahng huh) to the north is also known as the Yellow River. In ancient times, most Chinese farming was done in the very rich land between the Chang Jiang and Huang He. Their floodwaters deposit yellowish silt that makes fertile soil. This land, called the North China Plain, has always been the center of Chinese civilization. A Varied Climate China has a varied climate, much like the United States. Western China js dry like the western United States. Because it is mostly deserts and mountains, it is sparsely populated and has little usable farmland, Northeast China has seasons like New England, with cold winters and warm summers. In contrast, the southeast is like the southern region of the United States, with mild winters and hot, rainy summers, These different climates allow China to produce a variety of crops. Rice is grown in the moist south, while wheat, soybeans, and millet are grown in the drier north lands. A) ANALYZE EFFECTS Explain how China’s physical features affected its early development. LD Cc constuction ofthe dam Cl Three Gorges Dam While the Chang Jiang has benefited China by providing fertile farmiand and inland iransportation, it has also caused devastating floods. in 1993, the Chinese government began construction on the Three Gorges Dam, The government says the dam, scheduled to begin operating in 2009, will help control flooding and produce eneray. However, ‘ore than 1 million people have had to move from the area, Some experts also worry about the environmental costs of the. CRITICAL THINKING Aialyze Point of View How do government officials view the Three Gorges Dam?The Shang Dynasty W) KEY QUESTION How did the Chinese language develop? Around 2000 B.C, farming settlements along the Huang He began to grow into cities. An early civilization began there, and Chinese culture today evolved from that ancient beginning, Historians consider China to be the oldest continuous civilization in the world, Shang Kings About 1766 B.c., Shang family kings began to control some cities, They set up a dynasty, a family or group that rules for several generations. The kings were responsible for religious activ ‘They claimed to rule with the gods’ permission. Shang kings controlled the central portion of the North China Plain; their relatives ruled distant areas. The Shang used chariots to defend themselves, against the nomads who lived to the north and west, They made war with nomadic people like the Zhou (joh). Shang Families In Shang culture, respect for one’s parents and ancestors was important. Family was closely tied to religion. The Chinese believed that the spirits of their ancestors could bring good fortune, Families paid respect to the father’s ancestors by sacrificing animals in their honor, Men ruled within the family. Developing Language ‘he Shang kings claimed to be able to influence the gods. They received messages from the gods through oracle bones. These were animal bones on which Shang royal priests scratched questions to the gods. Next, they touched the bones with heated rods to crack them and interpreted the cracks. They scratched the answers on the bones. The scratches were an early form of writing. Like other ancient peoples, the Shang developed their system of writing with pictographs, simple drawings that represent words or ideas. As you can see in the chart at right, the pictographs are similac to the modern Chinese characters. The Chinese system of writing used’ a huge number of symbols. To be barely able to read and write, a person had to know at least 1,500 characters. An educated person needed to know at least 10,000 characters. ‘One advantage of the Chinese writing system is that you can read Chinese without being able to speak it. People all over China could learn the written language, even if their spoken languages were different. The system helped unify a large, vatied land. A) SUMMARIZE Explain how the Chinese language developed. ee (Ancient China ° 149)@ mandate of Heaven: @ the new dynasty restores. oz, ‘The people believe the new peace and order. [ ah dynasty has the gods’ approval. © the dynasty is sty’ overthrown, © the dynasty’s power grows weaker. @ the people believe the dynasty has lost the gods’ approval. © disasters such as floods, famines, and invasions occur. The Zhou Dynasty ‘Y) KEY QUESTION How did the idea of the Mandate of Heaven help the Zhou take over the Shang? ‘The Zhou people moved down from the northwest. They clashed with the Shang on many occasions. Around 1027 B.c., the Zhou ruler Wu Wang led a force that defeated the Shang, The Zhou adopted many shang ways, so their victory did not bring about sweeping cultural change, Still, Zhou rule brought new ideas to Chinese civilization The Zhou and the Dynastic Cycle The Zhou kings established anew dynasty in China. Chinese dynasties rose and fell in a pattern. Historians call the pattern of the rise and fall of dynasties in China the dynastic cycle. Look at the diagram above to see the pattern Like the ancient Egyptians, the Zhou kings thought that trouble would come if rulers lost heaven's favor. To justify their conquest, Zhou leaders declared that the last Shang king had been a poor ruler, “They claimed that the gods had taken away the Shang’s right to rule and given it to the Zhou. Eventually, the idea that a good ruler had approval from the gods became a part of Chinese culture. When a ruler was bad or foolish, the people believed the approval of the gods would be taken away. ‘This idea was called the Mandate of Heaven. The Chinese people believed that troubles such as peasant uprisings, invasions, floods, or earthquakes meant that the Mandate of Heaven had been taken away. ‘Then it was time for new leaders, and the Mandate of Heaven might pass to another noble family. 150 © Chapter 6Zhou Government Like the Shang, the Zhou did not have a strong central government, Kings put people with family ties or other trusted people in charge of regions. Those local rulers, ot lords, owed loyalty and military service to the king. In return, the king promised to help protect their lands. As their towns became cities, the lords grew stronger. More groups came under their rule, The lords became less dependent on the king. ‘They began to fight among themselves and with other peoples. The lands they added to their control expanded Chinese territory. The Time of the Warring States Invasion of Chinése lands 4 Jade Dragon Pendant The dragon ‘was a constant theme in Chinese history. After 800 B.C,, nomads mt from the north and west invaded China. In 771 B.C, invaders Si ome i destroyed the capital city of Hao and killed the king. The king’s family escaped to Luoyang and set up a new capital. Because the kings were weak, the lords fought constantly. As their power grew, these warlords claimed to be kings within their own territories. This action led to a period called the Time of the Warring States, which began around 403 8. A) DRAW CONCLUSIONS Explain how the idea of the Mandate of Heaven helped the Zhou take over the Shang. 11] Section Assessment ZB ONLINE Quiz Forest practi, goto Interactive Review ‘@Chasszone.com 1 Terms & Names Key Ideas | 1. Explain the importance of 3. Why did Shang settlements begin along the i oracle bones dynastic cycle Huang He? | pictographs Mandate of Heaven 4. How did the Shang develop a Chinese language? Use Your Reading Notes 5. How would the Chinese people know that a ruler | 2. Make inte Use your completed diagram hadjlost the Mandate of Heaven? i to answer the following question: Critical Thinking i How did geographic barriers affect Shang and 6. Analyze Causes and Effects How did the Thou relations with outside peoples? development of a written language help to TI Rom ones te unify China? riers, Plain 7. Compare In what ways was the settling of the mainte i Huang He valley similar to settlements in other ~ world regions? | Create Elements of Language Develop pictographs and use them in a sentence about your classroom. Have classmates try to determine what you wrate, i (amir cana saat eat aa i s-a(/ Ancient China ® 151)