Ancient ChinaAncient China

5-2 Huang Ho Valley

1. Geography – large area

- coastal plains and river valleys provided good farmland

- barriers -Himalayas - Gobi Desert - rugged plateaus - subtropical forests - Pacific Ocean

- b/c of barriers and location they had limited contact w/others

                                                                                                 

            

2. Huang Ho Valley – developed around 2,000BC

- no records - legend - Yu the Great (man-god)

drove out dragons and serpents,drained the land

- founded the Xia Kingdom

- believed people settled near the river for soil - 1800BC villages & farms developed - trade and travel - clay ovens

- pottery - small round clay houses

3. Shang – 1st record of dynasty - 1766BC built cities - temple and palace - public buildings and high

government officials homes built around palace - cities were for rich, educated, &

skilled people

- most lived outside of city - produced silk - polytheistic - worshiped spirits - spirits controlled life - ancestors - decided peoples fate - great respect

- Kings received power from spirits & ancestors

- used oracle bones - social structure

- king - nobles - skilled workers - farmers - #1 occupation

- weapons - horse drawn bronze chariots - battles - bronze helmets - bow and arrows - soldiers - poor farmers

- very few people could read and write language

- over 50,000 symbols - houses faced south for sun

4. Decline – division of classes probably weakened the civilization

- they could not fight off invaders

- fell about 1122BC to the Zhou -Wu Wang the “Martial King”

5. Zhou – dynasty 1122BC-256BC - introduced the Mandate of Heaven

-theory invented by Zhou -The right to rule is granted by Heaven. -There is only one Heaven therefore only 1 ruler-The right to rule is based on the

virtue of the ruler-The right to rule is not limited to

one dynasty

-positive and negative effects-gives the ruler prestige and religious importance-gives the ruler supreme power-allows new to quickly become powerful b/c he has the blessing-power must be kept in check by virtue-justifies overthrow as long as it

is successful