Section%204:%20Huang%20He%20River%20Valley

1
Section 4 Huang He River Valley
Chapter 2 Early River Valley Civilizations3500B.
C. 450 B.C.

Aim
2
Geography of China

• Chinese civilization grew up in the river
  valley of the Huang He River (a.k.a. the Yellow
  River) and the Yangzi River.

Huang He or Yellow River
Yangzi River
3
(No Transcript)
4
Geography of China
Barriers Isolate China Ocean, mountains,
deserts isolate China from other areas
River Systems Huang He (Yellow River) in
north, Yangtze in south Huang He leaves
loessfertile siltwhen it floods
Environmental Challenges Huang He floods can
devour whole villages Geographic isolation
means lack of trade must be self-sufficient
5
The mountains, deserts, jungles and other
geographic features have isolated Chinese
culture. Having little contact with others , the
Chinese believed their culture was the center of
the earth.
6
(No Transcript)
7
Civilizations Emerge in Shang Times

• The First Dynasties
• Around 2000 B.C. cities arise
• Yu, first ruler of Xia Dynasty
• Yus flood control systems tames Huang He
• (Yellow River)
• Shang Dynasty, 1650 to 1027 B.C., first
  to leave
• written records

8
Civilizations Emerge in Shang Times

• About 1650 BC, the Shang gained control of
  northern China. Ruling families began to gain
  control, similar to small kingdoms.
• The Shang set up the first dynasty.
• Dynasty A series of rulers from a family.

9
Civilizations Emerge in Shang Times

• Early Cities
• Built cities of wood,
• such as Anyangone
• of its capital cities
• Upper class lives inside
• city poorer people live
• outside
• Shang cities have
• massive walls for
• military defense

10
Development of Chinese Culture

• Chinese Civilization
• Sees China as center of world views
• others as uncivilized
• The group is more important than the
• individual
• The Chinese called themselves The Middle
  Kingdom because they believed they were at the
  center.
• This is an example of ethnocentrism.

11
(No Transcript)
12
Development of Chinese Culture

• Family
• Family is central social institution
• respect for parents a virtue
• Elder males control family property
• Women expected to obey all men, even sons
• Social Classes
• King and warrior-nobles lead society and
  own the land

13
Development of Chinese Culture

• Religious Beliefs
• Spirits of dead ancestors
• can affect family fortunes
• Priests scratch questions
• on animal bones and
• tortoise shells
• Oracle bones used to
• consult gods supreme god,
• Shang Di

14

• The ancient civilization was much like others
  with nobility owning the land, merchants and
  craftspeople trading and living in the cities and
  a large population of peasants living in
  surrounding villages.

15
Early Writing System

• The Chinese civilizations made achievements in
  early writing systems that include both
  pictographs and ideographs and is now as one of
  the earliest writing systems.
• Development of Writing
• Writing system uses symbols to
  represent syllables not ideas
• People of different languages can use
  same system
• Huge number of characters make system
  difficult to learn

16
(No Transcript)
17
Zhou and the Dynastic Cycle

• The Zhou Take Control
• In 1027 B.C., Zhou Dynasty takes control
  of China
• Mandate of Heaven
• Mandate of Heaventhe belief that a just
  ruler
• had divine approval
• Developed as justification for change in
  power to Zhou
• Dynastic cyclepattern of the rise and
  decline of
• dynasties

18
(No Transcript)
19
Zhou and the Dynastic Cycle
Control Through Feudalism
Feudalismsystem where kings give land to
nobles in exchange for
services Over time, nobles grow
in power and begin to fight each other
20
(No Transcript)
21
(No Transcript)
22
Zhou and the Dynastic Cycle
Improvements in Technology and Trade
Zhou Dynasty builds roads, canals to improve
transportation Uses coins to make
trade easier Produces cast iron tools
and weapons food production increases
http//www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2032697/T
rip-Zhou-Remains-horses-chariots-unearthed-3-000-y
ear-old-Chinese-Dynastys-tomb.html
23
Zhou and the Dynastic Cycle
A Period of Warring States Peaceful,
stable Zhou empire rules from
around 1027 to 256 B.C. In 771
B.C., nomads sack the Zhou
capital, murder monarch Luoyang
becomes new capital but internal
wars destroy traditions