Chapter 5: Ancient China Notes



Chapter 5: Ancient China Notes

1. Geography and Beginning of Ancient China:

- South China, warm and wet (monsoons), North China very dry

- Himalaya Mountains, Pacific Ocean, and Gobi Desert cut off China- believed they were center of the world (“Middle Kingdom")

- Rivers birthplace of civilization- Huang He (Yellow) and Chang Jiang (Yangzi), good for farming, Huang He also brought sorrow with flooding

Beginnings of China:

- Shang Dynasty was first known, family was center of society

- Up to 5 generations living together (extended family)

- Oldest man center of authority (decided everything), women governed by men (father, husband, son)

- Women should be moral, modest, have proper speech and domestic skills

- First people to use 2 names (last name first, the family name)

2. Confucius:

- Confucius was a teacher, self-taught, wanted to teach his views of life and government

- Goal was to bring peace, stability, and order to Chinese society by persuading the rulers not to fight

- Taught people to behave properly to one another, know your place in society and family, respect everyone, treat others equally, people of power set good examples (Summary; "Golden Rule")

- His teachings were the basis for training members of government (civil service), take exams based on Confucianism

- Believed his life was a failure, teachings became a philosophy after he died, but for many functions as a religion

3. Chinese Rulers and Dynasties:

Qin Dynasty: (lasted about 15 years)

- ruler Shi Huangdi- (First Emperor), harsh dynasty, cruel ruler

- unified China by creating a common currency and laws, outlawed ideas of Confucius

- built The Great Wall of China

Han Dynasty: (lasted about 400 years)

- ruler Liu Bang- created a stable gov't, created a civil service (educate people to work for gov't), not very harsh ruler

- ruler Wudi- focused on war and military, he ruled for more than 50 years

4. Achievements of China:

- Silk Road- traded with Central Asia (new foods), all the way to the Mediterranean Sea

- Silk was being made in China, desired by other civilizations (trade silk for horses, glass, other cloth)

- Han Dynasty- advances in art, literature and technology (first dictionary, iron tools, paper, wheelbarrow)

- Other achievements in medicine (plant medicine, knowledge about blood, acupuncture and anesthetics)

- People in China today call themselves the “Children of Han” because they want to be connected to such a great dynasty

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