River Dynasties in China

Name the civilization that goes with the rivers:A. NileB. Tigris & EuphratesC. Chiang Jiang & Huang HeD. Indus

A. Nile- EgyptB. Tigris & Euphrates- MesopotamiaC. Chiang Jiang & Huang He- Eastern ChinaD. Indus- Indus Valley

Geography• Much of the 10% of

China that is suitable for farming lies in a plain between the Huang He and Chiang Jiang Rivers in Eastern China

• China was not completely protected by natural boundaries and was frequently invaded

Civilization Emerges in Shang Times

• Shang rose to power in northern China

• Created walled cities made of wood to protect from invaders

• Lasted from 1700-1027 BC

Culture

• Family: Central to Chinese society

• Social Classes: society was sharply divided between nobles and peasants

• Religious beliefs: Believed the spirits of ancestors would bring good fortune or disaster to a family. Also worshiped a main sky god, Shangdi, and several lesser gods

Writing

• Very few links between the written language and spoken language

• Advantage: People in all parts of China could learn the written language even if their spoken language was very different

• Disadvantage: Enormous number of written symbols to be memorized.

Zhou Dynasty

• Zhou used Mandate of Heaven to justify their conquest of the Shang – allowed them to overthrow the declining

dynasty• Zhou established feudalism: political system in

which nobles are granted the use of lands that legally belong to the king. – Instead of maintaining Zhou control, this led

to independent lords.

Technology and War

• Technology– Roads and canals – Coined money – Blast furnaces produced cast iron that was used to

create weapons and tools

• Warring States: – Zhou ruled from 1027-256 BC until nomads killed

the royal family. Chaos replaced order as competing nobles attacked each other