Ancient River Civilizations

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Ancient River Civilizations Shang China
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Shang China notes

• The Geography of China
• Geographic Isolation
• 1. East Yellow Sea and Pacific Ocean
• 2. West Taklimakan Desert
• 3. Southwest Himalaya Mts.
• 4. North Gobi Desert
• 5. 2/3 of Chinas land mts. deserts

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B. 2 Main River Systems 1. Huang He (Yellow)
R. in North China 2. Yangtze R. in Central
China 3. Most of farmland and pop. is in
eastern plain between these rivers. Why is the
Huang He called Chinas Sorrow?
Because of the death and destruction caused by
flooding
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• II. The Shang Emerge in China
• The Shang Dynasty 1st documented Chinese
  dynasty
• 1. 1532- 1027 B.C.
• 2. main capital Anyang

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B. Shang Cities 1. most structures and homes
made of wood 2. cities protected by earthen
walls
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C. Shang Social Classes 1. sharply divided
2. ruled by warrior class headed by a king 3.
nobles owned land sent tribute to Shang
ruler 4. peasants worked the land with wood and
stone tools
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D. Mandate of Heaven 1. kings authority to
rule came from heaven 2. a just and fair ruler
was seen as having gods approval 3. unfair or
unsuccessful king No approval 4.
justification for overthrow 5. Dynastic Cycle
Rise, decline, and replacement of dynasties
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• III. Early Chinese Culture
• Family was central to Chinese Society
• 1. Elder male controlled property made
  decisions
• 2. women expected to obey male family members

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B. Religious Beliefs Polytheistic
animistic 1. Believed in ancestor worship a.
Spirits could bring good or bad luck b.
offering made to keep spirits happy c.
Offerings included human sacrifice 2. Supreme
God Shang Di
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C. First Chinese Writing! Oracle Bones 1.
Kings consulted gods through Oracle bones. a.
Priests scratch question on bone or turtle
shell b. Apply heat to cause cracks c.
Interpret cracks for answers
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2. Chinese writing symbols stand for idea not
sound a. Advantage everyone could learn
writing uniting b. Disadvantage more than
10,000 symbols to learn
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D. Excellence in Bronze working 1. Shang
artisans perfected bronze casting skills 2.
bronze weapons, jewelry, religious items
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Why did the Ancient Chinese refer to
themselves as the Middle Kingdom?
They saw their country as the center of the
civilized world.
China as the Middle Kingdom of the world
The rest
of the
world
Ancient China Middle Kingdom