Shang and Zhou Dynasties

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Shang and Zhou Dynasties
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The Shang Dynasty

• Built the first Chinese cities
• Anyang was the first capital of China
• Shang were divided into social classes
• Most powerful group was the king and his family
• Ruled over most of the Huang He valley
• Used chariots and bronze weapons
• Next were the aristocrats
• Nobles whose wealth came from land
• Consisted of warlords who were nobles
• Last were farmers
• Some traders and artisans
• Grew grains and raised cattle, sheep and chickens

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Ancestor and spirit worship

• Shang believed that spirits lived all over the
  environment
• Spirits must be appeased through offerings for
  farmers and armies to be successful
• Ancestors received offerings of burnt paper, food
  and clothing in exchange for good luck.
• Used oracle bones to seek help from the gods,
  spirits and ancestors

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Oracle Bones
Questions were scratched onto bones Priests then
stuck hot metal rods through them Bones would
shatter Priests would read the cracks and
pieces to interpret what the gods and spirits
were saying
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Chinese Writing and Art

• Based on pictographs and ideograph
• Pictographs are pictures that represent objects
• Ideographs are a combination of pictographs that
  represent an idea
• Today the chinese language is filled with
  characters that represent whole words

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Chinese Art

• Best remembered for their work with bronze
• Also worked with silk, white clay, jade ivory

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Lost city of Shang
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The Zhou Dynasty

• The poor, led by Wu Wang rebelled against the
  Shang
• Dynasty lasted for 800 years
• Longest in Chinese history
• Government was a bureaucracy
• Appointed officials who are responsible for
  different areas of government
• Smaller territories were governed by aristocrats
• Kings were believed to be connection between
  heaven and earth----leds to the Mandate of Heaven

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Mandate of Heaven

• Zhou kings believed that they had heavenly law
  that gave them the right to rule
• This mandate, or formal order, stated that the
  king was chosen by the gods for his virtue and
  talent
• Worked in 2 ways
• King was expected to rule by the Dao, or right
  way
• It also guaranteed the people certain rights
• Overthrow a dishonest or inappropriate king
• Made clear that the king was not a god

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Advancements and Decline

• Developed irrigation and flood control systems
• Iron plows for farming
• Saddles and stirrups
• Period of the Warring States
• Local aristocrats rebelled against the king
• 200 year period
• Used foot soldiers which were peasants forced
  into battle
• Used swords, spears and crossbows