Early Civilizations in China

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Early Civilizations in China

• Chapter 3 Section 3

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Aim Why was China called the Middle Kingdom?

• Do Now
• Copy these locations down
• - Locate these important
• geographical features on
• the map of China.
• Map will be displayed on next slide
• Please take out homework to check

• Huang He River
• Yangtze River
• Gobi Desert
• Himalayas
• Tien Shen
• East China Sea
• Pacific Ocean

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• I. The Geography of China
• A. The Middle Kingdom Zhongguo
• 1. Belief that China was the center of the
  Earth

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What geographical barriers separated China from
the rest of the world?
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• B. Isolated
• 1. Long Distances
• 2. Physical Barriers
• a. High Mountain Ranges (west and southwest)
• - Tien Shen
• - Himalayas
• b. Jungles
• (divided China from Southeast Asia)
• c. Desert
• -Gobi Desert
• -Taklamakan
• d. Pacific Ocean (east)

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Yangtze River

• The longest river of China and of Asia, flowing
  about 3,450 mi from Xizang (Tibet) to the East
  China Sea. The river has been an important trade
  and transportation route since ancient times.

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• The Gobi Desert is one of the driest deserts in
  the world. In the Gobi, there is at least the
  hope of water, although an oasis is rare. 

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• The Taklamakan Desert, China's other desert, is
  nicknamed the Sea of Death. It offers poisonous
  snakes, frequent sand storms, boiling days,
  freezing nights, and intense water shortages. The
  Sea of Death is not a small desert. In fact, it
  is the second largest desert in the world. 

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• Did the Chinese have any outside contact with the
  rest of the world?

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• C. Limited Contact with the Outside World
• 1. Nomadic Invaders conquered China from time
  to time
• a. Considered barbarians
• b. Absorbed into Chinese culture and
  society
• 2. Neighboring Countries traded reached the
  Middle East

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• How did contact with outlying regions affect the
  development of Chinese civilization?

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• B. Outlying Regions
• 1. Xianjiang, Mongolia, Manchuria, Tibet
• a. Consisted of nomads who constantly
  plundered Chinese cities
• b. Chinese rulers also extended their empires
  into many of these regions

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• Using your knowledge of other ancient
  civilizations, where do you think early Chinese
  civilizations developed? Indicate areas on the
  map?

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• Why did Chinese civilization begin in the Huang
  He valley?

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• Main Regions of China
• A. Development of Early Chinese Civilizations
• 1. East Coast
• 2. Valleys between two major rivers Fertile
  farming regions
• 3. Huang He (Yellow River) and the Yangtze
  River

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• Why was the Huang He River called the River of
  Sorrows?

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• River of Sorrows Huang He
• 1. Chinese Civilization began in Huang He
  valley
• 2. Strong Central Government needed to control
  the flow of river
• 3. Loess strong windblown yellow soil from
  Siberia and Mongolia
• - Loess settles at the bottom of the river
• water level rises
• -Huang He overflows

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How did the overflow of the Huang He affect the
Chinese population?
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• - Chinese laborers in constant phase of
  rebuilding dikes to hold back rivers
• - Dikes broke led to flooding, destroyed crops
  and mass starvation
• - Fear of floods were reflected in Chinese
  writing misfortune

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Why did China call itself the Middle Kingdom?

• Are the chinese ethnocentric?

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• Ethnocentrism is the tendency to believe that
  one's ethnic or cultural group is centrally
  important, and that all other groups are measured
  in relation to one's own.

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• 1. Where is China located relative to the other
  civilizations we have discussed?
• 2. How did early man usually travel?
• 3. Why might a geographical barrier make is
  easier for a civilization to develop?
• 4. How do you think geography led the Chinese to
  believe they were the center of the earth?
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