Today

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Todays Agenda

• Homework Study For Test!!
• Quick-Write None
• The Yellow River Valley PowerPoint
• Philosophy Discussion

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Aim The Yellow River Valley
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Geography

• Consists of three main rivers
• Huang (Yellow), Chang and Xi Rivers
• Rivers flooding is unpredictable
• Rivers produced loess
• fertile yellow soil
• Isolated due to natural barriers
• Gobi Desert and Himalaya Mountains

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The Middle Kingdom

• Felt it was the center of the world
• called itself the Middle Kingdom
• Felt its culture was superior than every other
  culture
• known as ethnocentrism
• Ethnocentrism lead to isolationism
• traditional lifestyle
• China did not come in contact with other
  civilizations
• lacked technology

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Eventually, the Chinese discontinued the
expeditions due to ethnocentrism. The Chinese
believed that they were superior to other
cultures.
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The Chinese believed that they were the Middle
Kingdom.
They believed that they could learn nothing
important from other inferior cultures.
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Though China was very advanced for the time
period, isolationism caused China to fall behind.
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The Shang Dynasty

• First dynasty of China
• dynasty a ruling family
• Developed a writing system called calligraphy
• eventually became a form of art
• Believed in animism and ancestor worship
• animism belief spirits inhabit all objects

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The first known dynasty of China was the Shang
dynasty. This dynasty united the people living
around the Huang He and Yangtze river valleys.
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Ancient Calligraphy
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The Zhou Dynasty

• Emperors justified their takeover due to the
  Mandate of Heaven
• belief that gods picked the emperor to rule but
  the gods could also remove a bad emperor from
  power
• The rise and fall of dynasties is known as the
  dynastic cycle

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Zhou rulers claimed the Mandate of Heaven or
the right to rule. However, the gods could remove
the rulers right to rule.
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The Qin Dynasty

• Built the Great Wall of China
• built to keep invaders out
• didn't work
• Established a strong centralized government
• one government controlled all local areas

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During Qin China, the Chinese began building the
Great Wall of China. The Great Wall ofChina was
built to protect China from nomadic invaders.
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The Han Dynasty

• Chinas Golden Age
• numerous inventions were introduced
• porcelain, silk, gunpowder, printing press,
  compass
• Developed the civil service exam
• people needed to do well on tests to obtain jobs
• questions based on Confucianism
• Silk Road emerged
• trade between China and the Middle East
• lead to cultural diffusion

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It is important to remember that during the Han
dynasty, a scholar had to pass a test on Chinese
history and Confucianism to work in the
government.
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To work for the government, a Chinese man had to
pass a difficult examination. By establishing a
civil service examination, education
was emphasized.
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The Silk Road was a famous Chinese trading route.
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Throughout Chinese history, there have been many
great philosophers.
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Confucianism

• Most influential philosophy in China ever!
• Stressed
• respect for elders
• education is important
• follow a code of moral conduct
• maintain political and social order
• filial piety (worship of family)
• each society member must complete their duty
• the five relationships of Confucius
• people must do their assigned tasks and duties

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(No Transcript)
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While all three philosophies greatly influenced
China, Confucianism became the official
philosophy of dynastic China.
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In Confucianism, a son must obey his father.
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Daoism

• Stressed nature
• Believed in the Ying-Yang

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The Yin-Yang is a popular Daoist or Taoist
symbol.
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Legalism

• Believed
• people are born bad
• people are selfish
• people needed laws to control them
• people need to be punished harshly to main order
  in society

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Putting Them Together

• All three philosophies try to establish
• peace
• political and social order
• respect for authority

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Chinese Accomplishments

• Gunpowder
• Compass
• Porcelain
• Metal Printing Press
• Paper
• The Silk Road
• trade between Asia and Europe/Middle East
• Acupuncture
• Oldest Male Head of Household
• Extended Family