East Asia
Shang Dynasty a) Pan Ku (mythic ancestor of Chinese), stories about early kings b) Hwang He River (Yellow River), isolated from rest of world-> little trade c) Line of kings called the Shang, powerful military d) Developed ideas based on basic harmony
Ancestor worship
Gods controlled all aspects of peoples’ lives e) Irrigation and advanced technology
Skilled in pottery and silk
Horse drawn chariots
Good bronze workers
Oracle bones (writing) f) Extended family was important, patriarchal structure g) Invasions cause temporary decline- less of a break between river valley society and later Chinese civilizations than others
Zhou Dynasty a) Wu Wang came from northern China b) Extended territory to Yangtze River (Middle Kingdom) c) Alliance/ feudal system (standard in agricultural kingdoms)
Mandate of Heaven
Bureaucracies in some complex kingdoms d) Beginnings of Confucianism and Daoism
Philosophy lessened political confusion e) Creation of Mandarin Chinese- language unity
Trade of luxury items f) Classes 1) Landowning aristocracy and educated bureaucrats 2) Laboring masses, peasantry, urban artisans 3) Mean people (performing artists)
Patriarchal society g) Nomadic invasions, regional disloyalties
Qin Dynasty a) Qin Shi Huangdi took control and made himself the sole ruler b) Strong economy based agriculture c) Powerful army with iron weapons
Conquered surrounding territories and unified region d) Legalism dominant belief system e) Great Wall of China- empire was well organized, centralized and territorial
Standardized all laws, currencies, weights, measures, and systems of writings f) Patriarchal g) Peasant rebels
Han Dynasty a) Wu Ti b) Enlarged empire to central Asia c) Political organization d) Buddhism spread along Silk Road
Believed politicians should be educated and excellent communicators e) Trade