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 * China Notes **



//**Enviromental Challenges-**// //**Heart Land -**// //**The First Dynasties-**// //**Early Cities-**// //**Culture-**// //**Family-**// //**Social Class-**// //**
 * //Geography-//**
 * The yellow sea, East China Sea, and Pacific ocean are natural barriers.
 * Mountains and desserts dominate two-thirds of China.
 * Two major rivers flow from the mountains west to the Pacific Ocean.
 * The Huang He, whose name means "yellow river", deposists huge amounts of yellowish silt when it overflows it's banks.
 * The silt (fertile soil) is called "loess"
 * The Huang He's floods could be disastrous, floods sometimes devored whole villages, having the nickname "China's Sorrow"
 * China had to supply their own goods rather than trading with other people, due to China's relative geographic isolation.
 * Invasions from the north occured again and again in Chinese History.
 * 10% of China's land is famrland.
 * Most of the land lies within the small plain between the Huang He and the Chang Jiang in Eastern China.
 * The heartland was the center of the civilization.
 * Political boundries have expanded and contracted over the years.
 * The development of farming started around 2000 B.C. These settlements grew to China's first cities.
 * The Chinese Dynasty was emerged about this time, called Xia.
 * The leader was named Yu, an engineer and mathmetician.
 * The legend of Yu reflects the level of technology and society.
 * When there was invaders, Shang Rose came to power in Northern China.
 * The Shang Dynasty was the first family to leave written records.
 * The oldest and most important city was Anyang one of the capitals of the Shang Dynasty.
 * The higher class lived in Timer-framed houses with walls of clay and straw. The peasants and craftsmen lived in huts outside the city.
 * The Shang surounded their cities with massive earthen walls for protection.
 * People outside of Chinese civilization were barbarians.
 * Their own name for China was the Middle Kingdom.
 * From the earliest time groups seemed to be more important than individual people.
 * The family was central to Chinese society.
 * The elder men in the family controlled the families property and make important decisions.
 * Woman were treated as slaves, they were expected to obey their fathers, husbands, and kids.
 * When a girl was between 13 and 16 years old her marriage was arranged.
 * Shang society was sharply divided between nobles and peasants.
 * The Noble families owned the land.
 * //Religion-
 * The believed that the spirits of the family ancestors had the power to bring good fortune.
 * The spirits want attension and respect.
 * Shang Kings consulted the gods through the use of oracle bones, animal bones and tortoise shells if they had questions for the gods.
 * //Writing-//**
 * Each character generally stands for one syllable or unit of language.
 * There was practically no links between China's spoken language and written language.
 * //Heaven-//**
 * Zhou leaders declared that the final Chang King had been such a poor ruler that the god had taken away the Shang's rule and given it to the Zhou.
 * This turned into a broader view that the royal authority came from the heaven.
 * The Mandate of Heaven became central to the Chinese view of government.
 * This was the Chinese explanation for rebellion.
 * //Technology and Trade-//**
 * Roads and canals were built to stimulate trade and agriculture.
 * Coined money was introduced, which further improved trade.
 * Blast furnaces that produced cast iron were developed.