MattCChina

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 * Geography-**
 * Isolated from natural barriers.
 * Surronded by Yellow Sea, Pacific Ocean, and East China sea.
 * Mountains ranges and desterts make up 2/3 of China.
 * West China - Taklimakan Desert and the 15000 ft. plateau, Tibet.
 * SouthWest - Himalayas.
 * North - Gobi Desert and Mongolian Plateau.
 * 2 river systems, flow from west - to ocean.
 * Haung He (Yellow River) found to the north. Called yellow river because of the silt it deposits (Loess)
 * The Chang Jiang (Yangtze) flows east - to Yellow Sea
 * The Huang He's floods ate cities earning the nickname (China's Sorrow)
 * Geographic desolation caused early settlers to supply their wn goods
 * Natural barriers didn't always protect China's settlers


 * Agriculture-**
 * Only 10% of Chin's land is suitable for china.
 * The Yellow River deposited fertile silt.
 * Irragation projects tamed Yellow River
 * Used Iron tools to farm more efficiantly.


 * Government-**
 * ~2000 BC some of China's settlements grew into China's first cities.
 * According to ledgend the first dynasty was Xia (Shia) it emerged about this time.
 * leader = Yu
 * Shang Rose
 * Shang Dynasty 1700BC - 1027BC
 * Shang Dynasty had first written records.
 * Dynastic Cycle
 * Mandate of Heaven.


 * Social Classes-**
 * Shang society - sharply divided between peasents and nobels.
 * Fuedilism.


 * Religion-**
 * Family strongly related to religion because the believed the dead ancestors could bring them goods or bad luck
 * Shang Di - Main god.
 * Oracle Bones - asked questions on animals bones and burnt them with a hot poker and read the cracks for an answer


 * Writing-**
 * 1 Character = 1 unit of language.
 * no links between spoken and written language
 * All writing was the same.
 * To get by with the language you would at least need to know 1500 chars.
 * A scholar knows around 10000 chars.


 * Culture-**
 * Believed everyone outside of China was barbaric.
 * Respect for everyone.
 * Family = Central for Chinese Society
 * Most important respect is for parents.
 * Eldaer man controlled property & made important decisions.
 * Women - Treated bad
 * Marraige was arranged when girls were 13-16 yrs old.


 * Warfare-**
 * Dynasty was over thrown in 1027BC
 * In 771 BC nomads from the north and west sacked the Zhou capitol and murdered the Zhou monarch,
 * Zhou leaders picked fights.


 * Trade-**
 * Roads and canals
 * Coins
 * Blast furnaces,
 * Weapons
 * Cast iron
 * Iron farming tools used to plant made it possible to work more effieciently.


 * Decline-**
 * 771 B.C nomads invaded
 * When they invaded they murdered the monarchs
 * Zhou often called Time of Warring States
 * Chaos, Arrogence was happening


 * Technology-**
 * Roads and Canals.
 * Swords
 * Blast furnaces
 * fuedilism
 * tools for farming
 * coined money