UNIT 4: The First Chinese Civilizations

the most important philosopher of ancient China

Confucius

How did Confucianism spread?

Confucius's followers wrote down teachings and taught his ideas.

Himalayas

world's highest mountain range

What did the Shang religion focus on?

worshipping ancestors in hopes that they would help them

What is Sun Tzu famous for?

writing The Art of War, a book of military strategy

silt

small particles of clay or sand that are carried by water and deposited as a sediment

the Zhou

the longest dynasty in China's history

crop rotation

the practice of planting crops on different fields rather than the same fields each year to prevent the soil from wearing out

What was the goal of the leaders who read Confucius for advice?

to bring peace and prosperity

Why did the Shang create a calendar?

to help them know when they should plant crops

What artifacts helped archaeologists learn that early China had a social structure with wealthy classes?

tombs

lacquerware

an object of wood, clay, or metal that is coated with a hard, glossy varnish called lacquer

oracle bones

animal bones with writing on them that were used for fortune-telling

How did Chinese society use Confucian ideas?

Civil servants had to pass a test showing their knowledge. Rulers followed the Mandate of Heaven and treated their people well.

Pictographs

are like pictures that stand for a word's meaning.

The Xia Dynasty

China's first ruling family. It arose in the Huang He valley around 2070 BC.

What is another name for a skilled craftsperson?

artisan

Which best describes the characteristics of Chinese writing developed during the Shang dynasty?

Each character stood for a whole word or syllable.

What other ancient civilization shared the Zhou idea about divine kingship?

Egypt

Cheng Tang

Founder of Shang Dynasty

According to legend, how did Yu the Great found the Xia dynasty?

He drained the flooded land around the Huang He.

Which body of water supports the growing of wheat in China's northeastern plains?

Huang He

Gobi

In the Mongolian language, Gobi means "waterless place."

Yangtze River

Longest major river in China

What gave Zhou rulers the right to rule as long as they were good rulers?

Mandate of Heaven

Which best describes the Warring States Period?

Nobles fought constantly for local power

Civilization in China was protected by its geography

The Gobi Desert to the north the Himalayas to the south other mountains to the west protected it from invaders. The Pacific Ocean protected it to the east.

China's two main crops

rice and wheat

Huang He

river carrying yellowish topsoil

What problems were happening in China that Confucius tried to solve?

People were being immoral. The government was harsh.

What does the Mandate of Heaven state?

Rulers are a type of god that can do whatever they want with the support of heaven.

_[blank]_ described the teachings of Confucius.

The Analects

How did China's geography provide a natural defense?

The Gobi Desert kept out invaders from the northwest. The Himalayas formed a natural barrier to the south.

What are small particles of soil carried by water called?

silt

Why is Zhou history divided between the Western Zhou (1046-771 BC) and Eastern Zhou (771-256 BC)?

The capital city was moved to Luoyang in 771 BC.

What conclusion have archaeologists drawn from studying arrowheads and pottery from early Chinese settlements?

The early Chinese cultures were diverse.

cultivation

The preparation of land to grow and yield crops.

How did China's geography form a natural defense for its civilization?

The west was protected by deserts and mountains.

How were Zhou and Egyptian beliefs about rulers similar?

They believed that the power to rule came from heaven.

How did the Shang people practice ancestor worship?

They made animal and human sacrifices. They offered food on altars.

How did some early Chinese cultures keep their soil fertile?

They used crop rotation to switch the crops they grew each year.

What did artifacts such as arrowheads and pottery tell historians about the first Chinese settlements?

They were most often found near China's major rivers. Different settlements were diverse.

Which best describes the government of the Shang dynasty?

a ruling family with a king who had total power

The Analects

a collection of 20 books that contains nearly 500 verses

feudalism

a political system with a royal family at the top, nobles who own land, and peasants

peasant

a poor farmer of low social status

Confucianism

a religion and a philosophy, or a way of thinking about the world

Which metal was used for weapons and vessels in Shang China?

bronze

Gobi Desert

dry land in China's northwest A high desert in China and Mongolia. one of the coldest deserts outside Antarctica

What is the most important institution in society for Confucianists?

family

What were oracle bones used for in Shang-dynasty China?

fortune-telling

What evidence have archaeologists found to conclude that life in the Shang dynasty was strictly divided?

graves and homes of the wealthy

Tibetan Plateau

high land in western China

What caused the Zhou dynasty to decline?

invasions from other areas conflict between kings and nobles

A phonogram

is a symbol that stands for a syllable or sound.

An ideogram

is a symbol that stands for a word or idea.

Zhou artisans used jade, bronze, and_[blank]_ to make beautiful objects.

lacquer

Which artistic techniques became the trademarks of Zhou artisans?

lacquerware jade jewelry

plateau

large area of high land that is flat or gently rolling

The Zhou dynasty used _[blank]_ to help them maintain order.

nobles

Filial piety is respect for one's _[blank]_.

parents

A _[blank]_ is an example of a symbol used in writing during the Shang dynasty.

pictograph

Which most accurately describes a peasant?

poor farmer

What is filial piety?

respect for older family members