China has a variety of climates and landscapes that influenced its development. The north has harsh winters while the south is wetter and grows rice. Mountains like the Himalayas and deserts isolated China but also allowed it to develop a unique culture. Major rivers like the Yellow River fostered agriculture and trade. Early dynasties like the Shang and Zhou established Chinese civilization and philosophies like Confucianism and Daoism that emphasized harmony with nature. Successive dynasties expanded the empire through technology, infrastructure, and military power but also faced invasions and rebellions due to harsh policies.

3. China’s Geography and Climate
CLIMATE
North: - Receives less rain
- Temps. More extreme
- Shorter growing season
-Grow WHEAT
South: - more rain
- Grow RICE
MOUNTAINS
-Himalayas
- Kunlun Shan – Run East to West and Cuts China into
North and South
- Tibetan Plateau – in the West

4. RIVERS
China Proper – East Coast and Inland has 3 wide soil
carrying rivers, Fertile Soil, and irrigation
(1) Huang He River – 2900 miles. Empties into Yellow Sea
(Yellow River) - Valley has fertile yellow silt called Loess
- devastating floods -> build dikes/walls to
hold back water. Silt deposits on River
bottom and floods again
(2) Yangtze River – 3434 miles. Cuts large channel into valley
(Chang)
- Seagoing ships could travel upstream
- small ships could go 1700 miles upstream
(3) Xi River – 1200 miles long, transportation, large ships can
navigate 1/3 of its length

5. CHINA’S ISOLATION
-Great distances, Mountains, and the Gobi Desert isolate
China from India and the West.
-This allows China to develop a distinctive culture.
-Some, but little outside influence/ cultural diffusion
NOMADIC PEOPLES
- N and NW borders had (semi) Nomadic people who
spoke
their own languages
- Trade and attacks occurred between Nomads and
Chinese Civilization
- Chinese considered them inferior
called them barbarians
-Later Chinese will build a wall
to protect themselves
Traditional Mongolian Dress

6. SUPERIORITY
- isolation caused strong identity and superiority complex
- Chinese believed China was at the center of the world so
they called it the “middle kingdom”
- Believed others must learn Chinese language and adopt
customs in order become “civilized”
- Invaders  eventually loose identity and are absorbed
into China’s population

7. Chinese Dynasties
XIA (Shi-ah)– line of kings who ruled during the late Neolithic Era
- Huang He Valley in ~2200 BCE
- YU The Great – 1st Xia Ruler, engineer and mathematician
- developed and improved agriculture with irrigation and helped
control floods
- Began writing in symbols

8. SHANG – 1750-1500BCE
- simple irrigation and flood control
-establish 1st historic dynasty
-Shang leader asks the Xia people to reject their leader and
follow him
Government  capital near Anyang: City w/large walls
surrounding it for protection against waging wars.
Bureaucracy – government organized into different level and tasks
-chariots and bronze weapons to defend and increase the empire.
Economy
- agriculture (rice and millet)
-Domestic animals (pigs, chicken, horse)
-Silk Worms spun silk thread from cocoons
-Artisans  bone, ivory, jade, Kaolin (white clay, glaze it,
more durable)

9. Calendar – lunar and solar
- priests and astronomers – very important as they
added day to the calendar.
- Rulers success based on harvest.
Religion – Ancestor worship and Animism – the belief that
spirits inhabit everything. (ROCK + CAT)
Dragon – all powerful, lives in sea, goes to the sky,
symbol of Chinese Rulers
-Gods – wind, sun, clouds, moon (festivals and
sacrifices)
Shangdi – god who controlled human destiny
- Oracle Bones – priests carved questions in bones
and
heated up them up, priests would read the
cracks for answers

10. Oracle Bones

11. Language and Writing many dialects
- 1st in China to have a written language
- Pictographs  ideographs (idea sign + phonetic sign)
- eventually called calligraphy
- only specialists learned to read/write
-1500 characters = barely literate, 10,000=true scholar

12. ZHOU (Joe)– conquest in ~1050 BCE alliance w/ warlike
tribes to N.
- longest lasting dynasty – end in 256BCE
- Zhou rulers gave territory to members of royal family/allies
-each new generation had to pledge loyalty to Zhou king
-Believed God in Heaven determined who should rule China
Royal Authority came from Heaven= “Mandate of Heaven”
-~700BCE local leaders are fighting each other=internal strife
- Dynastic Cycles – strong dynasty emerges, dynasty
declines, natural disasters + rebellions, loss of mandate of
heaven, dynasty overthrown, new dynasty emerges
-Confucius – most influential scholar during time of crisis and
violence
-Feudalism - political system in which nobles or lords are
granted use of land that legally belong to the King (Japan+Eur.)
Technology and Trade : -Roads, canals, coined money, blast
furnaces for iron sickles, knives and spades.

14. Writings we have learned…

15. QIN (Chin = “CHINA”)– ~20 years
- 221 BCE take over by military might
- Cheng – est. new dynasty and calls himself
Shi Huangdi  “The 1st Emperor”
- The name China comes from Qin Dynasty
- Autocracy- Emperor has full power.
-Qin Shi Huangdi – The Great Wall of China, starts building
wall for defense. People are made to work on walls. 
During Qin dynasty it reaches 1500 miles long.
Legalism- strict rule of people through harsh rules and
punishments. Burned books disagreeing with legalist ideas.
- People become more angry as separation between Emperor and
mass of people becomes larger. (money)
-206 BCE rebel army revolts.

16. Shi Huangdi’s
Terra Cotta Army

19. HAN – Liu Bang is a commoner who became a General and
overthrows Qin and creates new dynasty “King of Han”
- Han rule for 400yrs.
-Capital at Xi’an (Chang-an)
-Empire extends very large. Uses centralized government=
central authority control the running of the state.
Civil Service System – people recommended to help run gov’t.
Eventually people must take tests to hold office.
Leveling – price controls on agriculture to balance economic
effects (surplus/shortage). Lowered taxes and
softened harsh punishments of the Qin.
Trade – Silk Road – Stretches from China to the Mediterranean
Sea. Camel caravans carried jade, silk, valuable goods.
Returned with gold silver, wool. (Dangerous and long)
Inventions traded on silk Road – Paper, silk, civil service system,
porcelain, gun powder, kites, compass, block printing, embroidery

20. -Liu Bang dies in 195bc, his son takes over, but really Liu
Bang’s wife Empress Lii ruled.
-In 180BC when Lii dies, Liu Bang’s family kills off Lii’s family.
-Liu Bang’s great-grandson Emperor Wudi took over in
141bc.
-He expands the empire with warfare.
-Nomads called the Xiongnu, known for archery skills
on horseback attack Han. Han tried to buy off Xiongnu for
peace, but eventually they took bribes and
continued
raiding.
-Emperor Wudi sought out allies in order to defeat them.

21. SUI – (Sway)
-Grand Canal – connects Huang He and
Yangtze together.
-1000miles, created in 5yrs. by peasants
- forced labor causes people to turn
against dynasty.

22. TANG – 300 years, Empire expanded by reconquering lost
lands.
-Empress Wu Zhao/ Wu Zentian  only woman to hold
complete power and title of Emperor.
-Takes control of Korea
-Strengthens central government
-Promotes foreign trade and improves
agriculture
- Guarded Silk Road with armies to keep trade safe
Mid700s – start heavily taxing people and vast empire begins to
fall apart (Do we see a trend? Dynastic Cycle)
-Muslim armies win battles and land
-907 Chinese rebels attack and burn
the Tang Capital

23. SONG – lasted about 300 years
-Attempted to buy peace with nomads -Failed
-Population in China doubles during dynasty
Inventions during TANG and SONG:
Movable Type – block printing
Explosive/Gun powder
Porcelain
Clock
Paper money
Compass
Golden age for poetry and art
Acupuncture – inserting slender needles in specific points of
body, depending on the nature of the problem.

24. Chinese Philosophies – look to restore harmony of nature,
which has two sides-Opposite forces in balance -Yin and Yang.
Yin – female, dark, and passive
Yang – in male, bright, and active.
Confucianism – (Zhou) Confucius 551-479 BCE wrote the
Analects – collection of his teachings
Most influential of Chinese Philosophies
3 main ideas: importance of family (filial piety), respect for elders,
and respect for ancestors
Confucius wanted to solve problems or ethical/moral leadership
leaders must accept role/duty in society, have high virtue,
be moral and educated  then people will follow them.
Mencius 372-389 BCE adopted his teachings. He taught that
people contained “much goodness”.
Believed people had a right to rebel against harsh rules.
-became part of classical Chinese traditions

25. * Feminine
* Masculine
* Passive
* Active
* Darkness
* Light
* Cold
* Warmth
* Weak
* Strong
* Earth;
Moon
* Heaven;
Sun

26. 1. Ruler
Subject
2. Father
Son
3. Husband
Wife
4. Older
Brother
Younger
Brother
5. Older
Friend
Younger
Friend

27. Daoism (Taoism) – (Zhou)
Laozi – founded Daoism. Dao  “the way”, indescribable
force that governed the universe and nature.
-Believed people should withdraw from the world and contemplate
nature.
-People should live in harmony with the world. Have no material
wealth. Shunned politics, don’t seek power, be humble, quiet,
thoughtful.
- Dao DeJing (“The way of virture”)– compilation of Laozi’s Daoism
teachings.
- Daoism -2nd to Confucianism in importance in Chinese life
-Confucianism and Daoism were like Yin and Yang to Chinese
culture, each supplied what the other lacked.

28. Legalism – (Qin dynasty – Cheng)
-concerned with politics, power was not a virtue.
-strict law.
- people are selfish by nature, untrustworthy
-peace and prosperity only achieved by threatening
- punishments if people did not obey laws
Cheng followed legalism. Qin dynasty lasted only 15 years. Failed
because of cruel methods.
Han – had balance between Legalism and Confucianism

29. Buddhism –
Missionaries from India spread Buddhism to China. ASOKA.
Wars threatened the family centered security
-During the Han dynasty/ when it fell Buddhism was adopted
-People wanted peace and safety during turbulent times
-Universal charity and compassion
-In China, Korea, and Japan Mahayan Buddhism was accepted 
worshiped Buddha as a savior and god