The document summarizes key aspects of Chinese history and culture from 1500 BC to 1911 AD, including major dynasties, innovations, and religious traditions. It notes that China developed early papermaking, printing, gunpowder, the compass, and cast iron. These innovations helped China advance agriculturally and commercially and eventually spread to other cultures, significantly impacting world history.

1. China

2. Chinese Dynasties
• 1500-1046 BC Shang Dynasty
• 618 – 907 AD Tang Dynasty
• 960-1279 AD Song Dynasty
• 1279-1368 AD Yuan Dynasty
• 1368-1644 AD Ming Dynasty
• 1644-1911 AD Qing Dynasty

3. Founder of Song Dynasty

4. Founder of Tang Dynasty

5. Founder of Ming Dynasty

6. • Developed ways to irrigate their crops
• Used iron farm implements
– Made farming more effective
– Made more land available for farming
• Why is this important?

8. Commerce
• Trade with their neighbors
– Tin was imported to make bronze
– Cowry and turtle shells exported
– Exported iron ore products
– Exported silk

9. Money
• Silk, jade, pearls, metal leather, dogs and
horses was used as money at first
• Began casting bronze into shapes
• First civilization to print paper money

10. Innovations

11. Paper
• Developed earliest
known paper
• Developed toilet
paper, tea bags,
paper money

12. Compass
• First to use a compass
• Used it to align buildings
• Used it late to find direction – during the Song
dynasty

13. Gunpowder
• Discovered it by accident
• Trying to come up with substance that would
give them eternal life
• Quickly developed weapons
– Flamethrowers, rockets and crude bombs
• Developed guns during the Ming Dynasty

14. Printing
• First to develop woodblock printing
• Also developed movable type printing, but did
not utilize it
• Johannes Gutenberg was the first to utilize it.

15. Earliest known book – Tang Dynasty

16. Iron
• Among the first
to develop cast
iron

18. Merchant Class
• Merchants were considered undesirable
• Thought to be dangerous because they were
mobile and wealthy
• They were not allowed to own property or
serve in the government

19. • Things changed during the Song Dynasty
• They took examinations and entered civil
service
• They worked to become respected and
influential members of Chinese society

20. • The growth of the merchant class brought
benefits to China
1. Factories were built
2. Towns rose up near trading centers
3. Standard of living improved

21. Religion

22. Ancestor Worship
• Hoped their ancestors would bless and guide
them

23. Confucianism
• 5 basic relationships
1. Father and son
2. Elder and younger brothers
3. Husband and wife
4. Friend and friend
5. Ruler and subjects
Confucius

24. Buddhism
• Founded on four truths:
1. Suffering is part of all existence
2. Suffering has a cause
3. Suffering can be overcome by destroying
selfish desires
4. If man follows the eightfold path, he will
destroy selfish desires and end suffering

26. Taoism
• Peace and harmony can be found by living in
harmony with nature
• Very passive that rejects striving after power,
wealth and learning

27. Lao-tzu

28. Ch. 4 Sec. 1
Discussion Question
• What was the significance of Chinese
inventions and technology for all cultures?