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China Geography

The Shang Dynasty ruled over ancient China from around 1523 BCE to 1028 BCE. They established their capital at Anyang, where kings were surrounded by courts and performed rituals to strengthen the kingdom. The Shang were largely an agricultural society led by a strong monarchy and army. They left behind artifacts including oracle bones, early examples of Chinese writing, that provided answers to questions through cracks interpreted by priests. The Shang declined after 600 years of rule due to difficulties governing a growing population, leading to their overthrow by the Zhou Dynasty in around 1100 BCE.

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Ancient China Geography & Shang Dynasty
The development of civilization in early China was aided by features like long rivers, fertile soils, temperate climates, and isolated valleys. ● China’s first civilizations developed in river valleys ● Two major rivers supplied water for earliest civilizations ● Chang Jiang, also called Yangzi ● Huang He, or Yellow River ● Both flow east from Plateau of Tibet to Yellow Sea Rivers, Soils, Climates ● Annual floods deposited rich soil, loess, on flood plains ● Valley of Huang He particularly fertile due to loess ● Fine dusty soil ● Carried into China by desert winds Loess China’s Geography
Yellow River Civilization ● China’s two major rivers are the Yangtze and the Hwang He. Both empty into the Pacific Ocean draining China’s heavily populated fertile plains. ● The earliest Chinese civilizations were found along the Hwang He (Yellow) river which suffers violent flooding each year. It’s nickname is China’s sorrow.
Isolation ● Combination of rivers for irrigation, fertile soil for planting allowed Chinese to thrive, as did China’s relative isolation ● Mountains, hills, desert protected China from invasion ● Himalaya Mountains separate southern China from India, rest of southern Asia; vast Gobi Desert prevented reaching China from west Crops ● Most of eastern China covered with fertile soils; some regions better suited than others for growing certain crops ● Southern China—warm, receives plenty of rainfall, excellent region for growing rice ● Further north—climate cooler, drier; suitable for grains, wheat, millet
● Archaeological discoveries suggest Chinese civilization began in Huang He valley ● People started growing crops there 9,000 years ago Beginnings of Civilization China’s Geography
Shang: 1523-1028 BCE
According to ancient Chinese records, the Shang dynasty formed around 1766 BC, although many archaeologists believe it actually began somewhat later than that. ● China ruled by strong monarchy ● At capital city, Anyang, kings surrounded by court ● Rituals performed to strengthen kingdom, keep safe Government and Society ● King’s governors ruled distant parts of kingdom ● King also had large army at disposal ● Prevented rebellions, fought outside opponents Order ● Shang China largely agricultural ● Most tended crops in fields ● Farmers called on to fight in army, work on building projects—tombs, palaces, walls Agricultural Society The Shang Dynasty
Leisure ● Ruling elite had free time to pursue leisure activities, hunting for sport ● Wealthy enjoyed collecting expensive bronze, jade objects Afterlife ● Tombs held remains of sacrificed prisoners of war ● Believed in afterlife where ruler would need riches, servants Artifacts ● Much of what is known comes from studying royal tombs ● Contained valuable items made of bronze, jade Ancestor Worship ● Shang offered gifts to deceased ancestors to keep them happy in afterlife ● Steam from ritual meals nourished ancestors’ spirits Shang Culture
Oracle Bones As part of worship, Shang asked ancestors for advice ● Sought advice through use of oracle bones ● Inscribed bits of animal bone, turtle shell ● Living person asked question of ancestor ● Hot piece of metal applied to oracle bone resulting in cracks on bone’s surface ● Specially trained priests interpreted meaning of cracks to learn answer
Oracle Bones
Writing ● Development of Chinese writing closely tied to use of oracle bones ● Earliest examples of Chinese writing, questions written on bones themselves ● Early Shang texts used picture symbols to represent objects, ideas End of Dynasty ● Shang ruled for more than 600 years, until about 1100 BC ● Ruling China’s growing population proved too much for Shang ● Armies from nearby tribe, Zhou, invaded, established new ruling dynasty Bronze ● Shang religion led to great advances in working with bronze ● Highly decorative bronze vessels, objects created for religious rituals ● Also built huge structures like tombs; created calendar, first money systems Shang Achievements and Decline