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                                         Shang Dynasty Basics

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                                         Shang Dynasty Basics

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- (Lasted from the mid 18th century to the mid 16th century B.C.E.)

- The Shang learned a variety of different skills that were important to their growth. They learned how to work with animal bones, jade, wood, and ceramics.
- The Shang kept livestock such as pigs, sheep, and dogs. They also grew crops such as wheat and rice.
- Similar to other ancient civilizations, there was a social pyramid. The king was at the top, right below them were warriors, then priests, and people with common jobs such as merchants or farmers.

- The classes had different routines when regarding funerals. The kings were buried in large tombs with objects that could be useful in the afterlife. The lower classes sometimes did not even get a tomb and were disposed in wells.
- King Zhou was the leader at the time that the dynasty fell and it was likely due to a battle since their army was worn down from previous battles.

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                                  Shang Dynasty Achievments

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                                  Shang Dynasty Achievments

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- The Shang were the first group to use bronze for ceremonial containers,       weapons, and chariots.
- Shang were the first known group to have their own Chinese language.
- They engraved characters in bronze and on animal bones.
- They would keep records on the bones about information about the political timelines. They would also attempt to predict the future by writing a question on the bones and breaking it. These were called oracle bones.
- Similar concepts were not found because they were unable to survive being buried for multiple centuries. It is also thought that the ones on silk or books made of bamboo were burned by the emperor at the time of 100 B.C.E.
- Political records were also written on animal bones to keep tack of the different rulers.

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                                       Shang Dynasty Religion

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                                       Shang Dynasty Religion

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- The Shang worshiped multiple gods since the "official" religions had not been formed.
- The Shang also believed that the fate of their crops and health rested in their deceased relatives' hands.
- During the Shang dynasty, people worshiped Shang Ti, who was thought to be the bridge between humans and certain gods. To make him happy, they would sometimes offer human scarifies and offering or simply by prayers.

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                  A Jade and Bronze Axe Found by Archaeologists

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                  A Jade and Bronze Axe Found by Archaeologists

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                                               Zhou Dynasty

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                                               Zhou Dynasty

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- Also referred to as the Chou Dynasty
- Lasted from 1045 B.C.E. to 256 B.C.E.
- This was China's longest lasting dynasty.
- The Zhou ruled immediately after they overtook the Shang.
- The claimed they has the right to be the new rulers because of the Mandate of Heaven.
- The civilization was broken up into states and the highest supporters led them.
- In 771 B.C.E., a weak ruler was overthrown and the dynasty had to move east.
- During the Zhou period, many cities evolved, the merchants found ways to develop for the economy, and money started being used to pay.
- The dynasty fell in 256 B.C. due to weak power.
- The Qin Dynasty battled six other states for power but finally won in 221 B.C.E.

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                                           Mandate of Heaven

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                                           Mandate of Heaven

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The system that justified rulers being overthrown and replaced.

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                                      The Qin Dynasty's Basics

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                                      The Qin Dynasty's Basics

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- The Qin Dynasty started in 221 B.C.E. and ended in 202 B.C.E.
- The Qin began as guards of the Zhou building and they were able to gain power (in the western region of China) through this.
- They could not gain control over the eastern part of China, though.
- They were able to conquer a number of non-Chinese tribes that were living near the Huang He River.
- The Chu and Jin were the only ones able to give the Qin the ruling title for their region.
- While the other groups were fighting for power, the Qin were able to sit back since the were not close to the battlefield, and remain alive.
- They also stayed alive because they were so young and all of there followers were mostly on the same page, so they were able to develop a government system. They later tried to adopt eastern civilians who were able to help their government evolve.
- Xiaogong was the Qin ruler that worked with Shang Yang to establish new changes.
- Shang Yang worked on enforcing the law for all classes and the highest nobility should be given to the ones who served their state the most. This made the nobles at the time, furious.
- Shang Yang heavily encouraged agricultural development. Farmers were rewarded when new hires were from out of state and when they turned a wasteland into farmland. This resulted in more crops and took away workers from neighboring counties.
- Xiaogong's death resulted in Shang Yang being put to death, as well.
- After the death of the leaders, the Zhou were weak so many thought they should all come together. This being said, they could not agree on one universal ruler.
- In 325 B.C.E., Xiaogong's son, Huiwang claimed the throne. Fifty years later, the Qin held the power over all of their neighbors.
- The Qin Dynasty fell when Shi Huangdi died because his most loyal fans were killed.

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                          The Qin Dynasty's Government Pt. 1

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                          The Qin Dynasty's Government Pt. 1

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- The Qin stayed alive because they were so young and all of there followers were mostly on the same page, so they were able to develop a government system. They later tried to adopt eastern civilians who were able to help their government evolve.
- Xiaogong was the first Qin ruler that worked with Shang Yang to establish new changes.
- Shang Yang worked on enforcing the law for all classes and the highest nobility should be given to the ones who served their state the most. This made the nobles at the time, furious.
- Shang Yang's (arguably) biggest change was how he changed the government. Specific villages and towns were separated into counties, and further into districts.
- To encourage a higher population, a male who was not the master of a household was taxed double. This resulted in young children to move out to own their own households.

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                          The Qin Dynasty's Government Pt. 2

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                          The Qin Dynasty's Government Pt. 2

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- in 221 B.C.E., Shi Huangdi (also known as Qin Shi Huang) claimed the power and titled himself the "First Sovereign Emperor". He was the final ruler.
- He got rid of the feudal system and sent officials to different local towns to supervise. And others were sent overseas to do the same.
- China was divided into almost forty prefectures that became traditionally known as the Chinese boundaries.
- He also built highways to transfer his military. These were built by hundreds of thousands of workers  who also built stations and signal towers along the way. This was later named The Great Wall of China.
- Many died while they were forced to work which made wealthy men have to move to the capital.
- Hundreds of scholars were murdered for criticizing the emperor and his policies.
- Shi Huangdi made sure all books (except ones regarding the topics of law, farming, and herbal medicine) were destroyed. This gave him the title of one of the cruelest Chinese tyrants and history.
- Shi Huagdi would disagree with the title of tyrant because he salvaged a corrupted age, simplified the writing system, and improved the law.
- He was afraid of death and would pray to gods and try to find medicines that would give him the gift of immortality.
- He died in 210 B.C.E. and when his tomb was discovered, over six thousand life-like soldiers were found to be buried with him.

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                                          Terracotta Warriors

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                                          Terracotta Warriors

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                                        Han Dynasty Basics 

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                                        Han Dynasty Basics 

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- The Han dynasty lasted over four hundred years (starting in 206 B.C.E. and ending in 220 A.D.)
- The Han dynasty was known and remembered for connecting Asia and Europe by the Silk Road. The Silk Road exchanged everything from Buddhism and spices.
- The Great Wall was mostly built (but not started) in the Han dynasty which was made to protect the Chinese from foreign invaders.
- Following in the previous dynasties' footsteps, construction skills and iron usage became more and more common.

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                                   Han Dynasty Government

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                                   Han Dynasty Government

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- The Hans took over the Qin dynasty after it's short rule of fifteen years.
- The Han Dynasty is considered one of the most successful periods of Chinese history.
- After the turn of the Hans' third century of rule, corruption and similar problems began to affect individuals.
- In 220 A.D., the Heavenly Mandate was lost and resulted in politically fueled chaos for the next (almost) four hundred years.

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                                  Han Dynasty Achievements 

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                                  Han Dynasty Achievements 

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- Paper, porcelain, and the wheelbarrow were invented in the Han dynasty.
- The use of paper in China was one thousand years earlier than its use in Europe.
- Wu Ti was a leader who reigned for over fifty years from 140 B.C.E. to 87 B.C.E. He made an important western expansion.
- He was thought to be the holder of the Mandate of Heaven, the idea that gods sent the rulers for the sole purpose to rule.
- Wu Ti sent one hundred men led by Chang Ch'ien to scope out a rumored wealthy land. Chang returned after thirteen years with only one of his men.
- Chang was sent back out years later where he began the route of the iconic, Silk Road.
- Items such as ivory and wool were imported to China and furs, jade, and bronze objects were exported to western counties.
- Wu Ti restored the Great Wall and expanded in about three hundred miles and into the Gobi Desert. About ten lives were lost every one mile of building, which resulted in one mile per day.
The Hans studied astronomy and developed acupuncture treatments and herbal medicine for illnesses.
- Atlases that showed correct positions of Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn were also written.

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                                      The Great Wall of China

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                                      The Great Wall of China

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                                            Sui Dynasty Basics

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                                            Sui Dynasty Basics

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- The Sui dynasty lasted from 581 A.D. to 618 A.D.
- The first ruler, Yang Jian, promoted the religion of Buddhism before his suspected murder in 604 A.D.
- The fall of the dynasty was both caused by the Chinese civilians turning against the emperor and the military's several large losses.
- In 612, the Chinese army was defeated by the Koreans and that pushed the Chinese over the edge.
- The Sui dynasty ended with the assassination of the emperor.
- The dynasty ended the same year as the Tang dynasty was formed.

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                                     Sui Dynasty Government

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                                     Sui Dynasty Government

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- The, first ruler was named Yang Jian (also referred to as Yang Chien).
- Jian was responsible for bringing together the people from northern and western China after four centuries of war.
- He founded a law code, built a capital, and promoted certain religious beliefs.
- He is thought to have been murdered by his son, Sui Yangdi, who replaced his position.
- Yangdi had built the first waterway for shipping crops and products. it was over twelve hundred miles.
- Yangdi was unable to defeat both Korea and Manchuria.

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                            Geological Map of the Sui Dynasty

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                            Geological Map of the Sui Dynasty

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                                          Tang Dynasty Basics

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                                          Tang Dynasty Basics

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- The Tang dynasty's first ruler was Kao-tsu and he ruled for eight years, starting in 618 A.D. and ending in 907 A.D.
- The enemies of the Tang were killed by General Li Shih-min, Kao-tsu's son. He also was responsible for murdering his brothers and forcing his father to give him the power to rule.
- Some achievements of the Tang were the creation of gunpowder and the use of printing on blocks of wood.
- Islam and Buddhism were regularly practiced throughout China and an adaptation of Buddhism (Zen Buddhism) was created.
- Some honored poets during the Tang dynasty were Li Po, Tu Fu, and Wang Wei and they were popular because their writings were simple.
- In 756 A.D., the An Lu-shan Rebellion was the cause of many deaths which included members of the ruling family. This started the downfall.
- The fall of the dynasty officially was caused by the main government becoming weak. This broke the dynasty into ten kingdoms. With the fall of the Tang dynasty, came the end of the Golden Age.

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                                    Tang Dynasty Government

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                                    Tang Dynasty Government

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- Kao-tsu, as ruler, gave every Chinese male who paid taxes the same amount of land and created a system of payment involving copper and silk. He also wrote an amount of laws that were used for centuries.
- After taking the throne, Shih-min was named Emperor Tai-tsung. He started China's Golden Age.
- Tai-tsung decreased the government's size, bought large amounts of food in case of an emergency, and had enough money in case farmers' crops were destroyed.
- The Tang dynasty was able to expand drastically into Korea and Central Asia. This led to them being able to communicate with many other countries such as Persia, and trade with other empires.

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                                        Tang Dynasty Religion 

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                                        Tang Dynasty Religion 

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- Another emperor, Emperor Wu-tsung followed Taoism. He made an attempt to completely get rid of Buddhism practices. He closed thousands of temples to take their money, which worked.
- The decline of Buddhism had an affect on lots of Chinese citizens' attitudes. They also had problems with communicating with trade partners. Because of this, foreigners were banned from the empire in 836 A.D.

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A Piece of Art Depicting an Emperor (Ming Huang) and His Travels

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A Piece of Art Depicting an Emperor (Ming Huang) and His Travels

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                                        Song Dynasty Basics 

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                                        Song Dynasty Basics 

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- The Song dynasty lasted from 960 to 1279 A.D.
- The government positions were given to people with high worth.
-  Neo-Confucianism combined some aspects of Confucianism with Buddhism and Taoism and was led by a philosopher named Zhu Xi. This was the official state philosophy and all of the next Chinese dynasties would also follow it.
- The Song were typically attacked by foreigners from the north.
- The downfall came after the Song were attacked and defeated by Mongols. These Mongols later formed the Yuan dynasty.

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                                   Song Dynasty Achievements 

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                                   Song Dynasty Achievements 

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- New farming practices created new kinds of rice, and the handheld gun and a movable printing device were made.
- There was also advancements in the building of ships, processing of tea, manufacturing of porcelain, and in education.
- Artists started straying from more imaginative types of art and started painting pictures of landscapes.
- The Song were also the first to use paper money as a form of payment.

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       Taizu, An Emperor (and The Founder) of The Song Dynasty

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       Taizu, An Emperor (and The Founder) of The Song Dynasty

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                                          Ming Dynasty Basics

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                                          Ming Dynasty Basics

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- The Ming dynasty was the main power in China from 1368 to 1644.
- The Ming were considered the most stable of the dynasties.
- In court cases, the Ming would hit people with a stick as a form of punishment.
- The fall of the Ming was caused by the weakness and disconnect between the Ming emperor and rulers of surrounding areas.

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                                       Ming Dynasty Government 

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                                       Ming Dynasty Government 

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- The rulers during the Ming dynasty typically placed their own needs and values over everyone else.
- The government structure the Ming used lasted until 1912.
- All Ming that wanted to be officials had to be examined and checked for past crimes before getting the job.
- The government was "supervised"  by people who were both educated and invested in literature.
- There were three agencies meant to supervise their provinces and they were also responsible for spying on members of the community.

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                                       Ming Dynasty's Military

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                                       Ming Dynasty's Military

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- Over the course of their existence, the Ming fought with Mongols and Juchen.
- They also took advantage of the great Wall and used that as a protective barrier, so they spent a lot of time trying to evolve it.
- At the beginning of the dynasty, China's land was extended greatly after they invaded the Vietnamese, but they had to move back to their original boundary line after they resisted.

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                                             Ming Dynasty Arts

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                                             Ming Dynasty Arts

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- A palace was built in the fifteenth century by an emperor.
- In addition to the palace, the Ming also professionally carved intricate designs in jade, ivory, wood and porcelain.
- When regarding physical art pieces, there were major advancements were found in the paintings and pottery.
- Traditionally, artists focused on showcasing their own personality through their pieces.
- As well as physical art pieces, the Ming had been able to restore certain literary pieces which led to books of drama and classical poetry.
- The books of drama were banned (by the Mongols) and were forced to be secretly kept in the south during the Song dynasty. the Ming dynasty fully restored them.
- A form of theater still performed today is called kunqu. Kunqu was adapted from chuanqi which was more dramatic.

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A Porcelain Pot Made in the Ming Dynasty with Details of Dragons

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A Porcelain Pot Made in the Ming Dynasty with Details of Dragons

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                                                Works Cited

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                                                Works Cited

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Ushistory.com Staff. "Shang Dynasty- China's First Recorded History" Adapted by Newsela Staff. ushistory.com, 28 June 2017, Newsela. https://newsela.com/read/lib-ushistory-ancient-china-shang-dynasty/id/32201/
"Ancient Chinese Jades & Bronzes | Exhibitions | Freer And Sackler Galleries." Archive.asia.si.edu. N. p., 2018. Web. 17 Dec. 2018.
Hardy, Grant. "Zhou dynasty." World Book Advanced, World Book, 2018,
www.worldbookonline.com/advanced/article?id=ar616794. Accessed 18 Dec. 2018.
"Existential And Essentialist Modalities Of Ancient Shinto." Bhoffert.faculty.noctrl.edu. N. p., 2018. Web. 18 Dec. 2018.
The Editors at Encyclopedia Britannica "Qin Dynasty". Adapted by Newsela Staff. Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 August, 2017. Newsela. https://newsela.com/read/lib-overview-qin-dynasty/id/33048/
"Terra Cotta Warriors." Umich.edu. N. p., 2018. Web. 18 Dec. 2018.
Ushistory.com Staff. "Han Dynasty- Cultural Heights." Adapted by the Newsela Staff. ushistory.com, 28 June, 2017, Newsela. https://newsela.com/read/lib-ushistory-china-han-dynasty/id/32153/
"Wall Of Ancient Qin Dynasty, Great Wall Of The Qin Dynasty." China Highlights. N. p., 2018. Web. 18 Dec. 2018.
Hardy, Grant. "Sui dynasty." World Book Advanced, World Book, 2018,
www.worldbookonline.com/advanced/article?id=ar538455. Accessed 19 Dec. 2018
"The Sui Dynasty Map, Map Of Sui's Ruling Area ." China Highlights. N. p., 2018. Web. 19 Dec. 2018.
Ushistory.com Staff. "Tang Dynasty- The Golden Age" Adapted by Newsela Staff. ushistory.com, 27 June 2017, Newsela. https://newsela.com/read/lib-ushistory-china-tang-dynasty/id/32167/
Cartwright, Mark, and Mark Cartwright. "The Art Of The Tang Dynasty." Ancient History Encyclopedia. N. p., 2018. Web. 20 Dec. 2018.
Hardy, Grant. "Song dynasty." World Book Advanced, World Book, 2018,
www.worldbookonline.com/advanced/article?id=ar519820. Accessed 20 Dec. 2018.
"Taizu | Emperor Of Song Dynasty." Encyclopedia Britannica. N. p., 2018. Web. 20 Dec. 2018.
The Editors at Encyclopedia Britannica "The Ming Dynasty of China: 1368-1644". Adapted by
Newsela Staff. Encyclopedia Britannica, 13 October, 2017. Newsela. https://newsela.com/read/lib-china-ming-dynasty/id/36090/
Metmuseum.org. N. p., 2018. Web. 20 Dec. 2018.