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China Centered on the Huang He (Yellow River)
and Yangtze rivers and was geographically isolated.
Chinese culture began around 1500 BC. China was governed by dynasties. Chinese rulers were considered divine, but
they served under a Mandate of Heaven only as long as their rule was just.
Confucianism and Taoism were important contributions.
River Dynasties in China China’s geography insured that it would
develop apart from other cultures. It was isolated from other areas. The land lies protected by a great ocean, huge deserts, and high mountains.
The mountains did not protect China totally. Many times during Chinese history, people living to the north and west of China invaded the land.
Family is central to Chinese society Society was held together by a strong
belief in the importance of the group- all the people- and not any single person.
The most important part of society was the family, and children grew up learning to respect their parents.
The family played a central role in Chinese religion, too. The Chinese thought that family members who had died could still influence the lives of family members still alive.
They gave respect to dead members of the family, hoping to keep them happy.
China’s written language The Chinese system of writing differed
from those other groups. Symbols stood for ideas, not sounds. As a result, the many different groups in China, who all had a special language, could still understand the same writing.
The written language had thousands of symbols, however, which made it very hard to learn. Only specially trained people learned to read and write.
The Great Wall of China Migratory invaders raided Chinese
settlements from the North. Qin Shi Huangdi built the Great Wall to
protect from these invasions. It stretched over 2000 miles. The towers
were around 40 feet tall. Many people died constructing the wall,
and in battles that raged around it, that the Great Wall is sometimes called the world’s largest cemetery.
Chinese Contributions Silk Road- facilitated trade and
contact between China and other cultures as far away as Rome.
Civil service system Paper Porcelain Silk- only the Chinese knew how to
make silk and it was in high demand in Rome, India and other areas.
Silk Road
Confucius seeks to organize Chinese society One of the most important of these thinkers
was Confucius. Born in 551 BC, he became a well educated man who thought deeply about the troubles of China.
He believed that a time of peace could return if people would work at five basic relationships: ruler and subject, father and son, husband and wife, older and younger brothers, and friend and friend.
The family relationships, he thought, were the most important.
Confucian ideas lay the groundwork for a civil service
He also tried to change government for the better. Using his ideas, the Chinese built a system in which people could work in the government only if they had a good education.
Over time, the ideas of Confucius spread to other countries of East Asia.
Confucianism
Belief that humans are good, not bad
Respect for elders Code of Politeness, still used in
Chinese society today Emphasis on education Ancestor worship
Taoists seek accord with nature.
Another thinker of this period was Laozi, who was more interested in putting people in touch with the powerful forces of nature.
Nature follows a universal force called the Dao, or “the Way”, said Laozi.
People do not follow this force, but they can learn to do so.
Taoism Humility Simple life and inner
peace Harmony with nature
Yin and Yang
Yin/ Yang For practical advice in solving problems, people in
China could consult a book called I Ching. It was based on the idea of Yin and Yang, two powers that balanced together to make harmony in the universe, representing opposites. By having these forces in balance, a person could reach harmony.
Found in Confucianism and Taoism Yang represented heaven, males, light, and action.
Yin stood for the earth, females, darkness, and being passive.
