220-223 CO7-824133 3/9/04 7:56 AM Page 220 D.E. Cox/Getty Images Early China The first Great Wall of China was built more than 2,000 years ago to keep out invaders. The current wall, which is about 4,000 miles long, was built about 500 years ago. 18001800 B..C.. 1150 1150 B..C.. 500 500 B..C.. A..D.. 150 150 c. 1750 B.C. 1045 B.C. 551 B.C. c. A.D. 100 Shang dynasty Wu Wang Confucius Silk Road begins creates is born established Zhou dynasty 220-223 CO7-824133 3/9/04 8:02 AM Page 221 Chapter Overview Visit Chapter Preview jat.glencoe.com for a preview The ancient Chinese, like the Egyptians, established of Chapter 7. long-ruling dynasties. The Chinese valued three great philosophies: Confucianism, Daoism, and Legalism. View the Chapter 7 video in the World History: Journey Across Time Video Program. China’s First Civilizations Chinese civilization was shaped by geography such as mountains and large rivers. Long-lasting dynasties gained power through strong armies. Life in Ancient China Early Chinese society had three main social classes: aristocrats, farmers, and merchants. During periods of unrest, ideas such as Confucianism and Daoism developed. The Qin and Han Dynasties Both the Qin and Han dynasties created strong central governments. New inventions developed during the Han dynasty helped to improve the lives of Chinese people. Organizing Information Make this foldable to help you organize information about the important people in the early history of China. Step 1 Fold a Step 2 Turn the paper Reading and Writing sheet of paper and fold it into thirds. As you read the chapter, in half from Fold it so the left edge lies about list important people and side to side. 1 what they did or taught 2 inch from the right edge. during these periods in Chinese history. Step 4 Turn the paper and label it as shown. Step 3 Unfold and cut the top layer only along both folds. China’s First Civilizations This will make Chinese three tabs. Philosophers Qin and Han 221 220-223 CO7-824133 3/9/04 8:04 AM Page 222 Text Structure Headings and Punctuation As you read this chapter, pay attention to bold headings and punctuation. They are used by authors to help you better understand what you are reading. Look at the heading on page 235, Chinese Thinkers. By putting these words in red, the author lets you know, even before you begin reading, that this part of the chapter is about famous thinkers in Chinese history. Paying attention to punctuation marks also can help you understand the text. Look at the punctuation marks in the paragraph below. Words are indented to To Confucius, the best show where a new para- way to behave was simi- graph and lar to an idea known as a new idea begin. the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would A colon (:) tells you that have others do unto you.” the words that follow are an —from page 236 illustration or an explana- tion of the first part of the sentence. Read a section out loud. Say the names of the Quotation marks punctuation marks as have several uses. you read. This will help Here they are used to you remember why cer- set off words taken tain punctuation marks from another source. are used. 222 220-223 CO7-824133 3/21/04 10:03 AM Page 223 Punctuation Clues Read to Write Suppose you had a Look at the heading and punctuation in the following younger brother, sister, paragraph and answer the questions that follow. or friend who was just learning to read. How could you explain the use of punctuation marks to this person? Write a step-by-step explanation The Zhou Empire Falls Over time, of what he or she would the local rulers of the Zhou territories need to know about became powerful. They stopped periods, commas, colons, obeying the Zhou kings and set up and quotation marks. their own states. In 403 B.C. fighting broke out. For almost 200 years, the states battled each other. Historians call this time the “Period of the Warring States.” —from page 231 1. Based on the heading, what do you think this section will be about? 2. Why do you think the phrase “Period of the Warring States” is in quotation marks? 3. How will you know when a new paragraph begins? Winged dragon from Zhou dynasty As you read the chapter, jot down punctuation or section headings that you do not understand. Write them in your notebook to discuss later. 223 file photo 224-231 C7S1-824133 3/9/04 8:29 AM Page 224 China’s First Civilizations What’s the Connection? Meeting People In earlier chapters, you learned Wu Wang (WOO WAHNG) that many civilizations developed in river valleys. The civilizations of Building Your Vocabulary China also began in river valleys. dynasty (DY•nuh•stee) However, other features of the land, aristocrat (uh•RIHS•tuh•KRAT) such as mountains and deserts, pictograph (PIHK•tuh•GRAF) affected China’s history as well. ideograph (IH•dee•uh•GRAF) bureaucracy (byu•RAH•kruh•see) Focusing on the mandate (MAN•DAYT) • Rivers, mountains, and deserts helped shape China’s civilization. (page 225) Dao (DOW) • Rulers known as the Shang became Reading Strategy powerful because they controlled Summarizing Information Complete land and had strong armies. (page 226) a chart like the one below describing • Chinese rulers claimed that the the characteristics of the Shang and Mandate of Heaven gave them Zhou dynasties. the right to rule. (page 229) Shang Zhou Dynasty Dynasty Locating Places Dates Huang He (HWAHNG HUH) Leadership Chang Jiang (CHAHNG JYAHNG) Accomplishments Anyang (AHN•YAHNG) 1750 B..C.975.975 B..C.. 200 200 BB..C.. c. 1750 B.C. 1045 B.C. 221 B.C. Shang dynasty Wu Wang Qin dynasty Anyang begins creates Zhou begins dynasty Luoyang 224 CHAPTER 7 Early China 224-231 C7S1-875047 9/13/06 2:03 PM Page 225 people drowned and many homes were China’s Geography destroyed. As a result, the Chinese called Rivers, mountains, and deserts helped the Huang He “China’s sorrow.” shape China’s civilization. The river, however, also brought a gift. Reading Focus Why do you think so many cities and When the river flooded, it left behind rich towns were built beside rivers? Read to learn why rivers topsoil in the Huang He valley. As a result, were important to the development of China. farmers could grow large amounts of food on very small farms. The Huang He (HWAHNG HUH), or China also has another great river, Yellow River, flows across China for more called the Chang Jiang (CHAHNG JYAHNG), than 2,900 miles (4,666 km). It gets its name or the Yangtze River. The Chang Jiang is from the rich yellow soil it carries from even longer than the Huang He. It flows Mongolia to the Pacific Ocean. for about 3,400 miles (5,471 km) east across Like rivers in early Mesopotamia and central China where it empties into the Egypt, China’s Huang He flooded the land. Yellow Sea. Like the Huang He valley, the The flooding was good and bad for the valley of the Chang Jiang also has rich Chinese. When the river overflowed, many soil for farming. In The Geography of China Motion 0 600 mi. 80°E 100°E 120°E 0 600 km N Lambert Azimuthal Equal-Area projection WE A S LT AY M OU NT MONGOLIA Sea of 40°N TIAN SHAN AI NS Japan GOBI (East Sea) TAKLIMAKAN S. MT DESERT N H KOREAN N u K A U .) JAPAN T a U S H L R PENINSULA N N n L U A w g o ll H e Yellow Y W e ( Sea ei He H PLATEAU I M OF TIBET CHINA . ) A Jiang gtz R PACIFIC L g an e A n (Y East Y ha OCEAN A C China Sea WhileINDIA the country of China has one of Taiwan the world’s largest populations, little of 20°N its land can be farmed. South 1. What is the name of the desert on China Sea China’s northern border near Mongolia? Hainan 2. What effect did China’s mountains and deserts have on its history? Find NGS online map resources @ www.nationalgeographic.com/maps CHAPTER 7 Early China 225 224-231 C7S1-824133 7/15/04 4:09 PM Page 226 Even though China has rich soil along its rivers, only a little more than one-tenth The Shang Dynasty of its land can be farmed. That is because Rulers known as the Shang became mountains and deserts cover most of the powerful because they controlled land and had land. The towering Himalaya close off strong armies. China to the southwest. The Kunlun Shan Reading Focus Who are the leaders in your commu- and Tian Shan are mountain ranges on nity? What gives them their power? Read to learn China’s western border. The Gobi, a vast, why some people in early China had more power than cold, rocky desert, spreads east from the others. mountains. These mountains and deserts shaped much of Chinese history. They were Little is known about how Chinese civi- like a wall around the Chinese, separating lization began. Archaeologists, however, them from most other peoples. have found pottery in the Huang He valley Over time, the Chinese people united to dating back thousands of years. These arti- form one kingdom.