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Ancient China Ancient China 1. 8000 - 2205 BC: Early Chinese settlers build small villages and farm along the major rivers including the Yellow River and the Yangtze River. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2. 2696 BC: Rule of the legendary Yellow Emperor. The dragon was the symbol of the yellow emperor. His throne was even called the Dragon Throne. It is said that the Yellow Emperor turned into a dragon and flew to heaven when he died. His wife Leizu invented the process of making silk cloth. The idea for silk first came to Leizu while she was having tea in the imperial gardens. A cocoon fell into her tea and unraveled. She noticed that the cocoon was made from a long thread that was both strong and soft. Leizu then discovered how to combine the silk fibers into a thread. She also invented the silk loom that combined the threads into a soft cloth. Soon Leizu had a forest of mulberry trees for the silkworms to feed on and taught the rest of China how to make silk. She was also called the Silk Empress. Ancient China The steps in the process for making silk: 1. A moth lays 500 or so eggs and then dies 2. Baby worms hatch from the eggs are fed mulberry leaves for one month until they are fat 3. The worms spin cocoons 4. The cocoons are steamed to kill the growing moth inside 5. The cocoons are rinsed in hot water to loosen the threads 6. Women would unwind the cocoons and then combine six or so fibers into silk threads 7. The threads are woven into cloth 8. The cloth is then pounded to make it softer ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3. 2205 - 1575 BC: The Chinese learn how to make bronze. The Xia Dynasty becomes the first dynasty in China. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ancient China 4. 1100 - 221 BC: Zhou Dynasty 771 BC: End of the Western Zhou and beginning of the Eastern Zhou. The Spring and Autumn period begins. This dynasty lasted longer than any other. 551 BC: Philosopher and thinker Confucius is born. • Occupation: Philosopher and teacher • Born: 551 BC in China, the state of Lu • Died: 479 BC in China, the state of Lu • Best known for: Creating the philosophy known as Confucianism Ancient China Here are some of the basic ideas of Confucianism: a) Treat others kindly b) Have good manners and follow daily rituals c) A man should have good morals and ethics d) Family was important and ancestors were to be respected e) A true man had the qualities of integrity, righteousness, altruism, goodness, and loyalty f) One should practice moderation in all things g) He believed in a strong and organized central government Ancient Korean Confucian School 544 BC: Sun Tzu the author of the Art of War is born. 500 BC: Cast iron is invented in China around this time. The iron plough was likely invented shortly after. 481 BC: End of the Spring and Autumn period. 403 - 221 BC: The Warring States period. During this time leaders from different areas started breaking away & were constantly fighting for control. Ancient China Chariot fighter of Warring States period & Gold art 342 BC: The crossbow is first used in China. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5. 221 - 206 BC: Qin Dynasty Han Dynasty Warriors Emperor Qin Shi Huang Ancient China 221 BC: Qin Shi Huang becomes the first Emperor of China. He extended and connected existing walls to build the Great Wall of China to protect the people from the Mongols Great Wall of China 220 BC: The writing system of China becomes standardized by the government. 210 BC: The Terracotta Army is buried with Emperor Qin. The Terracotta Army is a part of a massive burial tomb built for Emperor Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China. There are over 8,000 terracotta warriors and nearly 600 terracotta horses, plus chariots, stables and other artifacts. buried along with the emperor. The tomb was built at the foot of the Lishan Mountains. It now stands as one of the seven wonders of the world Ancient China Terracotta Army 210 BC: The umbrella is invented. Chinese Umbrella on Terracotta carriage in Qin Shi Huang’s tomb ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ancient China 6. 206 BC - 220 AD: Han Dynasty 207 BC: The first Han Emperor, Gaozu, establishes the Chinese Civil Service to help run the government. Han Dynasty Silk Road 130 BC: The Silk Road was a network of trade routes connecting China and the Far East with the Middle East and Europe. Established when the Han Dynasty in China officially opened trade with the West in 130 B.C., 104 BC: Emperor Wu defines the Taichu calendar which will remain the Chinese calendar throughout history. 8 - 22 AD: The Xin Dynasty overthrows the Han Dynasty for a short period of time. 2 AD: A government census is taken. The size of the Chinese Empire is estimated at 60 million Ancient China people. 105 AD: Paper is invented by Imperial court official Cai Lun: Early forms of paper had existed in China since the 2nd century BCE, BUT Cia Lun was responsible for the first significant improvement and standardization of papermaking by adding bark, hemp and old silk cocoons to it. Cai Lun served in the court of Emperor He of Han (reigned 88–106), who granted him an aristocratic title and great wealth, and the court of Empress Deng Sui who promoted the use of paper. Cai was a supporter of Empress Dou and played a part in killing her rival Consort Song. In the year 121 a grandson of Consort Song commanded the imprisonment of Cai Lun. Cai Lun committed suicide by poison before the imperial order could be carried out. 208: Battle of Red Cliffs. The Battle of Red Cliffs is one of the most famous battles in the history of Ancient China. It is considered one of the largest naval battles in history. The battle eventually led to the end of the Han dynasty and the beginning of the Three Kingdoms Period. The battle took place near the end of the Han Dynasty during the winter of 208 AD. Most historians agree that the battles occurred somewhere on the Yangtze River. Ancient China 220-1368: 15 Dynasties before Ming Dynasty 7. 1368 - 1644: Ming Dynasty 1405: Chinese explorer Zheng He begins his first journey to India and Africa. He will establish trade relationships and bring back news of the outside world. 1405: The Chinese begin construction on the Forbidden City. The largest ancient palace in the world. Ancient China 1420: Beijing becomes the new capital of the Chinese Empire replacing Nanjing. Beijing 1517: Portuguese traders first arrive in the country. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1644 - 1912: Qing Dynasty (last Dynasty) 1912: The Qing Dynasty comes to an end with the Xinhai Revolution. References: 1. https://www.ducksters.com/history/china/timeline_of_ancient_china.php 2. https://www.ducksters.com/history/china/battle_of_red_cliffs.php 3. http://zhoudynastyjaydenh.blogspot.com/2012/02/zhous-invention.html 4. https://www.ducksters.com/history/china/inventions_technology.php 5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umbrella 6. https://www.chinaeducationaltours.com/guide/topic-great-wall.htm 7. https://www.ducksters.com/history/china/chinese_mythology.php 8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cai_Lun 9. https://stmuhistorymedia.org/cai-lun-the-chinese-inventor-of-paper/ .
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