ANCIENT CHINA

Geography of Ancient China

NATURAL BARRIERS
China was surrounded on all sides by natural barriers.

The Barriers included the Himalayan Mountains, the Gobi desert, The Tibetan Plateau, and the Pacific Ocean.

These barriers served as both a blessing and a curse.

With such severe obstacles, China rarely faced invasion.

With such severe obstacles, China rarely saw other cultures, and had to survive without trade. While other cultures like Egypt could use discoveries from other societies to advance their own, China had no way of learning from others.

THE HUANG HE RIVER

One of the most important rivers in China was the Huang He, a shallow yellow river that provided China with it's fertile soil called Loess. It is nicknamed "China's Sorrow" because the Huang He flooded unpredictably, causing tragedy.

CONFUCIUS

This quote of Confucius's teaches that you cannot pursue two opposite goals and achieve either.

This quote teaches that revenge will never end happily.

DYNASTIES

The Dynastic Cycle is the cycle that most ruling families in China follow.

STEPS OF THE DYNASTIC CYCLE.

• A new dynasty brings new peace and prosperity to the people of China.
• This dynasty becomes corrupt, negligent, or is faced with a natural disaster the current ruler is incapable of coping with.
• The peasants revolt against the "unfit" ruler.
• A new dynasty rises from the revolution and restores peace and prosperity.

THE QIN DYNASTY

Shi Huangdi, first emperor of the Qin Dynasty, is well known for...

LEGALISM:
The people of China are inherently evil, therefore the only way order will be maintained is to implement such severe punishments that they will not dare do the evil acts they will invariably preform otherwise. (This wasn't so popular.)

THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA

Problem: Nomadic groups at China's borders are constantly starting small border wars.

Solution: The people of China will build a 1,400 mile wall to keep those pesky nomads out of Shi Huangdi's land.

AND HIS TERRA COTTA ARMY

Problem: Shi Huangdi will die one day, and he can't properly rule the afterlife without his army.

Solution: Make clay copies of all his soliders and bury them with him to guard his tomb.

the han dynasty

The Han Dynasty was the the dynasty immediately following the Qin. This dynasty was considered to be far more popular and lenient the it's predecessor. The Han was far more succesfull then the Qin, as evidenced by the fact that the Qin Dynasty lasted a mere 15 years whereas the Han maintained power for almost 400 years.

The Han Dynasty was known for embracing the ideals of Confucius, a great teacher whose teachings opposed legalism and were therefore forbidden by the Qin Dynasty. Han rulers were the first to implement exams for civil service and made it far easier for a commoner to achieve a high rank.

Famous emperors of the Han Dynasty

Liu Bang, the founder and first emperor of the Han Dynasty.

Wudi, who became emperor at age 14 and ruled for 50 more years. Wudi was a very powerful and militaristic emperor.

THE SILK ROAD

The Silk Road
The Silk Road was a network of trade routes throughout China and the surrounding areas. These routes were traveled by merchants and nomads seeking to trade the closely guarded resource of silk, China's primary export. The Silk Road lead to many important places in the ancient world like Rome and Greece.

SILK

Silk is a soft, thin, cloth made from the cocoons of silk worms. The secret of these worms and the way to use them was VERY closely guarded by China.

IMPACTS OF THE SILK ROAD

The Silk Road worked to spread all kinds of resources throughout the ancient world. The Silk Road promoted the spread of Buddhism, the economic success of China and other areas, and the spread of illnesses such as "The Black Death" with wiped out large swathes of recouped during the Middle Ages.

OVERALL LASTING ACHIEVEMENTS OF CHINA

• Medicine such as herbal treatments and acupuncture.
• Grand artwork
• Impactful inventions

THANK YOU FOR READING