Transcript
China
Chinese Dynasties
• 1500-1046 BC Shang Dynasty• 618 – 907 AD Tang Dynasty• 960-1279 AD Song Dynasty• 1279-1368 AD Yuan Dynasty• 1368-1644 AD Ming
Dynasty• 1644-1911 AD Qing Dynasty
Founder of Song Dynasty
Founder of Tang Dynasty
Founder of Ming Dynasty
Agriculture
• Grow rice• Barley• Sorghum• Millet• Soybeans• wheat
• Developed ways to irrigate their crops• Used iron farm implements – Made farming more effective– Made more land available for farming
• Why is this important?
Commerce
• Trade with their neighbors– Tin was imported to make bronze– Cowry and turtle shells exported– Exported iron ore products– Exported silk
Money
• Silk, jade, pearls, metal leather, dogs and horses was used as money at first
• Began casting bronze into shapes • First civilization to print paper money
Innovations
Paper
• Developed earliest known paper
• Developed toilet paper, tea bags, paper money
Compass
• First to use a compass• Used it to align buildings• Used it late to find direction – during the Song
dynasty
Gunpowder
• Discovered it by accident• Trying to come up with substance that would
give them eternal life• Quickly developed weapons– Flamethrowers, rockets and crude bombs
• Developed guns during the Ming Dynasty
Printing
• First to develop woodblock printing• Also developed movable type printing, but
didn’t utilize it• Johannes Gutenberg was the first to utilize it.
Earliest known book – Tang Dynasty
Iron
• Among the first to develop cast iron
Merchant Class
• Merchants were considered undesirable• Thought to be dangerous because they were
mobile and wealthy• They weren’t allowed to own property or
serve in the government
• Things changed during the Song Dynasty• They took examinations and entered civil
service• They worked to become respected and
influential members of Chinese society
• The growth of the merchant class brought benefits to China
1. Factories were built2. Towns rose up near trading centers3. Standard of living improved
Religion
Ancestor Worship
• Hoped their ancestors would bless and guide them
Confucianism• 5 basic relationships1. Father and son2. Elder and younger brothers3. Husband and wife4. Friend and friend5. Ruler and subjects
Confucius
Buddhism
• Founded on four truths:1. Suffering is part of all existence2. Suffering has a cause3. Suffering can be overcome by destroying
selfish desires4. If man follows the eightfold path, he will
destroy selfish desires and end suffering
Taoism
• Peace and harmony can be found by living in harmony with nature
• Very passive that rejects striving after power, wealth and learning
Lao-tzu
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