Unit 4a Early Chinese Dynasties

China:
Dynasty and Culture

Multiple Choice

It is likely that this originated in China:

• Mustard

• Ketchup

• Mayonnaise

• Chop Suey

Where do you think Chinese civilization emerged?
Why?

Open Ended

Where did Chinese civlization emerge? Why do you think so?

The Huang He (Yellow) and the Yangtze Rivers.

Chinese civlization emerged near major rivers

Multiple Choice

Chinese culture originated near the:

• Yellow River & Red River

• Yangtze River and Nile River

• Yellow River and Yangtze River

• Yucatan River and Yangtze River

Multiple Choice

In China, nearly 40 million people live in;

• Towers

• Temples

• Houseboats

• Caves

The first samples of writing are found on bone, possibly used for religious purposes, perhaps as an oracle (fortune telling device)

​​Early Writing ca. 1400BCE

Multiple Choice

China was one of _____ regions to develop a system of writing entirely independently, and which formed the backbone for writing in that region for thousands of years.

• Two: the other was Mesopotamia

• Three: the other 2 were Mesopotamia and Mesoamerica

• Three: the other 2 were the British Isles and Mesopotamia

• Many, including Greece, Egypt, and Persia

Multiple Choice

In MOST ancient cultures, dragons were considered:

• Good

• Evil

• Good or evil depending on the dragon

• Fictional

Chinese dragons are considered benevolent, not the ferocious predators of western history. Dragons protect humanity and bring rain from heaven to reserve life

Dragons protect and bring rain

Made from the delicate strands of the silk worm's cocoon, silk was one of the most valuable commodities in the ancient world, often fetching its weight in gold!

Silk: the hidden treasure of the 'silk people'

Multiple Choice

This popular treat originated in China:

• Chocolate

• Ice Cream

• Gummy Bears

• Potato Chips

Multiple Select

Which of the following are things that were important in ancient China? (Pick ALL that apply)

• Silk

• Diamonds

• Writing

• Gold

• Dragons

Silk from China remains a sought-after luxury.

Multiple Choice

Legally, China owns all but one of these in the entire world:

• Egg roll recipies

• Pandas

• Tigers

• Electronics companies

Multiple Choice

True or False: 'Panda diplomacy' is a recognized practice where China sends
Pandas on loan to other nations to strengthen diplomatic and economic relations.

• True

• False

China's first ruling dynasty, the Xia ('sha') is considered to be mythical because there is no archaeological evidence for it. Still, it was important culturally (sort of like King Midas, or Romulus & Remus)

The Legendary Xia

Multiple Choice

These were invented about 5,000 years ago in China, and were used for cooking:

• Shuriken (throwing stars)

• Swords

• Chopsticks

• Frying pans

According to legend, the last Xia king became corrupt and cruel, so the Shang rebelled and took over in around 1300 BCE. (The Shang created that first writing system.)

​Replaced by the Shang

The Zhao took over around 1050 BCE, and ruled for almost 750 years. Devised the 'mandate of heaven' to justify this; possibly also invented the Xia as part of this 'dynastic cycle.

Then the Zhao (jo) replaced them!

Multiple Choice

The first three dynasties, in order are:

• Xia (fictional?), Tang, Shao

• Xia, Shang (fictional?), Tang

• Xia (fictional?), Shang, Zhao

• Zhao, Shang (fictional?), Xia

Essentially the idea that the 'heavens' or gods hve put the ruler in power and he rules by their will, or the 'mandate' or command and permission of heaven. What could possibly go wrong with that?

OK, but what IS a 'Mandate of Heaven?'

Dynastic Cycle & Mandate
of Heaven

​

Multiple Choice

If laid out end to end, all of these in China would circle the globe twice!

• Railroads

• Shoes

• Noodles

• Flags

After the Zhao lost power, China fell into a period of conflict, known as the Period of Warring States.
(I bet you can explain what that means?) IOW, they lost the 'Mandate.'

Zhao were not very effective.

Open Ended

In your own words, the "Period of Warring States" means:

Multiple Choice

Half of all of these in the world live in China:

• Pigs

• Canaries

• Buddhists

• Rice farmers

According to the Mandate of heaven, the Heavens should produce a new leader, to take over and start a new dynasty...

It's almost like we need a new Mandate...

Qin Shi Huang Di, (chin shee hwong dee) the first Qin emperor, was called the 'Tiger of China,' and for centuries was thought to have been a cruel tyrant. Let's look and see what you think...

Enter the tiger!

This is an anime character from Record of Ragnarok, or Shuumatsu no Valkyrie

No, not this one...

...was bold, determined, ruthless, and very practical (If a bit less...appealing...).

This one.

Qin Shi Huang Di

Multiple Choice

The FortuneCookie was invented in

• Beijing

• Taiwan

• Paris

• San Francisco

Which is where China gets its name.

United the 'warring states' under the Qin...

Multiple Choice

Despite being roughly the size of the Continental US, China has only one:

• River

• Mountain Range

• Time Zone

• Language

He decreed a standard writing, coins (with holes to be strung on a cord). weights and measures, and even the width of cart wheels.

Shi Huang Di
set standards

Open Ended

How would setting a common system of writing, currency,
and weights and meaures unify China?

Multiple Choice

If you wanted to have only ONE system of writing, and lots of books were
in other types of writing, what would you do?

• Burn the ones that were not standard

• Translate them all into the same writing

• Nothing

• Both A and B

But he burned a lot more than were transcribed. Even things he thought were incorrect...

The Tiger had some translated...

Multiple Choice

Brides in China wear this color:

• Red

• White

• Bl;ack

• Blue

But how did he unite the states to begin with?

He brought the governors of the other states to 'talk.' Then he imprisoned them and put his own picks in place to run the states.

That's how he got the rep as a tyrant

China's warring states were able to stop the wars and focus on growth. With his reforms, they DID grow, especially economically.

But it worked.

Multiple Choice

Coca-Cola initially failed on its introduction to China. This was because

• No one liked the taste

• The name meant 'horse stuffed with wax'

• They'd never seen a fizzy drink

• China discouraged people from using western products

One threat
still loomed...

Mongols!

Not exactly.

Xiongnu nomads. Similar, but no relation. They were a problem for all the same reasons, though.

Multiple Choice

Why were the nomadic steppe tribes such a big problem for China?

• They raided unpredicatably; they might appear anywhere

• They took or destroyed crops

• The were fierce and capable fighters

• They were impossible to find once they left

• All of these

Multiple Choice

Pepsi failed in China because

• After the problem with Coke no one trusted it

• 'pepsi' in Mandarin meant 'sawdust'

• the slogan translated to 'it brings your ancestors to life'

• the logo looked like an old Chinese symbol for bad luck

Actually, there were a bunch of walls already in place. The Great Wall connected them, made them stronger, added signal towers

Solution:
a Great Wall!

Multiple Choice

In some places, the Great Wall is held together by:

• KrazyGlue

• Sticky rice

• An early form of chewing gum

• Cheese