River valley

civilizations
Chinese civilization
Ch 4.The Chinese
civilization
Today's Learning objectives:-

● Location and origin

○ The Discovery of China
○ Location of China
○ Main Rivers
○ China’s first known dynasty
○ Origin of the Name China
■ Fun Question Time
Discovery of China
★ Marco Polo discovered China.

★ He named it Cathway.

★ In Chinese, the country is known as

'Zhongguo' meaning "central state" or
"middle empire".
 Location of China
China is bordered by 14 countries -- Korea,
Vietnam, Laos, Burma, India, Bhutan,
Nepal, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan,
Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and
Russia. Marine-side neighbors include
★ China was the cradle of many of the eight countries -- North Korea, Korea,
earliest civilizations. Japan, Philippines, Brunei, Indonesia,
Malaysia and Vietnam.
.
★ This vast country is bordered by the
pacific ocean in the east , the
Himalayas in the South , broad deserts
and mountains in the West and The
Great wall of China in the North.
 The Main Rivers

The Huang he river and the Chang jiang river are

the main rivers of the Chinese civilization.
The Huang He River
● The Huang He river is also known as the yellow river.

● It is the Sorrow of China as it floods it banks and

causes major destruction to crops and it damages
villages near by.

● It is called the yellow river as its surrounding soil is

yellow in colour.
The Chang Jiang (Yangtze) River
● The Yangtze River in China is the longest river in
Asia.

● The river flows through or borders 10 provinces.

● Yangtze, which means "child of the ocean," is a

name primarily used by Westerners.
 China’s First Known
Dynasty
★ The Shang Dynasty is the earliest
ruling dynasty of China.

★ The rise and fall of succession of

dynasties followed.

★ All the dynasties contributed to the

Chinese Civilization
Origin of the Name “China” (Extra)
● Ancient China produced what has become the oldest extant
culture in the world.

● The name 'China' comes from the Sanskrit Cina (derived

from the name of the Chinese Qin Dynasty, pronounced
'Chin') which was translated as 'Cin' by the Persians and
seems to have become popularized through trade along
the Silk Road.
Fun Question Time
● The Last Emperor
Who was the of China, Puyi,
last Emperor of became ruler when
Chinese? he was only 3 years
old.
Today's Learning
Objectives:-
● Main characteristics
of the Chinese
Civilization.
○ Town planning
■ Houses
○ Fun Question Time
Town planning in China
1. The city panning in ancient china
started with the urbanization of
the huang he valley in earlier part
of the Neolithic period.
2. The city, laid out in the form of a
square, which was further divided
into nine squares.
Town Planning in China
1. The goal was to make favourable and
fortunate conditions that would bring balance
between the humans, government, heaven and
earth.
2. The city of Chengzhou,represents an ideal
city layout.
3. Ancient China followed a strict traditional
rules of layout and design based on specific
religious and scientific ideas and principles.
Video On Houses In
China
Facts Time

● What do we call houses in China? ● Siheyuan

A siheyuan is a historical type of
residence that was commonly found
throughout China, most famously in
Beijing and rural Shanxi. Throughout
Chinese history, the siheyuan
composition was the basic pattern
used for residences, palaces,
temples, monasteries, family
businesses, and government offices.
Today's learning Objectives:-
● China’s architecture
● Society
○ Social structure
● Occupation
○ Agriculture
○ Sericulture
○ Domestication of Animals
○ Art and Craft
● Trade
● Religion
○ Confucianism
● Fun Fact Time!
Architecture (The Great Wall of China)
The Great wall of china , one of the best architectural
structures in china, is an example of chinese architecture.

It was first built to serve as a protective boundary between

different states.

The first Chinese emperor, Shi Huangdi, began the task of

joining and extending these walls to protect the country from
the frequent attack of Invaders.

It is about 2,400 km long and varies in height from about 4.5

m to 9 m.
Architecture (Pagodas)
● Another important feature of Chinese
architecture was the construction of stupa-style
temples known as pagodas.

● The interiors of the pagodas were decorated

with beautiful sculptures.
 Social Structure
The emperor occupied the highest rung of the social
ladder, followed by the nobles, merchants, the ple, the
farmers and the slaves.

The soldiers occupied a special place in society.

People lived in groups or clans and respected their

ancestors and elders.

The families were close-knit.

Agriculture
1. The chief occupation of the Chinese was
agriculture.
2. They grew rice, wheat, millet, barley and soya
bean.
3. The chinese were the first to cultivate tea.
4. Tea was cultivated for medicinal purposes and
later as a popular drink.
5. A vast irrigation system ensured surplus
production.
Video on Sericulture
Domestication of Animals
● The Chinese domesticated
horses, cattle, sheep, dogs
and poultry.
● They used horse drawn carts
as means of transport.
Art and Craft
1. Pottery -The chinese people developed the art of pottery. They were the
first to make vases, jars , cups , saucers and bowls.

2. Woodwork - large quantities of timber were found in China. Hence, wood

was used on a large scale especially for the construction of building. The
Chinese made excellent cabinets.
Pottery
1. The Chinese developed the art of making
exquisite porcelain. (pottery from a special
type of clay).
2. They were the first to make vases, jars, cups,
saucers and bowls.
3. They have made vessels since very long. These
have been made in the old ages as well.
4. Some of these had superfine, glossy surfaces
with richly decorated and colourful designs.
Wood Work
1. Large quantities of timber were found in
China.
2. Wood was used in a large scale.
3. The Chinese made excellent woodwork
inlaid with ivory.
4. The walls of palaces were made of
polished wood.
Today’s Learning objectives:-
● Trade
● Religion
● Confucianism
● Decline of the chinese civilization

And we will finish the question and answers

Trade
1. The Chinese carried on trade with
Japanese, India, Egypt, Mesopotamia and
regions as far as the shores of the
Mediterranean Sea.
2. Their chief exports were silk, chinaware,
tea and paper.
Religion
1. The Chinese worshipped the forces of nature.
2. A widely prevalent practice was ancestor
worship.
3. Astrologers and Oracles were greatly respected.
4. The oracles (holy priests) were supposed to be
in touch with god.
5. The emperor of China was regarded as the son
Shangdi, god of heaven.
6. Later, they became followers of Confucianism,
Taoism and Buddhism.
Confucianism
1. Confucianism was a religious movement
named after its Chinese founder , Confucius.
2. It was more a way of life than a religion.
3. Confucius taught his disciples to appreciate
the present world and cultivate the virtues of
hard work, modesty, sobriety, gravity and
thoughtfulness towards others.
4. Later, Confucianism became the state
religion of China.
Decline of the chinese civilization
1. Unlike other great civilizations of the ancient world, Chinese civilization
and culture never faded into oblivion.
2. It is one of the oldest continuous civilizations of the world and it is unique
in the sense that it still endures, to this very day.
Contributions of the Chinese Civilization
1. The earliest known seismograph was made in
China to record earthquakes.
2. Invented a big astronomical clock which is
supposed to be a forerunner of the modern
clock.
3. The Chinese year consisted of 365 days with
12 months.
4. They developed the art of block printing.
5. Manufacture of gunpowder.
6. Mariner’s compass, the water mill, the
wheelbarrow umbrellas and kite.
7. Paper was made from the bark of old trees.
Recap