Transcript Document

Dynasties/Dynastic
Cycle/Mandate of Heaven
What is most important in American culture?
• Where do your first loyalties lie?
• To yourself?
• To your family?
• To the U.S.?
• Why?
In ancient China, your first responsibility was
to your family
• Family was the number one priority
• The oldest man ruled the family and made decisions
• Women: 3 obediences
• This was even reflected in the ruling families
• When power is passed down within the same family from generation
to generation, what is that called?
• Hint: think back to Egypt
A Dynasty!
• Knowing the order of the Chinese dynasties is very important to keep
track of time
• A simple way to remember is to sing the dynasties’ names to the tune
of “Frere Jacques”
• Shang, Zhou, Qin, Han, Sui, T’ang, Song, Yuan, Ming, Qing, Republic, (Mao Tse
Zdong)
• Here’s a video with the song that shows a story as
well…https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxNAnu_lCbw
Shang dynasty
• Earliest dynasty that
we know existed
(others mythical)
• Settled around the
Yellow River
• Known for working in
bronze and jade
Invention of Chinese writing
• During the Shang Dynasty, a writing system was
created that could be used by people who spoke
different languages or dialects
• It would be like if French, Spanish, and English all
sounded different but had the same written symbol
for “tree”
• Written on oracle bones, turtle shell
Earliest Chinese writing—on a turtle
shell
Zhou (“Joe”) Dynasty
• Took over from Shang
• Claimed that the Shang had lost heaven’s favor—the “Mandate of
Heaven”
• Time of intense warfare
Mandate of Heaven
• Mandate—permission, or an order, to do something.
• Why do you get to rule? Because heaven says so!
• Eventually, the Zhou lost their land too, and China split into many
smaller countries before being reunited under the Qin dynasty.
• This is known as a “dynastic cycle.”
“Cycle?”
• Bi-cycle (two—wheel, two-round)
• Cyclical
• Cylinder
• Life cycle
• Sounds like circle