Compare And Contrast Shang And Chinese Dynasties

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The ancient dynasties of China consisted of Shang, which existed between 1766 b.c through 1122 b.c. and Zhou, which existed between 1122 b.c through 256 b.c. Ancient China laid between The Huang He River and The Yangzi River. The Chinese believed in polytheism, the belief in many gods. They used Oracle Bones as a way to speak to their gods, a question was carved into bones or shells, then exposed to heat until it cracked, the cracks were then an answer from the gods. The Mandate of Heaven They worshiped and prayed to their ancestors as a way to honor their ancestors spirits. China’s government tied in with their religious beliefs. China’s government followed a dynastic rule after Yu the great passed power onto his son Chi, it began …show more content…
The highest level of Shang society included the royal family and noble warriors. The middle level of the hierarchy was for Artisans. The lowest level were the peasants, and most of the Shang Dynasty population. During the Zhou Dynasty the hierarchy was much stricter and was now called feudalism. During the Zhou Dynasty, China’s economy grew. The Chinese learned of Iron working, which led to more food being produced, as iron tools replaced stone, wood and bronze. It also, led to new crops being able to grow. Trading became a large part of China's economy after the invention of the Silk Road causing trading to be the biggest reason for economic growth. China had many achievements in its time. In early China, the Chinese made the discovery of silk, they wove this material into smooth cloth, that many royals and nobles desired making silk China’s most valuable export. China established a system of writing, that involved thousands of characters that in the early ages only the wealthy could afford the years of study it would take to understand the complex writing. During the Zhou Dynasty, the Chinese had made the first books, made out of thin strips of wood and bamboo together and, then they carefully drew complex characters on the flat surface with