The Chinese Civilization

The Great Wall of China

1. Give reasons

1.  River Hwang-Ho is called the ‘Sorrow of China’

Hwang-Ho is called the ‘Sorrow of China’ because it often changed its course after floods, destroying crops and irrigation canal.

2. A large number of people remained illiterate in ancient China

The Chinese script is in the form of pictures, written from top to bottom. Each picture represents a word or an idea.  Being a difficult script, education remained the privilege of a select few and literacy did not spread among the masses.

2. Write about the society in ancient China

• The king held the highest position in the society. 

• Then came the nobles, who assisted the king. 

• Merchants, craftsmen and farmers were next. Farmers formed the bulk of the population. 

• At the bottom were the slaves.

People lived in small clans. Family was a very important unit. The head of the family was highly respected. Children respected their elders. The Chinese also venerated their ancestors. 

3. What were the religious belief of the Ancient Chinese?

Chinese believed that after death, a human being turned into a powerful soul, which had to be worshipped. So, they worshipped their ancestors.

4. What crops did the ancient Chinese grow?

With a vast irrigation network, Chinese mainly grew rice, wheat, barley, sorgham, millets, soyabean and tea. They were the first to cultivate tea. For many centuries, China was the only source of tea for the rest of the world.

5. Write about pottery making in ancient China

• The Chinese made beautiful glazed pottery from porcelain. 

• They crafted a lot of items like vases, jars, saucers, cups and bowls. 

• These vessels, called chinaware, had a glossy surface and were decorated with pictures and other colourful designs.

6. Write a short note on wood work in ancient China

China was rich in timber. So timber was used to construct buildings. The palace walls were made of polished wood. The Chinese also crafted beautiful objects of wood inlaid with ivory.

7. ‘The Chinese contributed to almost all branches of science.’ Explain.

The Chinese contributed to almost all branches of science. 

• They used both solar and lunar calendars. 

• They could predict eclipses and the appearance of comets. 

• They also invented the seismograph to record earthquakes. 

• Some other Chinese inventions were the magnetic compass, gunpowder, wheelbarrow, umbrella and kite.

8. Write a short note on Chinese script.

The Chinese script is in the form of pictures, written from top to bottom. Each picture represents a word or an idea.  Being a difficult script, education remained the privilege of a select few and literacy did not spread among the masses.

The Chinese wrote on bamboo plates, animal bones and on silk cloth with a brush made of camel hair. It made the writing look like a painting. Later they began to write on paper.

9. Why was the Great Wall of China built?

The Great Wall of China was built in the 3rd century BCE to keep the northern borders safe from tribal attacks.

10. What are pagodas?

Pagodas were temples where Buddhists prayed. They were decorated with beautiful sculptures.

11. What was chinawarer?

The glazed porcelain pottery vessels made by the Chinese were called chinaware. They had glossy surfaces and were decorated with pictures and other colourful designs.

12. What did the Chinese use to construct buildings?

China was rich in timber. So timber was used to construct buildings.