How did an Ancient Chinese Dynasty Start Ancient Chinese Dynasties started by a warlord ruling a state. The ruler was chosen by each warlord fighting for the land and wealth. The strongest warlord then took the title of king and formed a Dynasty. The Dynasty was like a monarchy; after the King died the title went went to the next member of the family. After the King is dead he first child born would take control of the government and settlement. It is believed that the first Dynasty was started by a man named Yu in 2205 BC, it was called the Xia Dynasty. The Xia Dynasty reigned for 439 years. Then the Shang Dynasty began this lasted for 644 years. The Dynasties to follow were called the Zhou Dynasty (reigned for 641 years), then there was the Qin Dynasty (which reigned for 14 years), and the last Ancient Chinese Dynasty was the Han Dynasty ( which reigned for 422 years). Some Ancient Chinese Jobs Life as a Farmer The majority of the people in Ancient China were peasant farmers. Although they were respected for the food they provided for the rest of the Chinese, they lived tough lives. The average farmer lived in a small village of around 100 families. They worked on small family farms. Although they had plows and sometimes used animals like dogs and oxen to do the work, most of the work was done by hand. Working for the Government Farmers had to work for the government for about one month each year. They served in the military or worked construction projects like building canals, palaces, and city walls. Farmers also had to pay a tax by giving the government a percentage of their crops.
Food The type of food that people ate depended on where they were living. In the north the main crop was a grain called millet and in the south the main crop was rice. Eventually rice became the main crop for much of the country. Farmers also kept animals such as goats, pigs, and chickens. People that lived close to the rivers ate fish as well.
Life in the City Life was much different for those living in the city. People in the cities worked a variety of jobs including merchants, craftsmen, government officials, and scholars. Many cities in Ancient China were very large with some having populations having hundreds of thousands of people. The cities of China were surrounded with walls made from packed dirt. Each night the city gates were locked shut and no one was allowed to enter or leave the city after dark.
Life of Women The life of women in Ancient China was especially difficult. They were considered much less valuable than men. Sometimes when a baby girl was born she was put outside to die if the family didn't want it. This was considered okay in their society. Women had no say in who they would marry.
This picture shows some of the crops that farmers worked in.