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The Shang capital at Anyang was a walled city. From there, the Shang controlled the North China plain and fought off nomads from the northern steppes and deserts. Shang kings probably controlled only a small area. Princes and nobles loyal to the Shang dynasty governed most of the land. The majority of people in Shang China were peasants. They clustered together in farming villages. Many lived in thatch-roofed pit houses whose earthen floors were dug several feet below the surrounding ground.
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Chinese history began in the Huang River valley, where Neolithic people learned to farm. As in other places, the need to control the flow of the river through large water projects probably led to the rise of a strong central government. In time, the small farming villages gave rise to ancient Chinese civilization, sometimes called the Yellow River civilization.
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According to tradition, he belonged to a noble but poor family. Unable to find a permanent government position, he turned to teaching. Confucius took little interest in spiritual matters such as salvation. Instead, he developed a philosophy, or system of ideas, that was concerned with worldly goals, especially those of ensuring social order and good government.
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In 221 B.C., the ruler of Qin proclaimed himself Shi Huangdi. His methods were brutal but he set up patterns that shaped future Chinese civilization. Shi Huangdi centralized power with the help of Legalist advisers. Shi Huangdi’s most remarkable and costly achievement was the Great Wall. Shi Huangdi thought his empire would last forever. But when he died in 210 B.C., anger over heavy taxes, forced labor, and cruel policies exploded into revolts leading to the Qin dynasty's demise.