Ancient China

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Ancient China
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Chinese Civilizations

• Chinese civilization arose in the plains between
  the Huang He and
• Yangtze Rivers.
• China has the most cohesive, fluid
  traditions/culture of any peoples
• in world history. There are 9 major dynasties in
  Chinese history that
• span over 3600 years.
• The major Chinese Dynasties include
• Shang
• Zhou
• Qin
• Han
• Tang
• Song
• Yuan (Mongols)
• Ming
• Qing

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Dynastic Cycle
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Shang Dynasty

• 1st Chinese Dynasty, 1532-1027 BCE
• Another early dynasty was possible
• Shang are 1st to leave written records
• Mainly a farming society, but also had great
  Bronze artisans
• Built cities with huge earthen walls protecting
  outside
• Rich lived inside city walls
• Peasants lived outside of city walls
• Family was highly important, with men heading
  households
• Early Shang religion was polytheistic,
  worshipping nature based gods
• Shang also worshipped ancestors (showing
  importance of family)
• Priests communicated with the gods via Oracle
  Bones (1st writing)

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Map of Shang Dynasty an Oracle Bone
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Zhou Dynasty

• Dynastic Cycle begins with Zhou (1027-256 BCE)
• Take over Shang adopts much of their culture
• Claim Zhou loses Mandate of Heaven
• Known as the feudal age of Chinese history
• King gives lands to nobles in exchange for
  loyalty
• Empire is too big for King to rule
• Nobles actually ruled local areas leads to many
  wanting to challenge Zhou kings
• Technological improvements included roads,
  canals, etc.
• 1st Chinese dynasty to use coins and iron
• 2 major Chinese belief systems emerge from Zhou
• Confucianism
• Daoism
• Zhou collapsed with many nobles fighting to
  control China

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ZHOU
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Chinese Religion

• Confucianism
• Kongzi (Confucius)
• Born in 551 BCE
• Govt official
• Analects teachings of Confucius
• Teachings focused on order ethics
• Respect for family elders are important
• Respect for past traditions
• 5 Primary relationships
• Ruler subject
• Parent child
• Husband wife
• Old young
• Friend friend

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• Confucianism (cont)
• Lower in relationship owes respect for upper
  upper must set a good example for lower
• Filial Piety respect for parents
• Reciprocity golden rule
• Civil Service System
• Used for advancement in govt positions (Han
  dynasty)
• Based on Confucianist ideas
• Daoism
• Laozi (Old Master)
• Rejected formal social structure opposite of
  Confucianism
• Ideas collected in Dao De Jing
• Renounce worldly ambitions
• Focused on harmony with nature
• Yin Yang
• Yin cool, dark, female, submissive
• Yang warm, light, male, aggressive

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Qin Dynasty

• Qin Shi Huangdi defeats other nobles from end of
  Zhou to start Qin dynasty
• Shortest dynasty in Chinese history (221-207 BCE)
• Shi Huangdi set up an autocratic dynasty
• Cruel to his people (used fear)
• Considered to be the 1st true emperor
• Standardized most things including language
• Had book burnings (to limit knowledge)
• China is named after the Qin Dynasty
• Built (completed) the Great Wall of China to
  defend China from invasion from the north
• Shi Huangdi built a huge terra cota army to honor
  his tomb

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Han Dynasty

• Ruled from 207 BCE 220 CE
• Liu Bang
• 1st emperor of the Han
• Established centralized government
• Had professional employees help with
  administration of empire (bureaucracy)
• Had to take a test (Civil Service Exam)
• Test based on Confucianism
• Scientific advancements included
• 1st seismograph
• 1st true paper
• 1st watermills (grain)
• Trade flourished with the Silk Road

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Tang Dynasty

• Dynasty emerges from period of warring states
• Lasted from 618-907 CE
• Grand Canal built to connect Huang He Yangtze
  Rivers
• 1st emperor Tang Taizong gave land back to
  peasants
• Had 1st female emperor (Empress Wu)
• Concubine
• Murdered own son
• Built schools to train upper class kids for Civil
  Service Exam (created Scholar-Gentry)
• Buddhism makes its way into China
• Innovations included porcelain, the mechanical
  clock, block printing, and gunpowder (for
  fireworks)

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Song Dynasty

• Lasted from 960-1279
• Known for golden age of art
• Innovations included magnetic compass, gun powder
  (for weapons), paper money, moveable type
  printing press, acupuncture
• Instead of building a large military, the Song
  paid bribes to northern enemies
• Leads to huge taxation, hurts the economy
• Womens lives get worse
• Policy of foot binding

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Mongols 1279-1368 CE

• Nomadic peoples from north of China (Mongolia)
• 1st peoples to conquer and rule China
• Pastoral economy- herded sheep horses also
  very good hunters
• VERY militaristic
• Genghis Khan
• Born as Temujin, he united the warring Mongol
  clans and took the title Genghis Khan (meaning
  Great Khan)
• Conquered weaker neighbors in China, Central
  Asia, and parts of the Middle East
• Northern Song taken by Genghis, rest of China
  falls later
• Empire is divided in Khanates after his death

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Mongols (cont.)

• Kublia Khan (1260-1294)
• Finishes conquest of China, defeats Southern Song
  dynasty
• Mongols known as Yuan dynasty
• Chinese keep their customs bureaucracy
• Mongols take control of govt
• Chinas borders expand to include Korea parts
  of SE Asia
• Mongols try to invade Japan, but fail
• Ineffective administration internal problems
  lead to decline of Mongols rise of Ming dynasty
• Marco Polo visits from Europe
• Traveled traded within Mongol Empire for 17
  years
• Stories of China published when he returns to
  Europe
• Causes many to want alternate route to Asia

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Ming Dynasty

• Lasted from 1368-1644 CE
• Hongwu led revolt to overthrow Mongols
• Capital moved to Beijing (current capital)
• Re-established bureaucracy with Civil Service
  Exam
• Explorations of Zhenghe
• 7 voyages throughout Indian Ocean up to Africa
• Anti-Foreigners didnt want to trade with the
  West
• Thought Chinese goods were better
• Had best pottery in the world (porcelain)
• 1st Christian missionaries (Matteo Ricci)
• Empire falls to outside invaders in 1644 CE

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Qing Dynasty

• Lasted from 1644-1911 CE
• Invaders from Manchuria take over China
• Forced China to accept Manchu ways (queue)
• Kangxi
• Most famous Qing ruler (60 years)
• Continues policy of anti-foreigners
• China forced to trade with foreigners
• Opium Wars
• Several rebellions against foreigners
• Taiping Rebellion (1850-1864)
• Boxer Rebellion (1900)
• Instability leads to end of Dynastic Cycle (1911
  CE)
• China tries a democratic government in the early
  1900s

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