Civilization and Religion

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The Tang (Tang) Dynasty and the Beginning of
Chinese Civilization
(left) Second emperor of the Tang DynastyTaizong
(Tai-tsung)
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The Fourth Emperor of the TangWuze Tian (Wu-tse
Tien)or the First Empress in Chinese History
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The Beginning of Chinese Civilization

• Written records and archaeological discoveries
  indicate that
• Chinese civilization appeared as early as 5,000
  years ago although the first 500 years being
  legendary
• Legendary kings remain culture heroes in the eyes
  of common people Yellow Emperor, Yao, Shun, Yu

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Three Ancient Dynasties

• Scholars have proven the existence of the
  so-called Three Dynasties
• Xia (Hsia) its history and culture have been
  under reconstruction
• Shang (1500-1045 BCE) generally regarded as
  Chinas first historical dynasty characterized by
  rich cultural activities
• Zhou (Chou, 1045-771 BCE 770-256 BCE) more
  elaborate cultural activities appeared

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Fu Haos (Lady Haos ) tomb, dated ca. 1,200
BCE, unearthed in 1976
Fu Hao was one of King Wu Dings wives
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One of 130 bronze weapons found in Fu Haos tomb
Artifacts found in Fu Haos tomb number nearly
9,000, most of which are bronze, jade, and bone
objects. 6,900 pieces of cowrie shell were found
in the tomb
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Drinking vessels found in Fu Haos tomb
Ivory objects
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Drinking vessels found in Fu Haos tomb
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Taotie image/pattern on bronze vessels
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Cauldron with taotie inscribed on it
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Bronze Shang Dynasty
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Fragments of oracle bones in a pit
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The Legacy of Shang

• A Bronze-producing culture characterized by its
  bronze technology
• Bronze used more for ritual than for war
• Bronze objects cups, goblets, steamers,
  cauldrons
• Other material objects jade, silk, carved wood
• Oracle bones used in divination oracle-bone
  inscription represented early writing system
  logographic

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• Food millet, wheat were main staples
• Rammed earth city walls
• Revered Lord on High
• Worshiped ancestors
• Chariot warfare

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Bronze Zhou Dynasty
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The Legacy of Zhou

• New system of Divination
• Based on The Book of Changes
• virtue, correct way seen as important to meet
  auspicious sign and result
• The concept of Heaven--
• linked the Zhou king and heaven Mandate of
  Heaven
• Son of Heaven (tianzi)
• used for reading and interpreting history The
  Book of History

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The Book of Changes

• The Yijing (or I-ching)
• A divinatory handbook not about cosmogony
• Concerned with human life, the structure of
  universe, and their interconnection

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• Represented a new form of divination
• Replaced earlier divination by means of oracle
  bones

• Based on eight trigrams that were paired to yield
  sixty-four hexagrams to be consulted through the
  casting of milfoil stalks

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The Book of History

• The Shujing (a.k.a. The Book of Documents)
• Teaches interdependent cosmology of heaven,
  earth, and human beings
• Record of historical events from the third
  millennium to the 7th century BCE.
• A combination of history and legend.

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• Major themes of the book
• Cultural heroes performed rituals and, with
  ritual offerings, communicated with spiritual
  beings
• Shang people revered the Lord on High
• (Shangdi) and ancestral spirits were supplicated
  with sacrificial offerings
• Zhou people revered Heaven

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• Other themes
• Human effort are much stressed
• People possessing radiant inner virtue and
  integrity are able to communicate with spirits
  and invoke their assistance
• Interrelatedness of all things
• Individuals are figuratively conjoined to the
  cosmos
• A sovereign should facilitate harmonious
  relationship between heaven, earth, and human
  beings

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The Book of Odes (Poetry, Songs)

• Content
• Sacrificial hymns, praise songshonor culture
  heroes, tutelary deities celebrate the virtues
  of King Wen
• Love poems--written in the female voice,
  described everyday life
• Folk songstell of the joys and sorrows of the
  common people

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The Book of Rites

• The Book of Rites (li)
• Stresses the importance and function of rituals
• Relates the purpose and import of different
  rituals
• Elaborates values and principles of rituals
  within the context of family and larger public
  social network (i.e., self and others internal
  and external)
• Underscores the relationships between social
  classes, and between man and nature
• Layouts the goals of life

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• The Rites of Chou (Zhou)
• Records the vocabulary, regalia, staffing of
  ritual proceedings
• Grand minister of rites master of sacrifices,
  chief shaman male shaman, female shaman grand
  invocator female invocator exorcist diviner of
  dreams
• Catalogues the administrative duties of the
  officials

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The Spring and Autumn Annals

• The Spring and Autumn Annals
• A chronicle of important historical events
  occurred in the states of northern China from 722
  to 481 BCE.
• Master Zuos (Tsos) Commentary, or the Zuo (Tso)
  chuan
• An interpretive, narrative history correlating
  with the accounts in Spring Autumn Annals
• Records historical tales, anecdotes, legends

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• Reverence of ancestral spirits
• Human virtue or integrity emphasized
• Alcohol, animal flesh and blood used in
  sacrificial ceremonies

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• Model government
• High leadership quality exemplified by King Wen,
  King Wu, and the Duke of Zhou
• military prowess, the morally based civil arts,
  and loyalty
• Hereditary kingship and hierarchical society
• Son of Heaven, feudal lords, ministers,
  officersfarmers

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• Bronze
• vessels motifs were more related to war than
  ritual
• Poetry the Book of Odes (Songs, Poetry)

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• Paternalistic relationship between ruler and
  common people, the majority of which were peasant
• Role of ruler
• educate people and exhort them to comply with
  social mores
• Concerned about their welfare

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• Peoples role
• Revere ancestors, present sacrificial offering to
  them and heaven
• Develop a sense of filial piety and care for the
  needs of living
• Serve the lord as their parent (ruler)
• Confucianism and other schools of thought