Ancient China

1
Ancient China
2
Geography of Ancient China

• Civilization on the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers
• Rivers flow out of Tibetan Mountains
• Chinese saw their land as the center of the
  civilized world Middle Kingdom

3
Chinese Society was held together by strong bonds.

• The group was more important than the individual
• The family central to society
• Elderly had privileges and power
• Oldest man in charge of the familys possessions
• Final approval on all marriages
• Respect for parents most important virtue

4
Women in China

• Expected to obey fathers, husbands, and later,
  their sons
• Marriage arranged between 13 and 16
• Moved into husbands familys house
• Only improve status by bearing sons

5
Family closely linked to religion

• Spirits of the familys ancestors thought to
  bring good fortune on the family
• Familys paid respect to the fathers ancestors
• Not gods but helpful or hurtful neighbors
• Only sons could carry on the traditional
  religious duties

6
Government

• Chief loyalty to the family
• People obeyed the ruler like a super-grandfather
  who was responsible for the people
• Royal authority came from heaven
• Mandate of Heaven
• Dynastic cycle pattern of strength and decline in
  the different dynasties

7
The dynasties ruled for 2000 years

• Shang
• Chou
• Longest in Chinese history
• Chin
• Shortest and cruelest
• Han
• Mightiest

8
Shang Dynasty Civilization

• First civilization along the Yellow River where
  loess is spread
• Unpredictable flooding Chinas sorrow

9
Cities

• Appeared along the Yellow River in 2000B.C.
• Anyang capital to the Shang dynasty
• Houses built of wood

10
Social Classes

• Divided between nobles and peasants
• Nobles
• Owned land
• Served in the army and government
• Skilled fighters
• Peasants
• Tilled the soil

11
Artisans were a special class.

• Bronze work
• Silk
• Embroidery

12
Writing System

• Animal bones and shells with written symbols
• Symbols similar to those used today
• Each character stands for an idea
• Same system throughout China

13
Chou Dynasty

• No dramatic changes in civilization
• For first 300 years ruled a large kingdom
• Gradually lost power
• 771 B.C. barbarians invaded and murdered the Chou
  monarch
• Family moved to Loyang and pretended to rule

14
In truth, they were powerless

• Noble families fought for control
• the time of warring states
• Traditional values collapsed
• led to Chinese love of order
• Solutions?

15
Confucius urged order

• Society should be organized around five basic
  relationships
• ruler and subject
• father and son
• husband and wife
• older and younger brother
• friend and friend

16
Code of Proper Conduct within each relationship

• Filial piety- children should respect parents and
  elders
• If a ruler practiced kindness then all would go
  well

17
Confucius wanted to change Chinese society

• Prince of Lu made him Minister of Crime
• People so impressed with his wisdom and courtesy
  that all crime vanished

18
Taoists sought harmony with nature

• Natural order important
• Nothing in nature strives for power, fame, or
  even wisdom
• Followers withdrew from society
• Tao is the way

19
Legalist urged harsh government

• Highly efficient powerful government the key to
  order
• Reward those who do well
• Disobedience punished
• Controlling ideas as well as actions

20
Chin Dynasty

• From small state of Chin in western China
• 256 B.C. destroyed Chou king
• 246 B.C. new Chin king
• Age 13
• ruthless Legalist

21
Chin Shih Huang-ti (the first emperor)

• Stopped petty wars
• Conquered barbarians to the south
• Protected the North with the Great Wall
• Formed a government that lasted 200 years
• Responsible for the people

22
Chin Dynasty concentrated on

• Stamping out rival armies
• Doubled the size of China
• Attacked the barbarians in the North
• Destroying resistance inside the realm
• Commanded that all noble families live in capital
  city
• Changed state boundaries
• Built gigantic network of highways

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• Uniform standards for law, money, weight, and
  measures
• Built Great Wall

24
Great Wall provided protection
25
Great Wall
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Decline of the Chin Dynasty

• Son less able
• Han marched on the city

27
Han Dynasty known for glory, unity, and peace

• Hated laws of Chin
• Barbarians rarely threatened
• Confuciouss teachings won influence

28
Most powerful Han emperor Wu-ti

• 140-87 B.C.
• Marshal Emperor
• Drove Huns out of Northern border

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Renewal of Learning

• Scholars read old Chinese classics
• Confucianism official
• Founded national university
• Brought back news of the civilized people of
  Persia

30
Search for culture led to trade

• Great Silk Road
• camel caravans
• Tibet to Syria and Asia Minor

31
After Wu-ti prosperity declined

• Peasants suffered
• Burden of taxes and debts
• bad harvests
• famine and plague
• peasants became bandits
• Twice overthrown
• Early Han and Later Han

32
Buddhism came from the Great Silk Road

• Monks taught that Buddha was a merciful god

33
Han Empire collapsed

• Buddhism spread