Ancient China

Shang Dynasty 1766-1027 BCE

Shang (1700 - 1027 BCE) First recorded Dynasty (Xia - no written records) Ruled by aristocracy First Chinese cities, center of court life Developed writing, worked with bronze, created silk Honored ancestors, used oracle bones Shang tyrant emperor overthrown

Bronze Age Empires

Shang: 1523-1028 BCE

Oracle Bones

Oracle Bones Calendar

The Evolution of Chinese Writing during the Shang Pictographs Semantic-Phonetics

Zhou Dynasty 1027 - 256 BCE

“T’ien Ming” The Mandate of Heaven The leader must lead by ability and virtue. The dynasty's leadership must be justified by succeeding generations. The mandate could be revoked by negligence and abuse; the will of the people was important.

The Dynastic Cycle Start here A new dynasty comes to power. The emperor reforms the govt. & makes it more efficient. Emperor is defeated !! Lives of common people improved; taxes reduced; farming encouraged. The Dynastic Cycle Rebel bands find strong leader who unites them. Attack the emperor. Problems begin (extensive wars, invasions, etc.) Poor lose respect for govt. They join rebels & attack landlords. Taxes increase; men forced to work for army. Farming neglected. Droughts, floods, famines occur. Govt. increases spending; corruption.

Western Zhou: 1027-771 BCE

Eastern Zhou: 771-256 BCE

Zhou Coins - bronze

Qin (221 - 207 BCE) Qin She Huanshi - only emperor Adopted Legalism Developed highly centralized gov’t with bureaucratic administration Standardized currency, language, measurements, laws Built first Great Wall

Trade Routes of the Ancient World

Foot-Binding in Tang China Began 200 years after Wu Zetian The Han Synthesis term refers to the emphasis on Legalism, but with a touch of Confucianism. The Han dynasty recorded Confucius’s teachings (The Analects) and put a big emphasis on the family. Founded the Imperial University Required examinations to become bureaucrat (civil service system) Soldiers dropped to lowest status. Confucianists at work; Daoists at home. The Han tried to replace literature, including Confucius’s writings, lost during the Qin Dynasty. Created new works of literature and music. Scroll painting began during this time. Iron was now used for plows and weapons. Acupuncture was invented. Invented a crude seismic sensing tool, so they could send troops and food to the scene of an earthquake! Inventions include: paper (105 CE), sternpost rudder on ships, water mill, wheelbarrow, furrowed cultivation Show map for Silk Road trade. It brought Chinese together into one civilization, creating a common culture. Economically, it brought much wealth to the Han, as they exported much more than they imported. Wudi’s public schools taught Confucianism. Grand School in capital. In 100 years, 30,000 studied there. Size 5 ½ shoe on the right

Song [Sung] Dynasty, 960-1279 C.E. Creation of an urban, merchant, middle class. Increased emphasis on education & cheaper availability of printed books. Magnetic compass makes China a great sea power!  The Han Synthesis term refers to the emphasis on Legalism, but with a touch of Confucianism. The Han dynasty recorded Confucius’s teachings (The Analects) and put a big emphasis on the family. Founded the Imperial University Required examinations to become bureaucrat (civil service system) Soldiers dropped to lowest status. Confucianists at work; Daoists at home. The Han tried to replace literature, including Confucius’s writings, lost during the Qin Dynasty. Created new works of literature and music. Scroll painting began during this time. Iron was now used for plows and weapons. Acupuncture was invented. Invented a crude seismic sensing tool, so they could send troops and food to the scene of an earthquake! Inventions include: paper (105 CE), sternpost rudder on ships, water mill, wheelbarrow, furrowed cultivation Show map for Silk Road trade. It brought Chinese together into one civilization, creating a common culture. Economically, it brought much wealth to the Han, as they exported much more than they imported. Wudi’s public schools taught Confucianism. Grand School in capital. In 100 years, 30,000 studied there.

Rice Cultivation Began Under the Song Above is a picture of Suzhou in Jiangsu province showing houses along the Grand Canal. From north to south, the Grand Canal is over 1,700 kilometers (roughly 1,100 miles) long, linking Hangzhou in Zhejiang province with Beijing in the north. An extremely important water project that was first started in the Sui dynasty (589-618), it connects several big rivers and provides an important means of transportation and communication. With the two pictures below in mind, how do you think the access to rivers and lakes would have made the lifestyle of people in the south different from that of people in the north?

Mongol Warriors The Han Synthesis term refers to the emphasis on Legalism, but with a touch of Confucianism. The Han dynasty recorded Confucius’s teachings (The Analects) and put a big emphasis on the family. Founded the Imperial University Required examinations to become bureaucrat (civil service system) Soldiers dropped to lowest status. Confucianists at work; Daoists at home. The Han tried to replace literature, including Confucius’s writings, lost during the Qin Dynasty. Created new works of literature and music. Scroll painting began during this time. Iron was now used for plows and weapons. Acupuncture was invented. Invented a crude seismic sensing tool, so they could send troops and food to the scene of an earthquake! Inventions include: paper (105 CE), sternpost rudder on ships, water mill, wheelbarrow, furrowed cultivation Show map for Silk Road trade. It brought Chinese together into one civilization, creating a common culture. Economically, it brought much wealth to the Han, as they exported much more than they imported. Wudi’s public schools taught Confucianism. Grand School in capital. In 100 years, 30,000 studied there.

Ming (1368 - 1644 CE) Tried to erase all signs of Mongols Reinstated civil service, Confucian scholars Eunuchs play growing role (Zheng He) - resented by scholar gentry Rebuilt and extended Great Wall Collapsed after famines and riots

Ming Dynasty, 1368-1644 C.E. Golden Age of Chinese Art Moderation Softness Gracefulness Three different schools of painting developed. Hundreds of thousands of workers constructed the Forbidden City. The Han Synthesis term refers to the emphasis on Legalism, but with a touch of Confucianism. The Han dynasty recorded Confucius’s teachings (The Analects) and put a big emphasis on the family. Founded the Imperial University Required examinations to become bureaucrat (civil service system) Soldiers dropped to lowest status. Confucianists at work; Daoists at home. The Han tried to replace literature, including Confucius’s writings, lost during the Qin Dynasty. Created new works of literature and music. Scroll painting began during this time. Iron was now used for plows and weapons. Acupuncture was invented. Invented a crude seismic sensing tool, so they could send troops and food to the scene of an earthquake! Inventions include: paper (105 CE), sternpost rudder on ships, water mill, wheelbarrow, furrowed cultivation Show map for Silk Road trade. It brought Chinese together into one civilization, creating a common culture. Economically, it brought much wealth to the Han, as they exported much more than they imported. Wudi’s public schools taught Confucianism. Grand School in capital. In 100 years, 30,000 studied there.