Welcome To Ancient China

Ancient China Degree of isolation Distance from Middle East Youngest Primary Phase culture in the Old World Some areas seem dry like sandy deserts. From mountainous areas in the west, long winding rivers begin. Small streams lead to rivers as they flow eastward to the ocean. Lowland areas near the coasts in the south are lush and green. Land surrounded by water juts out into the sea. Islands look like dots in the deep, dark water.

Prehistoric Society: Yangshao No other civilization is believed to have existed as long as China’s has. However, China’s culture is not the world’s oldest. Civilizations in Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Greece are thought to have begun earlier. What is special about Chinese culture is that it is continuous, or unbroken, from its earliest recorded history to today. Many of the world’s oldest civilizations have been greatly changed through time, even destroyed. But in China, writing, art and artifacts, and archaeological remains reveal a culture that remained mostly unified over centuries. 5000-3000 BCE Banpo Village Painted pottery Bronze tools

Unique Features Early History Three principal Neolithic Cultures Intensive garden-style agriculture Do not adopt the plow until very late Unique soil: loess or a yellowish brown soil that blows in from the desert. Early History Three principal Neolithic Cultures Later tradition: the Hsia dynasty no traces First historical civilization: the Shang dynasty

Pre-dynastic cultures of China Neolithic period

The Earliest Dynasties Xia 2200 BCE Organized through village network Hereditary monarchy Flood control Shang 1766-1122 BCE Zhou 1122-256 BCE The Xia refers to the first period in Chinese history. However, the first dynasty was the Shang dynasty. The Shang dynasty began between 1760 and 1500 B.C.

Neolithic village at Ban Po

The Shang Dynasty Yellow River- near the frontier Traditional date: 1500 BCE Invaders- eventually absorbed

Shang Dynasty Bronze metallurgy from 1200 BCE Horse-drawn chariots, other wheeled vehicles Large armies Political organization: network of fortified cities, loyal to center 1000 cities Capital moved six times Impressive architecture at Ao, Yin Other regional kingdoms coexist: Sanxingdui Silk No animal milk or milk products Ancestor worship Central place of the family

Operative Unit of Society The family Not the individual Not the state Not the religion Other Features Ornate architecture Chopsticks Ideographic script Still readable by modern Chinese Divination

Oracle bone with early ideographic script

An example of Shang bronze (religious objects) cast using a “lost wax” process

More bronze ware, with early ideograms

A bronze temple bell -many will strike two distinct and separate notes, depending on which part of the bell is struck

Distinctions Organization Peasants support nobles, officials, bureaucracy, etc. Government centered in towns Warrior elite Poor live in primitive conditions Distinctions Between rich and poor Between male and female Infanticide Foot binding Arranged marriages Multiple wives

End of the Primary Phase Early Ideology Yin and Yang Yin: female, dark, weak, wet, passive Yang: male, bright, strong, dry, active Balance of opposites- not good vs. bad End of the Primary Phase The Zhou dynasty- (Chou) people came from west of the Huang’s great river bend. In 1027 B.C., a Zhou leader’s army conquered the armies of the last Shang ruler, and the Zhou dynasty began. Replaced one ruling class with another “Meet the new boss...same as the old boss.”

Zhou dynasty 1100-256 B.C.

Zhou (Chou) Dynasty, 1122-256 BCE The Zhou dynasty was the longest of the Chinese dynasties, lasting more than 800 years. No law codes: rule by decree-“Mandate of Heaven” (4 principles) The right to rule is granted by Heaven. There is only one Heaven therefore there can be only one ruler. The right to rule is based on the virtue of the ruler. The right to rule is not limited to one dynasty. Masses of villages opposed to Shang leadership Decentralization of authority Development of cheap iron weaponry ends Shang monopoly on Bronze Early money economy

Decline of the Zhou Dynasty Decentralized leadership style allows for building of regional powers Increasing local independence, refusal to pay Zhou taxes Iron metallurgy allows for widespread creation of weaponry Northern invaders weaken Zhou dynasty, beginning 8th c BCE 771 BCE Zhou driven east Internal dissention: the Period of the Warring States (403-221 BCE)

The Period of Warring States The Eastern Zhou After Zhou was pushed east by invaders Ruled until 256 BCE Power held by local aristocrats First Chinese literature Evolution of bronze technology The Period of Warring States 771 B.C. Dozen-plus states Balance of power until 500’s Period of consolidation by warfare Warfare chronic

The Period of the Warring States, ca. 500 B.C.

Intellectual development During Zhou times Response to crisis and uncertainty Confucianism A philosophy (the rational investigation of the truths and principles of being, knowledge, or conduct) Taoism A religion (a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, esp. when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs)

Confucius (551-479 BCE) Poor, but noble family Well-educated in the “classics” Ambitious (wanted to be a bureaucrat...) Couldn’t get honest work...so he became a teacher The Analects His “sayings” Looked back to the “good old days” But favored some new ideas along with the old Rejection of the idea of in-born nobility Proper training, education, and aptitude make a “gentleman” Not simply birth into a certain family

(KOONG FOO zuh), or Master Kung Kung Fu-Tse (KOONG FOO zuh), or Master Kung Tomb of Master Kung

Confucian Concepts Ren – innate goodness in human beings Li – normal standard of conduct TAO –what is appropriate Confucius lived in the later years of the Zhou dynasty, a time of much conflict. Traditional society had broken down. Confucius found signs of this chaos on his travels. Many people were greedy, cruel, and insensitive toward the needs of others. Confucius was a teacher of morals, or deciding what is right and wrong, and a disciplined thinker. He valued order, harmony, and ways of making the world right. His reputation as a great teacher grew, and many people went to him for advice. It is said that Master Kung had some 3,000 followers by the time of his death in 479 BCE

Taoist is performing his art Taoism Statue of Great Emperor Zhenwu (bronze, in Ming Dynasty) a follower of Taoism Mo Tzu: 470-391 BCE Lao Tzu: 4th or 3rd century Taught about the Tao Supplied the metaphysical Multiple lines of thought Very fluid Basic Concepts Pursuit of justice and righteousness Wu wei wu: “Doing by not doing.” Withdrawal and contemplation Withdrawal from society Taoist is performing his art

The Zhou (Chou) and Qin (Chin) Toward the last years of the Zhou dynasty, many states were fighting for control of the government. In 221 BCE, the king of the strongest state, Qin, became Shi Huangdi (SHEE hwang dee), or “first emperor” under the Qin dynasty. No leader had been called an emperor since about 1700 B.C., the end of the days of the legends. New technology Gave land to peasants New military draft New bureaucracy Qin and the Legalist Tradition Ideology of rule Absolute power of the ruler People existed to serve the state Destroy Confucian Philosophy

The First Emperor Qin Shihuangdi (221-210 BCE) founds new dynasty as “First Emperor” Dynasty ends in 207, but sets dramatic precedent Basis of rule: centralized bureaucracy Massive public works begun Including precursor to Great Wall of China United China in 221 B.C. Ruled by the Legalist theory Massive conscription for labor

China Under the Qin Dynasty, 221-207 B.C.E.

Resistance to Qin Policies Emperor orders execution of all critics Orders burning of all ideological works Some 460 scholars buried alive Others exiled -Massive cultural losses Tomb of Shi Huangdi The discovery of the Terra-Cotta Army in China in 1974 was a spectacular find. Thousands of soldiers and horses have been found guarding the tomb. Archaeologists have not yet opened the actual tomb of Shi Huangdi. The tomb located under Mount Li is guarded by this army, and is said to be filled with riches, stones, a roof made of copper and studded with diamonds, and miniature silver and gold ducks and geese. The tomb has not yet been opened because Chinese archaeologists are taking care to protect the objects within: because they may not have enough funds, and possibly because they are concerned about booby traps set by the tomb builders.

Tomb of Shi Huangdi

The Great Canal

Rise of the Han The Han dynasty began in 206 BCE and lasted until CE 220. The Han dynasty eventually stretched as far south as what are today the countries of Vietnam and Cambodia. The first Han ruler was a peasant who called himself Han Gaozu (GOW ZOO), meaning “High Ancestor.” An ancestor is a relative who lived longer ago than a grandparent. He took the throne after joining a revolt against Shi Huangdi.

Han Dynasty Ruled for 400 years New bureaucracy Emphasis on centralization Weakening of the aristocracy Imperial expansion Destruction of the Legalists Some changes were made under Gaozu. He lifted the ban on books imposed by Shi Huangdi. More improvements came under emperor Wu Di (WOO DEE), who ruled about 141–87 BCE Under his reign, China made many changes and advancements. Wu Di divided lands owned by princes and lords. He took away power from those people who challenged him. To benefit the government, he taxed imported and exported trade goods. To improve transportation, Wu Di built new roads.

East Asia and Central Asia at the Time of Han Wudi, 87 B.C.E.

The Han Dynasty

Han Society The Confucian educated elite, free peasants, non-free peasants Improvement in women's status Beginnings of “secret societies” (frustrated poor who eventually ended the Han Dynasty) Inventions Many inventions made during the Han dynasty contributed to Chinese culture and civilization. The Chinese practiced new ways of trading and transporting goods. For example, they used middlemen, or people who go between buyers and sellers. Important inventions included porcelain and two things you are using right now—paper and ink! Before this time, people wrote on wooden or bamboo slips with a mixture of dust and water. Books could now be made available to more people. In 50 CE the Han government allied itself with some of the Xiongnu tribes and eventually marched across the Gobi desert, attacking the northern Xiongnu tribes. These tribes then migrated into Central Asia and Russia, and eventually to Europe, where they were known as the Huns. This military expansion allowed enough control over inner Asia to establish the Silk Road, connecting China to Rome through trade. At this point, China's military influence reached much of Central Asia and Chinese traders traveled as far as Asia Minor. The Han dynasty marked a time of great advancements in China. Chinese culture became unified across a vast land.

Population Growth in the Han Dynasty General prosperity Increased agricultural productivity Taxes small part of overall income Produce occasionally spoiling in state granaries

This part of China’s history concluded over 1700 years ago… those of you interested in China can research its modern history online.