Ancient China (Shang and Zhou Dynasties) Theme: The importance of rivers and the advantage of technology Lsn 4

Importance of Rivers

rivers agriculture populations cities specialization hierarchy

YELLOW RIVER YANGZI RIVER

Population Growth Settlements began to crop up along the Yellow and Yangzi Rivers Created a need for recognized authorities who could maintain order, resolve disputes, and organize public works projects Village-level organizations could only act locally Small dynasties followed that extended their control over progressively larger regions

Dynasties “A sequence of powerful leaders in the same family” Shang Dynasty 1766 to 1122 B.C. Zhou Dynasty 1122 to 256 B.C. Tang Dynasty 618 to 907 A.D. Song Dynasty 960 to 1279 A.D. Shang Dynasty

Characteristics of a Civilization Intensive agricultural techniques Specialization of labor Cities A social hierarchy (We’ll discuss mandate of heaven in more detail in Lsn 16) Organized religion and education (We’ll cover Confucianism, Daoism, and Legalism in Lsn 16) Development of complex forms of economic exchange Development of new technologies Advanced development of the arts. (This can include writing.) Intensive agricultural techniques, such as the use of animal power, crop rotation, and irrigation. This enables farmers to produce a surplus of food that will not be needed for their own subsistence. A significant portion of the population that does not devote most of its time to producing food. They can go into other occupations and trade for the food they need. This is called "specialization of labor." It is possible because of the food surplus described above. The gathering of these non-food producers into permanent settlements, called cities. A social hierarchy. This can be a chiefdom, in which the chieftain of one noble family or clan rules the people; or a state society, in which the ruling class is supported by a government or bureaucracy. Political power is concentrated in the cities. The establishment of complex, formal social institutions such as organized religion and education, as opposed to the less formal traditions of other societies. Development of complex forms of economic exchange. This includes the expansion of trade and may lead to the creation of money and markets. The accumulation of more material possessions than in simpler societies. Development of new technologies by people who are not busy producing food. In many early civilizations, metallurgy was an important advancement. Advanced development of the arts by those who don't have to farm for a living. This can include writing.

Agriculture

Yellow River Takes its name from the vast quantities of loess soil it picks up along its route Loess is an extremely fine and powder-like soil that gradually builds up in the river bed, raising the river bed and forcing the water out of its established path Yellow River periodically unleashes terrible floods, earning it the nickname “China’s Sorrow”

Agriculture Loess soil is extremely fertile and easy to work Even before the introduction of metal tools, cultivators with wooden instruments could generate large harvests

Crops Initially, millet was the main crop (especially in the north) Sometime thereafter, the Chinese began cultivating rice (especially in the south where the Yangzi River is less prone than the Yellow River to devastating floods) Extensive rice production would require developing a complex irrigation system (made possible by the centralizing authority of the Shang and Zhou Dynasties)

Cities Ruins of Banpo Village near modern Xian

Cities: Shang Vast network of walled towns whose local rulers recognized authority of the Shang kings Shang rulers moved their capital six times Capital at Yin (near modern Anyang) contained a complex of royal palaces and eleven large and lavish royal tombs Royal tomb at Anyang

Social Hierarchy King Wen of Zhou China

Social Hierarchy: Shang and early Zhou Royal family and allied noble families Resided in large, palatial compounds and lived on the agricultural surplus and taxes delivered by their subjects Power tied to bronze Privileged class of hereditary aristocrats Rose from the military allies of the rulers Possessed extensive land holdings and performed military and administrative tasks Some access to education for those who lived in cities Detailed rules of etiquette during Zhou era

Social Hierarchy: Ancient Shang and early Zhou Small class of free artisans and craftsmen Lived in cities Those who worked almost extensively for the privileged classes lived reasonably comfortably Peasants Semi-servile class that lived in the countryside and did not own land Provided agricultural, military, and labor services for lords in exchange for plots to cultivate, security, and a portion of the harvest Slaves Most were captured enemy warriors Performed hard labor that required a large work force such as clearing fields or building city walls During the Shang Dynasty many were victims of human sacrifice during funerals and other religious and ritual observances

Specialization Bronze storage jar from Zhou Dynasty Silk making

Specialization Bronzesmiths Jewelers Jade workers Embroiderers Manufacturers of silk textiles Silkworms are fed mulberry leaves, they molt and spin cocoons, then workers boil the cocoons to produce the raw silk. Silkworm cocoon

Religion and Education Bronze wine vessel used for rituals to honor ancestors during Shang Dynasty

Religion Ancient China did not have an organized religion or official priesthood Did not recognize a personal supreme deity who intervened in human affairs or took a special interest in human behavior Did speak of an impersonal heavenly power– tian (“heaven”)– that was responsible for bestowing and removing the mandate of heaven on rulers

Religion Instead, the patriarchal head of the family presided over rites and ceremonies venerating ancestors’ spirits Believed that the spirits of ancestors passed into another realm of existence from which they had the power to support and protect their surviving families if the families demonstrated the proper respect and ministered to the spirit’s needs Burning paper gifts for the departed is one traditional form of ancestor worship

Cowrie shells used as money Economic Exchange Cowrie shells used as money

Economic Exchange Somewhat limited by the mountain ranges and deserts that stood between China and India and southwest Asia Shipbuilding emerged during Zhou era and facilitated trade Evidence of Cowrie shells from Burma and the Maldives Military technology from Mesopotamia Jade from central Asia Tin from Malay

New Technologies Silk making

New Technologies: Silk During the Zhou era, the Chinese discovered how to make silk from the cocoons of silkworms. Silk would become China’s most valuable export, eventually linking them with most of the world through trade. We’ll talk more about this in Lesson 23 on the Silk Roads

New Technologies: Bookbinding Chinese artisans learned how to bind together long, thin strips of wood or bamboo to make books

New Technologies: Shang and Military Success Shang ruling elites were able to monopolize production of bronze in the Yellow River Valley by controlling access to copper and tin ores Allowed Shang forces to defeat Xia forces who were equipped with only stone, wood, and bone weapons Shang nobles used bronze to make fittings for horse- drawn chariots

New Technologies: Shang and Military Success Shang were also able to exert military might over the Xia through bows Shang pictograph of composite bow

New Technologies: Zhou and Military Failure Zhou kings were not able to monopolize bronze production as the Shang had Moreover, iron technology was spreading rapidly throughout China Iron ores were cheaper and more abundant than copper and tin so Zhou could not monopolize iron Subordinates were able to outfit their forces with iron which enabled them to resist the central government When nomads invaded the Zhou capital at Hao in 771 B.C., the subordinates refused to support the king

New Technologies The Great Wall of China originated as a defensive barrier against tribal intrusions Construction started in the seventh century B. C. and spanned over 20 states and dynasties Two sections were built during the Zhou era As China unified, the various sections were connected

Art and Writing Writing on bamboo strips Bronze from Sang Dynasty

Writing The earliest form of Chinese writing was the pictograph Pictographs were combined into ideographes to represent complex or abstract notions The combination of “mother” and “child” renders “good” Unlike most other languages, written Chinese did not include an alphabetic or phonetic component

Writing: Oracle Bones Principal instrument used by fortune tellers in Ancient China Diviners inscribed a question on a broad bone such as a tortoise shell and placed it in a fire The fortune teller used the cracks that developed to divine the question’s answer

Book of Songs Collection of 331 poems from the Zhou era Represent a variety of subjects Political themes Ritualistic hymns Life Love and friendship Family Work and play

Burning of Books Many works were lost when Qin came to power in 221 B.C. and ordered all books on poetry, history, and philosophy burned for fear they would inspire doubts about his government or encourage an independence of mind