O VERVIEW A NCIENT AND M IDDLE C HINA

E ARLIEST C HINA : THE S HANG E RA Introduced little if any cultural change China was extremely isolated from outside influences Agriculture, metalworking originated independently No connection with Indian or Mesopotamian cultures Strictly hierarchical society Powerful king with warrior court Skilled artisans, small traders Peasants (great majority) Fundamental aspects of Chinese life Supreme importance of family Reverence for ancestors and aged Emphasis on this world Importance of education, literacy

W RITING Beginnings date to about 1500 BCE Originally pictographic, then developed huge vocabulary of signs called logographs Single logographs may represent several words Students had to memorize about 5000 logographs to be literate Earliest writing was on oracle bones used to discern divine wishes Writing was so difficult that there were very low literacy rates

Z HOU D YNASTY Greatly extended China’s borders Extensive literature survives – history, records of all kinds Mandate of Heaven Vote of confidence for ruler from gods As long as he ruled well, justly, he kept the mandate If he betrayed the mandate, he had to be replaced Highly influential idea in Chinese history First rulers were powerful military men Feudal society developed – local aristocratic power increased Control of area by royal government weakened By 400 BCE, central power broke down completely

C ULTURAL AND D AILY L IFE Great advances in all arts and crafts Silk Bronze work Iron for tools, utensils, plowshares War chariot was technical breakthrough Wars were common Use of horse harness meant horses could pull better Transformed the value of horses Peasants were moderately prosperous, rarely enslaved, most were sharecropping tenants Literary arts Earliest surviving books date to 800s BCE Professional historians wrote chronicles of rulers Poetry made first appearance calligraphy

S ILK R OAD Caravan route to the Near East and the Black Sea Used to trade many kinds of goods but silk was the most important and valuable From the Black Sea goods would travel to Rome (paid a pound of gold for a pound of Chinese silk

C ONFUCIUS AND C ONFUCIAN P HILOSOPHY Extremely influential figure Molder of patterns of education Authority on actions of true Chinese Interests were practical, centered on ethical, political relations His model was the Chinese family – state should be like harmonious family Headed by males Each person has rights and duties Women scarcely existed

C ONFUCIUS ’ 5 KEY R ELATIONSHIPS Ruler Ruled Husband Wife Parent Child Elder Brother Younger BrotherFriend Filial Piety- children demonstrate devotion and dedication to their parents in both thought and actions from childhood to adulthood

C ONFUCIUS AND C ONFUCIAN P HILOSOPHY Gentility (courtesy, justice, moderation) was chief virtue Rich, strong had obligation to poor, weak Proper role for gentleman was government Came to have enormous influence Rulers were judged according to his guidelines Educated officials (mandarins) were governing class Rulers came to prefer status quo, harmony over change, new ideas

R IVALS TO C ONFUCIUS Daoism Concentrated on nature, following the “Way” Based on Lao Zi’s The Way of the Dao Sees the best government is the least government Way of Nature is perceived through meditation, observation Man must seek harmony of parts of the whole, avoid all extremes Eventually degenerated into peasant superstition

R IVALS TO C ONFUCIUS Legalism Philosophy of government rather than private life Popularized during Era of the Warring States Primarily a justification for applying force when persuasion fails Sees most people as inclined to evil selfishness, government must restrain them Strict censorship, crushing of any independent thought Strict Law State should have as much power as possible Would lead to stable government

E MPIRE OF THE M IDDLE : C HINA TO THE M ONGOL C ONQUEST

C HINA UNDER THE Q IN AND H AN D YNASTIES

Q IN D YNASTY

T HE Q IN E MPEROR – F OUNDATION OF THE S TATE After Era of the Warring States, Qin ruler reunified country through military force, administrative reorganization First Emperor had great influence Centralization along legalist lines Country divided into administrative units Weights and measures standardized First standard units of money Writing system standardized

Q IN D YNASTY Great Wall and other public works started China expanded to north and south, first contacts with Vietnamese Reigns had negative aspects too Torture, harsh treatment Burning of the books to combat Confucianism Overthrow led to Han Dynasty Y7yJ7JWFU&feature=related 4nXADdPPY&feature=fvw

H AN DYNASTY

H AN D YNASTY 202 BCE TO 220 CE Simultaneous with Rome, aspects in common Basically urban Depended on non-hereditary officials Taxed peasants heavily Collapsed under internal, external pressures Chinese frontiers greatly expanded Ended Chinese isolation from rest of world Massive cultural influence On Japan, Korea, Vietnam

H AN D YNASTY Became semi-official philosophy of Han regime More emphasis on obedience than before Renewed emphasis on Mandate of Heaven Mandate of Heaven- under Zhou Dynasty, deities give leader mandate to rule, as long as they protect people from invaders they keep the mandate History – kept careful records Mathematics, geography, astronomy Invention of paper Medicine – acupuncture Fine arts –silk, bronzes, jade, ceramics Poetry, landscape painting, instrumental music became prominent ConfucianismArts and Sciences

H AN D YNASTY E CONOMY, G OVERNMENT, F OREIGN A FFAIRS Canals, roads improved communications, commerce Large cities, numerous market towns and impressive urban markets Government functioned through bureaucracy, members (mandarins) chosen by examination China absorbed, assimilated nomadic invaders Peaceful contacts with India by traders, Buddhist monks Heavy taxation eventually caused rebellion

E ND OF THE H AN D YNASTY Broke down into anarchy Two political divisions then appeared – North and South Paddy rice farming entrenched in South, made population growth possible Peasants Revolt 95% of People in China consider themselves Han Culture was primarily established under dynasty