Ancient China n degree of isolation n distance from Middle East n youngest Primary Phase culture in the Old World

Prehistoric Society: Yangshao n BCE n Ban Po Village n Painted pottery n Bronze tools

Unique features n intensive garden-style agriculture n do not adopt the plow until very late n unique soil: loess

Neolithic village at Ban Po

Early History n legendary outline n three principal Neolithic Cultures n later tradition: the Hsia dynasty –no traces n first historical civilization: the Shang dynasty

Pre-dynastic cultures of China Neolithic period

The Earliest Dynasties n Xia (Hsia) –C BCE –Organized through village network –Hereditary monarchy –Flood control n Shang – BCE n Zhou – BCE

The Shang Dynasty n Yellow River –near the frontier n traditional date: 1500 B.C. n invaders n eventually absorbed

Shang Dynasty n Bronze metallurgy from 1200 BCE –State monopoly n Horse-drawn chariots, other wheeled vehicles n Large armies n Political organization: network of fortified cities, loyal to center –1000 cities –Capital moved six times Impressive architecture at Ao, Yin n Other regional kingdoms coexist: San Xingdui

Distinct Characteristics n silk n no animal milk or milk products n ancestor worship n central place of the family

Operative unit of Society n the family n not the individual n not the state n not the religion

Other features n ornate architecture n chopsticks n ideographic script –still readable by modern Chinese n 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

Organization n peasants support nobles, officials, bureaucracy, etc. n government centered in towns n warrior elite n poor live in primitive conditions

Distinctions n between rich and poor n between male and female –infanticide –footbinding –arranged marriages –multiple wives

Early ideology n Yin and Yang n Yin: female, dark, weak, wet, passive n Yang: male, bright, strong, dry, active n balance of opposites

End of the Primary Phase n not as serious in China n nomadic invaders n the Zhou dynasty –1027 B.C. n replaced one ruling class with another –“meet the new boss...same as the old boss.”

Zhou dynasty B.C.

Zhou (Chou) Dynasty, BCE n No law codes: rule by decree –“Mandate of Heaven” n Aggregation of villages opposed to Shang leadership –Decentralization of authority n Development of cheap iron weaponry ends Shang monopoly on Bronze n Early money economy

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

The Eastern Zhou n ruled until 256 B.C. n power held by local aristocrats n first Chinese literature n evolution of bronze technology

Political theory n the mandate of Heaven n universal monarch –favors consolidation –xenophobic n Emperor is the Son of Heaven n feudal monarchy

The Period of Warring States n 771 B.C. n dozen-plus states n balance of power until 500’s n period of consolidation by warfare –warfare chronic

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

Intellectual development n response to crisis and uncertainty n Confucianism –a sort of philosophy n Taoism –a sort of religion

The Good Old Days n breakdown of “traditional family values” n no trust or confidence in government –filled with thieves, liars, and murderers n no respect for the ancestors n “Why do the wicked flourish?”

Confucius (ca B.C.) (Kung Fu Tse) n poor family n well-educated in the “classics” n ambitious (wanted to be a bureaucrat...) n couldn’t get honest work...so he became a teacher

Kung Fu-Tse Tomb of Master Kung

Confucius, con’t n wrote nothing--his followers wrote about him n difficult to separate myth from fact n the Analects –his “sayings”

The Analects n looked back to the “good old days” n but favored some new ideas along with the old n rejection of the idea of in-born nobility n proper training, education, and aptitude make a “gentleman” –not simply birth into a certain family

Marks of gentility n goodness, wisdom, courage n moderation of outer and inner emotions n knowledge of traditional rites n dissociation from all men who did not practice these things –simple satisfaction in the practice of virtue for its own sake

Circumstances favoring his ideas n lack of mythopoetic urge n lack of a strong religious tradition and experience n lack of prophets n lack of anthropomorphic gods

Important Confucian concepts n Ren – innate goodness in human beings n Li – normal standard of conduct n the TAO –what is appropriate n no speculation on metaphysics

Confucian Ideas n Ethics and politics –Avoided religion, metaphysics –Role in government service

Confucius, con’t n a failure? n ideas spread by students n adopted by the Han dynasty

Taoism n supplied the metaphysical n multiple lines of thought n very fluid

Taoism n Critics of Confucianism/Taoism –Passivism, rejection of active attempts to change the course of events n Founder: Laozi, 6 th c. BCE n The Tao te Ching (Classic of Way and of Virtue) n Zhuangzi (named for author, BCE)

Basic concepts n pursuit of justice and righteousness n Wu wei wu: “ –Doing by not doing.” n withdrawal and contemplation n withdrawal from society

The Zhou (Chou) and Qin n rise of the Qin n new technology n gave land to peasants n new military draft n new bureaucracy

The Qin and the Legalist tradition n ideology of rule n absolute power of the ruler n people existed to serve the state n destroy Confucian philosophy?

The First Emperor n Qin Shihuangdi (r BCE) founds new dynasty as “First Emperor” n Dynasty ends in 207, but sets dramatic precedent n Basis of rule: centralized bureacracy n Massive public works begun –Incl. precursor to Great Wall

Shi Huangdi n united China in 221 B.C. n ruled by the Legalist theory n massive conscription for labor

China under the Qin dynasty, B.C.E.

Resistance to Qin Policies n Emperor orders execution of all critics n Orders burning of all ideological works n Some 460 scholars buried alive n Others exiled n Massive cultural losses

Tomb of Shi Huangdi

Rise of the Han n rebellion of peasants n Lui Bang n a successful failure

Han dynasty n ruled for 400 years n new bureaucracy n emphasis on centralization –weakening of the aristocracy n imperial expansion n destruction of the Legalists

The Han Dynasty

Han society n the Confucian educated elite n free peasants n non-free peasants n improvement in women's’ status n beginnings of “secret societies”

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