1. China 3000 BCE-220 CE

2. Dynasties Shang = 1766-1027 Zhou = 1027-256 – Warring States Period Qin = 221-206 Han = 202-220 CE

3. Shang: 1523-1028 BCE

4. Shang Dynasty (1766-1122) Culture – Isolated by deserts, mountains, and seas – unpredictable flooding Still some trade w/ Southwest Asia and South Asia – Left written records – Knowledge of bronze metallurgy – from Southwest Asia – Strengthened Shang war machine – 1000 BCE Ironworking – Fortune telling and ancestor worship started – Palaces/tombs built for emperors – Writing – oracle bones Oracle scratch person’s question on bone/shell – heat it Resulting cracks read to learn message from gods

5. Oracle Bones

6. Oracle Bones Calendar

7. The Evolution of Chinese Writing during the Shang PictographsSemantic-Phonetics

8. Axe Scepter – 1100 BCE - jade Ceremonial Dagger – 1028 BCE

9. Shan g Urn

10. Shang Bronzes

11. Ritual Wine Vessel – bronze

12. Expanded territory – added southern rice valley further centralized gov’t Feudal system – Too large to control Developed bureaucracies – bureaus - departments Worked for couple centuries – But nobles build up wealth/power & Split off into individual kingdoms – Nobles given power over small regions » King gave noble protection for loyalty Standardized language Mandate of Heaven – Power as long as gods allowed – Corruption/military defeat weakened a ruler > gods no longer in favor Lasted until 500 BCE when internal conflict – Era of Warring States

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

14. Western Zhou: 1027- 771 BCE

15. Eastern Zhou: 771-256 BCE

16. Ritual Food Vessel, bronze

17. Pendant of a Dancer - jade

18. Ritual Wine Vessel –

19. Zhou Coins- bronze

20. “T’ien Ming” The Mandate of Heaven 1.The leader must lead by ability and virtue. 2.The dynasty's leadership must be justified by succeeding generations. 3.The mandate could be revoked by negligence and abuse; the will of the people was important.

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

22. Qin – after Era of the Warring States – 221-202 BCE – Shi Huangdi – “First Emperor” > dictatorial – name applied to country » Unified country by conquering warring feudal states Abolished feudalism Instituted centralized gov’t that would be model – one of briefest dynasties – Major precedents » Strong emperor » Large Bureaucracy » Expanded territory to Vietnam – Defensive wall – Great Wall » Shows empire well organized, centralized, brutal – Weights, measures, coinage standardized – Silk cloth encouraged – Established uniform laws – Legalism – state sponsored alternative to Confucianism/Taoism » People are basically evil – must be kept in line w/ strict laws – Rule cruel/autocratic » Refused to tolerate any dissent Dissent in book > burned Dissent in scholar > killed – Heavy taxes for peasants » Overburdened peasants revolted and overthrew in 207 BCE

23. Han – 200 BCE – 220 CE – Governmental bureaucracy grew stronger » Effective administration, postal service, tax-collecting – Territory expanded to Central Asia, Korea, Indochina » Under Emperor Wu (140-87 BCE) expanded furthest Wu Ti = Warrior Emperor – Chinese civil service exam » Excellent communicators/highly educated » Test lasted for days » Open to everyone, but only wealthy could afford to prepare » Bureaucracy highly skilled – Time of peace settled across China » Threat of Huns not as significant as in Europe – Government oversaw iron production – Government sponsored and maintained canals, irrigation – Name “Han” still used to refer to people – Main goal – unification of China – Reestablished Confucian philosophy – Two million ethnic Chinese moved to northwestern region to colonize imperial frontier – Expanded territory west to Turkistan – Internal struggles for power destabilized – Taxes grew to high » Peasant uprising 184 BCE » Yellow Turbans – secret society – anti-Han support » Ended dynasty – led to Three Kingdoms – Outside invaders made it tough to protect borders – Similarities to Han and Roman empires » Large and powerful » Conquests plus effective administration – Next 350 years state of chaos

24. CLASSICAL CHINA PART 2 Stearns: Chapter 2

25. UNIFICATION OF CHINA  The Qin State and Dynasty – Adopted Legalist policies – Encouraged agriculture, resulted in strong economy  Qin Shi Huangdi – King of the Qin proclaimed himself First Emperor of unified China, 221 B.C.E. – Established centralized imperial rule – Connected and extended the Great Wall

26. QIN STATECRAFT  Centralization: – Standardized laws, currencies, weights and measures – Creation of a uniform language  The collapse of the Qin dynasty – Massive public works generated ill will – Rebels overwhelmed the Qin court in 207 B.C.E. – Short-lived but left deep marks in Chinese history

27. THE EARLY HAN DYNASTY General Liu Bang – Restored order, established dynasty, 206 B.C.E. Han was long-lived dynasty Early Han policies – Sought middle way between Zhou and Qin – Return to centralized rule

29. Han Centralization and Expansion Bureaucracy – Enormous system of educated bureaucrats called “Mandarins” – Confucian education system to train them Han imperial expansion – Colonized northern Vietnam and Korea – Extended China into central Asia

30. HAN SOCIAL STRUCTURE Scholar bureaucrats: Confucian trained Officials selected through exams Used to run the government Scholar Gentry Mandarins, the Confucian bureaucrats, intermarried with landed elite New class comes to dominate local, national offices and joined the upper class

31. TRADE AND COMMERCE  Iron: Farm tools, utensils, weapons  Paper: Probably invented before 100 C.E.  Population growth – Increased from twenty to sixty million from 220 B.C.E. to 9 C.E.  Silk textiles – Silk Road established: traded silk for horses