Transcript China
China “Eastward goes the great river, it waves have swept away a thousand years of gallant men.” China Draw a picture or write down words or phases that express your ideas about China. Prehistoric Society: Yangshao 5000-3000 BCE Ban Po Village Painted pottery Bronze tools The Earliest Dynasties Xia Shang C. 2200 BCE 1766-1122 BCE Zhou 1122-256 BCE Neolithic village at Ban Po The Shang Dynasty Yellow River near the frontier traditional date: 1500 B.C. invaders eventually absorbed Shang Dynasty 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 Other regional kingdoms coexist: Characteristics 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 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 The Zhou Dynasty (JOH) China would become large and powerful Leave a heritage that would last thousands of years Heritage is a set of ideas that has been passed down from one generation to another The Zhou Dynasty The Zhou dynasty worshipped a god called Tian (TYEN) or “Heaven” Lived in the Wei River Valley as herders Learned to farm and settled in villages Zhou Dynasty Began to move east, and came into contact with the Shang people 1050 B.C. , the Zhou Dynasty attacked the Shang Dynasty In 1050 B.C. the Zhou ruler, King Wu, claimed victory over the Shang Dynasty Zhou Dynasty believed the heavens ordered the attack on Shang Zhou Dynasty Virtues: good qualities, needed to lead the people Book of Documents: an early Chinese text, calls Heaven’s order to claim rule over China the Mandate of Heaven Division of Classes King Nobles Peasants Division of Classes King was at the top of Zhou Society Everyone owned loyalty to the king King gave land to nobles in return for military service Kings used nobles armies for protection Division of Classes Nobles received land in return for military service Nobles ruled their land as separate states, governing in whatever way they wanted King would use Nobles armies for protection Division of Classes Peasants lived on the land owned by the nobles and farmed it For the right to farm a noble’s land, the peasant had to serve in the noble’s army Life filled with hardships Peasants farmers supplied king with an endless number of workers Zhou Dynasty Under the Zhou kings China’s civilization grew By 700 B.C. more people lived in china than anywhere else in the world The Decline of the Zhou Dynasty Kings would be strong rulers, however eventually weakened People to north and west of the Zhou kingdom invaded the valley of the Wei River Warring Kingdom Period Invaders would capture the Wei River Valley, Zhou had to move their capital Power would weaken and nobles increased The collapse of Zhou would bring China into a time of warfare 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. The Ideas of Confucius One of China’s most important thinkers, Confucius Lived during the Warring Kingdoms Period Confucius is often called China’s first philosopher Philosopher: is a person who studies the meaning of life The Ideas of Confucius He spent much of his time thinking about ways to improve society and restore order in China China’s first teacher Used short sayings to teach his ideas Confucius (ca. 551-479 B.C.) poor family well-educated in the “classics” ambitious (wanted to be a bureaucrat...) couldn’t get honest work...so he became a teacher Kung Fu-Tse Tomb of Master Kung Confucius, con’t wrote nothing--his followers wrote about him difficult to separate myth from fact the Analects his “sayings” Important Confucian concepts Ren – innate goodness in human beings Li – normal standard of conduct the TAO –what is appropriate no speculation on metaphysics Confucian Ideas Ethics and politics Avoided Junzi: “superior individuals” Role religion, metaphysics in government service Emphasis on Zhou Dynasty texts later formed core texts of Chinese education Confucius, con’t a failure? ideas spread by students adopted by the Han dynasty Taoism Mo Tzu: ca. 470-391 B.C. Lao Tzu: 4th or 3rd century taught about the Tao Taoism supplied the metaphysical multiple lines of thought very fluid Taoism Critics of Confucianism Passivism, rejection of active attempts to change the course of events Founder: Laozi, 6th c. BCE The Tao te Ching (Classic of Way and of Virtue) Zhuangzi (named for author, 369-236 BCE) The Zhou (Chou) and Qin rise of the Qin new technology gave land to peasants new military draft new bureaucracy The 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 (r. 221-210 BCE) founds new dynasty as “First Emperor” Dynasty ends in 207, but sets dramatic precedent Basis of rule: centralized bureacracy Massive public works begun Incl. precursor to Great Wall Shi Huangdi 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 Great Canal Rise of the Han rebellion of peasants Lui Bang a successful failure Han dynasty ruled for 400 years new bureaucracy emphasis on centralization weakening of the aristocracy imperial expansion destruction of the Legalists East Asia and central Asia at the time of Han Wudi, Ca. 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” Population Growth in the Han Dynasty 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 220 BCE 9 CE Population (millions) General prosperity Increased agricultural productivity Taxes small part of overall income Produce occasionally spoiling in state granaries Facts It is located between Mongolian grasslands and the farmlands of Han. It is about 10 meters high. It is five meters wide. The wall stretches from east to west for about 5000 kilometers. The wall runs up and down along the mountains and valleys. Construction The Great Wall was built as a defensive fortification by the three following states – Yan, Zhao and Qin. Construction of the first section began no later than the 6th or 7th centuries B.C. The last section was added on between the 14th and 17th century A.D. It went through constant repairs during the later dynasties. Purpose of Creation The reason the Chinese created this astonishing wall was to defend China. A lot of people think that this wall was built to keep the Mongolians out, but eventually the Mongols would have gotten over it since it isn’t very tall. So instead of keeping them out, it slowed them down. In reality, it began as independent walls for different states. The idea of joining the wall came from the emperor Qin Shihuang. This is the perspective of how big the Great Wall is. From on side of America to another.