Transcript China
EQ 4: How did ancient Chinese society develop? Key Terms: Patriarchal, Mandate of Heaven, Dynastic Cycle, Confucius, Lao-tzu, Taoism, Chin Shih Huangdi, civil service exam What are some things you know about China? A Patriarchal Society • Since ancient times, great emphasis placed on the family • Elderly held power, were revered • Controlled family possessions • Arranged marriages • Respect for parents was the most important virtue in society • Family ancestors were worshipped Women • Considered inferior • 1. obey fathers, then husbands, then sons • 2. Usually married age 13-16, then had to answer to mother-in-law • 3. Footbinding practiced by wealthy families, considered beautiful Writing • Complex writing system, calligraphy • Original system had thousands of symbols • Barely literate=1,000 characters • Scholar=5,000-10,000 characters China’s First Emperor • Chin Shi Huang-ti formed Qin, or Chin, dynasty (where China gets its name) • Used harsh tactics against both foreign invaders and internal opposition • Formed an autocracy, where the ruler had unlimited power and used it however he wanted • Had Great Wall of China built, 1400 miles long **only man-made structure visible from space • Had 7,500 terra cotta soldiers built for tomb to protect in afterlife Dynasties Emerge • The descendants of Chin Shih were eventually overthrown • Other dynasties came to power and ruled China • Dynasty—a family of rulers • In 1027 BC, the Zhou dynasty came to power and developed the Mandate of Heaven • The Zhou rulers said that the previous rulers had been so incompetent that the gods had taken away their power and given it to the Zhou, who were more capable • Mandate of Heaven—approval from the gods to rule The Dynastic Cycle • Refers to the cycle of different families coming to power in China • A ruling dynasty claimed to have the Mandate of Heaven • The dynasty’s power declines, problems develop • People believe ruler has lost mandate of heaven • Someone overthrows govt, claims to have mandate of heaven Philosophy—Confucianism • After the Zhou dynasty declined, China was full of violence and turmoil • Confucius, born 551 B.C. during the decline of the Zhou rulers, started a new philosophy • Basic belief—Emphasized fulfilling obligations in the Five Relationships to restore social harmony, order, & respect for authority. • Confucius was known for making wise statements, called analects Analects—A gentleman • “A gentleman points out the admirable qualities of men and does not point out their bad qualities. A petty man does just the opposite." • "What the gentleman demands is something of himself. What the petty man demands is something of others." Analects—Education • "Anyone learning without thought is lost; anyone thinking but not learning is in peril." Analects—Government • "To rule a country of a thousand chariots requires reverent attention to business, sincerity, economy in expenditures, and love for men, as well as the employment of the people only in the right seasons." Civil Service Exam • Long difficult tests, those who passed would become government officials • Had to rewrite long passages from the Five Classics, books thought to be written by Confucius • Mandarins—class of well-educated civil servants Cultural Diffusion • Han dynasty brought a golden age to China • Created Silk Roads—trade routes that linked East Asia to as far as Mesopotamia, causing cultural diffusion • Buddhism spread to China • Built pagodas, (temples) and statues of Buddha; worshipped him as a god Questions for Review • In what ways could China be considered a patriarchal society? • What is the dynastic cycle? The mandate of heaven? • Who was the first emperor of China and what are his contributions? • How did Buddhism come to China?