Transcript Early Society in East Asia - Ms. Myer's AP World History

Early Society in East Asia
Chapter 5
Political Organization in Early China
• Agriculture -> surplus -> villages -> regional
states (Xia, Shang, Zhou)
• Yellow River = China’s sorrow (flooding)
• Early dynasties = hereditary states that
controlled large areas
The Xia Dynasty
• C. 2200 BCE: formal control over region
• Mythical founder (Yu) – importance of public
works
• Cities, metallurgy
The Shang Dynasty
•
•
•
•
1766-1122 BCE: same general area
Success from tech.: bronze monopoly by elites
Built army w/ surplus and gained power from allies
Capitals: 6; walled (labor), palace, archives,
workshops, elaborate royal burials
• Other similar states prob. existed
The Zhou Dynasty
• Fought Shang -> allied with them -> eclipsed them
• Last Shang king was a fool, many became loyal to
Zhou (established state)
• Shang heirs still governed outer districts
• Mandate of Heaven: justification for deposing
Shang king; power comes from heaven, king is
‘son of heaven’
– If king does not govern properly, lose mandate
Zhou (cont.)
• Political organization: decentralized monarchy
(power to subordinates in exchange for allegiance,
tribute, mil. Support)
• Lost control,as they became more independent
• Invasions -> defeat of Zhou -> Warring States per.
• 256 BCE: last Zhou king abdicated -> Qin dynasty
Society and Family in Ancient China
• Agriculture -> wealth -> inequalities
• Social structure:
– ruling elites and aristocrats,
– specialized laborers,
– merchants and traders (long distance, despite
geographic barriers, and maritime),
– peasants (no land – feudal),
– slaves (hard labor)
Family and Patriarchy
•
•
•
•
Importance of extended family
Ancestor veneration for protection and help
No organized religion – patriarch performs rituals
Shang and Zhou: females became less important;
patrilineal descent
Early Chinese Writing and Cultural
Development
• Xia prob. Used writing for record-keeping
• Shang – extensive use: oracle bones to tell fortunes
– Pictographic, with ideographs
• Zhou – oracle bones, bronze inscriptions, books
(including Book of Songs)
• Silk, bamboo books have perished and Qin
destroyed any non-utilitarian books
Ancient China and the Larger World
• Influences through trade, migration, and
expansion
• Agriculture spread north and west
• Stopped because steppe nomads were pastoral
– Traded with farmers, introduced bronze, chariots, and
horses but also fought with them
The Southern Expansion of Chinese
Society
• No barriers to south -> Yangzi River (good for rice,
little flooding) -> pop. Increase-> surplus -> Chu
state
• Adopted Chinese culture elements, but not under
political authority