Transcript ANCIENT AND CLASSICAL CHINA How it all began

ANCIENT AND
CLASSICAL
CHINA
How it all began– King Yao, King Shun, and King Yu
reflected the values of society.
Legends of early China.
Settling Down
– Domesticated rice, millet, wheat,
and barley beginning around
7000 B.C.E. in the valleys of the
Yangzi and Huang-he
(Yellow)rivers.
EMERGENCE OF CHINESE
SOCIETY
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Agricultural villages appeared in the
valleys of the two rivers.
– The Yellow River (Huang he)
 Loess soil left behind after floods. The
river was "China's Sorrow" as it flooded
uncontrollably
– Neolithic societies after 5000 B.C.E.
 Yangshao society, 5000-3000 B.C.E.
 Excavations at Banpo village: fine
pottery, bone tools
ANCIENT CHINA
XIA DYNASTY
• Archeological discovery of the Xia
is still in its preliminary stage
• Established about 2200 B.C.E.
• Legendary King Yu
• Erlitou: possibly the capital city of
the Xia
• Some still not convinced it existed.
THE SHANG DYNASTY:
1766-1122 B.C.E.
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Arose in the southern, eastern areas
Bronze metallurgy, monopolized by elite
Agricultural surpluses supported large troops
Vast network of walled towns
Use of writing with two thousand characters
Shang-kings were warriors
Constant struggle with nobles for power
Lavish tombs of Shang kings
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Contained chariots, weapons, bronze goods
Sacrificial human victims, dogs, horses
Oracle Bones
 Rulers,
people looked to them for
answers.
 Primary instruments of fortune-tellers
– Discovery of the "dragon bones" in 1890s
– Bones recorded day-to-day concerns
MANDATE OF HEAVEN
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The right to rule granted by heaven
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Zhou justified their overthrow of Shang
Ruler called "the son of heaven"
Only given to virtuous, strong rulers
To lose mandate = someone else should rule
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Replacement of dynasties = Dynastic Cycle
Signs one had lost mandate
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Corruption, heavy taxes, revolts, invasions,
civil wars, crime, natural disasters, etc
Mandate of Heaven
THE ZHOU DYNASTY:
1122-256 B.C.E.
– The rise of the Zhou
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The last Shang king was toppled by the
Zhou.
– Political organization
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Adopted decentralized administration
Used princes and relatives to rule regions
Laid groundwork for political legitimacy.
THE FALL OF THE ZHOU
-Iron weapons helped regional authorities to
resist the central power. Territorial princes
became more independent.
– Nomadic invasions
– Warring States Period (403-221 B.C.E.)
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Rise of Qin state
FAMILY
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Xia to Zhou ruled through family, kinship
Veneration of ancestors
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Belief in ancestors' presence, continuing influence
Burial of material goods with the dead
Only males could perform religious duties
Filial Piety
Patriarchal society
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During Neolithic times, Chinese society = matrilineal
Rise of states, war due to men's contribution s
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After Shang, not even queens merited temples
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THE SOCIAL ORDER
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The ruling elites
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Peasants, the majority of population
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Royal family and allied noble families at the
top
Most of the land owned by the king, nobles
Landless peasants provided labor
Women’s World
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Managing household, raising children
OTHERS
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Slaves
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Mostly war prisoners
Performed hard work
Became sacrificial victims
Suspicious towards Foreigners
Traded with nomads to the north and
west for horses
Southern rivals were Chu..
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Literature of the early Chinese
 Zhou
Classics included:
Book of Changes
Book of Songs
Book of History
Book of Rites
Most destroyed by Qin Dynasty
CHINESE POPULAR RELIGION
 Co-exists
well with all major
ideas, philosophies
 Believes gods, spirits (shen)
influence family, world
 Maintenance of family shrines,
community temples
HOUSEHOLD & PUBLIC RITUALS
 Household
Rituals
– Always performed by males
– Expression of Confucian filial piety
 Domestic
altar
 Names of deceased, icons
 Public
Rituals
– Preserve social harmony, local identity
CONFUCIUS’ SEARCH FOR ORDER
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Confucius (551-479 B.C.E.)
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Confucian ideas
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Sayings compiled in the Analects by
disciples
Fundamentally moral and ethical in
character. Kindness and humanity=ren
Restore political and social order; stress
ritual, practicality.
The key Confucian idea:
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5 Relationships and filial piety as basis of
society
LATER CONFUCIANS
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Mencius (372-289 B.C.E.)
– Most influential of Post-Confucius
thinkers. Government by benevolence,
humanity
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Xunzi (298-238 B.C.E.)
– Cast doubt on the goodness of human
nature
– Harsh social discipline to order to
society
LEGALISM
– Legalism
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Promoted a practical and ruthless approach
No concern with ethics and morality
Doctrine used by Qin dynasty
Discouraged commerce, education, and the
arts
The Book of Lord Shang
Called for harsh penalties even for minor
infractions
– Han Feizi (ca. 280-233 B.C.E.)
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Student of Xunzi, became the most articulate
Legalist
Forced to suicide by his political enemies
MOHISM
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Founder Mo Zi
– Lived 470 – 391 BC
– Served in military, ideas based on it
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Beliefs
– Advocates doctrine of universal love and
cooperation
– Stress discipline, order, authority
– Loyalty to all elders, not family
DAOISM
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Prominent critics of Confucianism
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Laozi -founder of Daoism
Philosophical Daoism
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Understand natural principles, live in harmony with
them
Wuwei is to be disengage from affairs of world
Dao - The way of nature, the way of the cosmos
Opposites in balance, complementary
Flourishes when peace prevails
Daodejing-text
Popular Daoism
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A folk or religious form of Daoism; not philosophical
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Emerged at end of Han Dynasty
Seek to master forces of natural, spiritual world
Many deities including immortals
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Gods associated with natural cycles, agriculture
UNIFICATION OF CHINA
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The Qin State and Dynasty
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Encouraged agriculture, resulted in strong economy
Organized a powerful army equipped with iron
weapons
Conquered other states and unified China in 221
B.C.E.
Legalism prevailed
Agriculture and traditional learning were a state’s
strength.
Qin Shi Huang di
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King of the Qin proclaimed himself First Emperor,
221 B.C.E.
Established centralized imperial rule
Held sons of nobles as hostages; demolished nobles
castles
Project of connecting and extending the Great Wall
QIN STATECRAFT
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Cruel Repression of resistance. Burned nontraditional books.
Standardization:
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laws, currencies, weights, measures, writing
The collapse of the Qin dynasty
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Massive public works generated ill will among people
Waves of rebels overwhelmed the Qin court in 207 B.C.E.
A short-lived dynasty, left deep marks in Chinese history
(Tomb of the First Emperor
– The tomb was an underground palace
– Excavation of the tomb since 1974
– Terracotta soldiers and army to protect tomb)
THE EARLY HAN DYNASTY
– Liu Bang
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Restored order, established dynasty, 206 B.C.E.
– Early Han policies
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Sought middle way between Zhou and Qin
Royal relatives were not reliable, returned to
centralized rule
– Martial Emperor (141-87 B.C.E.)
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Han Wudi ruled for 54 years
Pursued centralization and expansion
Established Imperial university
Brought much of Opponents, Xiongnu (under
Maodun) under Chinese control.
HAN STATECRAFT
Han centralization
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Built an enormous bureaucracy to rule the empire
Continued to build roads and canals
Levied taxes on agriculture, trade, and craft
industries
Established Confucian educational system for
training bureaucrats
Han imperial expansion
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Invaded and colonized northern Vietnam and
Korea
Extended China into central Asia
TRADE AND COMMERCE
– Iron metallurgy: Farming tools,
utensils, and weapons
– State monopolies on liquor, salt and
iron
– Silk textiles
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High quality Chinese silk became a prized
commodity
Traded as far a field as India, Persia,
Mesopotamia, and Rome
– Paper production
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Invented probably before 100 C.E.
– Silk Road established
HAN TROUBLES
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Raised taxes
Much of defense consumed on defending against nomads
Social tensions, stratification between the poor and rich
Problems of land distribution
Early Han supported land redistribution
Economic difficulties forced some small landowners to sell property
Some sold themselves or their families into slavery
Lands accumulated in the hands of a few
No land reform, because Han needed cooperation of large
landowners
The reign of Wang Mang
A powerful Han minister
Dethroned the baby emperor, claimed imperial title himself, 9 C.E.
Land reforms - the "socialist emperor"
Overthrown by revolts, 23 C.E.
LOSS OF THE MANDATE
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The Later Han Dynasty (25-220 C.E.)
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Overthrown of Wang Mang restores Han
New Han much weakened
Rule often through large families, gentry
Rise of Eunuchs in government as new source of power
The Yellow Turban Uprising (Daoist Revolt)
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Rulers restored order but did not address problem of
landholding
Yellow Turban uprising inflicted serious damage on the Han
Collapse of the Han
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Factions at court paralyzed the central government
Han empire dissolved
China was divided into regional kingdoms