Transcript Ancient China

Ancient China
4 Philosophies of Ancient China
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Buddhism: introduced from India along the
Silk Road
Confucianism: favored by rulers and
adopted by the Han Emperor as the official
state belief system
Daoism: stressed harmony with nature
Legalism: opposed Confucian belief that
proper behavior would solve societies
problems. Encouraged strict laws, severe
punishments, & a strong central govt.
Dynastic China
Zhou Dynasty (1027-256 BCE)
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Claimed they had a right to rule because they
possessed the Mandate of Heaven: permission
to rule was granted by the divine power
Mandate of Heaven was later used to explain the
Dynastic Cycle: a dynasty would remain in power
as long as it was providing good govt.
Dev. of silk and the beginnings of the exportation
of this resource
Dev. of bookmaking
Qin Dynasty (221 – 206 BCE)
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Unified China for the first time
Known for warfare: dev. Cavalry
Favored Legalism: the state had absolute
control and the nobility lost their power
Achievements: standardized the language,
writing, currency, & measurements
Great Wall of China built to protect from
Northern invasions
Punished any opposition and burned books
Han Dynasty (206 BCE – 220 CE)
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Considered China’s Golden Age
Govt. focused on economic development: the Silk
Road
~ stretched as far as Mesopotamia and India (4000
miles)
~ main method of exchange btwn. China and other
cultures
~ main export: silk
~ imports: glass, cloth, food, architecture, gold,
camels, Buddhism
Confucianism was the state belief system: civil
service workers had to pass a Civil Service Exam to
get a job: the Merit System
Achievements: adv. in science, accurate clocks, ship
rudders, & PAPER
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Tang Dynasty: strict
social structure
developed, dev. Of
gunpowder, block
printing, & the first
vaccinations
Song Dynasty:
movable type printing
Cultural Diffusion of Chinese Culture
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Japan
Retained political independence
Copied Chinese models of government
Adopted Confucian philosophy, historical writing,
and architecture (pagoda)
Japanese modified the Chinese system of writing
Buddhism became the dominant religion in Japan
Eventually, the influence of China declined in the
9th century
Long-term impact: Zen Buddhism, which is still a
dominant faith in Japan today
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Korea:
Influenced the most by China
Became a Chinese colony
Chinese rulers attempted to institute the Chinese writing,
examination system, and govt. bureaucracy (process of
Sinification)
Buddhism did take hold, Confucianism did not
Trade and colonization offered access to Chinese learning art, and
goods
Vietnam: (as an example of the influence on SE Asia)
Chinese wanted Vietnam to control the rice production in the
country
The Vietnamese resisted the adoption of Chinese more than other
areas
Early attempts at conquest yielded trade, but no political control
Some differences between the two cultures: language, dress, and
the higher status of women
The Han will eventually conquer and Confucianism, agricultural
techniques, and military techniques will take hold
Even after winning independence from China in the 10th century,
Chinese bureaucracy and Buddhism remained in place