Transcript Ancient China - MrPawlowskisWorldHistoryClass

Ancient China
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China
Natural Barriers:
– East – Yellow Sea & Pacific Ocean
– West – Taklimakan Desert & Plateau of Tibet
– Southwest – Himalayan Mountains
– North – Gobi Desert & Mongolian Plateau
Major Rivers:
– Huang He (Yellow)
• ‘Cradle of Chinese Civilization’
– Location of 1st Civilization
• ‘China’s Sorrow’
– Frequent devastating floods caused by large amounts of loess
deposited on the river floor
» loess: fertile deposit of windblown silt
– Yangtze (Chang Jiang)
• Longest river in China
North China Plain:
– Plain between Huang He & Yangtze
• Most populated & fertile region of China
‘Middle Kingdom’:
– Derived from belief they were the ‘center of civilization’
• Originated with the Zhou Dynasty
Ancient Chinese Dynastic Periods
• Xia Dynasty (2070 – 1600 BCE)
– 1st Chinese Dynasty
• Shang Dynasty (1600 – 1046 BCE)
– 1st Chinese dynasty to leave written records
• Zhou Dynasty (1045 – 256 BCE)
– Established feudalism
• Warring States Period (475 – 221 BCE)
– Seven Kingdoms
• Qin Dynasty (221 – 206 BCE)
– Qin Shi Huang – 1st Emperor of China
• Key characteristics of Chinese civilization:
– Advanced Cities
● Specialized Workers
– Complex Institutions
● Record Keeping
– Advanced Technology
Xia Dynasty
• 2070 – 1600 BCE
• Founded by Yu the Great
– Given the thrown by Shun
• Yu passed power to his son Qi
– Establishing dynastic rule of China
• Flood-control and irrigation increased
agricultural production
– Food surplus allowed cities to grow
Shang Dynasty
• 1600 – 1046 BCE
• Founded by Cheng Tang
– Overthrew King Jie of the Xia Dynasty
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Battle of Mingtiao
• Capital was moved six times
– Final/Largest: Yin Xu (Anyang)
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North of Huang He
• Shang Civilization:
– Basis:
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Agriculture
– Key Aspects:
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Hunting, Animal Husbandry, Bronze Production, War & Human Sacrifice
• Decline:
– Defeated by the Zhou at the Battle of Muye
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Shang Zhou committed suicide after the defeat
Shang Political & Social Structure
• King was supreme ruler
– Head Military Commander
– High Priest of Society
• Aristocracy:
– Land owning warrior-nobles ruled
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Aristocracy: rule by elite few
– Shang kings divided the territory among generals
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Peasants tilled the land for the aristocrats
• Family:
– Central to Chinese Society
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Chief loyalty was to one’s family
– Older males controlled property and decisions (Patriarchal)
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Women were treated as inferiors
– Mothers would eventually have to obey their own sons
– Girls had marriages arranged between 13 & 16
Zhou Dynasty
• 1045 – 256 BCE
– Longest dynasty in Chinese history
• King Wu
– 1st king of Zhou Dynasty
• claimed the Shang rulers lost support of the gods
• Established Feudal Rule:
– Feudalism:
• Nobles granted use of lands that belong to the king in exchange
for owing loyalty and military service to the king
– Control of various regions was given to family members and trusted
nobles
• Territory stretched further West, North and South to the Yangtze
– As nobles grew in power they became less dependent on the king
Mandate of Heaven
• Notion that the ruler governed by divine authority
– Used to justify authority and rule (Duke of Zhou)
• Heaven (Tian) chose who would rule
• Dao (‘The Way’):
– Kings were responsible to be rule by the dao and keep the gods
happy or lose the ‘Mandate of Heaven’
• Resulting in disasters, bad harvests or rebellion
• Mandate of Heaven was used to explain the dynastic cycle
– Rise, decline and replacement of different dynasties
Dynastic Cycle
Strong dynasty
establishes
peace &
prosperity
New dynasty
gains power
and claims to
have the
Mandate of
Heaven
Dynasty is
overthrown by
rebellion
Dynasty
declines and
become corrupt
Disaster occurs
(floods,
famines,
revolts)
- Loses
Mandate
Zhou Society
• Trade:
– Agricultural surplus led to an increase in trade
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Silk: Most important trade item
• Transportation:
– Roads and canals were constructed
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Linking growing cities
• Iron:
– Development of the blast furnace facilitated production
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Weapons and agricultural tools
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Stronger than bronze weapons/tools
• Irrigation/Water Projects:
– Control of river flow better watered the crops
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Less reliance on rain
• Coined Money:
– Introduced metal coins to Chinese Civilization (possibly 1st in the World)
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Improved trade
Zhou Decline
• ‘Warring States Period’:
– Feudal lords began grow in power
and fight neighbors
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Annexing and consolidating smaller states
around them
– Seven major states emerged
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Rulers changed from ‘Dukes’ to ‘Kings’ of their
territory
– Qin, Chu, Qi, Yan, Han, Wei & Zhao
– Political Developments:
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Complex bureaucracies, centralized
governments & clear legal systems
• Warfare:
– Infantry (peasant foot soldiers) and
cavalry became more prevalent
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Replacing chariots
– New weapons:
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Iron battle-axes and swords
Crossbow
– Sun Tzu’s The Art of War:
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Oldest and most influential military guide