Transcript History of China PPT

Chinese History
Shang Dynasty
1700-1027 BCE
Huang He River
Oracle Bones
Zhou
1029-258 BCE
Longest Dynasty
Mandate of Heaven
The Zhou justified
taking over from the
Shang by saying that
they had lost divine
approval to rule
Zhou Dynasty
1029-258 BCE
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Leaders/Traits
Walled cities
Trade routes between
cities
Feudalism
Agriculture
Philosophy
• Daoism
• Laozi
• 500’s BCE
• Confucianism
• Mencius
• Chaotic government
• 522 BCE
What is Changing?
What is Staying the Same?
Qin Dynasty
221-206 BCE
Shi Huangdi
First Emperor
 Unifies China as one empire
 Ruthless—Totalitarian
 Legalism adopted
 Territorial Expansion 214 BCE
 Book burning-213 BCE
 WHY???
Why does one currency,
language, and
standards of weights
and measures help to
unify???
 Standardized weights and measures
 Single money system
 Uniform writing system
 Postal system
In contrast to Taoism's intuitive anarchy, and Confucianism's benevolence, Legalism is a Classical Chinese philosophy that
emphasizes the need for order above all other human concerns. The political doctrine developed during the brutal years of
the Fourth Century BCE . The Legalists believed that government could only become a science if rulers were not deceived by
pious, impossible ideals such as "tradition" and "humanity." In the view of the Legalists, attempts to improve the human
situation by noble example, education, and ethical precepts were useless. Instead, the people needed a strong government
and a carefully devised code of law, along with a policing force that would stringently and impartially enforce these rules and
punish harshly even the most minor infractions.
The founder of the Legalistic school was Han Fei Zi. The most important principle in his thinking was that humans are
inherently evil and inclined toward criminal and selfish behavior. Thus, if humans are allowed to engage in their natural
likings, the result will be conflict and social disorder.
The dominant imagery in Legalism's writings is of forcefully straightening or unbending twisted tree limbs so that they grow
perfectly straight, or using hot irons to burn the tree limbs so that they will grow in the desired direction.
Qin Continued
 Massive building projects
 Massive roads and canals made travel easier
 Great Wall
 Bankrupted China
 Farmers forced to work as part-time soldiers and builders
 Pottery Army-210 BCE
 Forced labor
 Agricultural
 Changed laws so that powerful lords didn’t get land
 End of Primogeniture
 Peasant farmers could own land
 Still attacked by Mongols from north
 Trade/merchants
What is Changing?
What is Staying the Same?
Qin Legacy
• Ruling family fell but
• Bureaucracy continued
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBCAlZPF0D0
• Empire continued
• Tradition of centralized imperial rule continued
Han Dynasty
202 BC-184 CE
Liu Bang
202-195 BCE
• Xiognu Confederation threatens from
north
• Commoner
• Founder of Han Dynasty
• Centralized government
• Education system
• Encouraged non-governmental people
to practice Confucianism and Daoism
WHY???
• Ends prohibition against books
• Combines Legalism and Confucianism
• Retains draft and forced labor for public
works
Qin Dynasty
Han Dynasty
Emperor Wudi [Wu-ti]
140-87 BCE
Sixteen when he came to the throne
• Reigned for more than 50 years
• Two policies—centralization and expansion
• Beginnings of Chinese Civil Service-tests
• State monopolies on essential goods- salt, iron,
and liquor
• Foreign Wars=territorial expansion
• Imperial bureaucracy expanded and standardized
• Relies on Legalist principles
• Confucian=official philosophy
• Schools only taught Confucian thought
• Land Distribution—fiefdoms
• 138 BCE Wu Ti sent
diplomatic expedition to
Central Asia to try to find allies
against the Hsiung-nu (Huns).
• RESULT: Chinese leaders
became aware of other
nations and cultures to the
west -- India, Persia, and
somewhat of the Roman
Orient. Eventually, this would
lead to the Silk Road.
Expansion of the Empire
121-119 BCE: Hsiung-nu driven north of Gobi desert.
• Great Wall is extended to the Jade Gate.
• Colonists are sent to Kansu.
• Silk Road opens between China and the Parthian Empire.
• 108 BCE: Korea conquered
• 87 BCE: First general history of China written
• Papermaking
• 100 BCE
• Wheelbarrow
• Foot stirrups
• Acupuncture
• Movable type
• Horse collar
• Two bladed plow
Later Han Dynasty: 25-220 CE
• c. 25: Buddhism introduced to China.
• 74-94: States of Turkistan submit to Chinese
authority.
• 89: Hsiung-Nu submit to Chinese authority.
• 166: Traders from the Roman Empire arrive in
Tonkin
Tonkin
Diplomatic Ties Begin
• Zhang Qian successively sent envoys to other
kingdoms including Parthia and India where they were
welcomed.
• When a Han envoy reached Parthia, its king sent
20,000 cavalrymen to welcome him on the eastern
frontier.
• At the same time, the kingdoms sent their own envoys
to Han. From then on, the diplomatic missions were
dispatched regularly along with commercial trading.
• The traffic on the Silk Road began to flourish as never
before.
The Silk Road
• Once the trade route was opened up, it benefited
people and governments from all sides.
• The Chinese imported horses, cattle, and furs and
hides from Central Asia, while the Central Asians
obtained silk from China.
• Cucumbers, walnuts, sesame, alfalfa and
pomegranates were introduced to China during the
Han period as well as grapes that served as a new
material for the Chinese to make wine.
Main Idea
HOW AND WHY DID
CHINA BECOME A
MOMENTOUS POWER
IN THE CLASSICAL
ERA?
Decline of Han
Internal
External
• Surplus wealth depleted
• Long borders
• Cost of defense staggering
• Agricultural colonies in central
Asia
• Borders overrun
• Technology gap with neighbors
closing
• Epidemic diseases
• Decline in population
• Decline in economy
• Loss of trade
• Class divisions led to Peasant
revolts
• Yellow Turbans [Late Han]
• Weak leaders
• Faction fighting at court
• Poor harvests
• famine
• Confiscation of land and increased
taxes to pay for defense and
colonies
• Discouraged investment in trade
and manufacturing