Transcript Ancient China - Lyons-Global

Geography
of China
China is the world’s third largest country. It
ranges from subartic regions in the north to
tropical lowlands in the south and from fertile
plains in the east to deserts in the west.
There are four
main outlying
regions Manchuria
(ne),
Mongolia (n),
Sinkiang (w)
and Tibet
(sw). These
consist of
major
geographic
boundaries - Himalayas Mts., Tien Shan Mts, Gobi
Desert, Pacific Ocean, etc. that
effectively surround and isolate China.
Tibet - the region consists of a vast
plateau bordered by towering
mountains, including Mt. Everest
(29,035’). Suffers from drought and
extreme cold. Most of region is
wasteland of rock and ice. Some areas
are good for grazing yaks.
Yangtze River Valley has the best combination of
level land, fertile soil, and sufficient rainfall
anywhere in China. Very important river for
China’s trade route.
Yellow River is the second longest river in
China. It traces its source to the snow-capped
mountains in the west. As the most heavily
silt-laden river in the world, the Yellow River
got its name from the muddiness of its water.
The silt comes from loess deposits that are
deposited by the wind and easily eroded. The
Yellow River has carved out hills and steepsided valleys from these soft soils.
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Yellow River
Valley
The naturally steep
slopes of the loess
plateaus provided
extra protection for
early inhabitants
and it is why they
chose it over the
easily attacked
Yangtze River
Valley. Farmers
early on learned
the practice of
terrace farming.
The area was quite
susceptible to droughts
and floods. As early as
200 AD they built
massive dikes to hold
back the water, but to
little avail. Constant
floods devastated the
area so that the river
became known as
“China’s Sorrow.” The
river is very
unpredictable, having
changed its course 26x
in the last 3000 years.
Impact of Geography on
China
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Politics – Himalayas, Tien Shan mts, Taklimakan
and Gobi deserts, and Pacific Ocean – isolate and
protect country (will artificially add Great Wall of
China to further protect), chose Yellow Rv over
Yangtze for protection. lack of fertile soil in west will
force population to concentrate in east.
Economics – fertile land along Yangtze, have to
create terraces along Yellow, trade difficult over
land – build Silk Road and Grand Canal to help
Culture – very ethnocentric (believe own culture
superior to others) because of isolation and lack of
cultural diffusion.
Neolithic China By 5000 BC,
hundreds of
Neolithic farming
villages dotted
China forming
distinct regional
cultures.
People were noted
for their painted red
and black pottery.
In 1959, archaeologist found a palace covering
10,000 sq. m. on the Yellow River at a site called
Erlitou. The palace and its extraordinary finds
date from 2010 and 1324 BC.
Palace and other buildings from its
time were constructed from wood on
stone foundations. No pyramids,
ziggurats, etc. Why such modest
material?
 Suggested that their
concept of power was based
on strength and size of clan
rather than monumental
constructions (just like Indus
River Valley).
Bronze Age Shang Dynasty, 1766-1050 BC
Shang dynasty began when T'ang, a man
of great virtue and wisdom, overthrew the
decadent ruler of the Xia dynasty.
They were a bronze age people; bronzeworking seems to have entered China
around 2000 BC (about one thousand
years after its invention in Mesopotamia).
Very Intricate
Details – High
Level of Bronze
Craftsmanship
Also quite skilled at
jade carving – jade
was their precious
material like gold.
The Shang ruled in city-states which were, in turn, ruled
over by a capital city. This capital was never fixed; as
power shifted, individual city-states would become the
capital.
The capitals were surrounded by massive walls with
palatial buildings on the inside and houses, warehouses,
merchants, etc. on the outside.
There was a rigid division between those who were
wealthy landowners and those who were not.
Political/Social Structure –
Feudalism - Shang
China was a feudal
state where powerful
clan rulers had
administrative,
monetary, and
judicial authority in
their city-states in
return for military
service, tribute ("tax")
payment, and oaths
of allegiance to the
crown.
King - was a kind of head priest, the
leader of the military aristocracy, and in
charge of the economy. Warfare common –
mostly against Mongolians in north.
Army - Shang China endured mainly
because of strength of army - consisted of
as many as 4,000 peasants forced to be
foot soldiers and aristocratic chariot-riding
archers (composite bow).
Writing - Shang
civilization invented
writing - records were
kept on strips of
bamboo. However,
inscriptions on bronze
and on the oracle
bones still survive so
we have specimens of
the very first Chinese
writings.
The writing system was
originally
pictographic and
eventually developed
into the more complex
ideographic (symbols
representing ideas)
writing that we are
more familiar with. It
included more than
3,000 characters.
Since mastery of these
characters required
much time and
practice, writing was
reserved for the elite.
Oracle Bones The discovery of the oracle bones in China goes
back to 1899, when a scholar from Peking was
prescribed a remedy containing "dragon bones" for
his illness: "dragon bones" were widely used in
Chinese medicine and usually refer to fossils of
dead animals.
The scholar noticed some carvings that looked like
some kind of writing on the bones he acquired from
the local pharmacy.
Oracle bones," were used to divine the future.
The question to the oracle would be written on
the bone, and then its answer, and then the
real outcomes. So a typical oracle bone would
read, "Will the king have a son?" (Question)
"Yes" (Answer) "This came to pass" (Outcome).
Mandate of Heaven
Shang
dynasty will
be
replaced
by Zhou
dynasty
China during the Period of the Warring States 403-221 B.C.E.
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New Belief Systems in China – “Hundred School”
Confucius (551-479 B.C.E.)
– Interest is politics and ethics
– If humans act harmoniously in accordance with
the universe, all affairs will prosper
– Dao (The Way)
• Duty and Compassion / empathy for others
– Analects
– Rule by merit
– Obedience to government and family (filial piety)
– Education is key (emperor rules by example)
 Mencius (370-29- B.C.E.)
– Human beings are by nature good
– Ruler’s duty is to rule by compassion
Legalism
– Human beings are by nature evil and follow the
correct path only if coerced by harsh laws and
stiff penalties; Only firm action by the state can
bring social order
– Daoism
 Lao Tzu (Lao Zi) – supposedly
an elder contemporary of
Confucius
 Dao De Jing (The Way of the
Tao)
– Proper forms for human
behavior (Action by inaction,
laissez-faire – condemned
government action)
– Nature takes its course
- Many rites involved
alchemy, animism, elixir of
immortality (some ideas
imported from India)
Empires of
China
China – Qin Dynasty, 221-206
B.C.E.
– Qin Shi Huangdi (221-206 B.C.E.) founder
• Unified the Chinese state; built a road system
(4000 miles); canal system (1200 miles from
Yangzi to Canton), Great Wall (mostly Ming
dynasty – instead he used trade, diplomacy
and warfare to control nomads) standardized
currency and written language.
• Feared subversions – banned books
Terracotta Warriors
Terracotta
Army
Great Wall of China
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Begun in 7th century BC, but
famous part was Qin’s –
reconstructed and expanded all
way to Ming dynasty
Made of stone, brick, earth, wood
Various watch and signal towers

NASA’s
view from
space

. The History of Han
says: “When Qin united
the world, it made two
sorts of currency: that of
yellow gold, which was
called yi and was the
currency of the higher
class; and that of
bronze, which was
similar in quality to the
coins of Zhou, but bore
an inscription saying
Half Ounce, and was
equal in weight to its
inscription.”
Coined
Money
Is this where the name
“China” comes from?
Different arguments exist as to when
get that name.
 Some say the Sanskrit “Sina” predates
Emperor Qin’s rule referring to the
peoples of China.
 Some say that a Zhou dynasty
kingdom was called China

Political – Han (202 BC – 220 CE)
•Govt. bureaucracy
grew stronger
(effective admin. –
postal service, tax
collecting)
•Main goal –
unification of China

Territorial expansion to
central Asia (Korea,
Indochina) – especially
under Emperor Wu Ti
(140-87 BCE)
©2004 Wadsworth, a division of Thomson Learning, Inc. Thomson Learning™ is
a trademark used herein under license.
Political – Han (202 BC – 220 CE)
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Chinese civil service exam – open to everyone, but only
wealthy could afford to prepare
Time of peace, govt. sponsored canals, irrigation
Collapse due to high taxes, internal power struggle and
outside invaders (Huns) – broke into Three Kingdoms (also
inroads of Buddhism challenged Confucian government)
[Parallels the inroads of Visigoths and Christianity into Europe]
Economic - Han
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High taxation system – over time emperors would
give passes on land tax to retainers and maternal
family of emperor – progressively smaller proportion
of the land was expected to pay a progressively
larger amount of revenue.
Only 10% of population lived in cities
State monopoly on trade of salt and iron (so little
profit in trade), government set commodity prices
and collected commercial taxes (black market
merchants grew rich especially in gold and silk trade
across Silk Road)
In order to pacify nomadic chieftains gave lavish
gifts – expense caused peasant revolts
Increasing interest in ocean trade – rise of rudder
and sails, conquest of Vietnam to establish ports
During the Han dynasty – a “road” was created
(and protected) to facilitate the trade of Chinese
silk, jade and bronze in return for Roman
horses, rugs, and glass.
Buddhism Introduced to China along the Silk
Road
• appealed to many Chinese peasants
who looked end of their suffering
•Undermined the traditional Confucian
family devotion
Social (Gender) - Han
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Strong patriarchal laws (women
had power only indirectly –
emperor’s widow had power to
appoint husband’s successor from
clan)
Chinese women suffered
infanticide more, according to law
father could sell children into
slavery or execute them,
secondary wives or concubines
could be added to family
especially if wife had no male heir;
had no economic independence,
her labor brought no income,
universally illiterate (farm women)
women were yin (dark, weak,
passive) – men were yang (bright,
strong, and active)
Intellectual/Technological - Han
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Very practical
Water-powered mills and clocks, iron
mining (for iron plow – 300 BCE)
Paper (important for expanding
bureaucracy)
Chinese astronomy – to make
celestial phenomena predictable
(wanted harmony btw heaven/earth)
Seismography
Anatomical research, anesthesia,
acupuncture, hygiene
Mathematics of music for acoustics
abacus was so practical for general
accounting – not for algebra limited
the development in other
mathematical skills
Art/Literature
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No real monumental
buildings except Great
Wall –lack of unified
religion discouraged
notion of temples, built
palaces
Art is based more on
landscape than humans
(no anthropomorphic
gods, emphasis on group
over individual)
Jade carving, silk
Despite many ethnic
minorities – strong
cultural unity
(nationalism) to combat
sense of “barbarians” in
north.
- Han