Transcript China Dynasty Overview

CHINA OVERVIEW:
A BRIEF HISTORY
OF CHINESE
DYNASTIES
GEOGRAPHY OF CHINA
Larger than the United States
 Climate varies
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North
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Temperate and cold
South
Subtropical
 Erosion
 Floods and droughts
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Important rivers
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Hwang ho (Yellow River) – north
Yangtze River – central China
Enclosed by high mountains, hot deserts, wide oceans
WHAT ARE DYNASTIES?
A dynasty is a series of rulers from the same family.
 Historically, royal rule was descended from father to
son.
DYNASTIC CYCLE
1.
Emperor comes to power and gains the Mandate of
Heaven.
2.
Upward rise (wealth and population increase) to
peak.
3.
Downward spiral (natural disasters, corruption, etc.).
4.
Emperor loses the Mandate of Heaven.
5.
Civil war until a new emperor, with the Mandate of
Heaven, comes to power.
MANDATE OF HEAVEN – Described by philosopher
Mencius
 Belief that the emperor was chosen by heaven to rule.
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XIA DYNASTY
(CA. 2070-CA. 1600 BCE)
China’s
first dynasty
Founded
Built
by Yu (the ?)
roads and irrigation
projects
Wheels
SHANG DYNASTY
(CA. 1600-1046 BCE)
Writing
began (everyone could read)
Developed
bronze, glazed pottery,
and silk industries
Family
important
Oracle bones
ZHOU (A.K.A. CHOU) DYNASTY
(1045-256 BCE)
 Western
and Eastern city centers
 Set up a loose central government
 Feudal system >>> power hungry
 Leads to what?
Roads, canals,
 Thought to begin Great Wall
coined money,
 Philosophers
iron ore!
 Confucius
 Mencius (^ his follower)
QIN (A.K.A. CHIN) DYNASTY
(221-206 BCE)
 Military
dictatorship centralized
China
 Emperor Shih Huang Ti
 Destroyed nobles’ feudal power
 Reunites China by crushing
Legalism!
internal opposition
 System of taxation
 Established weights and measures
 Great Wall (1500 miles)
HAN DYNASTY
(206-220 CE)
 Empire
– central Asia to China Sea,
Indochina to Korea
 Trade
 Chinese fruits, silks, and spices in Rome
(1st century CE)
 Buddhism came from India
 Civil service system
 First paper made, seismograph
 Silk Road, silk production
CONFUCIUS
(551-479 BCE)
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Considered China’s greatest philosopher
Ethics – correct way to live
Human nature – good
Men should be kind, tolerant, and love their elders and
ancestors (filial piety)
Golden rule: “Do not do to others what you would not have
others do to you.”
Analects "Selected Sayings", also known as the Analects of
Confucius, is the collection of sayings and ideas attributed
to the Chinese philosopher Confucius and his
contemporaries
Confucianism – code of behavior and religion
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Education, good manners, right morals, respect for others, love
of tradition, obedience to one’s parents
“Be not ashamed of mistakes and thus make them crimes.”
“Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves.”
“Everything has its beauty but not everyone sees it.”
“Forget injuries, never forget kindnesses.”
“He who will not economize will have to agonize.”
“I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I
understand.”
“Ignorance is the night of the mind, but a night without moon
and star.”
TAOISM
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Taoism is not a religion. Taoism is a philosophy, a way of
looking at life and a way of thinking about things. Taoists
believe if you look at life and think about things in the right
way, you'll be much happier.
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Taoists are firm believers in joy and laughter
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“There is more to knowing than just being correct.”
“A clever mind is not a heart.”
Taoists believe it's very important to understand the way
Things Are. This does not mean that there are not things we
need to change about ourselves, but it's important to
recognize and trust our own inner nature, and discover who
we are
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LEGALISM
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Chinese philosophy emphasizing laws and
power
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All humans were basically selfish and
corruptible and that the only way to control
them was to codify good laws and enforce
them strictly.
They thought that all people should be
equal under the law and that the personal
qualities of a ruler should not matter as long
as he enforced the law.
 Developed after the era of warring states
>>>Qin dynasty, Shi Huangdi
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