Transcript Chapter 3: Ancient China

Early Society in
East Asia
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
Discuss early agricultural society and political
developments in early China.

Understand the rise and fall of the Zhou dynasty.

Identify key aspects of ancient Chinese society and
culture.

Explain the connections between early Chinese writing
and cultural development.

Understand the relationship between Chinese
cultivators and the nomadic peoples of central Asia.

Identify the reasons behind the southern expansion
of Chinese society.
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
GEOGRAPHY
INFLUENCES
CIVILIZATION
 Civilization grew along two
major rivers


HUANG HE RIVER
(Yellow River)
CHANG RIVER
(Yangtze River)
 Isolated by geography
(mountains, deserts, oceans)
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 Traditional culture 
no cultural diffusion

ETHNOCENTRISM:
Belief that your race
is the greatest and
most advanced

Middle Kingdom =
center of universe
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 Varied regions

EAST: Population
settled here among
fertile lands

NORTH/WEST:
Colder, harsher
climates and rugged
terrain  attacked
by nomads
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
HUANG HE (YELLOW) RIVER
VALLEY: Beginning of Chinese
history
 Neolithic peoples learned to
farm
 Control of river key
 Loess: Windblown yellow
soil of the Huang He
 “River of Sorrows”: Loess
caused water level to rise
and sometimes cause floods
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 3000 miles: Tibet to
the Yellow Sea
 Deposits fertile, light
colored soil  loess
 Periodic flooding:
“China’s sorrow”
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 5000-3000 BCE
 Banpo Village
 Painted pottery
 Bronze tools
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
XIA
 C. 2200 BCE
 Organized through village
network
 Hereditary monarchy
 Flood control

SHANG
 1766-1122 BCE

ZHOU
 1122-256 BCE
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
DYNASTY:
Ruling family
DYNASTIC RULE
SHAPED ANCIENT
CHINA
Noble
Warriors
& Land
Owners
 SHANG DYNASTY
Merchants
&
Craftsmen
(1766 BCE – 1122 BCE)
 First recorded ruling
dynasty in China
 Developed highly
structured social
class system
Peasants
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
First writing
system
recorded on
oracle bones

Perfected
bronze-making
for weapons
and tools
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
Bronze metallurgy from 1200 BCE
 State monopoly



Horse-drawn chariots, other wheeled vehicles
Large armies  food production placed pressure on
peasants, which meant large families to work fields
Political organization: network of fortified cities, loyal
to center
 1000 cities
 First capital of China built in Anyang
 Capital moved six times
▪ Impressive architecture at Ao, Yin

Other regional kingdoms coexist: Sanxingdui
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
Hierarchical social structure

Live burials alongside
deceased member of ruling
class
 Sacrificial victims, mostly slaves
 Wives, servants, friends, hunting
companions
 Later replaced by statuary, often
monumental
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FEUDALISM:
Organized system of
government in which local
lords governed their own lands
but owed military service and
other support to a greater
lord
 ZHOU DYNASTY
(1122 BCE – 256 BCE)
▪ Conquered Shang and believed
gods were outraged by them
▪ Mandate of Heaven: The divine
right to rule  power to rule
came from heaven
▪ Dynastic Cycle: Rise and fall of
a dynasty explained by how
gods viewed government
▪ Feudal society created: Zhou
rewarded supporters with
control over key regions
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
Economic growth
 Iron tools helped
farmers grow more food
 replaced bronze
 Expansion of commerce
(trade)
 Began to use money
 RESULT: Increase in
population
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
No law codes: rule by decree
 “Mandate of Heaven”

Aggregation of villages
opposed to Shang leadership
 Decentralization of authority 
local officials controlled their own
village affairs

Development of cheap iron
weaponry ends Shang
monopoly on bronze

Early money economy
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
Decentralized leadership style allows for
building of regional powers
 Increasing local independence, refusal to pay Zhou
taxes



Iron metallurgy allows for widespread creation
of weaponry
Northern invaders weaken Zhou dynasty,
beginning 8th century BCE
Internal dissension: the Period of the Warring
States (403-221 BCE)
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
Ruling classes had great
advantage
 Palatial compounds, luxurious lifestyle
 Supported by agricultural surplus,
tax revenues
 Defended by monopoly on bronze weaponry
 Hereditary privilege
Supported class of artisans, craftsmen
 Evidence of long-distance trade, merchant class
 Large class of semi-servile peasants  approximately
90% of population
 Slave class
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
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
Devotion to family, ancestor veneration

Connection of spirit world to physical world  ritual
sacrifices

Father was ritual head of family rites

Emphasis on respect of parents developed  filial
piety

Earlier prominence of individual female leaders
fades in later Shang, Zhou dynasties

Boys preferred over girls in birth
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
Used for communicating with
spirit world, determining future
 Question written on animal bones,
turtle shells
 Then heated over fire; cracks
examined for omens

Early archaeological evidence of
Chinese writing

Evolution of Chinese script
 Pictograph to ideograph (a graphic
symbol that represents an idea or
concept)
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
Many works incorporated the reflections of
Confucius (discussed in chapter 8)

Book of Changes
 Manual for divination

Book of History

Book of Etiquette (Book of Rites)

Book of Songs

Little survived
 Often written on perishable bamboo strips
 Many destroyed by Emperor of Qin dynasty in 221 BCE
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
Steppe nomads
 Poor lands for cultivation, extensive herding
activities
 Horses domesticated c. 4000 BCE, bronze
metallurgy in 2900 BCE
Extensive trade with sedentary cultures
(settled societies) in China
 Tensions: frequent raiding

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
Yangzi Valley
 Yangzi river: Chang Jiang, “long river”
 Excellent for rice cultivation
 Irrigation system developed

The State of Chu
 Autonomous, challenged Zhou dynasty
 Culture heavily influenced by Chinese
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