APWH Notes Chapter 2 How is China Unique? Geography- wide variety of different landforms, mountain ranges, bodies of water etc. which led to an isolated civilization China has an ability to absorb foreign invaders Chinese culture is secular (rise of the Mandarins)- no priestly class- invention of civil service exams Xenophobic China is self-sufficent Early Chinese History Smaller cultures existed in Yellow River area Hsia (Pronounced SHEE-uh)Dynasty- 2000 BCE to around 1600 BCE, not sure it existed Shang Dynasty: 1760s BCE to 1050 BCE, capital at Anyang, many examples of monumental buildings, dynasty is well documented by archeology 1
Map of Shang China Early Chinese History (Cont.) Chou or Zhou (pronounced Joe )- ca. 1050 BCE to 256 BCE), area much larger than Shang, many different states or kingdoms made up the Chou, by 770 BCE Chou is very weak, enter Warring States Period. These early dynasties were not centralized, tended to be somewhat weak due to internal disagreements between various areas/ kingdoms of China, think feudal states Map of Early Chinese Dynasties 2
Qin (Ch in) Dynasty 221 BCE to 210 BCE Considered first real dynasty Role of Shi Huangdi Building of the Great Wall Established standardized language (Mandarin) Broke China into provinces ruled by administrators appointed by Emperor, broke the power of regional rulers 8000 Terracotta (Clay) Army, buried with First Emperor of China Han Dynasty 202 BCE to 220 CE Expanded Chinese power into different areas including Korea, SE Asia, etc. Led to Chinese trade with outside areas such as Rome, etc. First use Silk Road Continued practices of Mandarin Bureaucracy, strong centralized government, civil service exams introduced Five Classics & Four Books 3
Five Classics Series of books/collections used by Confucian scholars as basis for civil service exams Also used Four Books which included the Analects and a collection of conversations with Mencius Map of Han China Silk Road Map 4
What are dynasties? A dynasty is a series of rulers from the same family. Historically, royal rule was descended from father to son. AKA Primogeniture Dynastic Cycles Emperor comes to power and gains the Mandate of Heaven. Upward rise (wealth and population increase) to peak. Downward spiral (natural disasters, corruption, etc.). Emperor loses the Mandate of Heaven. Civil war until a new emperor, with the Mandate of Heaven, comes to power. Confucius 551 BCE to 479 BCE- During Zhou Dynasty Considered China s greatest philosopher Ethics correct way to live Men should be kind, tolerant, and love their elders and ancestors (filial piety), change is bad Emperor is role model Major work is Analects Not a religion, more a philosophy 5
Confucius (Cont.) Role of Mencius- helped to spread ideas of Confucius and popularize them Five Sacred Relationships: Wife obeys husband, Children obey parents, Younger children obey older children, Friend is loyal to Friend, all People obey Emperor LaoTze (Laozi or Lao-tsu) Contemporary of Confucius Major work is Tao Ching (The Way) Becomes a religion Change is bad, search for acceptance Withdraw from worldly life, the guru Known as Taoism or Daoism 6
Legalism Not a religion but a political philosophy Opposed to Confucian ideas Major thinker was Han Fei-zu Believed in strict, clear laws and a powerful, authoritarian government. Favored severe punishments, and believed everyone should take responsibility for obeying the law. Political dissent was a high crime punishable by death. Social Structure Landed aristocracy (landlords) but could also include Mandarins Peasant Farmers (owned their land) Artisans- makers of pottery, etc. Merchants- lowest class 7