ANCIENT CHINESE DYNASTIES Notes January 28, 2016
CHINA S FIRST DYNASTIES The Xia (SHAH) Dynasty and The Shang Dynasty
The Xia (SHAH) Dynasty This idea of this dynasty has been passed down through Chinese tradition, but we don t have evidence that it actually existed. It is likely more legend and myth than reality. Founded by Yu the Great around 2200 BC Legend of a great flood during his rule in which he oversaw the construction of channels to drain water to the ocean The idea emerges that the kings help people solve problems by working together
The Shang Dynasty The first dynasty with clear evidence & firmly established by about 1766 BC Developed in the Yellow River Valley King was the center of Shang political and religious life Nobles served the king as advisors and maintained control over various clans was organized similar to citystates Social hierarchy becomes more organized Advances in writing Oracle bones: priests would write questions on bones, heat the bones until they cracked, priests would read or interpret the cracks to predict the future King Nobles Warriors Artisans Farmers Peasants Slaves
THE ZHOU DYNASTY The Zhou (JOH) Dynasty
The Zhou (JOH) Dynasty Begins about 1122 BC and maintains dynastic control until 256 BC They joined nearby tribes on the western frontier and attacked and overthrew the Shang Dynasty Lasted longer than any other Chinese dynasty in history
The Zhou (JOH) Dynasty CONT Mandate of Heaven Heaven gave power to the king or leader No one ruled without heaven s permission Floods, famine, and other catastrophes were signs that the dynasty had lost favor with heaven and a new leader might emerge If a king was found to be bad, heaven would support a new leader This had been used as their justification to rebel against the Shang
The Zhou (JOH) Dynasty CONT A form of Feudalism emerges with a new social hierarchy Lords were given territories to govern and initially they were very loyal to the king & were required to provide military defense to the king in exchange for the land As the Lord s power was passed down to sons for several generations, the loyalty diminished over time & they began to reject the authority of the Zhou kings King Lords & Warriors Peasants
The Zhou (JOH) Dynasty CONT Advancements: Knowledge of iron working; iron plows, tools, weapons Large scale irrigation systems to increase food production The use of a currency consisting of bronze coins making trade easier Silk production 365.25 day calendar System of writing
The Zhou (JOH) Dynasty -- Confucianism Confucius, or Kong Fuzi, was a philosopher who turned toward teaching, attracting many students as his reputation for wisdom spread The Analects: a collection of his sayings put together by his students after his death Confucianism is centered around social order and effective government Harmony comes from accepting your place and role in society superiors are to care for inferiors and set a good example; inferiors are to be loyal and obey superiors 5 Relationships: ruler to subject; parent to child; husband to wife; older brother to younger brother; friend to friend (elders are always superior to younger people; men always superior to women)
The Zhou (JOH) Dynasty Daoism Guiding principle is to live in harmony with nature Founder is Laozi who wrote The Way of Virtue Daoists seek The Way, a world where they reject conflict and strife and yield or accept what is; reality is an unstoppable force don t try to fight it (they were the ancient version of the hippie movement from the 1960s) Daoists believe the best government is the government that governs the least Concept of Yin Yang: Yin Yang is the principle of natural and complementary forces, patterns and things that depend on one another and do not make sense on their own. When people see things as beautiful, ugliness is created. When people see things as good, evil is created. Being and non-being produce each other. Difficult and easy complement each other. Long and short define each other. High and low oppose each other.
THE QIN DYNASTY The Qin (CHIN) Dynasty
The Qin (CHIN) Dynasty After the Zhou dynasty s authority was questioned, a period of battling emerged as groups fought to assert power In 221 BC, the Qin dynasty united China again under the Emperor Shi Huangdi (SHEE hwang-dee) He created a government with rewards for success, punishments for failure, strict laws and harsh punishments He ordered the burning of all writing that did not agree with his laws or way of leading the only books that survived dealt with farming, medicine, and predicting the future
The Qin (CHIN) Dynasty CONT Shi Huangdi also expanded the empire When his soldiers conquered a new city, he had them destroy the walls around the city and confiscate any weapons He took land away from existing nobles and appointed his own district governors who would answer to him Districts were subdivided into counties with appointed officials A clear chain of command & tax system was developed
The Qin (CHIN) Dynasty CONT Achievements: Unified China Built a network of roads and canals Built irrigation systems to improve farming Built the Great Wall across northern China
The Qin (CHIN) Dynasty Legalism Shi Huangdi had the help of Legalist advisors in creating a strong, centralized government Legalism is VERY different than Confucianism and Daoism It is based on the idea that the nature of man is evil, greed is the cause of most of our actions Legalists believe that to obtain order you have to pass strict laws with harsh punishments; a leader s strength instead of his goodness was most valuable Shi Huangdi jailed, tortured, killed or enslaved anyone who opposed his point of view
THE HAN DYNASTY The Han Dynasty
The Han Dynasty When the Qin dynasty collapsed in 207 BC, several different groups battled for power An army led by Liu Bang (lee-oo bang) won control and became first emperor of the Han dynasty Liu Bang was the first common person to become emperor; he used the Mandate from Heaven to justify his assent into power He was liked by both soldiers and peasants He relied on education to make people qualified to participate in government
The Han Dynasty CONT In 140 BC, Emperor Wudi (WOO-dee) took the throne for the Han Dynasty He wanted to create strong central government He took land from the lords, raised taxes, and kept a supply of grain for the government to distribute He required people to pass an exam to be eligible for government jobs While technically any man could take the exam, only those from families who could afford years of studying classical Confucianism would be able to pass This civil servant system lasted until 1912, resulting in an endurance of traditional Confucian philosophies
The Han Dynasty The Silk Road Wudi opened up trade routes, later called The Silk Road, that linked China to the West It stretched more than 4000 miles and was actually a network of intersecting trade routes In addition to diverse products and a growing economy, The Silk Road also resulted in cultural diffusion as ideas, beliefs, technologies, languages, & ways of life were shared by traders, travelers, and missionaries
The Han Dynasty CONT Achievements: Works of art, including portraits & realistic scenes of everyday life Known for great works of poetry Paper Sundial Seismograph Acupuncture
The Han Dynasty Buddhism By AD 100, missionaries and merchants had spread Buddhist beliefs from India to China In times of crisis, Buddhism became more popular because of its promise to an end of suffering and provide salvation (Nirvana) through prayer, good works, and devotion Confucianism and Daoism have no concept of a salvation after death Over time the Chinese blended some of the philosophies of Confucianism & Daoism into Buddhism, personalizing Buddhism to fit with Chinese traditions.