What are the Bamboo Annals?

1. What are the Bamboo Annals? • Stories about ancient china written around 400 BCE on Bamboo. Found in 281 CE. Lots of copies exist but originals are lost

2. What is the Record of the Grand Historian? • 130 volumes written by a Han scribe from 109-91 BCE • Biographies, timelines, and stories of events • Supported by other sources

3. Shang Dynasty

4. Expansion • They conquered other civilizations in the region and united them into one kingdom

5. Dynastic Rule • Power passed from father to son creating stability and tradition

6. Religion • Idea that the gods were very involved in life with blessings or curses • Ancestor Worship: Keep the spirits of the past happy • Oracle Bones: Predict the future so all spirits can be happy

7. Religion’s Importance They say they have close connections to the spirits of the afterlife. They use this to gain support for their rule.

8. Shang Accomplishments • Bronze Work (no iron yet) • Writing (set records of the past, mark of civilization) • Organized, systematic government • Military might • Social classes Originally a good dynasty with good leadership and great progress. Doesn’t last…

9. Who was DI Xin • Last Shang King is Di Xin • Quick tempered • Very strong • Very smart • Popular because major defeats against the barbarians

10. How did he change? • Meets a woman and begins to ignore affairs of state • Immoral, corrupt, decadent • Wine Pool and the Meat Forest • Cannon Burning Punishment • Heavy taxes to support his bad habits • Much of the population is starving

11. In the West • Wen, the leader of the Zhou is defeating the nomadic tribes and is growing in power

12. Why is Wen called to the Capital? • To reward him for all his help out west.

13. What happens to Wen? Di Xin sends him to a private meeting where there are Shang soldiers waiting to kill him.

14. How does The Shang Dynasty fall? • Wen’s son waits a few years until the people are tired of Di Xin and then avenges his fathers death at the Battle of Muye

15. What happens to Di Xin? • He surrounds himself with all his jewels and fine things and sets the palace on fire, committing suicide

18. Mandate of Heaven • Mandate=Command • Zhou said Heaven (their highest god) gave them a command to overthrow the corrupt king and rule instead. Becomes the basis for all future rebellions. If a king is bad, he losses the mandate of heaven and a new ruler gets it.

20. Main Ideas of the Mandate • Right to Rule is granted by heaven • Only 1 true ruler of China at a time • Right to rule is based on good performance of the ruler • Rule can pass from father to son but only if they are worthy

21. Why is it so important? • Gave Zhou power– couldn’t argue with them as long as they were doing an ok job • Made rulers try to do a good job • Rulers were always paranoid about rebellions The right to rebel and the expectation of just rule is in Chinese Culture from the very beginning

22. Dynastic Cycle

23. The Zhou Dynasty1027 BCE-256 BCE Western Zhou 1100-771 BCE Eastern Zhou 771-403 BCE Warring States Period 403-221 BCE

24. Feudalism • Relationship between Kings and Vassals/Nobles/Lords and peasants • King gives nobles land—in exchange nobles promise loyalty and military service • Nobles give peasants protection and lets them work their fields. In exchange, peasants give nobles food and labor • All are meant to be loyal to the King above all

26. Why did the Zhou Use A Feudal structure? The Zhou conquered too much land to rule from one place—too successful Moved from centralized rule to decentralized rule Put people in charge of areas in exchange for their loyalty and military service when needed

27. Zhou Life • Very similar to the Shang—took over the territory and culture that was already there • Strong military • Walled cities • Class system • Agriculture—often directed by the government • Land owned by nobles, worked by farmers—9 squares and the middle went as taxes • River irrigation, flood control and river diversion key successes

28. Zhou Accomplishments • Iron  better weapons  military strength  better tools  better agriculture  population growth population growth  better everything • Coins/monetary system  better trade and economy • Roads and Canals  better trade, better economy

29. Difference • Much of the culture remained the same • End of Human Sacrifices • More ‘civilized’—(think 7 elements of a civilization)

30. End of the Western Zhou • Poor roads and poor communication lead to lack of oversight in decentralized system • Original lords are loyal, as generations pass—less loyal • Individual ‘states’ gaining power of their own—especially military • 780 Major Earthquake in the Zhou Empire • 779 Problems with the Zhou King

31. Who was King You? • The last king of the Western Zhou • Reigned from 781-771 • Not very interested in ruling—more interested in fun and pleasure

32. WhAt happened with his wife? • His wife--daughter of a powerful lord • King You also had a mistress named Bao Si and they had a son • King You named the son of his mistress as his heir and banished his wife and real heir from the palace

33. According to Legend… • The Queen’s father and barbarian tribes united to overthrow King You and put the Prince on the throne MEANWHILE…

34. How did he lose the support of his nobles? • The King—growing in corruption and neglect—only concerned with making his mistress who was never happy laugh • Light the fires to warn of danger as a call to the nobles to come with their armies. When the nobles arrived—only a joke and the ‘new’ queen smiled

35. How does the story end? • After several times, the nobles stopped taking the King seriously. When the real queen’s father attacked, King You lit the fires but no one came. He and his mistress were killed • The real Prince was announced as King. • The capital of the Empire moved east—further from their nomadic ‘allies’—ending the era of the Western Zhou and beginning the Eastern Zhou

36. Eastern Zhou 1100-771 Western Zhou 771-221 Eastern Zhou 771-403 Spring and Autumn Period 403-221 Warring States Period

37. Spring and Autumn Period • Name comes from a history of the period with that name • Zhou Empire still exists but greatly weakened—depend even more on powerful leaders of local areas for support—especially military • Technically they still had the ‘mandate of heaven’ but really just a figurehead. Real power was with the local lords and their armies—each running their own territory as they saw fit. • Lots of Social problems not solved by government  new ideas of Philosophy

38. WARRiNg STATES Period 403-221 Over time, smaller states and smaller holdings were taken over by more powerful lords Several main states

39. Technological Changes • Introduction of Iron Weapons—armor, swords, crossbow, dagger axe • Shift from the Chariot to cavalry (taken from the nomadic tribes) • Shift to massive infantry (Huge numbers in battles) • Battle of Muye (45,000) Warring States (1 million?) • Less need for noble lords with armies—more use of civilians • Greater need for central control to train and supply huge armies • Feudal Structure broke down family values and loyalty

40. Military STrategy Period of writing on Military Strategy Art of War—Sun Tzu