China

1. China The Classical Age

2. Prehistory • Earliest Records left around 1600 - 1500 BCE • Egypt, Mesopotamia and India were already well established • Began mainly as farmers • Wide range of geographic climates allowed for wide range of agriculture • Wheat, Millet, legumes, pigs, chickens, dogs • Centered around Yellow River (known as “China’s Sorrow” due to numerous lives taken during flooding)

3. Forming a Civilization Writing extremely important to the creation of civilization The chinese term for civilization translates literally to “to transform by writing” • Shang Dynasty (1600 - 1027 BCE) • Created the written language • Developed cities • Specialized jobs • Encouraged artistic endeavours • Jade and Bronze work • Complex social class system

4. Artifacts of Shang Dynasty

5. Shang Dynasty • Views of People • Emperor • Not God-like such as we see in Egypt, but had priestly rights and powers derived from ancestors • Educated (read and write) and nobles • Farmers - Producers • Artisans - Where most artifacts come from, considered non-essential, but useful • Merchants - Greedy and parasitic, objects of contempt

6. Shang Dynasty Con’t • View of people • Slavery - Legal until the 20th century • Most were war captives and criminals • Never made up more than about 2% of population • Women • High place in society during early part of dynasty • Children took mother’s surname • Men lived with bride and her family • Men became higher prized over time due to economic and spiritual reasons

7. Western Zhou • Because the Shang Dynasty had loose political control over north China, they were easily overwhelmed when the war-like Zhou in 1027 BCE • Zhou Dynasty • First called Western Zhou • lasted until 771 BCE • Kept a majority of Shang customs and beliefs • Changed Deity from Shangdi to Tian (“Heaven”) • Tian not anthropomorphic, never depicted in art • Divination from Oracle bones became much less frequent • Zhou Began to refer to themselves as “Son of Heaven” • in 771 invading Nomads killed the Zhou ruler and his successor had to flee the capital and head east, ending the Western Zhou Dynasty

8. Eastern Zhou • After fleeing the West and settling in the Eastern capital of Loyang, the Zhou went several centuries with no real control over China, there really was no China • Age of Feudalism • Local lords declared themselves independent and began to war with one another • This was an age of extensive local warfare, bloodshed and violence • By 3rd Century BCE 7 huge states taken control, and by 221 BCE one defeated the rest to reunite the country

9. Chinese Expansion during the Zhou Dynasty

10. Progress under the Zhou • By the End of the Zhou era China caught up to, and in some cases surpassed, the advancements made by Mediterranean world. • As a result of the feudal wars, military technology was the first to advance • Improved armour and weapons, Iron work surpassed that of Persia • Sun Zi Writes The Art of War • Still used today in military academies across the world

11. Progress under the Zhou • Rulers of competing chinese states initiated plans to improve the livelihood of the people • irrigation, canals, walls • Introduced soybeans as a source of protein • New strains of wheat and rice introduced • interstate trade, wages and price control introduced • New forms of poetry and music were expressed • Trousers began to replace the robes worn by everyday people • People cast of “barbaric” knife and fork to use chopsticks • Greatest outpouring of original thought in Chinese history!

12. Confucius and The Classical Age • Classical age, the age of the “hundred schools of thought” • 5th and 6th Centuries BCE • Most intellectually fertile period in world history • Best known thinker was Kong Fuzi (“Master Kong”) which was translated into Latin as Confucius • Born 551 • Life was not overly spectacular • held minor political positions in native state • traveled around trying to spread his principles • failed and returned home to teach until his death in 479 BCE • His teachings were recorded by 72 of his disciples into a collection of 497 verses called The Analects.

13. Teaching of Confucius • Ren (run) = The solution to the evils of his time • Translates as “humanity” or “benevolence” • A perfect virtue that combines courtesy, generosity, good faith, diligence, and kindness • “Do not do unto others that which you would not have them do unto you” • This version of the golden rule predates Jesus of Nazareth by 500 years

14. Teaching of Confucius • Learning • Formal and informal • Should be free to all • Teachers respect students, but student responsible for own education • history, poetry, etiquette, music, and physical education • “Never stop learning” • His education incomplete until he was 70

15. Teaching of Confucius • Practice • Filial Piety - Young people must respect and obey all those older than them, especially family • Live harmoniously within a family and turn the world into a family • Rectification of Names • people should strive to be good at what they were, not try to overstep their position • Courtesy • We expand our sense of goodness every time we perform even the smallest act of courtesy • This could do away with the need of laws and punishment

16. Legacy of Confucius • Eighty generations of Chinese have followed his teachings • Filial piety • Family-centred values • Thirst for knowledge • Strong work ethic • Belief in courtesy - Non-confrontational

17. Fostering Stability • By 124 BCE Chinese adopt Confucianism as State ideology • Valued stability over change and balance and harmony over innovation • Chinese developed institutions to foster stability • Emperor whose position is guaranteed by unchanging Heaven. • Educational curriculum that was unaltered for over 2000 years • Economy encouraged agriculture and discouraged commerce • “Balanced” Social System • Young, old, men, women, children had fixed places in society • These stabilizing factors led to unusual stability in dynastic China

18. The First Empire • China’s first dynasty began in 221 BCE with Shi Huangdi • This dynasty was known as the Qin dynasty • Note: Qin is pronounced “chin” which is where we get the name “China” from • Shi Huangdi transformed the country in just under 10 years

19. Qin Dynasty

20. Shi Huangdi’s Changes • He seized all the land once held by feudal nobles and divided China into 42 prefectures (provinces) led by magistrates that he appointed • -> Impact? This centralized the country • Next, Shi Huangdi built a capital city near present day Xi’an and built a palace • After that, Shi Huangdi unified and standardized all the coinage, weights and measures

21. Shi Huangdi’s Changes • Shi Huangdialso outlawed all local customs, festivals, folksongs and religious practices • He ordered his prime minister, Li Si, to produce a standardized dictionary and build a network of roads to connect the distant regions of the country. Some of the roads and canals built during this period are still in use today! • The Emperor believed that war enriched the state so he sent his armies against the Huns and other aboriginal tribes but this was expensive • Instead, he decided to build a giant wall to protect China – The Great Wall of China

22. The Great Wall of China • The Emperor joined together pre-existing walls and built new ones to create the Great Wall • Many workers died during the building of the wall and were simply buried inside (it’s called “the world’s longest graveyard”)

23. Shi Huangdi’s Legacy • Chinese historians are critical of Shi Huangdi for his ruthlessness, wars, harsh laws, and burning books • 213 BCE the Emperor ordered that only practical works on subjects such as agriculture, medicine, pharmacy, and divination were worth preserving. All others were to be burned in public. When scholars protested, they were buried alive in the palace courtyard (460 of them!). • In 215 BCE Shi Huangdi died unexpectedly. His son and heir was inexperienced, incompetent and cruel. Rebellions broke out everywhere.

24. Shi Huangdi’s Legacy • Outside of China, Shi Huangdi is best known for his tomb – an underground cavern filled with 8000 life-sized clay warriors • No two warriors look the same! • The soldiers represent the Emperor’s belief in war • For historians this is a great find because it provided valuable information about early Chinese military tactics and weapons