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CLASSICAL CHINA

CLASSICAL CHINA. THE ZHOU DYNASTY: 1122-256 B.C.E. The rise of the Zhou The Zhou forces toppled the Shang Political organization Adopted decentralized administration Used princes and relatives to rule regions Consequences Weak central government with ceremonial functions

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CLASSICAL CHINA

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  1. CLASSICAL CHINA

  2. THE ZHOU DYNASTY: 1122-256 B.C.E. • The rise of the Zhou • The Zhou forces toppled the Shang • Political organization • Adopted decentralized administration • Used princes and relatives to rule regions • Consequences • Weak central government with ceremonial functions • Rise of regional powers; often called feudalism • Constant rivalry between warring families, nobles

  3. THE FALL OF THE ZHOU • Iron metallurgy • Iron weapons helped regional authorities to resist the central power • Nomadic invasion sacked capital • Other Troubles • Territorial princes became more independent • Warring States (403-221 B.C.E.)

  4. EXPANSION OF CHINESE SOCIETY • The Yangzi valley • The longest river of China • Two crops of rice per year • Dependable and beneficial to farmers • Indigenous peoples of S. China • Many assimilated into Chinese society • Some pushed into hills, mountains • Migrated to Taiwan, Vietnam, Thailand

  5. CONFUCIUS’ SEARCH FOR ORDER • Confucius (551-479 B.C.E.) • Sayings compiled in the Analects by disciples • Confucian ideas • Fundamentally moral and ethical in character • Restore political and social order; stress ritual • Formation of junzi - "superior individuals" • The key Confucian concepts • Ren - a sense of humanity • Li - a sense of propriety • Xiao - filial piety • Cultivating of junzi for bringing order to China • 5 Relationships and filial piety as basis of society

  6. DAOISM • Prominent critics of Confucianism • Understand natural principles, live in harmony with them • Laozi • Laozi, founder of Daoism; wrote the Daodejing • Philosophical Daoism • Dao - The way of nature, the way of the cosmos • Passive, yielding, does nothing , accomplishes everything • Tailor behavior to passive, yielding nature • Popular Daoism • Many deities including immortals

  7. DAOIST WUWEI • The doctrine of wuwei • Disengagement from worldly affairs • Called for simple, unpretentious life, living in harmony with nature • Advocated small state, self-sufficient community • Political implications • Served as a counterbalance to Confucian activism • Individuals could live as Confucians by day, Daoists by night

  8. LEGALISM • Legalism • Promoted a practical and ruthlessly efficient approach • No concern with ethics and morality • No concern with the principles governing nature • Doctrine used by Qin dynasty

  9. LEGALISM IN PRACTICE • The state's strength • Agriculture • Military force • Discouraged commerce, education, and the arts • Called for harsh penalties even for minor infractions • Chinese used legalism if state threatened

  10. UNIFICATION OF CHINA • The Qin State and Dynasty • Located in west China and adopted Legalist policies • Encouraged agriculture, resulted in strong economy • Organized a powerful army equipped with iron weapons • Conquered other states and unified China in 221 B.C.E. • Qin Shi Huang di • King of the Qin proclaimed himself First Emperor, 221 B.C.E. • Established centralized imperial rule

  11. QIN STATECRAFT • Suppressing the resistance • Bitterly opposed by Confucian scholars • Policies of centralization • Standardization of laws, currencies, weights, measures • Creates a uniform writing system but not language • The collapse of the Qin dynasty • Massive public works generated ill will among people • Waves of rebels overwhelmed the Qin court in 207 B.C.E. • A short-lived dynasty, left deep marks in Chinese history

  12. THE EARLY HAN DYNASTY • Liu Bang • Restored order, established dynasty, 206 B.C.E. • Han was long-lived dynasty • Early Han policies • Sought middle way between Zhou and Qin • Royal relatives were not reliable, returned to centralized rule • Martial Emperor (141-87 B.C.E.) • Han Wudi ruled for 54 years • Pursued centralization and expansion

  13. HAN STATECRAFT • Han centralization • Adopted Legalist policies • Built an enormous bureaucracy to rule the empire • Continued to build roads and canals • Levied taxes on agriculture, trade, and craft industries • Imperial monopolies on production of iron and salt • Established Confucian educational system for training bureaucrats • Confucianism as the basis of the curriculum in imperial university • Exam system for administrative careers • Han imperial expansion • Invaded and colonized northern Vietnam and Korea • Extended China into central Asia

  14. HAN SOCIAL STRUCTURE • Patriarchal • Large, multigenerational compound families • Women's subordination • Cultivators were the majority of the population • Differences apparent between noble, lower class women • Scholar bureaucrats: Confucian trained bureaucrats • Officials selected through competitive testing • Used to run the government in Early Han • Scholar Gentry • Confucian bureaucrats intermarried with landed elite • New class comes to dominate local, national offices • Strongest in late Han • Merchants held in low social esteem

  15. TRADE AND COMMERCE • Iron metallurgy: Farming tools, utensils, and weapons • State monopolies on liquor, salt and iron • Silk textiles • High quality Chinese silk became a prized commodity • Traded as far a field as India, Persia, Mesopotamia, and Rome • Paper production • Population growth • Despite light taxation, state revenue was large • Silk Road established

  16. HAN TROUBLES • Expeditions consumed the empire's surplus • Social tensions, stratification between the poor and rich • Problems of land distribution • The reign of Wang Mang • Land reforms - the "socialist emperor" • Overthrown by revolts, 23 C.E.

  17. LOSS OF THE MANDATE • The Later Han Dynasty (25-220 C.E.) • Overthrown of Wang Mang restores Han • New Han much weakened • Rule often through large families, gentry • Collapse of the Han • Factions at court paralyzed the central government • Han empire dissolved • China was divided into regional kingdoms

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