Early China

1. Early China By Christina King and Tala Sullivan

2. Early China By  Kap and Stephanie

3. Geography • Northern climate colder • Southern climate temperate • Yellow and Yangzi rivers • Isolated by • Himalayan Mountains in the Southwest • Takla Makan Desert, Pamir and Tian Mountains in the West • Gobi Desert and Mongolian Steppe in the Northwest • Pacific Ocean in the East

4. Geography and Resources • Isolated from the Eastern Hemisphere by natural barriers: Himalaya Mountains, Pamir Mountains, Tain Mountains, Taklamakan Desert, Gobi Desert and Pacific Ocean • Because of the barriers it made trade and transportation difficult, but there was still a lot of trade between India and Central Asia • Rivers ( Yellow and Yangzi) provided East and West movement

5. Geography Continued... • People in the rivers valleys were able to practice intensive agriculture • East river valleys and north China contained natural resources such as timber, stone, and scattered deposits of metal • Soil is very fertile but loose, so they frequently have earthquakes • Crops such as millet, grain, and wheat. Also rice in the south • Mined copper and tin

6. Neolithic China • Early China raised animals and used stone tools • Made pottery on a wheel  • Started the invention of silk cloth (raised silk worms on mulberry trees and carefully unwrapped the silk from the cocoons) • Started to make bronze around 2000 B.C.E.

7. Shang Dynasty • 1750-1027 B.C.E. Shang Dynasty • Ruled core region of Yellow River Valley • Lies in present day Hanan • Used military strength and strategy • Ruled by a king who was a intermediary between the gods and the people • Aided by high class officials that acted as generals, ambassadors and public servants • Royal family and native rulers governed conquered and far-off territories • Prisoners of war were enslaved by Shang rulers • Lasted 6 centuries

8. The Shang Period 1750- 1027 B.C.E • Dynasty lasted more than six centuries • Society was dominated by a warrior aristocracy • King and court ruled the main area of the civilization • Aristocrats served as generals, ambassadors, and supervisors of public projects • Members of the royal family and high ranking nobility governed outlying provinces • Most distant regions were governed by native rulers who swore alliegence to  to the king • King often traveled to the courts in other provinces to reinforce their loyalty

9. Shang Period continued... • There was nomads who occupied the steppe and desert regions in the north and west were considered "barbarians" • They would frequent have military campaigns, where large numbers of these nomads were taken asPOW's and used as slaves in the Shang capital • Cities were the centers for political control and were surrounded by walls  • Commoners lived in agricultural villages outside of the city •  During this time period people glorified the king • Shang royal family and aristocracy worshiped their male ancestors because they believed that they could influence the gods, would also make sacfrices to their ancestors and gods to try and win divine favor

10. Shang continued... (Trade) • Trade was difficult due to the geography • Brought jade, ivory, mother of pearl • May have adopted the horse-drawn chariot idea from western Asia (used in war) • May have traded as far as Mesopotamia • Gained many valuable things through trade and travel

11. Culture • Pictograms and phonetic symbols represented sounds of syllables which formed many different signs • Only a special elite group was able to learn this system • King burials involved animal and human sacrifice • Possession of bronze was a symbol of authority • Bronze vessels were used in rituals seeking support of ancestors and gods •  Many of the peoples morals came from Confucius •  Cities were aligned to the north polar star and there were gate openings in the cardinal directions • Would elaborately decorate their weapons with stylized depictions of real and imaginary animals • Feng Shui was important to them because it symbolized the order imposed by the gods and monarchs, still used today.

12. Zhou Dynasty • 1027-221 B.C.E. Zhou Dynasty • Defeated the Shang king in 1027 B.C.E. • Mandate of Heaven key to dynastic cycle • The ruler was believed to be "The Son of Heaven" • New ruler needed support from people to justify overthrow • Kingdom divided into 100 territories each ruled by allies or relatives of the king • Government officials expected to rule fairly, system began to fail around 800 B.C.E. • Leaders imposed new system called Legalism around 480 B.C.E. • Legalism based on the view that human nature is evil, order is maintained with laws and punishments • Longest lasting dynasty

13. The Zhou Period 1027-221 BCE • Longest dynasty • Preserved essentials of Shang culture • Added ideology and technology • In terms of leaders: • Chief deity = heaven • Monarchs = son of heaven • His rule = mandate of heaven • Ruler was chosen by supreme deity & stayed as the ruler until a mistake was made • The power of priests faded and there was a decline in extravagant/ bloody sacrifices & burials. • The sacred bronze vessels from the Shang dynasty were now just family treasures. • The fading from religion to government led to philosophical & mystical systems.

14. The Zhou Period, continued • 11-9 BCE was considered the West Zhou Era • Capital locations were in the Western areas • Capitals were built with pounded earth foundations & walls • All major buildings faced the South • Government officials were models of morality, fairness, & concern for people. • Members and allies of the royal family ruled 100+ territories • 771 BCE was considered the East Zhou Era • Time of political fragmentation, shifting centers of power & constant warfare • 2 different time periods within the East Zhou Era: • The Spring and Autumn Period (771-481 BCE) • The Warring States Period (480-221 BCE) • They learned from the Steppe nomads to put fighters on horseback • In 600 BCE, iron began to replace bronze ad the material for tools and weapons • Iron came to China from the nomadic people of the Northwest • The Chinese were the first to forge steal • Legalism • Legalists believed that all aspects of human society ought to be controlled & personal freedom sacrificed for the good of the state.

15. Economic • Agriculture • Cities are surrounded by agriculture • North harvested millet grain • Rain was hard to predict • South harvested rice • Predicted monsoons  • Rice patties must be flat and very wet • Used channels to create controlled floods  • An acre of rice can feed more people then an acre of grain • Cultivating rice is very labor intensive requires many people • South eventually became more populated and important then the North • Trade • Jade, ivory and bronze weapons were traded  • Silk was the most valuable innovation and was in high demand  • Traded as far as Mesopotamia

16. Early Chinese Religion • Government of major Zhou states took over many of the traditional functions of aristocracy. • To maintain influence, aristocrats sought to be advisors to the rulers.

17. Confusianism • One prominent aristocrat who lived through the time was Kongzi (551-479 BCE), known in the West by the latin form his name, Confucius. • Growing up in small state made him not well known • His doctrine of duty was to become a central influence in Chinese thought. • Elements of his teaching: • Roots in earlier Chinese religion (folk religion & Zhou royal family.) • Drew parallel between family & state •  Family hierarchy = sate hierarchy (father = ruler, sons = public officials, women =  common people) •  Took traditional term for feelings between family members (ren) and turned it into a universal idea of compassion toward all humanity.  • Believed it was the foundation of a good government. • He felt that the government should gain respect & authority by displaying fairness & integrity • Teachings emphasized benevolence, avoidance of violence, justice, rationalism, loyalty, & dignity. • At the time, he had no influence on his people but, in years to come, he had a great impact. • His sucessor Mencious (Mengzi, 371-289 BCE), made his teachings much more well known. 

18. Taoism (Daoism) • Warring states period saw uprise of religion called Taoism (Americanized to Daoism). • Originator was Laozi (thought to have lived in the 6th century BCE, but some doubt his existence). • Went out to stop the warfare; urged people to follow Dao, or "path." • Taoists except the world as it is. • Avoid violence • Instead of fighting the current, they allow the rushing waters to pass by them. • Original philosophy was expanded in subsequent centuries to incorporate popular beliefs, magic & mysticism. • Idealized individuals who found their own path

19. Chinese Society • Kingship structures of the Shang and Zhou dynasties faded • transitioned from clan style to 3-generation family as the fundamental social unit. • Emergence of concept of private property • Land considered to belong to men of family • Divided equally among sons when fathered died • Little known about the life of an early Chinese woman • Some believe that they acted as shaman (entering trances to communicate with supernatural forces, receiving predictions of the future) • From Written records we can see that later on, women served in subordinate positions in strong patriarchs. 

20. Chinese Society, continued • Men were limited to 1 wife but were permitted additional sex partners • Elite classes used marriage to create political alliances. • Common for groom to offer a "bride-gift" to prove wealth. • A man whose wife died had the duty of remarrying so as to keep the male heirs going  in the cult of ancestors. • Differences in male and female activities were explained by yin and yang (the complementary nature of male & female roles in the natural order). • Yang- referenced to the sun, active, bright and shining. • Yin- refrenced to the moon, passive, shaded and reflective. • Male toughness was balanced by female gentleness, as was action & inititive/endurance & completion and leadership/supportiveness. • Classical Chinese patterns of society formed during the Zhou period and competitiona among states. • At the end of this period, the Qin (having aggressive & disciplined policies) made it the premier power among warring states, defeated rivals and final unified China.