ANCIENT AND CLASSICAL CHINA

1. ANCIENT AND CLASSICAL CHINA

2. How it all began- • King Yao, King Shun, and King Yu reflected the values of society. Legends of early China.

3. Settling Down • Domesticated rice, millet, wheat, and barley beginning around 7000 B.C.E. in the valleys of the Yangzi and Huang-he (Yellow)rivers.

4. EMERGENCE OF CHINESE SOCIETY • Agricultural villages appeared in the valleys of the two rivers. • The Yellow River (Huang he) • Loess soil left behind after floods. The river was "China's Sorrow" as it flooded uncontrollably • Neolithic societies after 5000 B.C.E. • Yangshao society, 5000-3000 B.C.E. • Excavations at Banpo village: fine pottery, bone tools

5. ANCIENT CHINA

6. XIA DYNASTY • Archeological discovery of the Xia is still in its preliminary stage • Established about 2200 B.C.E. • Legendary King Yu • Erlitou: possibly the capital city of the Xia • Some still not convinced it existed.

7. THE SHANG DYNASTY: 1766-1122 B.C.E. • Arose in the southern, eastern areas • Bronze metallurgy, monopolized by elite • Agricultural surpluses supported large troops • Vast network of walled towns • Use of writing with two thousand characters • Shang-kings were warriors • Constant struggle with nobles for power • Lavish tombs of Shang kings • Contained chariots, weapons, bronze goods • Sacrificial human victims, dogs, horses

8. Oracle Bones • Rulers, people looked to them for answers. • Primary instruments of fortune-tellers • Discovery of the "dragon bones" in 1890s • Bones recorded day-to-day concerns

9. MANDATE OF HEAVEN • The right to rule granted by heaven • Zhou justified their overthrow of Shang • Ruler called "the son of heaven" • Only given to virtuous, strong rulers • To lose mandate = someone else should rule • Replacement of dynasties = Dynastic Cycle • Signs one had lost mandate • Corruption, heavy taxes, revolts, invasions, civil wars, crime, natural disasters, etc

10. Mandate of Heaven

11. THE ZHOU DYNASTY: 1122-256 B.C.E. • The rise of the Zhou • The last Shang king was toppled by the Zhou. • Political organization • Adopted decentralized administration • Used princes and relatives to rule regions • Laid groundwork for political legitimacy.

12. THE FALL OF THE ZHOU -Iron weapons helped regional authorities to resist the central power. Territorial princes became more independent. • Nomadic invasions • Warring States Period (403-221 B.C.E.) • Rise of Qin state

13. FAMILY • Xia to Zhou ruled through family, kinship • Veneration of ancestors • Belief in ancestors' presence, continuing influence • Burial of material goods with the dead • Only males could perform religious duties • Filial Piety • Patriarchal society • During Neolithic times, Chinese society = matrilineal • Rise of states, war due to men's contribution s • After Shang, not even queens merited temples

14. THE SOCIAL ORDER • The ruling elites • Royal family and allied noble families at the top • Most of the land owned by the king, nobles • Peasants, the majority of population • Landless peasants provided labor • Women’s World • Managing household, raising children

15. OTHERS • Slaves • Mostly war prisoners • Performed hard work • Became sacrificial victims • Suspicious towards Foreigners Traded with nomads to the north and west for horses Southern rivals were Chu..

16. Literature of the early Chinese Zhou Classics included: Book of Changes Book of Songs Book of History Book of Rites Most destroyed by Qin Dynasty

17. CHINESE POPULAR RELIGION • Co-exists well with all major ideas, philosophies • Believes gods, spirits (shen) influence family, world • Maintenance of family shrines, community temples

18. HOUSEHOLD & PUBLIC RITUALS • Household Rituals • Always performed by males • Expression of Confucian filial piety • Domestic altar • Names of deceased, icons • Public Rituals • Preserve social harmony, local identity

19. 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. Kindness and humanity=ren • Restore political and social order; stress ritual, practicality. • The key Confucian idea: • 5 Relationships and filial piety as basis of society

20. LATER CONFUCIANS • Mencius (372-289 B.C.E.) • Most influential of Post-Confucius thinkers. Government by benevolence, humanity • Xunzi (298-238 B.C.E.) • Cast doubt on the goodness of human nature • Harsh social discipline to order to society

21. LEGALISM • Legalism • Promoted a practical and ruthless approach • No concern with ethics and morality • Doctrine used by Qin dynasty • Discouraged commerce, education, and the arts • The Book of Lord Shang • Called for harsh penalties even for minor infractions • Han Feizi (ca. 280-233 B.C.E.) • Student of Xunzi, became the most articulate Legalist • Forced to suicide by his political enemies

22. MOHISM • Founder Mo Zi • Lived 470 – 391 BC • Served in military, ideas based on it • Beliefs • Advocates doctrine of universal love and cooperation • Stress discipline, order, authority • Loyalty to all elders, not family

23. DAOISM • Prominent critics of Confucianism • Understand natural principles, live in harmony with them • Wuwei is to be disengage from affairs of world • Laozi -founder of Daoism • Philosophical Daoism • Dao - The way of nature, the way of the cosmos • Opposites in balance, complementary • Flourishes when peace prevails • Daodejing-text • Popular Daoism • A folk or religious form of Daoism; not philosophical • Emerged at end of Han Dynasty • Seek to master forces of natural, spiritual world • Many deities including immortals • Gods associated with natural cycles, agriculture

24. UNIFICATION OF CHINA • The Qin State and Dynasty • 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. • Legalism prevailed • Agriculture and traditional learning were a state’s strength. • Qin Shi Huang di • King of the Qin proclaimed himself First Emperor, 221 B.C.E. • Established centralized imperial rule • Held sons of nobles as hostages; demolished nobles castles • Project of connecting and extending the Great Wall

25. QIN STATECRAFT • Cruel Repression of resistance. Burned non-traditional books. • Standardization: • laws, currencies, weights, measures, writing • 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 (Tomb of the First Emperor • The tomb was an underground palace • Excavation of the tomb since 1974 • Terracotta soldiers and army to protect tomb)

26. THE EARLY HAN DYNASTY • Liu Bang • Restored order, established dynasty, 206 B.C.E. • 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 • Established Imperial university • Brought much of Opponents, Xiongnu (under Maodun) under Chinese control.

27. HAN STATECRAFT • Han centralization • Built an enormous bureaucracy to rule the empire • Continued to build roads and canals • Levied taxes on agriculture, trade, and craft industries • Established Confucian educational system for training bureaucrats • Han imperial expansion • Invaded and colonized northern Vietnam and Korea • Extended China into central Asia

28. 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 • Invented probably before 100 C.E. • Silk Road established

29. HAN TROUBLES • Raised taxes • Much of defense consumed on defending against nomads • Social tensions, stratification between the poor and rich • Problems of land distribution • Early Han supported land redistribution • Economic difficulties forced some small landowners to sell property • Some sold themselves or their families into slavery • Lands accumulated in the hands of a few • No land reform, because Han needed cooperation of large landowners • The reign of Wang Mang • A powerful Han minister • Dethroned the baby emperor, claimed imperial title himself, 9 C.E. • Land reforms - the "socialist emperor" • Overthrown by revolts, 23 C.E.

30. 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 • Rise of Eunuchs in government as new source of power • The Yellow Turban Uprising (Daoist Revolt) • Rulers restored order but did not address problem of landholding • Yellow Turban uprising inflicted serious damage on the Han • Collapse of the Han • Factions at court paralyzed the central government • Han empire dissolved • China was divided into regional kingdoms