Chinese Dynasties

1. Chinese Dynasties

2. River Valley Dynasties

3. XIA DYNASTY • Archeological discovery of the Xia is still in its preliminary stage • Established about 2200 B.C.E. • Legendary King Yu, the dynasty founder, a hero of flood control • Erlitou: possibly the capital city of the Xia • Chinese scholars believe it existed

4. THE SHANG DYNASTY: 1766-1122 B.C.E. • Arose in the southern, eastern areas • Many records, material remains discovered • Bronze metallurgy, monopolized by elite • Agricultural surpluses supported large troops • Vast network of walled towns • Shang-kings were warriors • Constant struggle with nobles for power • The Shang capital moved six times • Lavish tombs of Shang kings • Contained chariots, weapons, bronze goods • Sacrificial human victims, dogs, horses

5. 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 • Lazy officials and rulers • Revolts, invasions, civil wars, crime • Natural disasters • Society develops bad morals, habits

6. THE ZHOU DYNASTY: 1122-256 B.C.E. • The rise of the Zhou • The last Shang king was a bad ruler • 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

7. THE FALL OF THE ZHOU • Iron metallurgy • Iron technology spread; 1st millennium B.C.E. • Iron weapons helped regional authorities to resist the central power • Qin mastered iron technology, weapons • Nomadic invasion sacked capital • Other Troubles • Territorial princes became more independent • Warring States (403-221 B.C.E.) • Rise of Qin state • Last king abdicated his position in 256 B.C.E.

8. The Classical Dynasties600 BCE to 600 CE

9. QIN STATECRAFT • Suppressing the resistance • Bitterly opposed, was opposed by Confucian scholars • Buried 460 scholars alive because of their criticism against the Qin • Burned all books except some with utilitarian value • Policies of centralization • Standardization of laws, currencies, weights, measures • Standardized scripts: tried to create uniform language • Creates a uniform writing system but not language • Tomb of the First Emperor • The tomb was an underground palace • Excavation of the tomb since 1974 • Terracotta soldiers and army to protect tomb • 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

10. THE EARLY HAN DYNASTY • Liu Bang • A general, persistent man, a methodical planner • 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

11. 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 • Thirty thousand students enrolled in the university in Later Han • Han imperial expansion • Invaded and colonized northern Vietnam and Korea • Extended China into central Asia • Han organized vast armies to invade Xiongnu territory • Han enjoyed uncontested hegemony in east and central Asia

12. HAN SOCIAL STRUCTURE • Patriarchal, patrilocal households averaged five inhabitants • Large, multigenerational compound families also developed • Women's subordination (Ban Zhao Admonitions for Women) • 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

13. HAN TROUBLES • Expeditions consumed the empire's surplus • Raised taxes and confiscated land of some wealthy individuals • Taxes, land confiscations discouraged investment • 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.

14. Post Classical Dynasties600-1450

15. SUI DYNASTY • After fall of the Han, turmoil lasted for more than 350 years • Three major states contended for rule; further fragmentation • Nomads constantly invaded, created their own states, dynasties • The rule of the Sui • Reunification by Yang Jian in 589 • Constructions of palaces and granaries, repairing the Great Wall • Military expeditions in central Asia and Korea • High taxes and compulsory labor services • The Grand Canal • One of the world's largest waterworks before modern times • Purpose: bring abundant food supplies of the south to the north • Linked the Yangtze and the Huang-Hi • The canal integrated the economies of the south and north • The fall of the Sui • High taxes and forced labor generated hostility among the people • Military reverses in Korea • Rebellions broke out in north China beginning in 610 • Sui Yangdi was assassinated in 618, the end of the dynasty

16. IMAGES OF SUI CHINA

17. THE TANG DYNASTY • Founding of the Tang Dynasty (618 – 907 CE) • A rebel leader seized Chang'an, proclaimed a new dynasty, the Tang • Tang Taizong • 2nd Tang emperor, a ruthless but extremely competent ruler • China enjoyed an era of unusual stability and prosperity • Extensive networks of transportation and communications • Adopted the equal-field system • Bureaucracy of merit • Recruited government officials through civil service examinations • Career bureaucrats relied on central government, loyal to the dynasty • Restored Confucianism as state ideology, training for bureaucrats • Foreign relations • Political theory: China was the Middle Kingdom, or the center of civilization • Tributary system became diplomatic policy • Tang decline • Casual and careless leadership led to dynastic crisis • Rebellion of An Lushan in 755, weakened the dynasty • The Uighurs became de facto rulers • The equal-field system deteriorated • A large scale peasant rebellion led by Huang Chao lasted from 875 to 884 • Regional commanders gained power, beyond control of the emperor • The last Tang emperor abdicated his throne in 907

18. TANG CHINA

19. TANG ART

20. SONG DYNASTY (960-1279 C.E.) • Song Taizu • Reigned 960-976 C.E. • Founder of the Song dynasty • Song weaknesses • Song never had military, diplomatic strength of Sui, Tang • Financial problems • Enormous bureaucracy with high salary devoured surplus • Forced to pay large tribute to nomads to avoid war • Military problems • Civil bureaucrats in charge of military forces • Military was largely foot soldiers at war with cavalry nomads • External pressures • Semi-nomadic Khitan, nomadic Jurchen attacked in north • Constant drain on treasury to pay tribute to nomads • The Song moved to the south, ruled south China until 1279 • Nomads invaded, overran northern Song lands • Song retreated to the South along Yangtze, moved capital • After defeat, constantly forced to pay tribute

21. THE SONG WORLDNORTHERN AND SOUTHERNDYNASTIES

22. THE SONG ARTISTIC WORLD

23. PATRIARCHAL SOCIETY • Developments reinforced patriarchal society • Chinese reaction to foreign ideas • Reaction to Buddhist’s gender equality • Neo-Confucianism emphasized patriarchy • Ancestor worship revived • Preserving of family • Family wealth became paramount • Results • Tightening of patriarchal structure • Reinforcing of male domination • Foot binding gained popularity during the Song • Emphasized dependence of women on men, home • Wealthy, aristocrats could afford practice, hire servants to do work • Feet of women broken, reformed around stilts • Women could not walk without pain but had to shuffle • Forced women to remain at home, dependent on others • Male sense of beauty at women’s expense • Poor, peasant women not subject to footbinding • Women had to work with men to support family • Men could not afford to have women at home, idle

24. TECHNOLOGY & INDUSTRY • Porcelain • High quality porcelain since the Tang, known as chinaware • Technology diffused to other societies, especially to Abbasid Arabia • Exported vast quantities to southeast Asia, India, Persia, and Africa • Metallurgy • Improvement: used coke instead of coal in furnaces to make iron, steel • Iron production increased tenfold between the early 9th and 12th century • Gunpowder • Discovered by Daoist alchemists during the Tang • Bamboo "fire lances," a kind of flame thrower, and primitive bombs • Gunpowder chemistry diffused throughout Eurasia • Printing • Became common during the Tang • From block-printing to movable type • Books became widespread • Naval technology • "South-pointing needle" - the magnetic compass • Double hulled junks with rudder, water-tight compartments

25. SONG LIFE

26. Yuan Dynasty • Khubilai Khan rules Yuan Dynasty in China • Chinggis Khan's grandson, consolidated Mongol rule in China • Conquest of southern China • Song Dynasty fell in 1276, Yuan Dynasty founded in 1279 • Unsuccessful conquests of Vietnam, Burma, Java, and Japan • Mongol rule in China • New hierarchy: Mongol and allies; northern Chinese; Southern Chinese • Central administration reserved for Mongols, allies • Brought foreign administrators into China and put them in charge • Dismissed Confucian scholars; dismantled civil service examination • Favored merchants, cities, peasants over Chinese elites • Mongol Social Policies • Would not allow Mongols to settle in China nor Chinese in Mongolia • Outlawed intermarriage between Mongols and Chinese • Promoted Buddhism, supported Daoists, Muslims, and Christians • Forbade Chinese from learning the Mongol language • Mongol ruling elite adopted Lamaist Buddhism of Tibet • Mongol women refused to adopt Chinese customs, retained influential status • Mongol armies may also have transmitted the plague infection

27. Dynasties from 1750 thru 1900’s

28. THE MING DYANSTY • Ming government (1368-1644) • Drove the Mongols out of China • Constantly faced threats of new nomad invasions • Rebuilt Great Wall to prevent northern invasions • Centralized government control • Restored Chinese cultural traditions • Restored Confucian bureaucracy, civil service examinations • Eunuchs given impressive role in Forbidden City as bureaucrats • Ming attempted to recreate the past, not improve upon it • Moved capital to Beijing • Built Forbidden City for emperor, bureaucrats • City was closer to danger of north • Extended Grand Canal to the north to bring food to city • Ming decline • Centralized government ran poorly under weak emperors • Weak emperors isolated by eunuchs, advisors • Public works fell into disrepair • Coastal cities, trade disrupted by pirates, 1520 – 1560 • Government corruption and inefficiency • Caused by powerful eunuchs • Overshadowed by inability of bureaucrats to reform, innovate • Famines and peasant rebellions: 1630s and 1640s • Rebellion by army units opens door to nomadic invasion • Nomadic Manchu invaders led to final Ming collapse, 1644

29. THE QING DYANSTY • Manchus (1644-1911) • Nomadic invaders • Originated in Manchuria • Last of the steppe invaders, dynasties • Overwhelmed Chinese forces • Proclaimed Qing dynasty • Originally pastoral nomads • Military force called banner armies • Captured Mongolia first, then China • Remained an isolated ethnic elite • Forbade intermarriage with Chinese • Forbade Chinese immigration to Manchuria, Mongolia • Permitted Confucian scholars to run government • Maintained Confucian system • Emperor Kangxi (1661-1722) • Confucian scholar; effective, enlightened ruler • Conquered Taiwan • Extended control to Central Asia, Tibet, Sinkjiang • Emperor Qianlong (1736-1795) • A sophisticated and learned ruler, poet, and artist • Vietnam, Burma, Nepal made vassal states of China • China was peaceful, prosperous, and powerful

30. THE PATRIARCHAL SYSTEM • Ming restored social system; Qing maintained traditions • Basic unit of Chinese society • Remained the family • Highest value, filial piety • Family mirrored state-individual relations • Confucian duties of loyalty, reciprocity • Children to parents • Subjects to the emperor • Wife to husband (women to men) • Younger to elder • Important functions of clan, extended families • Justice, government administered through extended families • Reward, punishment effected all • Gender relations • Strict patriarchal control over all females • Parents preferred boys over girls • Marriage was to continue male line • Female infanticide; widows encouraged to commit suicide • Footbinding of young girls increased • Lowest status person in family was a young bride

31. TRADITION & NEW CULTURAL INFLUENCES • Neo-Confucianism • Confucianism • Education, traditions supported by Min and Qing emperors • Hanlin Academy in Beijing, provincial schools • Prepared students for civil service exams • Blended with Buddhism, Daoism to produce a Chinese synthesis • Christianity comes to China • Nestorian Christians not unknown in China, but had little influence • Portuguese brought Catholicism to China, courts • Matteo Ricci (1552-1610), an Italian Jesuit in the Ming court • A learned man who mastered written and oral Chinese • Impressed Chinese with European science and mathematics • Popular mechanical devices: glass prisms, harpsichords, clocks • Confucianism and Christianity • Jesuits respectful of Chinese tradition, but won few converts • Chinese had problems with exclusivity of Christianity • Franciscan, Dominican missionaries criticized Jesuits' tolerance • When pope upheld critics, Emperor Kangxi denounced Christianity • Jesuits • An important bridge between Chinese and western cultures • Introducing each to the achievements of the other