ANCIENT AND CLASSICAL CHINA

1. ANCIENT AND CLASSICAL CHINA

2. ANCIENT LEGENDS: THE THREE WISE SAGE KINGS • King Yao: a virtuous ruler bringing harmony to society • King Shun: regulating the four seasons, weights, measures, and units of time • King Yu: rescued China from raging floods of the Yellow River Legends reflected the values of society; many may prove true!

3. APPEARANCE OF HUMANS IN EAST ASIA • Beginnings were over two hundred thousand years ago • Domesticated rice around 7000 B.C.E. in the valley of the Yangzi River • Millet cultivation in the valley of the Yellow River • Wheat and barley became staple foods of north China by 2000 B.C.E.

4. EMERGENCE OF CHINESE SOCIETY 2ND MILLENNIUM BCE • Agricultural villages appeared in the valleys of the two rivers • Society was patriarchal • Fathers dominated families • Elder males ruled village • Males performed religious sacrifices • Cities, states appeared in north China during 2nd millennium B.C.E. • Three dynastic states in the valley of Yellow River: Xia, Shang, Zhou

5. EARLY AGRARIAN SOCIETY • The Yellow River • Water source at high plateau of Tibet • Loess soil carried by the river's water, hence "yellow" • The river was "China's Sorrow" as it flooded uncontrollably • Loess: rich soil, soft, easy to work • Neolithic societies after 5000 B.C.E. • Yangshao society, 5000-3000 B.C.E. • Excavations at Banpo village: fine pottery, bone tools

6. ANCIENT CHINA

7. 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

8. THE SHANG DYNASTY: 1766-1122 B.C.E. • Streched from the north and southern region from the Huang He River valley • Lasted 700 years • 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

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

10. 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

11. FAMILY • Xia to Zhou ruled through family, kinship • Veneration of ancestors • Belief in ancestors' presence, continuing influence • Burial of material goods with the dead • Offering sacrifices at the graves • Eldest males presided over rites honoring ancestors • Only males could perform religious duties • 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

12. THE SOCIAL ORDER • The ruling elites • Royal family and allied noble families at the top • Their lavish consumption of bronze products, silk • Hereditary aristocrats with extensive landholding • Most of the land owned by the king, nobles • Peasants, the majority of population • Called the “mean” people • Landless peasants provided labor • Lived in small subterranean houses • Wood, bone, stone tools before iron spread in the 6th century B.C.E. • Women’s World • Wine making, weaving, silkworm raising • Managing household, raising children • Elite women vs. poor women

13. OTHERS • Specialized labor • Free artisans, craftsmen in great demand • Also served the needs of the ruling elites • Merchants, trade were important • Jade from Central Asia, tin from SE Asia • A few pieces of pottery from India • Merchants ranked socially lower • Slaves • Mostly war prisoners • Performed hard work • Became sacrificial victims • Suspicious towards Foreigners

14. CHINESE POPULAR RELIGION • Organized religion did not play a major role in early china • Emphasis on the “Will of Heaven” • Did Not recognize Deities who controlled human affairs • Did Not support a priestly class • The Connection between family members on earth and deceased ancestors were an important element of “Heaven”

15. Chinese Religion • Rulers/family Patriarchs • Consulted ancestors for guidance • Use of Oracle bones • Inscribed with a question • When Heated the bones would crack • Shamans would interpret communication through the patterns formed on the oracle bones.

16. THE FALL OF THE ZHOU • Iron metallurgy . • 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.

17. THOUGHT, LITERATURE • Zhou literature • The Book of Change, a manual of diviners • The Book of History, the history of the Zhou • The Book of Rites • The rules of etiquette and rituals for aristocrats • The Book of Songs • The most notable of the classic works • Verses on themes both light and serious • Reflected social conditions of the early Zhou • Destruction of early literature • Most Zhou writings have perished • 1st emperor destroyed most writings

18. CONFUCIUS’ SEARCH FOR ORDER • Confucius (551-479 B.C.E.) • A strong-willed man, from an aristocratic family • Traveled ten years searching for an official post • Educator with numerous disciples • 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" • Edited Zhou classics for his disciples to study • The key Confucian concepts • Ren - a sense of humanity • Li - a sense of propriety • Xiao - filial piety • 5 Relationships and filial piety as basis of society

19. LEGALISM • Legalism • The doctrine of statecraft • 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 • Shang Yang (ca. 390-338 B.C.E.) • A chief minister of the Qin state • His policies summarized in The Book of Lord Shang • Was executed by his political enemies • Han Feizi (ca. 280-233 B.C.E.) • Student of Xunzi, became the most articulate Legalist • A synthesizer of Legalist ideas • Forced to suicide by his political enemies

20. LEGALISM IN PRACTICE • The state's strength • Agriculture • Military force • Discouraged commerce, education, and the arts • Harnessing self-interest of people for needs of state • Called “carrot and stick” approach in west • Called for harsh penalties even for minor infractions • Advocated collective responsibility before law • Not popular among the Chinese, • Chinese used legalism if state threatened • Legalism still doctrine common to China

21. MOHISM • Founder Mo Zi • Lived 470 – 391 BC • A commoner, worked with mean people • Served in military, ideas based on it • Beliefs • Partiality, competition causes problems • Advocates doctrine of universal love • Advocates cooperation • Stress discipline, order, authority • Loyalty to all elders, not family • Emphasized practical; hate waste, war • Favor math, science over arts, ritual

22. DAOISM • Prominent critics of Confucianism • Understand natural principles, live in harmony with them • Laozi and Zhuangzi • Laozi, founder of Daoism; wrote the Daodejing • Philosophical Daoism • Dao - The way of nature, the way of the cosmos • Opposites in balance, complementary • Passive, yielding, does nothing , accomplishes everything • Tailor behavior to passive, yielding nature • Ambition, activism brought the world to chaos

23. 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 • Generally Daoism flourishes when society at peace, prosperous

24. 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 • Held sons of nobles as hostages; demolished nobles castles • Project of connecting and extending the Great Wall • 700,000 people worked on project; 100,000 killed

25. 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

26. THE EARLY HAN DYNASTY • 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

27. 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

28. HAN SOCIAL STRUCTURE • Large, multigenerational compound families also developed • Women's subordination (Ban Zhao Admonitions for Women) • 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

29. 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. • Began to replace silk and bamboo as writing materials • Population growth • Increased from twenty to sixty million from 220 B.C.E. to 9 C.E. • Despite light taxation, state revenue was large • Silk Road established: horses for silk

30. HAN TROUBLES • Expeditions consumed the empire's surplus • Raised taxes and confiscated land of some wealthy individuals • 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 • Lands accumulated in the hands of a few

31. LOSS OF THE MANDATE • Collapse of the Han • Factions at court paralyzed the central government • Han empire dissolved • China was divided into regional kingdoms