Dynastic China

1
Dynastic China

• From Xia to Ming

2
Chinese Historiography

• Sima Qian, ca. 145-90 bce
• Historian of the Han dynasty
• Records of the Grand Historian
• 2000 years of Chinese history
• Legendary sage-kings to Emperor Wudi (Han)

3
Ancient Rulers of Legend

• Three Sovereigns and Five Kings
• Sovereigns Mythical god-kings
• Heavenly Sovereign
• Earthy Sovereign
• Human Sovereign
• Sage-kings Morally wise emperors
• 5th king Shun passed power to Yu the Great

4
Xia Dynasty, 2070-1600 bce

• Yu the Great
• Passed power to son Qi
• Established hereditary succession, dynastic rule
• Broke tradition of selecting a wise civil servant
• Final Xia king overthrown by Shang family

5
Shang dynasty, 1600-1046 bce

• History from inscriptions
• Bronze artifacts
• From the Yellow River (Huang-He) Valley
• Oracle bones
• Turtle shells and bones reveal early Chinese
  characters
• Shang priests read cracks to explain the will of
  gods

6
Zhou dynasty, 1122-256 bce

• Mandate of Heaven
• Gods support dynasty if rule is just and orderly
• Zhou claimed Shang had lost the mandate
• De-centralized rule
• Zhou rulers gave some power to city-states
• Culture
• Birth of philosophers Confucius, Laozi, Hanfeizi
• Metalworking Bronze and iron

7
Qin dynasty, 221-206 bce

• Follows the Era of Warring States
• Conquest of dynastic states
• Qin First Empire of China
• Shi Huangdi First Emperor
• Harsh legalist emperor
• Centralized rule
• Great Wall of China
• Tomb with Terracotta Army

8
Han dynasty, 206 bce - 220 ce

• Liu Bang established Han dynasty
• Less centralized rule reaction to harsh Qin
• Emperor Wudi
• Confucian advisors
• Tributary states (Korea, Vietnam) accept Han rule
  
• Silk Road moved Chinese goods
• Silk, porcelain, paper

9
Sui dynasty, 581-619 ce

• Reunified China after 300 years of turmoil
• Emperor Yang Di
• Oversaw Grand Canal project
• Connects Yellow (Huang-He) and Yangtze Rivers
• Symbolic unification of Chinese mainland

10
Tang dynasty, 618-907 ceSong dynasty, 980-1279 ce

• Another golden age?
• Return of the Confucian values of the Han
• Explosion of culture

11
Yuan dynasty, 1271-1368 ce

• Mongol Empire
• Established by Kublai Khan
• Government jobs reserved for Mongols
• Pax Mongolica Peace and prosperity

12
Ming dynasty, 1368-1644 ce

• Peasant revolution vs. Mongol rule
• Lead by Zhu Yuanzhang
• Founded Ming dynasty
• Establishment of naval armada
• Voyages of Zheng He make China superpower
• Sudden recall of fleet, ships burned
• Confucian advisors Pursue religion, not wealth