Chapter 4: Ancient Chinese Civilization

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Chapter 4 Ancient Chinese Civilization

• Section 3The Zhou, Qin, and Han Dynasties
• The Zhou conquest of China in about 1050 B.C.
  marked the beginning of a dynamic era in Chinese
  history. Under the rule of three successive
  dynastiesthe Zhou, the Qin (Chin), and the
  HanChina gradually became a large and powerful
  state. The longest-lasting of the three dynasties
  was the Zhou, which ruled China from about 1050
  B.C. until about 256 B.C.

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I. The Zhou Dynasty

• The Zhou dynasty conquered the Shang Dynasty
  about 1050 B.C. and ruled by the Mandate of
  Heaven

Zhou (Chou) Dynasty
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I. The Zhou Dynasty

• Without a centralized government, local leaders
  fought among themselves and invasions were
  frequent

A map of Zhou dynasty China during the Spring and
Autumn Period, showing the royal domain and ten
major fiefs
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I. The Zhou Dynasty

• After centuries of battles between the Warring
  States, the Qin conquered China in 221 B.C.

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II. The Qin (Chin) Dynasty

• Cheng, founder of the Qin dynasty, took the title
  first emperor and established an autocracy

Shih Huang Ti First Emperor
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II. The Qin Dynasty

• The Qin dynasty only lasted 15 years but
  profoundly changed China - China comes from Qin

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II. The Qin Dynasty

• They built 1,500 miles of walls to defend their
  borders - the beginning of the Great Wall of
  China

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II. The Qin Dynasty

• In 206 B.C. Liu Bang overthrew the emperor and
  founded the Han dynasty

Liu Bang, Founder of Han Dynasty
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III. The Han Dynasty

• The Han held power for 400 years and extended
  into Manchuria, Korea, SE and Central Asia

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A. The Civil Service System

• The Han established a civil service system to run
  the day-to-day business of government

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B. Other Accomplishments

• The emperor Liu Che (Wu Ti) invented leveling
  - price controls to balance the effects of farm
  surpluses or shortages

Depiction of Emperor Han Wudi worshipping statues
of the Buddha
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B. Other Accomplishments

• Liu Che established military colonies to expand
  control over warring tribes and keep the peace

Wu-ti was one of the greatest Han dynasty
emperors (his name means 'martial emperor')
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B. Other Accomplishments

• Trade prospered from China to the Mediterranean
  Sea along the Silk Road

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B. Other Accomplishments

• Paper, a Chinese invention, spread to the Western
  world

Around A.D. 105 a Chinese court official named
Ts'ai Lun observed paper wasps making a nest.
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Section 4 - Philosophies of Ancient China

• The Story Continues An ancient Chinese
  philosopher once wrote, To understand others is
  to be wise, but to understand ones self is to be
  illuminated enlightened. One who overcomes
  others is strong, but he who overcomes himself is
  mighty. Throughout early Chinese history many
  philosophers struggled to understand themselves
  and the world around them.

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I. Ancient Chinese Beliefs

• According to ancient Chinese beliefs, the world
  is a balance between two forces
• Yin is female, dark, and passive
  Yang is male, bright, and active

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I. Ancient Chinese Beliefs

• Yin and yang are not in conflict instead, they
  depend on each other to maintain a balance

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II. Confucius and Laozi

• Confucius influenced China more than any other
  philosopher. His ideas and teachings were
  collected in a work called the Analects

Confucius 551 B.C. - 479 B.C.
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A. Confucianism

• Confucius taught the importance of family,
  respect for ones elders, and reverence for the
  past and ones ancestors

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A. Confucianism

• Confucius believed that people should accept
  their roles and duties in society and leaders
  should be concerned for the peoples welfare

"If you govern your province well and treat your
people kindly, you kingdom shall not lose any
war. If you govern selfishly to your people, you
kingdom will not only lose a war, but your people
will break away from your kingdom."
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B. Daoism (or Taoism)

• Laozi (Lao Tze, Lao Tsu, Lao Tzu, Laotze, etc.)
  founded Daoism, a belief that Dao, or the Way,
  is a force governing all of creation

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B. Daoism (or Taoism)

• He taught that people should withdraw from the
  world and come into harmony with the Dao by being
  humble, quiet, and thoughtful

Laozi statue in Quanzhou
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III. Legalism and Buddhism

• The philosophy called Legalism concerned itself
  with politics

Hsün Tzu believed that all human beings were born
fundamentally depraved, selfish, greedy, and
lustful. However, he also believed that humans
could be made good through acculturation and
education. Han Fei Tzu, began from the same
starting point, but determined that humans are
made good by state laws. The only way to check
human selfishness and depravity was to establish
laws that bountifully rewarded actions that
benefit others and the state and ruthlessly
punish all actions that harmed others or the
state. Ideally, if the laws are written well
enough and enforced aggressively, there is no
need of individual leadership, for the laws alone
are sufficient to govern a state.
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III. Legalism and Buddhism

• Legalists believed in power and harsh laws, that
  people were selfish by nature, and that
  punishment was necessary

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III. Legalism and Buddhism

• Buddhism was brought to China by missionaries at
  the end of the Han dynasty

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III. Legalism and Buddhism

• Buddhism emphasized charity and compassion,
  ideals lacking in other philosophies

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IV. Lasting effects

• Confucianism and Legalism provided strong
  foundations for government

Fa jia fa law jia school (of thinking)
Confucianism
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IV. Lasting effects

• Buddhism, Confucianism, and Daoism provided
  guides to right living

Buddhism
Taoism