Early Civilization in China

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Early Civilization in China
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China Geography

• Tian Shan Himalayan Mountains
• Brutal deserts
• Thick jungles
• Pacific Ocean

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What contact did China have with other
civilizations?

• Isolated
• No direct contact
• Pastoral Nomads on the steppes
• Unique culture developed

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What are the main regions of China?

• East coast valleys of Huang He (Yellow River)
  Yangzi Rivers
• Fertile
• water for irrigation transportation
• Outlying regions of Xinjuang, Mongolia
• harsh
• nomads subsistence farmers
• Trade raid

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What is the River of Sorrows?

• Huang He River
• Loess settles- raises water level causes flooding

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Huang He Yellow River
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Chinese Dynasties
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Xia Dynasty (c.2000 BCE)

• Centered on Huang He (River of Sorrows)
• First to irrigate
• First to cast bronze
• Used oracle bones to tell the future
• created wheeled vehicle
• Xia rule based on virtue merit not connections
• Valued education

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Shang Dynasty

• 1650 BCE, Shang people took control of north
  China along Huang He
• Dominated region until 1027 BCE
• Chinese civilization began

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Shang Religious Beliefs

• Polytheistic/animistic
• Shang Di
• King connected to Shang Di
• Prayed to ancestors for good fortune
• Sacrifices of food, etc.
• Yin Yang
• Yin linked to Earth Moon- darkness-female force
• Yang- Heaven- light- male forces
• Well-being of Universe depended on balance

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Shang Religion Rituals

• Cult of Shang Di
• Nature deities human spirits controlled nature
• Human worship, human animal sacrifice, proper
  rituals, magical exercises
• When king died, servants, slaves etc. sacrificed
• Deities gave favors children, relief from
  natural calamities, good harvests
• Divination, ritual dance, fertility rites
• Shamans/priests
• No concern for ethical conduct

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Ancestor worship

• Human souls departed their bodies at death for a
  netherworld
• Reside for six generations then absorbed by
  nature
• In netherworld they had power of fertility and
  healing
• Intermediaries between gods of nature families

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Shang tools weapons
Battle axe
dagger
Deer antler hoe
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Bronze Ritual Vessels
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Oracle Bones Chinese Writing

• Bones, turtle shells addressed questions to the
  gods/spirits
• Official writing dates back 4,000 years
• Tens of thousands of characters representing
  words and ideas
• Calligraphy is an art form
• Helped to unify the country

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Oracle Bone Script
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Oracle Bones
Solar eclipse
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Social Classes (Society)

• King royal family
• Warriors
• Artisans
• Merchants
• Peasants

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Shang Art

• Designed for military and religious needs
• advanced technique for casting bronze weapons and
  stylized vessels

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Shang Government (Politics)

• Large palaces/rich tombs
• Military Kings
• Powerful-owned small amount of land
• Large public works projects
• Women could lead
• Nobles/princes were heads of clans or family
  groups-controlled most of the land
• Similar to Sumerian city-states

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Economy

• peasants preformed all economic functions of
  society
• farmed crops
• Many farmers also knew how to cultivate the
  silkworm-
• Artisans manufactured weapons, ritual vessels,
  jewelry etc.
• Cowrie shells used as currency

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Zhou Dynasty

• 1027 BCE 256 BCE
• Came from west- overthrew the Shang
• Mandate of Heaven
• Divine right to rule
• Used to justify the dynastic cycle
• Good government Heaven was happy
• Rulers weak/corrupt Heaven withdrew support
• Catastrophes were opportunities for new leadership

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Mandate of Heaven

• Right to rule is granted by Heaven
• There is only one Heaven therefore there can be
  only one ruler
• Right to rule is based on virtue of the ruler
• Right to rule is not limited to one dynasty

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Mandate of Heaven Principles into Action

• Gives ruler prestige religious importance
• Gives ruler supreme power
• Allows new ruler to gain power quickly if people
  believe he has 'Mandate of Heaven'
• Ruler's power must be kept in check by virtue
• Justifies rebellion as long as its successful

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Dynastic Cycle

• Expanded idea of Mandate of Heaven to explain the
  dynastic cycle, or the rise fall of dynasties.
• As long as dynasty provided good government, it
  enjoyed Mandate of Heaven

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How are Mandate of Heaven Dynastic Cycle
Related?
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A new dynasty comes to power.
The emperorimproves government.
Start here?
Emperor isdefeated !!
Peoples lives improvedtaxes reduced.
TheDynasticCycle
Rebels findstrong leader and Rebel against
Emperior.
Problems begin(extensive wars,invasions, etc.)
Poor loserespect for govt.They rebel.
Economic problems, high taxes
Govt. corruption.
Droughts,floods,famines occur.
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Zhou Feudal System

• Decentralized administration
• Used princes relatives to rule regions
• Weak central government rise of regional powers
• Local lords governed their own lands but owed
  military service support to ruler
• After about 771 BCE feudal lords had real power

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Economy

• Iron tools
• New crops-soybeans
• Irrigation techniques
• Money (copper coins) easier trade
• New roads, canals
• Population increased and prosperity increased

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Achievements

• Calendar-365 ½ days
• By 1000 BCE, silk thread sericulture
• Bronze metallurgy