Chinese Dynasties

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Chinese Dynasties
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http//www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/prehistory/china/timel
ine.html
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Shang (1700-1027 BCE)

• Bronze weapons
• Bronze fittings for chariots and harnesses
• Used earthenware for vessels (metals were scarce
  in China)
• Did not use ploughs, used hoes
• Had tools of wood and stone
• Descent was from older brother
• to younger brother

Shang religious pitcher 1300 BCE
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ORACLE BONES

• Oracle bones-made of turtle shells (question
  asked, it was fired. Crack it produced answered
  the question)
• Writing was pictographic and then became
  ideographic
• By 1200 BCE the Shang had a sophisticated system
  of writing

http//www.logoi.com/notes/chinese_origins.html
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Shang religious practices

• Worshipped Shang Ti supreme god that ruled over
  lesser gods
• Human Sacrifice-When a king died hundreds of
  slaves and prisoners were killed. Sometimes they
  were beheaded first, sometimes thrown in alive
• For an event (I.e. the founding of a temple)
  there would be human sacrifice but with fewer
  victims

Chinatravel1.com
Mnsu.edu
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Zhou Dynasty (1027-221 B.C.E.)
http//www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/prehistory/china/ancie
nt_china/zhou.html
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Mandate of Heaven

• The Zhou told the people that the gods became
  angry at the Shang and had now chosen the Zhou to
  rule

Brief Review in Global History and Geography
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http//www.mcps.k12.md.us/departments/isa/ninvest/
ming/dynasticcycle.htm
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Zhou Achievements

• Made the first books
• Astronomers studied planet movements and
  eclipses, developing an accurate calendar
• Learned how to make silk from the cocoons of
  silkworms
• Silk became a valuable Chinese export

A Brief Review in Global History and Geography
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Similarities between the Shang and Zhou

• Zhou vessels were nearly identical with Shang
• Zhou adopted Shang writing system, administrative
  techniques, and rituals
• Incorporated some Shang gods as lesser gods

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Differences

• Zhou began a feudal system of land ownership-land
  was given to vassals of the king in elaborate
  ceremonies
• The Zhou banned human sacrifice
• Descent passed from father to son (patriarchal)
• The capital was divided in two so the Zhou would
  not have to live directly with the conquered Shang

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Era of Warring States 475-221 B.C.E.

• Emergence of philosophies
• Confucianism
• Daoism
• Legalism

http//www2.sjsu.edu/faculty/watkins/warringstates
.htm
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Philosophies

• Confucianism- Confucius (551-479 B.C.)
• Legalism- Han Fei Zi (d. 233 B.C) and Li Si (d.
  208 B.C.)
• Daoism- Laozi (604-531 BCE)

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Confucius saw five major human relationships that
should be governed by li, or propriety. Those
relationships are 1.      Ruler and
subject 2.      Father and son 3.      Husband
and wife 4.      Oldest son and younger
brothers 5.      Elders and juniors (friends)
www.faithresource.com
Image-google
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Legalism

• Involved strict punishments for people who
  disobeyed laws, regardless of social standing
• Laws had to be obeyed by everyone- administrators
  carried them out (but they were not above the
  law)

Wsu.edu
The law does not fawn on the noble....Whatever
the law applies to, the wise cannot reject nor
can the brave defy. Punishment for fault never
skips ministers, reward for good never misses
commoners. -Han Fei. A Legalist
WriterSelections from The Writings of Han Fei
(c. 230 BCE)
http//academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/core9/phalsall/t
exts/hanfei.html
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Daoism

• "The most traditional view is that 'yin'
  represents aspects of the feminine being soft,
  cool, calm, introspective, and healing... and
  "yang" the masculine being hard, hot, energetic,
  moving, and sometimes aggressive. Another view
  has the 'yin' representing night and 'yang' day.
• Source "Where does the Yin Yang Symbol come
  from?"

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Qin 221-207 B.C.
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Shi Huangdi

• Abolished old feudal states and divided country
  into military districts, each ruled by an
  appointed official
• Standardized weights and measures
• Created national coins
• Repaired canals and roads
• Standardized language and writing of China
• Great Wall of China (about 214 B.C.E-204 B.C.E.)
• Legalism

Chinatravelguide.com
Google images
A brief Review in Global History and Geography
Mnsu.edu
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Army of Clay Soldiers from the Tomb of Shi Huangdi
http//instructional1.calstatela.edu/bevans/Art101
/Art101B-10-China/WebPage-Full.00012.html
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Han Dynasty(206 B.C.E.- 220 A.D.)
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Han Rulers

• Liu Bang took control of China in 210 B.C.E.
  after the death of Shi Huangdi.He reduced taxes
  and eased the policies of the Qin dynasty.
• Wudi became emperor in 141 B.C.E. He established
  the civil service system and administered civil
  service exams (based on Confucian philosophy).
• Wang Mang (r. 8 C.E.- 23 C.E.) confiscated land
  from the rich to give it to the peasants and was
  executed by the Red Eyebrows, a secret society.

Wsu.edu
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Women in the Han Dynasty

• Some religious recluses (like nuns) received an
  education and so did some noblewomen
• Confucian philosophy held that men are superior
  to women
• Women could not take civil service exams and were
  thus excluded from government

Brief Review in Global History and Geography
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Han Achievements

• Chinese learned to make paper out of wood pulp
• Invented wheelbarrow, the fishing reel, and the
  rudder (steers ships)
• Developed acupuncture, discovered herbal
  remedies, and anesthesia. Scholars wrote texts on
  chemistry, zoology, and botany.
• Artists created carvings of jade and ivory. Some
  worked in bronze, ceramics, and silk

Brief Review in Global History and Geography
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The Three Kingdoms (220-265 A.D.)

• Period of disunity and civil war
• Even though it had been there since the First
  century C.E., Buddhism spread throughout China
• Tea discovered (became popular later)
• Porcelain developed

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Chin Dynasty (265-420 C.E.)

• Disorder
• Power Struggles
• Defeated by Huns
• Defeated Chin fled to Nanking (317 C.E.) where
  they ruled as Eastern Chin.

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Northern and Southern Dynasties420-588 A.D

• Period of disunity
• Buddhism flourished in the North
• Idea of an afterlife appealed to the peasantry
  (as well as reincarnation)
• Non-Chinese rulers were not committed to
  Confucianism or Chinese shamanistic religions
• Confucianism moved South

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The Sui Dynasty 580-618 A.D.

• Expanded empire
• Built granaries
• Fortified Great Wall of China near the northern
  border
• Confucianism began to regain popularity as the
  nobles gained importance
• Unsuccessfully tried to attack Korea four times
• This defeat led the Eastern Turks to attack China
  and China was split into smaller states

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T'ang 618-907 A.D.
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Tang Achievements

• Forced Vietnam, Korea, and Tibet to become
  tributary states (Sinification)
• Japan sent missions to China to study Chinese
  culture
• Revived civil service system and exam
• Redistributed land to peasants
• Built canals
• Poetry (I.e. Li Po)

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Tributary States Sinification

• Korea, Vietnam, Japan, and Tibet had to pay
  tribute to the Tang regularly in order to avoid
  punishment.
• Japan (Heian Period 700s-1100s) Kyoto (the
  capital) is almost an exact copy of the
  architecture of Tang Chinas capital, Changan
  (Xian)
• Japan develops Japanese Samurai culture with
  the decline of Sinification during Chinas Song
  Dynasty
• These states did, however, benefit from the
  Tangs intellectual and material culture (i.e.
  Neo-confucianism).
• Delegations from the outside (i.e. Japan and
  Siam) had to perform the kowtow, a bow (the head
  touches the ground several times)-in the royal
  presence. This reinforced ethnocentrism in China.

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THE SOCIAL SYSTEM OF THE TANG DYASTY
SOCIAL ANDGENDERROLES
Gentry
Peasants (produced)
Merchants (made off of others)
Many women held great authority. There were women
who managed the family finances, Imposed
discipline, and supervised servants. Still, boys
were still superior and more valued Than girls.
When a girl married she was required to become
part of her husbands family And could never
remarry.
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Song Dynasty 960-1279 C.E.

• Used 4-deck ships that could carry 500 men
• Performed the first autopsy on a Southern Chinese
  captive in 1145 C.E.
• Administered civil service exam
• Zhu Xi developed (enhances) Neo-Confucianism
• Song were not a strong military power,
  Confucianism did not hold military in high regard

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Yuan Dynasty 1279-1368 C.E.

• Mongols banned Chinese from government positions
• Chinese were far better educated than Mongols
• Mongols treated foreigners better than native
  Chinese
• Marco Polo served as Kublai Khans envoy
• As the Chinese became poorer and nobles revolted,
  the Mongols had less interest in holding onto
  China

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Ming Dynasty 1368-1644 C.E.

• Improved peasant life
• Kept taxes low
• Encyclopedias were written about geography,
  medicine, and music
• Dictionaries were written, the Chinese language
  was simplified
• 1405-1433 C.E. Zheng He explored as far as East
  Africa. After his last voyage his records were
  destroyed and ships were restricted to smaller
  sizes.

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Zheng He
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Qing Dynasty 1644-1911 C.E.

• Manchu were foreign rulers of China (from
  Manchuria-now northeastern China)
• Required Manchu style of dress-and men had to
  shave their heads
• Outlawed footbinding
• Forbade intermarriage between Manchus and Chinese
• Opium Wars-Hong Kong was ceded to Great Britain
  (1842)
• Spheres of Influence established by Europeans
• Emperors became younger and had to rely on
  advisors
• Empress Tzu Hsi was opposed to modernization
  reforms. Her two year old was placed on throne
  (1909-1911)
• Revolutionaries took control of China and the
  republic of China arose.

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