Daniella, Jessica, Maggie, Matthew, and Valerie

Elfassy, Elfassy, Period 1Period 1

All civilizations from 8000 B.C.E. to around 3000 B.C.E. experienced the Neolithic revolution. This was a major change because the former foraging (hunter gathering) societies were allowed to settle. This affected the region greatly because the movement of water, clearing of land, and specialized workers and a steady food supply were now present.

Shang China – Rose in the Yellow River Valley. Controlled the river basin from 1600 to 1100 B.C.E. and during this time period developed a trade based society with a strong military. Decimal system, accurate calendar, bronze specialists, and the wheel were all factors contributing to their advanced technology and idea of ethnocentrism. Patriarchal Society with polytheistic religion.

Zhou Dynasty – 1100 B.C.E. to 256 B.C.E. – Cultural traditions remained the same. Feudal system established. Mandate of Heaven was a strong belief. Eventually, the feudal system split into different bureaucratic kingdoms. Fighting and warfare brought an end to the Zhou Dynasty.

Qin Dynasty – 221 to 209 B.C.E. –Great Wall of China built. Highly centralized and organized. Reunified China. A pattern of change is seen between the stability of the unification of the region.

Han China – 200 B.C.E. to 220 C.E. – Civil Service System based on the teaching of Confucius. Culture spread along trade routes as well as goods. Better interactions with the outside world. Buddhism takes a foothold in China through trade routes. Continuation of technological advancements.

Fall of Han China – Wang Mang undermined Han China and established the Xin Dynasty until 23 C.E. when the Han Dynasty was restored. During the Xin Dynasty, famines, taxes, failed reformations of land ownership, and increased prices angered the people, causing war. Wang Mang died in battle. When the Han Dynasty was restored, recovery was impossible and it did not last. China remained divided into kingdoms (Change pattern continues).

Zhou Dynasty (1027 B.C.E. – 221 B.C.E)

◦ Longest lasting dynasty-lasted around 800 years. 

◦ Founded when King Wu rebelled against the Shang Dynasty and overthrew it completely in 1027 B.C.E. 

◦ Continued the knowledge of the Shang Dynasty, and added some of its own. Change/contin.) 

◦ In around 600 B.C.E., the Chinese started making iron tools and weapons. 

◦ Coin money began to be used, and the silk trade began. 

◦ Social classes and politics became more sophisticated and new ideas came out.

◦ Mandate of Heaven - said that as long as a leader governed fairly and wisely, he could claim a divine

right to rule. 

◦ Important philosophical and religious beliefs also emerged at this time - Confucianism, Daoism and

Buddhism. 

◦ Many small walls were built at this time. These small walls would soon transform into the Great Wall of

China. 

◦ The period of internal disorder and many civil wars around the end of the dynasty was called the Warring

States Period (480 B.C.E. – 221 B.C.E.). 

◦ The Zhou Dynasty was in serious decline from 800 B.C.E. until 221 B.C.E, when it finally fell. 

Very influential through much of East/SE Asia; 3 powerful Chinese dynasties: ◦ Tang ( 618-907 CE)

Emperor Xuanzong expanded territory into parts of Manchuria, Mongolia, Tiber, and Korea.

Too much taken over; local warlords gained more power Tang collapsed!

Poetry; daily-life◦ Song (960-1279 CE)

In 1960, after brief time of restlessness, Song takes over (Emperor Taizu)

Song fell to Jurchens & Mongols; 1279, Yuan Dynasty Mongols; driven out of China Song built on Tang’s use of poetry with more practical

applications of words books, printing process (facilitated spread of China’s literary accomplishments in Asia) later influenced Korea/Japan

◦ Ming (1368-1644 CE) 1368 – the Ming Dynasty restored traditional Chinese rule to

the empire

Tang/Song Dynasties China= relatively stable because of bureaucratic system◦ Civil service examinations / Confucian principles

Created a large core of educated, talented, and loyal government workers Built extensive transportation/ communication network(s) and canals Developed new business practices

◦ Paper money and letters of credit; led to increased trade and cultural diffusion Power of dynasties based on trade/expansion

◦ Developed base to pursue economic/political strategy! Tang power; based on military/Silk Roads

◦ Tang tribute system Vietnam, Korea, Tibet, and various central Asian tribes acknowledged supremacy of China Diffusion; religion was brought into China

Song◦ Capital at Hangzhou; development of an industrial society (previous dynasties)

Moveable type; increase in literacy and bureaucrats among the lower class Printed books; spread agricultural and technological knowledge increase in productivity and

population growth Powerful navy/international trade Chinese junks and fast-ripening rice Urban centers expanded rapidly

Religion in China; Diversity◦ Influences of: Nestorians, Manicheans, Zoroastrians, and Islam. BUDHISM!

2 of its forms; Mahayana and Chan Confucianism/ Daoism- no support! New-Confucionism

The Ming Dynasty (1368 C.E. – 1644 C.E.)

◦ Dynasty that took China back from Mongol rule.

◦ Recentralized China and repaired the country from the large amount of damage done by the wars in the 1300s. 

◦ During the Ming Dynasty, art, religion, architecture, literature and culture greatly thrived and even spread to Korea,

Vietnam and Japan. 

◦ The economy prospered, and novels, exquisite glassware, ceramics, porcelain and scroll painting became popular. 

◦ Between the 1400s and 1700s, China was a dominant power in East Asia, along with Japan. 

◦ During this period, the first Europeans explorers began to arrive in China. 

◦ Portuguese (then Spanish and Dutch) traders arrived in China and established trading relations with the Ming

Chinese. 

◦ Establishment of: trading houses and embassies in China, along with sending many Catholic missionaries (Jesuits)

there.

◦ China did not embrace or accept Christianity at all. 

◦ During the 1600s, the Ming Dynasty declined rapidly due to weak rulers who allowed the dynasty to decentralize. 

◦ The Portuguese and Spanish began to trade silver from North and South America which caused inflation due to the

value of this precious metal. This caused economic breakdown. 

◦ Harvests of agriculture became less and less possibly due to the soil or climate. 

◦ Serious threats began to come from nomads and other people from Central Asia, Mongolia and Manchuria. China tried

to defend its boarders, hurting its economy even more.

◦ In 1636 C.E. to 1644 C.E., there was a massive peasant revolt ; revolution and war finally pushed the Ming dynasty to

fall. 

Revolution and war push Ming dynasty to fall.  1644 C.E - Manchus invade from North - take Beijing& establish new dynasty - Qing Dynasty –

lasts 1644 C.E.- 1912 C.E. - last dynasty of China –skilled warlords – included Manchuria Northern China, southern China& the island of Formosa (now Taiwan). 

Created ethnically based social structure- forced the Chinese to wear certain clothing -wear their hair in long braids (queues) - males had to shave their foreheads. 

Added Mongolia, Tibet, Burma, Vietnam& most of Central Asia to tributary system. Qing tries to expand north - run into Russia (who had been expanding Siberia 1600s -1700s) negotiate to find a boundry ◦ 1690s - Trade with the Europeans - foreign trade closely regulated by state. ◦ 1750s -Trade was only allowed to take place in port of Canton. 

Most precious trading items - silk, porcelain and tea. ◦ Exported a a lot - imported much less - Trade Protection - gave China favorable balance of trade. ◦ Limited foreign interactions with “ordinary” Chinese - wanted to keep this balance of trade -

1724 - Qing banned Christianity  1600s and 1700s - strong rulers. 

◦ Kangxi (1662 – 1722); skilled general, just lawgiver, sponsor of culture and learning, appreciated west’s growing technology. 

◦ Qianlong (1735 – 1796). Intelligent, dynamic ruler - promoted learning and art, helped economy grow - strengthened borders. 

Population surpassed 300 million by 1799 and grew much faster than economy.  National wealth not sufficient to support population/ Poverty worsened for everyone but upper

class.  Qing began falls behind in technology, science and power. 

◦ Become vulnerable to European and American influence and domination.

Qing dynasty Last Manchu emperor Spears of Influence. (Many other nations took a part of China) 1850's Nationalism provoked by Sun Yatsin. (started 1911)  Nationalism :

◦ The 1911 revolution was a powerful upsurge of anti-Manchu nationalism and the CCP-associated conception of it as a bourgeois revolution that failed. The nationalism that emerged around 1900,  was more anti-imperialist than anti-Manchu, and the social change that culminated in revolution was supported not only or even particularly significantly by the bourgeoisie but by members of all the established classes as well as a number of social groups (youth, women, the new military, overseas Chinese, the working class) that gained new prominence at this time. Women and educated youth retained their prominence. The failure of leadership in 1911 impressed the need for strong leaders upon later generations of revolutionaries. And, in common with Levenson, Schwartz, Schram, Meisner, Lifton, and Hinton, the Chinese revolution a confidence in the power of the human will to transcend and transform social experience.

Communism:◦ Kuomintang principles were based on a society for national freedom, a Democratic government; and the

people's livelihood. Ideologies from Karl Marx, the ideology of a classless society where property were owned by the state and not privately. These ideological influences went beyond Europe and reached China. In particular, a librarian at the Beijing University named Mao Zedong started a society in 1918 to study on Marx's ideologies. The ideas gradually, but rapidly, gained popularity as many came to attend the meetings of the society. In 1921, the society members eventually founded the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

WWI – Japan uses China’s concessions. China rebels, starting nationalist movements. (May Fourth Movement)

1924 – Sun Yat-Sen dies and Chiang Kai Shek inherits the Republic of China, which is later turned into the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)

1949 – Modern China, ruled by Mao Zedong, arises along with change.

Economic, Political, and Social Change.

1960s – Cultural Revolution

Changes: Changes: o Women got more rights/

gender power altered (from Lotus feet to Wu Zhao)

o Change of rule/ emperor communism

o Isolated until the Silk Roads

o Trade with Japano Shifting of powers in later

times between China and Japan/e.t.c (WW1 and WW2)

o Confucianism until Mao Zedong

Continuities:Continuities:o Confucianism and

Buddhism always played a major role in society

o Bureaucracy; contributed to China’s stability through the different dynasties

o Education always valued; forefront for new products and technologies

o Overpopulation always a problem

The Chinese Dynasty Continuity:

•Mandate of

Heaven

•CHANGE: Different types

of rebellions/movements:

lower class, communism,

nationalism…