The Rise of Civilization in China

Rivers: What does this remind you of?

The Shang: 1766 BCE—1122 BCE• First dynasty in China.• Built capital at present-day Anyang and controlled

the surrounding lands. Nobles helped rule the rest of the empire.– Mostly peasants

• Royal family→ Warriors→ Merchants→ Peasants• Idea of the family was at the center of society.• Valued bronze more than gold.

• Why might a civilization feel more strongly about bronze than gold?

Religion• Worshipped major gods who they believed

created the earth– What kind of religion is this?

• Polytheism

• Main god is Shang Di; the king was seen as the link to Shang Di.

• At first, it was thought that only the prayers of the nobles would be listened to.

• Also worshipped on a more personal level, to the spirits of their ancestors.– Why might they worship the spirits of their ancestors?

Achievements

• Learned the skill of making silk around 2640 BCE; made silk thread from the cocoons of silkworms.

• Famous for their ability to cast bronze.• Studied the planets, eclipses of the sun, and

developed a 365.25 day calendar.

• What do you think was so important about their ability to make silk?

Fall of the Shang

• Toward the end of the dynasty, the Shang kings neglected their duty.

• A new dynasty, the Zhou, rose to challenge the Shang.

• The Zhou introduced the idea of the Mandate of Heaven to justify their actions.

The Mandate of Heaven• The right or wisdom to rule comes from the

gods. As long as the leader takes care of the people and the government, he will maintain the goodwill of the gods.

• However, if he neglects the people and the government, he will lose this mandate.

• The gods will then send signs of their displeasure: famine, drought, war, corruption, floods. The loss of the Mandate will lead to rebellion.

You’re the Leader

• Imagine that you are the President of the United States in 2040. What would you have to do to keep the “Mandate of Heaven”?

The Shang Dynasty: Boundaries

Zhou Dynasty: 1122 BCE—256 BCE

• 2nd dynasty of China• Explained their rebellion against the Shang

through the Mandate of Heaven.

• What did the Zhou feel had happened to the Shang?

The Zhou Dynasty: Boundaries

Feudalism• The Zhou allowed land-owning nobles of the

Shang dynasty to keep their land in the new empire. – In return, the nobles owed the king military service,

taxes, and loyalty. This type of government is called Feudalism.

• What problems would the Zhou have run into if they had decided to kick out the Shang nobles?

• Is Feudalism an effective way to manage an empire? Why or why not?

Zhou Dynasty: Achievements• New iron farm tools and better irrigation allowed

for more productive use of the land. – What do you think happened as a result?

• Increased FOOD production!

• First written law code is developed.• Bronze coins came into use and slowly replaced

the barter economy.• Crossbow was invented and used in warfare.

• The accomplishments of the Zhou Dynasty mirror achievements in what Mesopotamian civilizations?

Zhou Dynasty: Fall• Feudalism ruled effectively for 250 years, but

over time, leaders lost control to power-hungry nobles (competition).

• What do you think “uncontrolled” Feudalism would mean for China in general?

• For the next 600 years China would be plagued by civil war and chaos.

• Leads into the “Warring States Period”

Chinese Writing• Started to take shape

4,000 years ago.– Found on “oracle bones” –

questions to the gods, often written on turtle shells or other hard materials.

• Each character represents a whole word or idea.

• Calligraphy• Under the Zhou, Chinese

created the world’s first books.

Chinese Writing Today

• Please open your Ancient China Packet to Page 12 (the final page). Read along with the class; be prepared to read if called upon.

Major Chinese Belief SystemsConfucianism

• Founded by Confucius– Scholar/teacher– Never wrote; his sayings reported

in Analects

• A philosophy of worldly concerns

• Life built on respect for elders and duty/responsibilities

• Educated rulers• Balance of Yin and Yang

Daoism• Founded by Laozi• Not concerned with daily

human affairs; wanted people to focus on the way of the universe

• Simplicity• The virtue of yielding; no

resistance

Confucianism vs. Daoism

• Imagine that YOU are the leaders of a newly founded country. You get to decide what the laws are going to look like. Get into your groups and create (based upon the Chinese belief system that has been assigned to your group) a set of ten rules/laws that the people of your country would be required to follow. Be sure that the rules all match up to the philosophy of your group.

The Man Who Forgot• Please open your Ancient China Packet to

Page 9. Read the primary source from Liezi—a philosopher who is believed to have traveled throughout ancient China in the 3rd or 4th century BCE, providing advice to the rulers of small states.

• Answer the questions that follow on a separate sheet of paper, and be prepared to discuss your findings.

3.4: Closure

• What characteristics defined the civilization that developed in China under its early rulers?

3.5: Strong Rulers Unite China

• 221 BCE: Zheng of the state of Qin overthrew feudal lords and called himself Shi Huangdi, or “First Emperor.”– He centralized power, imposed punishments for

failure.

• The thinker Hanfeizi: “The only way to achieve order is to pass strict laws and impose harsh punishments for crimes.” (Legalism)

Unity and Compliance

• Shi Huangdi removed feudalism; replaced feudal states with 36 military districts.– What was the point of changing Chinese government in

this manner? Why did Shi Huangdi benefit from this?• Forced nobles to live in the capital at Xianyang

where he could monitor them.• Standardized weights & measurements.• Made a national coin (replaced local currency).– Why was it important for Shi Huangdi to make a

national coin? What did it allow him to do?

The Great Wall• Shi Huangdi ordered pre-existing walls to be

joined. • Was pounded earth; did not have the brick

sides that you see today until the Ming Dynasty.

• What did the building of the Great Wall say about China, at the time?– Ability to mobilize– Isolation

Qin Dynasty Collapses

• After Shi Huangdi’s death: chaos/anger over:– Taxes– Forced labor– Cruel policies

• Gao Zu, a peasant leader, defeated rival armies and founded the Han dynasty.

• How might Chinese scholars have explained Shi Huangdi’s downfall, at the time?

The Faults of the Qin Dynasty

• Please open your Ancient China Packet to Page 10. Read the two viewpoints on the problems of the Qin Dynasty (from the Han perspective), and respond to the questions below on a separate sheet of paper.

Han Dynasty: 202 BCE—220 CE• Gao Zu restored order and justice– Lowered taxes, eased Legalist policies

• Wudi (141 BCE to 87 BCE)– Strengthened government– Concern for Confucian thought– Founded an imperial university– Improved canals and roads– Controlled sale of iron and salt– Expansionism

The Silk Road• A network of trade routes to the West• New foods came into China as a result; China sent silk in return• Eventually reached 4,000 miles, linking to the Fertile Crescent

Zhang Qian & the Origin of the Silk Road

• Please open your Ancient China Packet to Page 11. Read the primary source that discusses the journey of a Chinese diplomat. Answer the questions that follow in your notebook, and be prepared to discuss your findings.

• Don’t worry about #4. You don’t have to do it.

China’s Civil Service System

• Civil servants—government officials—should win positions by merit (quality), not by family ties.– You would start on the bottom and move up as

you showed your talents.

• What kinds of jobs work this way today? How?

Han Dynasty: Achievements• Wang Chong argued scientific

theories supported by proof• Acupuncture: needles to

release pain. • Han Technology = best in the

world– Paper-making from wood pulp:

still used today– Invention of the boat rudder– Bronze & iron stirrups for

horses– Suspension bridges

What does the discovery of acupuncture suggest

about the Han Dynasty’s approach to life?

Chinese Accept Buddhism• By 100 CE, Mahayana Buddhism (easier for

ordinary people vs. Theravada) had spread from India to China. – At first, opposed China’s ideas of the family unit

(Buddhist monks lived a solitary life)

• Why do you think Buddhism was successful in China, despite other competing beliefs?– Success due to its promise of an end to suffering.– Chinese Buddhists still honored filial piety (respect for

elders) and Confucius.

Closure: Ancient China

• What characteristics define Ancient China?

• In what ways was Ancient China different from other places we’ve studied in this course? In what ways was it similar?