UNIT 2 SLIDES

SHANG DYNASTY 1766-1122BCE

• Create bronze tools, weapons, and walled cities, creating a militaristic tradition.

• Religious traditions are formed to unite the empire

• Rulers are guided by the word of their ancestors, known through oracle bones

ZHOU CREATE THE MANDATE OF HEAVEN

• Zhou claimed that the Gods were angry with the Shang Dynasty because of the cruelty of Shang rulers• To rise to power, the Zhou claimed the Mandate of Heaven

ZHOU FEUDAL SYSTEM

• The Zhou Feudal system enforced the localized or bureaucratic rule present in the Shang Dynasty that many classical civilizations adopted

• Zhou experienced a decline in bloody sacrifices and burials and the priestly ruling class faded

• Government became more secular and leaders were meant to be models or morality and fairness

DECLINE OF THE ZHOU

•As Zhou power began to fade, local rulers became disloyal to the Zhou•Now looking out for themselves, these local rulers began to complete for control of China•China fell into a period of warring states.

WARRING STATES PERIOD

• At the end of the Zhou Dynasty, China fell into the Spring and Autumn period (770–476BCE), when the country was divided into many small states.• As alliances started to form, the conflict deepened

and the warring states period began

• Improved military technology was created, establishing a militaristic reputation for China

WARRING STATES CONT.

• “Warring States” refers to seven or more small feuding Chinese kingdoms whose careers collectively constitute an era in Chinese history. The Warring States period was one of the most fertile and influential in Chinese history.• However, many military traditions and

philosophies on rule came from the period, making it the most impactful period in Chinese history.

DAOISM

• Founded by Lao Zi• Stressed importance of balance in

nature• �The Path� or the “Dao”• A universal life force that is present in nature• Guides all things

• Human understanding of nature and harmony is achieved by following “the Dao,” or “the way�• Believed that education and politics are

not necessary for harmony• Avoid struggles, violence, and take the

minimal action necessary to perform a task

LEGALISM

• Founded by Han Feizi• Became the political philosophy of the Qin Dynasty •Human nature is naturally selfish; humans are by nature evil• Rulers needed to be strong and govern through force

LEGALISM

• Laws must be strict and based on rewards and punishments to maintain order• Supported harsh penalties• Branding and mutilation for minor crimes

• Stresses that the laws must be equal for all• Placed little value on education • Ideas needed to be strictly controlled by the government• Rulers should burn all writings that are critical of the

government • War is needed to strengthen the rulers power

Which social groups would

support Legalism?

Why?

CONFUCIANISM

• Confucius (551-479 BCE) put new emphasis on knowledge, honor and correct behavior in society.• Confucius, himself, was a

teacher and created the philosophy Confucianism, which guided China for more than 2000 years.

CONFUCIANISM

• People are naturally good • People should treat each other

humanely

• Importance of education in creating good, stable government

• Need for educated civil servants

• Individual must find and accept their proper place in society

ENDING THE WARRING STATES PERIOD

• Under Shi Huangdi’s Legalist rule, the Qin Dynasty began to take over other states in China one by one• By 221BC, Shi Huangdi had

united the first empire in East Asia (Shi Huangdi=first emporer)• “Qin” is thought to have been

derived from “China”• From the Yangzi River Valley to

the Northern Plain

SHI HUANGDI - BUREAUCRACY

• Advisor and Prime Minister worked with the Emperor to exploit the people’s exhaustion after a long time at war and created a totalitarian government

• Needs of the state > needs of the individual

• Brought land-owning aristocrats (and their peasants) under their rule to expand their governing capacity

• Modeled a feudal system, but their was a free peasantry that owed their allegiance to the state, not their lords or masters.

SHI HUANGDI – INFRASTRUCTURE

• Thousands of miles of roads•Canals to connect river systems• Standardized weights, measures, coinage, law codes, writing, and even axle lengths of carts• Irrigation and flood-control projects• The Great Wall of China• Shi Huangdi merely connected sections of the wall that the

Zhou had build centuries before• The Qin was a part of its history, not its creator

SHI HUANGDI - LEGALISM

• The will of the leader was supreme• Imposed discipline and obedience through the use of

rewards and harsh punishments• Cracked down on the spread of Confucianism, which

preached right and nonviolent conduct from leaders limited their absolute power• Legalism would eventually fall to Confucianism upon

Shi Huangdi’s death in 210 BCE, giving rise to the Han Dynasty in 206BCE• Why didn’t the legalist principles of the Qin last after Shi

Huangdi’s death?

CIVIL SERVICE EXAMS UNDER THE HAN

• Over 130,000 employees• 18 ranks of employees• Civil service exams• Wudi set up a Confucian-themed school• Formal examinations in Confucianism, history, law, and

literature for civil service positions• Theoretically a merit-based system• But poor could not afford to educate their children• In effect until the downfall of China’s last dynasty in

1912

BUREAUCRACY UNDER THE HAN

• Benevolent rule – rulers rule with the peoples’ best interests in mind

• Rulers and members of the bureaucracy have good intentions

• Taxes supported the government and military

• Merchants – Paid taxes

• Peasants–Gave the government a portion of their annual crops

– Each year gave a month of labor (for public works projects) or of military service

SOCIAL CLASSES UNDER THE HAN

Emperor

Governors and Kings

Nobles, Scholars, and State Officials

Peasants (Farmers)

Artisans and Merchants

Soldiers

Slaves

HAN WUDI – THE MARTIAL EMPEROR AND HIS ARMY

• Used warfare to expand the Chinese empire

• Northern steppes• Xiongnu – steppe nomads from the north and west

• Commonly raided Chinese villages• Traditionally kept at bay through bribery

• Wudi made allies of the Xiongnu�s enemies and sent in 100,000 soldiers

• Pushed the Xiongnu back • Modern-day Korea, Manchuria, Vietnam• Conquered and colonized• Borders under Wudi nearly what they are today

COMMERCE AND TRADE UNDER HAN WUDI

• Trade and commerce were not respected but were still very important

• Government had monopolies – Salt mining– Iron forging

–Coin minting–Alcohol brewing

• Government engaged in industry– Silk weaving

SILK ROADS UNDER THE HAN

• Trade routes across Asia–To Mediterranean (access to Europe) in the west• Chinese silks were sold in the marketplaces of the ancient

Roman empire

–To Yellow Sea and China Sea (access to Japan) in the east

• Traded silk and other goods• Cultural diffusion–Trade goods reflected the many cultures across this trading

region

TECHNOLOGY UNDER THE HAN

• Invented in 105 CE• Books became inexpensive to produce; expanded education• Bureaucracy grew and became more efficient

Paper

• Horses could carry heavier loads• Best harness available at the time worldwide

Collar harness

• The Chinese made one with two blades• Much more efficient

Plow

• Invented independently (Greeks had invented as well)• Central wheel and axle let Chinese wheelbarrows carry very

heavy weightsWheelbarrow

• Used to power things such as the bellows for smelting iron

Watermill

ROLES OF WOMEN UNDER THE HAN

Traditional Roles

• Confucianism limited women to the home and to subservience to men (fathers, husbands, sons)

• Women worked hard for their families with little reward

Women with Power

• Some women wielded political power because of court alliances• e.g., Empress Lu

• Nuns• Educated• Lived apart from

families

• Medicine practitioners

• Shop managers

• Writers

Paradox?

• Ban Zhao• Helped finish her

father’s History of the Former Han Dynasty

• Wrote Lessons for Women• Urged women to

obey the Confucian social order

• Also encouraged women to be industrious

• Went against convention by writing professionally

RICH VS. POOR

• Inheritance law was the root cause of the problem• Land divided among male heirs (sons)

• Reduced the size of plots with each generation• Small farmers couldn�t support themselves and had to borrow

money

• Became indebted to rich, aristocratic landowners• These aristocratic landowners did not have to pay taxes

• Decreased tax revenue for the government• Government pressed peasants even harder for taxes• Rich grew richer and poor grew poorer

RICH GET RICHER, POOR GET POORER

Peasant farmers grew poorer as they could

not afford to pay taxes

Peasants were forced to borrow money from rich aristocratic landowners

who didn’t pay taxes

Rich aristocratic landowners foreclosed on

the peasants’ farms, decreasing the land owned

by peasants

With less land owned by peasants, the government took in less tax revenue, and had to pressure the remaining peasant

landowners even harder for tax money