Ancient Chinese Civilization—4.1Main Idea: China’s rivers, and isolation caused by mountains and deserts, shaped early Chinese culture.

The Physical Setting• Enormous size• Geographic variety• Wide variety of climatic patterns• Mountains in west, southwest, and northwest• Desert and semi-desert plateaus• North China Plain, a coastal area along the

Yellow Sea

A.K.A. Xi River?

Qinling Shandi• mountain range that cuts from west to east• Separates the valleys of the Huang and the

Chang (Yangtze) rivers• Marks the border between northern and

southern China

Northern China• Northern China receives less rain than central

and southern China• Temperatures are more extreme in the north• Growing season is shorter in the north• A lot of wheat is grown in the north

Central and southern China

• Rainfall is more plentiful.

• Rice is the principal crop.

China Proper• The Heart of China

• China Proper stretches from seacoast inland.

• Three great river systems wind through China Proper.

• The rivers are: Huang, Chang, and Xi (SHEE)

Other Political Sections have included:

• Tibet• Xinjiang (shin-jyahng)• Mongolia• Manchuria• Northern Korea• At different times, these areas have been

conquered and ruled by the Chinese.

Huang River• 2,900 miles long• Empties into the Yellow Sea• Huang River has a fertile soil called loess.• Loess gives the river a yellow tint.• Huang means “yellowyellow”.• The Huang is also nicknamed “China’s

Sorrow” because of its floods.

Adding to the problem--• Early Chinese built dikes along the river to

control the flooding.

• The dikes slowed the river’s flow and silt built up along the bottom.

• The river level finally reached the tops of the dikes.

• The Chinese built higher dikes.

• Now the river flows at least 12 feet above the surrounding land.

And more problems--• Floods on the Huang are devastating.

• The floods destroy crops and human life.

• Water can’t drain off the land and stands until it evaporates.

• Rainfall in the region is unpredictable so that floods alternate with drought and famine.

Chang River• 3,434 miles long

• Large ocean-going ships can navigate nearly 600 miles upstream.

• Smaller ships can travel about 1,700 miles upstream.

Xi River• 1,200 miles long

• Large ships can navigate about 1/3 of its length.

• Forms an important commercial waterway for China

China’s isolation• China was isolated by great distances,

rugged mountains, and deserts, such as the Gobi.

• As a result of its geographic isolation, China developed its own distinct culture

Alien Contact!• Along their northern and northwestern

borders, the Chinese had contact with nomadic people.

• Usually they were peaceful and traded with the Chinese.

Nomads attack!• Sometimes the nomads attacked Chinese

settlements.

• The Chinese considered the nomadic invaders culturally inferior and called them “barbarians.”

A superior attitude!• Infrequent contact with foreigners gave the

Chinese a strong sense of identity and a superior attitude.

• The Chinese considered theirs the only civilized land.

The Chinese Zhongguo• Zhongguo meant “Middle Kingdom”.

• The Chinese considered their land the “center of the world”.

The inferior outsiders• The inferior outsiders only became fully

civilized when they learned to speak Chinese and adopted Chinese customs

Assimilation!• Often when invaders did overrun parts of

China, the invaders would lose their identity over time and be absorbed into China’s population.

Ideas for television, movies, and video games often come from the creator’s knowledge of history.

A serious case of “assimilation”

This, however, was not the Chinesemethod of assimilation!

Review

What is “loess”?

Loess is a fertile yellow soil along the Huang river.

What were dikes used for in China?

The Chinese built dikes to hold back the floods along the Huang

River.

What are the three main rivers of China?

Main rivers of China•HuangHuang (Yellow)•Chang (Yangtze)•Xi (Shee)

What large desert lies northwest of China?

Gobi Desert lies northwest of China.

What does Zhongguo mean?

• Center of the World

What area is next to China and has been taken over by the

Chinese communists

• Tibet

How do northern and southern regions of China differ

geographically?

Geographic differences:• Northern China receives less rain • Temperatures in the north are more extreme.• The growing season in the north is shorter.

Wheat is the principal crop.• Central and Southern China receive more

rainfall. Rice is the principal crop.

What marks the boundary between northern and

southern China?

The Qinling Shandi Qinling Shandi marks the boundary between northern

and southern China.

How did geography contribute to the Chinese sense of

identity?

The Chinese developed a superior attitude and strong sense of identity largely due to their geographical isolation from other cultures.

Population Statistics

http://www.geohive.com/earth/population1.aspx

The Shang Dynasty4.2

The Shang dynasty established a model that affected future

governments of China.

Objectives

• To describe how Shang government and economy were organized

• To identify characteristics and contributions of ancient China

Xia (shah)

• The Xia were the first inhabitants of the Huang River valley.

• The Xia existed at least as early as the Neolithic Age.

More on the Xia --

• The Xia (shah) believed they were created by the god Yu.

The Shang Dynasty

• The Shang were the first to establish a dynasty in China.

Dynasty!

• What’s a dynasty?

• A “dynasty” is rule by a single family over several generations.

Power through Public Works

• The Shang were involved in irrigation and flood control and took control of the area from the Xia.

The Shang in Control

• The Shang were able to gain territory and influence other regions because they had their act together: they had a complex government and a strong military.

• The Shang were ready for anything!

Religion during the Shang Dynasty

• The Shang believed in animism.

• What’s animism?

• The belief that spirits inhabit everything including rocks, trees, water, etc.

• The Shang also believed in ancestor worship.

Achievements of the Shang Dynasty

• The Shang used kaolin (a white clay) to make pottery.

• The Shang also developed a writing system that used 600 pictographs—calligraphy.

• The Shang knew how to make silk.

Government in the Shang Dynasty

• The government was a bureaucracy under an emperor.

• What’s a bureaucracy?• Bureaucracy:

Government organized into different levels and tasks.

Shang Agriculture

• They grew millet and rice.

• They raised pigs and chickens for meat.

• They used horses for labor.

Priest-astronomers

• Why were priest astronomers important during the Shang dynasty?

Priest-Astronomers

• The priest astronomers helped keep the calendar in sync with the seasons by saying when to add days to a month or year.

• The calendar helped farmers determine when the floods might come or when they should harvest.

• Priest astronomers were powerful.

Keep the emperor?

• The ruler was judged by the success of the harvest.

Religion in the Shang Dynasty

• Religion in the Shang dynasty combined animism with ancestor worship.

Animism?

• Animism was the belief that spirits inhabit everything: trees, rocks, water, etc.

The Magic Dragon?

• People believed in an all-powerful and kindly dragon who lived in the seas and rivers and could rise into the clouds.

In time--

• This dragon became the symbol of Chinese rulers.

• The ruler’s wife was symbolized by the phoenix.

Phoenix

And More Chinese gods ---

• Wind• Sun• Clouds• Moon• Some were honored by festivals

A good party ensures a good harvest right?

• Religious festivals in the spring were held to ensure a good crop.

• In an autumn festival people thanked the moon god for the harvest.

The Amazing Shangdi!

• The Chinese believed Shangdi was the god who controlled human destiny and the forces of nature.

• Rulers often asked their ancestors to plead on their behalf with Shangdi.

Even more importantly ---

• Rulers used Shangdi’s control over destiny to justify their decisions --- it is the will of Shangdi.

How convenient is that?

The Role of Priests

• Priests played an important role in Chinese religion.

• Some tried to predict the future or interpret divine messages, especially messages from the spirits.

• How could they do that?

They used bones!

• In fact, they used oracle bones!

Language and Writing

• The Shang were among the few early peoples to develop a system of writing.

• The Chinese spoke many dialects—variations of a language.

• Chinese developed a system of writing that could handle all of these dialects.

Evolution of Chinese Writing

• Pictographs: drawings of objects• Ideographs: two parts – an idea sign and a

phonetic sign• The signifier of the ideograph showed the

meaning of the character• The phonetic sign told how to pronounce it.

Surprise!

• For many centuries the ability to read and write was limited to a small number of specialists.

• They usually served the emperor as clerks, scribes, and teachers.

Scribes• Recorded special events• Composed literary works• Wrote from top to bottom beginning on the right

side of the page

Calligraphy

• Eventually the writing evolved into an art form called “calligraphy.”

• Artists used the same kind of brush for calligraphy as for painting.

Fall of the Shang

• Herders from the Gobi Desert and Tian Shan foothills began to edge toward the rich river valley c. 1200 B.C.

• They began to settle along the borders.

• During the 1100s B.C. the Shang almost continually battled these warlike neighboring states.

Doomed!

• The extended military efforts exhausted the Shang rulers.

• The last Shang king (Di-Xin) could not protect the kingdom’s northwest borders. (The real reason the Shang dynasty fell.)

Enter the Zhou!

• c. 1050 B.C. the Zhou formed an alliance with nearby tribes and overthrew the dynasty.

• It ended about 700-800 years of Shang rule.

And . . .

• The Zhou justified their takeover by saying that the Shang rulers had become corrupt and unfit to rule.

• This explanation for the overthrow of one dynasty (or government) has been used throughout China’s history. (patterns of living --- a part of culture)

Review!

Who were the first inhabitants of the Huang River valley?

The Xia were the first inhabitants of the Huang River valley.

Who were the first to establish a dynasty?

The Shang were the first to establish a dynasty.

What is a dynasty?

A dynasty is rule by a single family.

What projects were the Shang involved in that gave them control over the people?

Irrigation and flood-control projects

What did the Shang religion involve?

Shang Religion

• Animism• Ancestor worship

What is animism?

Animism is a belief that spirits inhabit everything: trees, rocks,

water, etc.

What were two achievements of the Shang Dynasty?

Achievements of the Shang Dynasty

• Using kaolin (a white clay) to make pottery

• Developing a writing system --calligraphy

What kind of government did the Shang have?

Shang government included

• Emperor

• bureaucracy

What is a bureaucracy?

A bureaucracy is a government organized into different levels

and tasks.

Why were priest-astronomers important during the Shang

Dynasty?

Priest-astronomers helped keep the calendar in sync with the seasons of the year by saying

when to add days to a month or year.

Why was it important to keep the calendars accurate?

The calendar helped farmers determine when floods might

come or when they should harvest.

What decided if they would keep an emperor?

To keep the emperor, the harvest had to be successful.

What became a symbol of Chinese emperors?

The dragon became a symbol of Chinese emperors.

Who was Shangdi?

Shangdi was the god of: human destiny

and the forces of nature.

What were oracle bones?

Oracle bones were used by priests to foretell the future and

interpret divine message.

What finally happened to the Shang?

The Shang, plagued by border wars, were finally defeated by

an alliance of the Zhou with nearby tribes.

“Wherever You GoGo With All Your Heart.” -- Confucius

The Zhou, Qin, and Han Dynasties

Three major dynasties—the Zhou, the Qin, and the Han—built China

into a powerful country.

Zhou Dynasty 1050-256 B.C.

• The Zhou dynasty had no centralized form of government. Instead ruled territories whose leaders swore loyalty to the ruler and promised military service and tribute

The Mandate of Heaven

• The Chinese believed that the god of Heaven determined who should rule—“Mandate of Heaven”.

• Rebels used the “Mandate of Heaven” to justify overthrowing a previous ruler

Zhou and the Invaders

• Zhou were often attacked by outsiders and local leaders often fought amongst themselves

Good-bye, Zhou!

• The Zhou lost real power by the 700s but continued weakly until 256 B.C.

Qin Dynasty 221 to 206 B.C.

• Qin rule only lasted 15 years.

• The Western name for “China” comes from the Qin.

Qin Autocracy

• The Qin established an autocracy in which the emperor held total power.

Don’t criticize the Qin!

• The Qin suppressed and executed scholars who criticized the government.

• At one point, Qin had some people who criticized him, buried alive.

•Guarded against invasion by building defensive walls along the border—would eventually become the Great Wall of China

•Great Wall –1,500 miles long during Qin dynasty•Used forced labor to build

The Qin Dynasty:

Qin’s Tomb

• In 1974 Qin’s tomb was found. It was completely untouched by vandalism or grave robbers.

• It contained 6,000 life-size terra cotta soldiers, all of whom had different faces.

More on the Qin

• The gap widened between the ruler and the mass of the people.• Rebellion came in 206 B.C.• Liu Bang started the Han Dynasty

Liu Bang the Bad Boy

• Han was born into a peasant family, but he didn’t like farm work. Not his father’s favorite son, he was living the rogue’s life.

• After he grew up, he became a patrol officer in his county.

Liu Bang the Outlaw• At one point he was responsible for

transporting a group of prisoners. During the trip, some of the prisoners escaped.

• Liu Bang released the rest of the prisoners and fled himself.

• He joined a band of outlaws and became their leader.

• On one of his raids, a magistrate was so impressed with his leadership skills that he gave Liu Bang his daughter in marriage.

Liu the Emperor

• Liu Bang overthrew the Qin emperor and established the Han dynasty. (He liked the name better.)

• He encouraged Confucian thought rather than the harsh Legalist laws of his predecessor.

Han Dynasty

• Han dynasty took its name from “King of Han” –the name Liu Bang took

• 206 B.C.-220 A.D.—ruled for 400 years• People of China still call themselves the “People of

Han”• Longest-ruling Han emperor was Liu Ch’e, also

known as Wu Ti• The Han ruled over an area larger than the Roman

Empire

More on the Han

• The Han had a centralized government.

• The Han introduced a civil service system based on merit exams that remained until the early 1900s A.D.

The Han and the Leveling System

• Leveling system—economic policy which used price controls to balance the effects of farm surpluses and shortages—stored surplus grain for use during lean years

The Han and the Silk Road

• Silk Road—lots of trade with the Greeks and Romans

More on the Silk Road• The Silk Road was a trade route that stretched

from China across central Asia to the Mediterranean

• Camel caravans carried jade, silk, and other valuable Chinese goods.

• The goods were sold to wealthy Greeks and Romans.

• The caravans returned to China with gold, silver, and wool.

During the Han dynasty--

• China’s population grew to about 50 million.

• Luxury goods could be found in the capital city, including paper, a Chinese invention.

Paper?

• Paper was a Chinese invention that spread from China to the Western world.

After Liu Ch’e--

• None of his successors had his leadership ability, but the Han dynasty continued to rule China until 220 A.D. (with the exception of one brief interruption)

• Nomadic peoples swept across China causing many Han subjects to move south.

The End of the Han

• After the fall of the Han dynasty—nomadic tribes invaded.

• The people of Han moved south ahead of them.

Not until--

• In 581 A.D. a Chinese general unified China once again.

Review

What type of government did the Zhou have?

Not centralized. Feudalistic. With land being given in exchange for

loyalty and military service.

How did they believe rule was determined?

God determined the ruler through the Mandate of

Heaven.

What conflicts did the Zhou face?

The Zhou fought nomadic invaders and local leaders within

their own people.

Until what date did the Zhou rule?

The Zhou ruled until 256 B.C.

How long did the Qin dynasty last?

The Qin dynasty lasted 15 years.

Where does the western name for China come from?

The western name for China comes from the Qin.

Who held total power in the Qin dynasty?

The emperor held total power in the Qin dynasty.

What is this form of government called?

Autocracy is a form of government in which the leader

holds total power.

What did the Qin government do to scholars who criticized the

government?

The Qin government executed scholars who criticized the

government.

Who started the Han dynasty?

Liu Bang started the Han dynasty. (He ruled from 206 B.C. to 195 B.C.

for a total of?)

11 years

How long did the Han dynasty last?

The Han dynasty lasted for 400 years.

Who was Liu Ch’e?

Liu Ch’e was the longest ruling Han emperor.

What was Liu Ch’e’s other name?

Liu Ch’e’s other name was Wu Ti.

Why do we care what Liu Ch’e’s other name was?

I have no idea.

How large an area did the Han rule over?

The Han ruled an area larger than the Roman empire.

What type of government did the Han have?

Emperor at the head of the government. Centralized

government with merit system for determining government

employees.

What was the merit system?

People who wanted to work for the government had to take an exam. Those with the highest scores were the most likely to

get the jobs.

How had government employees been selected

previously?

People were selected by who their familes were and how they

were “connected.” It was a matter of “who do you know.”

What was the leveling system?

Setting price controls on grain and storing surplus grain so that farmers did not suffer rising and

falling prices.

What was the Silk Road?

The Silk Road was a caravan route across central Asia to the

Mediterranean.

With whom did the Chinese trade at the other end of the Silk Road?

The Chinese traded with the Greeks and Romans.

What Chinese invention changed the Western world?

Paper. The Chinese invented paper.

When did the Han dynasty fall and what happened afterward?

The Han dynasty fell in 220 A.D. and the Han people fled south in advance of nomadic invaders.

“Learning without thinking is useless. Thinking without learning is

dangerous.”Confucius

Chinese philosophers and teachers sought ways to understand the universe and the human condition.

Philosophies of Ancient China

Objectives:To examine Confucianism and Daoism in Chinese society

To describe the influence of Legalism and Buddhism on Chinesehistory

Dualism

• Dualism believed there was a “two-sidedness to nature”.

• The world results from the balance between two forces.

Yin and Yang

• Yin: the dark, passive, feminine side

• Yang: bright, active, masculine side

Dualism

• Dualism led to the belief that there would be a balance to extremes: for example, the Qin (harsh government) would be balanced by the Han (moderate government)

Confucius 571 B.C.-479 B.C.

“Be not ashamed of mistakes and thus make them crimes.”

Confucius

See a person's means … Observe his motives. Examine that in which he rests. How can a person conceal his character?

His works and teachings were collected in a work called the Analects.

The Analects

What is virtue?

“Virtue, according to Confucius,involved correct behavior toward

others.” textbook quote

Confucius

• Confucius sought to end the political disorder of his time.

Confucius

• Confucius was not a religious prophet.

• He was concerned about political and social unrest and how moral and ethical leadership can solve those problems.

What did Confucius believe about government and its leaders?

• He believed government and its leaders should be “virtuous.”

• He believed they should be honest and honorable toward those they lead.

• He believed they should have the welfare and interest of their people as their greatest interest.

Concepts of Confucianism

• Importance of family• Respect for one’s elders (mothers, fathers,

etc.)• Reverence for the past and one’s ancestors

Confucius believed that every person should accept his or her role in society and should perform the

duties of that role.

Mencius

• Mencius came after Confucius and followed his teachings.

• Mencius taught that people were basically good and that—

Mencius the Dangerous?

• Mencius taught that people had a right to overthrow governments that were weak or harsh!

Laozi

• Founded the philosophy of Daoism

• Dao means “The Way”

Teachings of Laozi

• Laozi saw Dao as an indescribable force that governed the universe and all nature.

Laozi taught --

• Laozi taught that people should withdraw from the world and contemplate nature so that they could understand Dao and live in harmony with it.

• He taught that people should not strive for material wealth.

• He taught that people should live humbly, quietly, and thoughtfully.

Does any of that sound familiar?

Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back

Did you know that “Dagobah” is Sanskrit for “Stupa”?

What Laozi didn’t teach ---

• Unlike Confucius, Laozi did not teach politics.

Daoism became only second to Confucianism as an influence in

Chinese life.

Legalism

• Legalism concerned itself with politics

• Legalists believed in power and in harsh laws rather than virtue.

Crummy People

• Legalists believed people were selfish and untrustworthy by nature.

• Peace and prosperity were only possible if people were threatened with harsh laws.

Legalism Applied

• Cheng of the Qin dynasty followed the ideas of Legalism and created a great empire, but it didn’t last long.

A Balancing Act --

• The Han dynasty balanced Legalism with Confucianism and lasted much longer. Han dynasty lasted four hundred years.

Buddhism in China

• Buddhism was brought to China by missionaries from India.

• Buddhism also taught compassion and charity, values overlooked in other philosophies.

• Buddhist teachings did not attempt to correct political or social disorder. They just brought comfort during a turbulent time.

The Fall of the Han –

• The later years of the Han dynasty were full of violence and destruction so the Chinese found security in the Buddhist teachings.

The Rise of Buddhism--

• Buddha’s teachings gained support because they provided comfort during the unrest at the end of the Han dynasty.

In summary--

• Buddhism, Confucianism, and Daoism provided moral and ethical guides to right living.

• Legalism provided a strong foundation for Chinese government.

Review

What religion became popular during turbulent times?

Buddhism

Which philosopher sought to end political chaos?

• Confucius

Name for the two-sidedness of nature--

• Dualism

Belief that the way to harmony is an understanding of nature--

• Daoism

What was “Legalism”?

• Legalism was the belief that people were by nature selfish and untrustworthy and needed harsh laws to control them.

What were the Analects?

• The Analects were the writings of Confucius.

What is the name for the dark, passive force?

• Yin is the dark, passive force.

What is “yang”?

• Yang is the name given to the bright, active force.

What are the three tenets of Confucianism?

• Importance of family• Respect for elders• Reverence for the past

Who was Laozi?

• Laozi founded Daoism.

What was the most important social structure in ancient China?

• The family

What was used to predict earthquakes?

• The seismograph

What healing process did the Chinese invent?

• Acupuncture

What did the Chinese invent to tell time?

Sundial

Chinese Life and Culture

The family, farming, and educational pursuits for government officials

marked daily life in China.

Objectives

• To identify major characteristics and contributions of Ancient China

• To compare social practices of ancient civilizations to those of today

Important Points of the Section

• The family, not the individual, was the important factor in Chinese society.

• Families were patriarchal (Dad ruled!!).• Women had fewer rights than men and could not

own property.• Chinese society taught great respect for mothers and

mothers-in-law, but a woman without children was not held in high esteem.

The Economy

• Most Chinese were small farmers.• Trade and commerce grew quickly during the

Qin dynasty.• The Qin standardized currency and the system

of weights and measures.

“Small Farmer”

Trade also increased during the Han dynasty as the Silk Road connected China with the

Mediterranean.

Arts and Sciences

• Chinese relied on five texts to train scholars and civil servants.

• The five texts became known as the Five Classics.

• The Five Classics came into use during the Zhou dynasty.

The Five Classics

• The Book of History—contains speeches and documents about government.

• The Book of Changes—the art of predicting the future.

• The Spring and Autumn Annals--record of events in the city-state of Lu

• The Book of Rites--deals with manners and ceremonies

• The Book of Poetry--contains more than 300 songs about life, love, and politics

These five books along with the Analects became the basis for

education in China.

Science and Technology

• 1. In 28 B.C. Chinese astronomers first observed sunspots.• 2. Chinese built the first seismograph.• 3. Chinese invented paper (made from old fishing nets,

hemp, old rags, and tree bark) -By the A.D. 700s it had spread throughout Central

Asia and the Middle East where it replaced papyrus. 4. Made discoveries in chemistry: dyes for cloth and

glazing for pottery 5. Developed acupuncture 6. Also invented the sundial, water clock, and the process

of printing

The seismograph was used to record earthquakes. Small metal balls would fall from the dragons’ mouths into the mouths of the frogs.

Dark spots, some as large as 50,000miles in diameter move across the surface of the sun.

Sunspots

Chinese Water Clock• The Su Sung clock tower,

over 30 feet tall, possessed a bronze power-driven armillary-sphere for observations, an automatically rotating celestial globe, and five front panels with doors that permitted the viewing of changing manikins which rang bells or gongs, and held tablets indicating the hour or other special times of the day. Wikipedia