Early Chinese civilizations SSWH2.C,D

Geography

Family in Ancient China the basic economic and social unit a symbol of the social order Farm Life: made families important many people were needed to work the farms patriarchal family: important to ancient Chinese family life every member has his or her own place the needs of the family members comes second to the head male

KNOW YOUR ROLE! Roles: Young children worked in the fields Older sons expected to undertake physical labor to provide for their parents Men responsible for providing food for their families governed society were warriors and scholars Women raised children stayed at home

Shang dynasty 1700 BCE – 1027 BCE Class-based society Written language Large, walled cities with nobles living inside the walls and peasants living outside. Written language Shang Dynasty was the first in China to develop writing Each word = different character Only the wealthiest would have been literate

Zhou Dynasty Replaced the Shang Dynasty in 1027 BCE. Longest lasting dynasty (1027 – 256 BCE) The Zhou adopted most of Shang culture, so daily life in China didn’t change with the Dynasties.

Mandate of heaven Used by the Zhou as a reason for overthrowing the Shang Dynasty The Shang had been bad leaders So, god took away their right to lead God gave that right to Zhou A just leader had god’s approval – known as the “Mandate of Heaven”

Dynastic Cycle Strong dynasty provides peace and wealth, so it claims to have the “Mandate of Heaven” Wealth declines, leaders become corrupt then lose trust and power Natural disasters occur (floods, famines, revolts) People think the Dynasty has lost the “Mandate of Heaven” New Dynasty leads rebellion and gains control

Feudalism Kings had all the power and owned all the land They gave use of the land to noble families Peasants worked for the nobles Everyone depended on the king for land and protection

The “warring states period”

Decline of the zhou dynasty Towards the end of the Zhou Dynasty, territorial leaders began to see themselves as kings. They constantly fought with each other for power This conflict weakened China

How will china be unified? Confucianism? Legalism?

Confucianism attempts to restore order in china Who was Confucius? Real name: Kung Fu Tzu (551-479 BCE) A scholar who started a new ethical system (a belief of right and wrong) Wrote “the Analects” The main idea of Confucianism: Achieve stability through moral honor and well- ordered relationships

Legalism opposes the ideas of Confucius A well-ordered society is achieved by good relationships and families Know your place in society and it will prosper Education and ideas are good for society A well-ordered society is achieved by a powerful and efficient government Punishments are good for order Ideas should be controlled by the government Confucianism Legalism

What would you choose?

Qin Dynasty

Qin Dynasty (221 – 206 BCE) A. Legalism Establishes a Dynasty: In 200 BCE, Shi Huangdi used the ideas of Legalism to defeat many of the warring states and unify China under the Qin Dynasty Burned books and had hundreds of Confucian scholars murdered

Qin dynasty – chooses legalism Crushed political opposition in China Nobles were ordered to live in the city under supervision and their land was seized. Established an autocracy A government that has unlimited power and uses it in an arbitrary manner.

Qin Dynasty Shi Huangdi Builds the Great Wall of China Peasant and slave labor was ordered to build a massive defensive wall along the Qin’s northern boarder

Great wall of china

Great wall of china

Great wall of china

Shi Huangdi’s Clay army

Shi Huangdi’s Clay army

So, what happened to Confucianism? IT DIFFUSED: Confucian scholars opposed war and other coercive measures lead by moral example … “We’re just cool like that”  spread because of influence not by conquest or conversion legacy of Chinese regimes in Vietnam(southeast Asia) and Korea embraced in Japan