ANCIENT DYNASTIES OF CHINA SHANG ZHOU QIN HAN

Geography and First Dynasty Two major rivers Chang Jiang – also called the Yangzi Huang-He – also called the Yellow River or the River of Sorrows Xia Dynasty is considered to be the beginning of Chinese civilization

Shang Dynasty 1766 -1122 BC Farming society ruled by an aristocracy whose major concern was war Aristocracy = an upper class whose wealth is based on land ownership

Kings were buried in royal tombs along with their valuable possessions and sacrificed prisoners of war and servants Belief in the afterlife Shang religion centered on the idea of ancestor worship called veneration of ancestors Used oracle bones to ask questions of the gods Wrote questions on bones, inserted a hot piece of metal into the bone until it cracked, and then read the cracks to get an answer Shang achievements Development of Chinese writing, which used picture symbols

Zhou Dynasty 1100 – 256 BC Longest-lasting dynasty in Chinese history The king was the head of the gov’t and was seen as a link between heaven and Earth The Zhou dynasty claimed it ruled China because it possessed the Mandate of Heaven Gods gave “permission” to rule China Set up a “right of revolution” which led to dynastic cycles Development of two Chinese philosophies = Confucianism and Daoism

Qin Dynasty 221 – 206 BC First to create a unified Chinese empire The word China is derived from the Qin Ruler Qin Shi Huangdi became the “first emperor” Regime = the gov’t in power Shi Huangdi adopted Legalism as the official ideology to build a strong centralized gov’t

Anyone who opposed the policies of the new regime were imprisoned, tortured, or killed, especially Confucian scholars A nomadic people in the Gobi desert called the Xiongnu threatened China To deal with the threat and to keep them out of China, Shi Huangdi had workers join the separate defensive walls in northern China This united wall became the Great Wall of China

Han Dynasty 206 BC – 220 AD Model for later Chinese dynasties, the main population of China still calls itself the Han people Exchanged Legalism for Confucianism and appointed numerous Confucian scholars

Qin and Han Dynasties Chapter 8, page 225

To create a regular system for new officials, the civil service exam was introduced These officials gained gov’t jobs based on merit, how well they did on the test A school was established to train candidates for the exam Students were expected to learn the teachings of Confucius

Silk Road Road that linked China to Rome, was 4,000 miles long Traded in luxury goods such as silk, spices, teas, and ivory Dangerous due to geography and bandits Women “raising daughters is like raising children for another family”

Confucianism Based on the teachings of Confucius (Kongfuzi) Main book is the Analects, which contains Confucius’ thoughts Concerned about human behavior People should treat one another with love and respect Confucius believed that the disappearance of this love and respect was responsible for the violence in society Focuses on improving society Restoring a respect for tradition would make society stable once again

Proper behavior is to follow the Dao (the way) Two elements to the Dao – duty and humanity Everyone must work hard to fulfill their duties Needs of the family and community come before personal needs Five Relationships Ruler and subject Husband and wife Parent and child Older sibling and younger sibling Friend and friend Belief in filial piety = obedience and devotion to parents, especially the male head of the family

Honor one’s ancestors A ruler must set a good example and lead by virtue A ruler should be advised by qualified, well-informed people Select advisors based on merit rather than birth Spread to Korea, Japan, and Vietnam

Legalism Founded by Hanfeizi and Li Si, two advisors to Emperor Shi Huangdi of the Qin dynasty Believed that human beings are evil by nature Reject Confucius’ idea of leading by virtue Instead need harsh laws and punishments to make sure people stay on the correct path A ruler does not need to be compassionate or show mercy People must be kept in line by fear of punishment

A powerful and efficient gov’t was key to maintaining order and control over an empire Rulers should be strong and govern through force Strong ruler = orderly society

Daoism “The Way” Main teachings by a philosopher named Laozi Main book Dao De Jing Also concerned with proper behavior Encourages people to retreat from the laws of society and yield to the laws of nature Promotes harmony with nature By finding one’s place in nature, it is possible for a person to achieve harmony with the universe

The true way to follow the will of Heaven is not through action, but inaction Let nature take its course Embraced an ancient Chinese concept, the notion of yin and yang Yin and yang represent the balancing aspect of nature Male and female, dark and light, hot and cold When balanced, yin and yang represent the perfect harmony of nature