Classical China
Confucius Quotations “Everything has its beauty but not everyone sees it” “Study the past if you would define the future” “To see what is right and not do it is want of courage”
Zhou (1029-258 BCE) Came in from the north displacing the Shang rulers Dynasty flourished only until 700 BCE No powerful government. Ruled through alliances Feudal period of China with rulers dependent on regional network of loyalties
Greatest Impacts Extended the territory of China by taking over the Yangtze River valley- “Middle Kingdom” Heightened the role of the central government- Mandate of Heaven rule Greater cultural unity, including language Confucius (551-478 BCE) Era of Warring States (402-201 BCE) Regional rulers formed ind. armies and reducing the emperor’s power
Qin (221 – 202 BCE) Qin Shi Huangdi (First Emperor)- brutal ruler but effective in recreating order Powerful armies crushed regional rulers Appointed governors Extended China’s territory south (to present-day Hong Kong and northern Vietnam Built the Great Wall in the north to protect against invasions (extended over 3,000 miles)
Legalism Political thought based on pragmatism; viewed people as evil Favored a state based on law and the strict enforcement of the law Disdained Confucian values in favor of an authoritarian state ruled by force
Qin Greatest Impacts Regulations, national census, made Chinese written script uniform, terra cotta warriors, Great Wall Problems- very unpopular, high taxes Qin Shi Huangdi Died in 210 BCE and empire collapsed
Han (202 BCE – 220 CE) Retained the centralized administration but reduced the brutal repression Expanded Chinese territory pushing into Korea Indochina, and central Asia Contact with India, Middle East
Wu Ti (140-87 BCE) Most famous Han ruler promoted peace Improved workings of the state bureaucracy Urged support for Confucianism Huns in the north increased invasions and central authority weakened 220-589 CE- China in a state of chaos
Political Institutions Qin stressed central authority and Han built successful bureaucracy Strong local units- relied on tightly knit patriarchal families, ancestor worship Shi Huangdi provided a single law code and uniform tax system Wu Ti- training academy for soldiers Trained scholar- bureaucrats Military and judicial systems established
Confucius (Kung Fuzi) 551-478 He taught that if people could be taught to emphasize personal virtue a solid political life would naturally result Respect for one’s superiors Primarily a system of ethics Mencius- promoted Confucius’s teachings and slightly modified them His disciples wrote his sayings in The Analects Emphasis on individual virtuous behavior both by the ruler and the ruled
Daoism Religious philosophy that arose about the same time as Confucianism during the Zhou dynasty Laozi (Lao-tsu)- furthered Daoism Daoism embraced traditional Chinese beliefs in nature’s harmony and added a sense of nature’s mystery General conditions of the world unimportant; harmony with nature is more important Han rulers persuaded Daoist priests to stress loyalty to the emperor
Economy Trade became increasingly important, esp. luxury items for the upper classes such as silks, jewelry and leather Standardization of weights and currency facilitated trade Annual labor required of subjects for public works projects Technological advances- paper, ox-drawn plows, iron mining and tools, production methods in textiles Expansion of cities and agriculture
Society Agricultural society with typical features of huge gap between landed gentry and the peasants, esp. in terms of access to culture and language 3 classes: Landowning elite and bureaucrats, laboring masses, mean people Note that merchants were not high in social status because of Confucian values Women subordinate to men but could have influence within the household