1. Chapter 2: Classical China

2. Chinese Dynasty Song
Shang, Zhou, Qin, Han shang, joe, chin, hahn Shang, Zhou, Qin, Han Sui, Tang, Song sway, tang, soong Sui, Tang, Song Yuan, Ming, Qing, Republic yooan, ming, ching, Republic Yuan, Ming, Qing, Republic Mao Zedong mou dzu dong Mao Zedong

3. Ancient Chinese Civilization
Chinese civilization along the Huanghe (Yellow River) developed in relative isolation, save for some overland trading with India and the Middle East.
By around 1500 B.C.E. a line of kings called the Shang ruled over the Huanghe valley. They began the dynastic cycle that would endure until the 20th century.
Dynastic Cycle
Dynastic cycle lasted from 1700 BCE until the early part of the 20th century.
Dynasty=family of kings.
3 Dynasties of classical China: Zhou, Qin, and Han.

5. Shang (1700 - 1027 BCE) First recorded Dynasty
Ruled by a belligerent aristocracy
First Chinese cities, center of court life
Villages organized by clans, not nuclear families.
Cast bronze, created silk
Developed writing. Ideas through pictographs. Thousands of characters.
Honored ancestors, used oracle bones
Shang tyrant emperor overthrown by Zhou, who ushered in the 2nd dynasty.

6. Shang Bronzes

7. DAOISM Prominent critics of Confucianism
Understand natural principles, live in harmony with them
Laozi, founder of Daoism; wrote the Daodejing
Two Daoisms
Philosophical Daoism
Dao - The way of nature, the way of the cosmos
Opposites in balance, complementary
An eternal principle governing all workings of the world
Passive, yielding, does nothing , accomplishes everything
Tailor behavior to passive, yielding nature
Ambition, activism brought the world to chaos
Popular Daoism was a religion
A folk or religious form of Daoism
Emerged at end of Han Dynasty
Seek to master forces of natural, spiritual world
Many deities including immortals, which people respected
Symbolized prosperity, happiness
Many saints were patrons of certain occupations
Gods associated with natural cycles, agriculture
Daoist priests were shamans, performed exorcisms

8. DAOIST WUWEI The doctrine of wuwei Disengagement from worldly affairs
Called for simple, unpretentious life
Live in harmony with nature
Advocated small state, self-sufficient community
Political implications
Served as a counterbalance to Confucian activism
Individuals often both Confucians and Daoists
Flourishes when society at peace, prosperous

9. Zhou (Chou) (1027 - 250 BCE) Longest lasting Chinese Dynasty.
First classical era dynasty.
First period of territorial expansion (complicated problems of central rule).
Featured decentralized politics but important cultural innovations incl. Confucianism, Mandate of Heaven, and Chinese language.
Est system of currency
China’s feudal period (rulers gave land to their supporters in exchange for defense).
Zhou rulers claimed direct links to the Shang rulers.
Also asserted that heaven had transferred its mandate to rule China to the Zhou emperors- Mandate of Heaven.
Mandate of Heaven remained a key justification for Chinese imperial rule in all subsequent dynasties (think Divine Right).
Promoted linguistic unity via a standard spoken language (Mandarin Chinese). Largest single group of people speaking the same language in the world at this time.

10. Zhou Coins - bronze

11. CONFUCIUS’ SEARCH FOR ORDER
Late Zhou Scholar
Confucius ( B.C.E.)
A strong-willed man, from an aristocratic family
Traveled ten years searching for an official post
Educator with numerous disciples
Sayings compiled in the Analects by disciples
Confucian ideas
Fundamentally moral and ethical in character
Restore political and social order; stress ritual
Formation of junzi - "superior individuals"
Edited Zhou classics for his disciples to study
The key Confucian concepts
Ren - a sense of humanity
Li - a sense of propriety
Xiao - filial piety
Cultivating of junzi for bringing order to China
5 Relationships and filial piety as basis of society

12. LATER CONFUCIANS Mencius (372-289 B.C.E.)
Principal spokesman for the Confucian school
Believed in the goodness of human nature
Government by benevolence, humanity
Allowed humans to revolt against bad ruler
Xunzi ( B.C.E.)
Served as a governmental administrator
Cast doubt on the goodness of human nature
Harsh social discipline to order to society
Stress moral education, good public behavior
Ideas became the basis for Legalism

13. Qin ( BCE)
By 221 BCE, warrior Shi Huangdi brought an end to the years of civil strife and disunity, ushering in the Qin Dynasty.
Shi Huangdi vanquished all his rivals and founded a new imperial court.
Self appointed title Qin Shi Huangdi , meaning First Emperor.
The name Qin conferred on the whole country its name of China.
Brutal yet effective. Organized China into large provinces ruled by bureaucrats.
Shi Huangdi appointed officials from nonaristocratic groups, so that they would not dare to develop their own independent bases of power.

14. Qin ( BCE)
For defense, built first Great Wall (Ming built other part later), extending miles. Largest construction project in human hist.
Adopted Legalism: only way to achieve order was to pass strict laws and impose harsh punishments. (Hanfeizi)
Ordered natl census, standardized currency, weights measurements, laws, and unified written script throughout the realm.
Banned Confucianism, burned books. Attacks on intellectuals and high taxes made him fiercely unpopular.

15. LEGALISM Legalism The doctrine of statecraft
Promoted a practical and ruthlessly efficient approach
No concern with ethics and morality
No concern with the principles governing nature
Doctrine used by Qin dynasty
Shang Yang (ca B.C.E.)
A chief minister of the Qin state
His policies summarized in The Book of Lord Shang
Was executed by his political enemies
Han Feizi (ca B.C.E.)
Student of Xunzi, became the most articulate Legalist
A synthesizer of Legalist ideas
Forced to suicide by his political enemies

16. LEGALISM IN PRACTICE The state's strength Agriculture Military force
Discouraged commerce, education, and the arts
How to treat people
Harnessing self-interest of people for needs of state
Called “carrot and stick” approach in west
Called for harsh penalties even for minor infractions
Advocated collective responsibility before law
Not popular among the Chinese,
Chinese used legalism if state threatened
Legalism still doctrine common to China

17. Han (202 BCE CE)
After Shi Huangdi’s death, massive peasant revolts broke out. Two peasants led a revolt against Qin oppression, toppling the dynasty, giving rise to the Han dynasty.
Lasted for 400+ years. Most effective, & most enduring bureaucracy in the preindustrial world.
Legalism replaced by Confucianism
Introduced civil service examination (process of selecting govt officials based on merit rather than noble birth). Ltd. power of emperor (checks & balances)
Expanded Chinese territory into Korea, Indochina, and central Asia. Silk Roads developed, opens trade

18. HAN SOCIAL STRUCTURE Patriarchal
Patrilocal households averaged five inhabitants
Large, multigenerational compound families also developed
Women's subordination (Ban Zhao Admonitions for Women)
Differences apparent between noble, lower class women
Scholar bureaucrats
Confucian trained bureaucrats called shi
Officials selected through competitive testing
Used to run the government in Early Han
Aristocratic land-holding gentry
The hereditary class of landholders
Confucian bureaucrats intermarried with landed elite
New class comes to dominate local, national offices
Strongest in late Han
Confucian scholar exam only real way to change social position
Artisans and craftsmen were an intermediate position
Cultivators were the majority of the population
Merchants held in low social esteem
Made living off of others = parasites
Used wealth to buy tutors for sons
Had sons attempt to pass scholar’s exam
Slavery existed but quite small in numbers

19. CONFUCIAN SOCIAL HIERARCHY
Confucian Scholar Official

20. COMMERCE, INDUSTRY, technology
Very advanced even for Classical period
Water technology critical to flooding
Supported by state for societal benefit
Iron metallurgy
Farming tools, utensils, weapons
A state monopoly to avoid proliferation of weapons
Silk textiles
Sericulture spread all over China during the Han
High quality Chinese silk became a prized commodity
Traded as far as India, Persia, Mesopotamia, and Rome
State monopolies
On liquor, salt and iron
Monies raised covered state esp. defense expenditures
Paper production
Invented probably before 100 C.E.
Began to replace silk and bamboo as writing materials
Population growth
Increased from 20 to 60 million (220 BCE to 9 CE)
Despite light taxation, state revenue was large
Continual push to south opens new lands for farming
Silk Road established: horses for silk

21. HAN TROUBLES Expeditions consumed the empire's surplus
Raised taxes and confiscated land of some wealthy individuals
Taxes, land confiscations discouraged investment
Much of defense consumed on defending against nomads
Xiong-nu defeated and large portion forced to immigrate
Newer nomadic groups arose to fill vacuum
Social tensions, stratification between the poor and rich
Problems of land distribution
Early Han supported land redistribution
Economic difficulties forced some small landowners to sell property
Some sold themselves or their families into slavery
Lands accumulated in the hands of a few
No land reform: Han needed large landowners
The reign of Wang Mang
A powerful Han minister dethroned the baby emperor
Claimed imperial title himself,
9 C.E. Land reforms - the "socialist emperor“
Overthrown by revolts 23 C.E

22. LOSS OF THE MANDATE The Later Han Dynasty (25-220 C.E.)
Overthrown of Wang Mang restores Han
New Han much weakened
Rule often through large families, gentry
Rise of Eunuchs in government as new source of power
The Yellow Turban Uprising (Daoist Revolt)
Rulers restored order but did not address landholding issues
Yellow Turban uprising inflicted serious damage on the Han
Mahayana Buddhism arrived across Silk Road
Collapse of the Han
Court factions paralyzed central government
Scholars, gentry, eunuchs, court women vied
Han empire dissolved
China was divided into regional kingdoms
Period of 3 Kingdoms: 220 – 589 CE
Local aristocrats divided empire
Later states fragmented further
During period nomads invaded
During period Buddhism spread