1

China BCE

Introduction to what we will be learning about

2

3

Geographical Influences

Mountains, sea, and desert provide some protection and isolation

Vulnerable to northwest River valleys 1. Yellow(Huang Ho) earliest

civilization - damaging floods 2. Yangtze- very important in unification- transportation- irrigation

4

5

Earliest Civilizations- most isolated

Earliest- Neolithic- Ban Po- similar to other parts of the world/ one of the oldest

Shang Dynasty 1500-11 BCE in No China along the Huang Ho- raised silk worms- silk part of lure and fascination of China, famous for bronze sculpture, daggers, jade jewelry paid homage to ancestors- family important

Chou (Zhou) 1027-256-longest-developed foundations for Chinese society

6

Ancient China Way of Life- Confucianism

Moral and ethical code highly developed treat everyone with consideration

Advocated paternalistic government Value on family head- ancestor respect Values- loyalty, righteousness, wisdom,

sincerity very practical and humanistic Gentility

7

Daoism (Taoism)LaoTzu (Lao Zi)

contemporary of Confucius Tao= the road way Absolute=sum of existence Goal to bring people into harmony very introspective not as influential as Confucius

8

Zhou (Chou) Dynasty (cont)

Feudal society- emperor gave out fiefs Shang thought they had a divine right-

Chou rulers had responsibility Zhou did take title “Son of Heaven” compared to medieval Europe- had a code

for dress, fighting etc. no contracts

9

Ancient Philosophies

About 500BCE Buddha, Confucius, Greek Philosophers and Chinese - Lao Tze

Called a flowering period India more concerned with cosmos and soul China more concerned with ethical life on

earth Ironic comparison of Asoka and Shi

Huangdi

10

Qin (Ch’in) Dynasty 221-206 BCE

dominated by “The First Emperor” Qin Shi Huangdi (Chin Shi Huang Ti) ambitious= understatement centralized the government- rid of feudal

lords constructed roads and canals The Great Wall- sacrifice AND An amazing tomb found in 20th Cen

11

Han Dynasty 202BCE-220 CE(Roman Times)

Similar: built cities, officials to carry out edicts, heavy taxes collapsed under invasions and internal revolts

contact along the Silk Road, Buddhist Missionaries to China

combination of Confucius and legalism advanced in science and literature invented rudder, paper, magnetic compass,

acupuncture Short period of Civil War- Sui Dynasty

connected two rivers with canal- over extended

12

Tang Dynasty 618-907 CE Contributions

Internal renewal(improved lives of people) and external expansion

Used formal civil service exam to recruit-set up university

Tried to equalize land holdings- fought corruption

literature and art flourished- Tang horses p 203

Inventions- paper during Han- used for clothes and tp- 589 used for writing- invented printing, gun powder, encyclopedia

13

Song(Sung) Dynasty 960-1279

moved the capitol east- economic expansion- used paper money, used abacus- Silk Road traffic at height

– when dangerous went to sea routes– first period of great oceanic commerce– trades tea, silk and porcelain for exotic woods

and precious stones

14

The MongolsNomadic peoples

Loosely organized clans in a state of stress Genghis Kahn- son of impoverished noble

with army of less than 130,000 conquered Asia

mastered military tactics on horseback- pursue and ambush, firelance, took China

Kublai Kahn- grandson Yuan dynasty at Peking- adopted Chinese ways- lasted 100 years- gave way to Ming dynasty