Ancient China

China• Natural Barriers:

– East – Yellow Sea & Pacific Ocean– West – Taklimakan Desert & Plateau of Tibet– Southwest – Himalayan Mountains– North – Gobi Desert & Mongolian Plateau

• Major Rivers:– Huang He (Yellow)

• ‘Cradle of Chinese Civilization’– Location of 1st Civilization

• ‘China’s Sorrow’– Frequent devastating floods caused by large amounts of loess

deposited on the river floor» loess: fertile deposit of windblown silt

– Yangtze (Chang Jiang)• Longest river in China

• North China Plain:– Plain between Huang He & Yangtze

• Most populated & fertile region of China• ‘Middle Kingdom’:

– Derived from belief they were the ‘center of civilization’• Originated with the Zhou Dynasty

Ancient Chinese Dynastic Periods• Xia Dynasty (2070 – 1600 BCE)

– 1st Chinese Dynasty• Shang Dynasty (1600 – 1046 BCE)

– 1st Chinese dynasty to leave written records• Zhou Dynasty (1045 – 256 BCE)

– Established feudalism • Warring States Period (475 – 221 BCE)

– Seven Kingdoms• Qin Dynasty (221 – 206 BCE)

– Qin Shi Huang – 1st Emperor of China

• Key characteristics of Chinese civilization:– Advanced Cities ● Specialized Workers– Complex Institutions ● Record Keeping– Advanced Technology

Xia Dynasty

• 2070 – 1600 BCE

• Founded by Yu the Great– Given the thrown by Shun

• Yu passed power to his son Qi– Establishing dynastic rule of China

• Flood-control and irrigation increased agricultural production– Food surplus allowed cities to grow

Shang Dynasty• 1600 – 1046 BCE

• Founded by Cheng Tang– Overthrew King Jie of the Xia Dynasty

• Battle of Mingtiao

• Capital was moved six times– Final/Largest: Yin Xu (Anyang)

• North of Huang He

• Shang Civilization:– Basis:

• Agriculture

– Key Aspects:• Hunting, Animal Husbandry, Bronze Production, War & Human Sacrifice

• Decline:– Defeated by the Zhou at the Battle of Muye

• Shang Zhou committed suicide after the defeat

Shang Political & Social Structure

• King was supreme ruler– Head Military Commander– High Priest of Society

• Aristocracy:– Land owning warrior-nobles ruled

• Aristocracy: rule by elite few

– Shang kings divided the territory among generals• Peasants tilled the land for the aristocrats

• Family:– Central to Chinese Society

• Chief loyalty was to one’s family

– Older males controlled property and decisions (Patriarchal)• Women were treated as inferiors

– Mothers would eventually have to obey their own sons– Girls had marriages arranged between 13 & 16

Zhou Dynasty• 1045 – 256 BCE

– Longest dynasty in Chinese history• King Wu

– 1st king of Zhou Dynasty• claimed the Shang rulers lost support of the gods

• Established Feudal Rule:– Feudalism:

• Nobles granted use of lands that belong to the king in exchange for owing loyalty and military service to the king

– Control of various regions was given to family members and trusted nobles• Territory stretched further West, North and South to the Yangtze

– As nobles grew in power they became less dependent on the king

Mandate of Heaven• Notion that the ruler governed by divine authority

– Used to justify authority and rule (Duke of Zhou)• Heaven (Tian) chose who would rule

• Dao (‘The Way’):– Kings were responsible to be rule by the dao and keep the gods

happy or lose the ‘Mandate of Heaven’• Resulting in disasters, bad harvests or rebellion

• Mandate of Heaven was used to explain the dynastic cycle – Rise, decline and replacement of different dynasties

Dynastic Cycle

Zhou Society• Trade:

– Agricultural surplus led to an increase in trade• Silk: Most important trade item

• Transportation:– Roads and canals were constructed

• Linking growing cities

• Iron:– Development of the blast furnace facilitated production

• Weapons and agricultural tools– Stronger than bronze weapons/tools

• Irrigation/Water Projects:– Control of river flow better watered the crops

• Less reliance on rain

• Coined Money:– Introduced metal coins to Chinese Civilization (possibly 1st in the World)

• Improved trade

Zhou Decline• ‘Warring States Period’:

– Feudal lords began grow in power and fight neighbors• Annexing and consolidating smaller states

around them

– Seven major states emerged• Rulers changed from ‘Dukes’ to ‘Kings’ of their

territory– Qin, Chu, Qi, Yan, Han, Wei & Zhao

– Political Developments:• Complex bureaucracies, centralized

governments & clear legal systems

• Warfare:– Infantry (peasant foot soldiers) and

cavalry became more prevalent• Replacing chariots

– New weapons:• Iron battle-axes and swords• Crossbow

– Sun Tzu’s The Art of War:• Oldest and most influential military guide