Ancient China Introduction

With history as a mirror, one can understand the rise and fall of a nation.

- Emperor Taizong

"Westerners value science and philosophy; the Middle East, South Asia and North Africa gave birth to religions; yet Chinese people treasure the wisdom of history ... for self-cultivation, family management and state governance."- Prof. Zhang Guogang

“Several thousand years ago, the Chinese nation trod a path that was different from other nations' culture and development. ...We should be more respectful and mindful of 5,000 years of continuous Chinese culture. ...people should draw deeply from the past, taking what they find valuable and leaving what they don't, keeping fully in mind the experiences, lessons and warnings of history.”

-Xi Jinping (2014)

Coastal region (Shanghai)

Himalayan Mountains

Gobi Desert

Yellow River

Yellow River

Yangtze River

Yangtze River

River Valley Civilisations

Water-powered Mill

Paleolithic tools

Hunter-Gatherers

BecomeHerders

BecomeFarmers

Continue H-Gs

Xiongnu(Huns)

Tibetans

Grand Canal

Rice

Terracing

Wheat

Millet

Banpoarchaeological site

Reconstruction of BanpoNeolithic Village

Reconstruction of BanpoNeolithic Village

Dynasties

• Definition of Dynasty:

• A time when a sequence of rulers from the same family rule over a kingdom or empire

• Several Dynasties ruled Ancient China

• Examples: Shang, Zhao, Qin, Han, Sui, Yuan, Ming, Tang

• How to remember them all:

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJis9TSw1r

Tian Ming - Mandate of Heaven

• Heaven bestowed the right to be Emperor (tian zi “Son of Heaven”)

• But the ruler and his successors had to be good, just and perform special rites

• Natural disasters or invasions were signs of Heaven’s unhappiness with a ruler

• If so, the people had a right to revolt• A new leader would eventually emerge to found a new

dynasty• When a dynasty lost power, this meant that they must

also have lost the Mandate of Heaven

New Dynasty• Brings peace• (Re)builds infrastructure• Gives land to peasants• Protects people

Old Dynasty• Taxes people too much• Fails to protect people• Lets infrastructure

decay• Treats people unfairly• High taxes• Corruption and moral

corruption

Problems• Floods, earthquakes etc.• Famine• Peasants revolt• Invaders attack• Bandits raid countryside

Time goes by and the New Dynasty becomes…

New leader arises and claims the Mandate of Heaven

Old Dynasty loses the Mandate of Heaven

The Dynastic Cycle

Tian Xia - “All under Heaven”

• area given to the Emperor to rule and bring order to

• envisaged as circles of decreasing civilization, order and influence

• peoples of varied cultural and regional backgrounds brought together under the authority of a singer ruler

• rulers everywhere derive their power from the Emperor

Lord’s Zone

Pacified Zone

Controlled Zone

Wild Zone

Uncivilized

Civilized

Ordered

Disordered

More tribute

Less tribute

Imperial Domain

Lord’s Zone

Pacified Zone

Controlled Zone

Wild Zone

Map of Tien Xia (Ming Dynasty)

Map of Tien Xia (1623)

Video

• Crash Course World History

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylWORyToTo4