Paper Review Average Grade: 89.4% (vs. 87.3% on Water) Improvement on Argumentation

Paper Review

• Average Grade: 89.4% (vs. 87.3% on Water)• Improvement on Argumentation• Knowing Limitations

• Qualifying Language• Absence from Source ≠ Absence from Society• Default ≠ Equality

• Topic Sentences

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________. In Maya culture, where the Popul Vuh derived from, priests not only had religious power because they were literate and performed sacrifices (sometimes of humans), but performed important administrative functions, making them a key part of the upper half of society. In addition, since Maya civilization was really only a collection of city-states, the religion would have been a uniting factor (Leff lecture, 10/18/12). In the Popul Vuh, after the gods made the earth, they wanted to make humans, and tried multiple times. However, they failed up to the end, being unable to make beings who could “nourish and sustain” them as well as “praise and venerate” them (Goetz, 81, 83-86, 89). Although they were quite unable to do these things, the early attempts were punished nonetheless; the animals “condemned to be eaten,” the mud people destroyed, and all but a few of the wooden folks destroyed in a flood, holding the ever-present threat of destruction over their heads if they failed to worship properly (Goetz, 81, 83-86, 89). This would obviously imply that the priests deserve the power and wealth they received since they save the civilization from obliteration.

Thesis: In many of these cultures, a priestly group held a dominant role in the hierarchy which they could build on by writing into their creation stories divine inspirations or pressing religious reasons to keep their status around “for the general good.” This relationship between the clergy and the cosmology of a culture enabled the religious class to grow and maintain itself.

One of the simplest ways in which the cosmologies worked to the advantage of priests was simply by restating the common idea that gods want humans to worship them. In Maya culture, where the Popul Vuh derived from, priests not only had religious power because they were literate and performed sacrifices (sometimes of humans), but performed important administrative functions, making them a key part of the upper half of society. In addition, since Maya civilization was really only a collection of city-states, the religion would have been a uniting factor (Leff lecture, 10/18/12). In the Popul Vuh, after the gods made the earth, they wanted to make humans, and tried multiple times. However, they failed up to the end, being unable to make beings who could “nourish and sustain” them as well as “praise and venerate” them (Goetz, 81, 83-86, 89). Although they were quite unable to do these things, the early attempts were punished nonetheless; the animals “condemned to be eaten,” the mud people destroyed, and all but a few of the wooden folks destroyed in a flood, holding the ever-present threat of destruction over their heads if they failed to worship properly (Goetz, 81, 83-86, 89). This would obviously imply that the priests deserve the power and wealth they received since they save the civilization from obliteration.

FC.53 EARLY CHINA AND THE PATTERN OF ITS HISTORY(c.1500-500 B.C.E.)

Mts., jungles, steppe, & ocean isolate China Feels it is unique & superior “Middle Kgd”



• “External” Geography• Himalayan

Mountains• Tibetan

Plateau





Plateau• Gobi Desert





Plateau• Gobi Desert• Jungles in

SE Asia






SE Asia• Ocean in

East






SE Asia• Ocean in

East• Middle

Kingdom






SE Asia• Ocean in

East• Middle

Kingdom• Nomadic

Pressure



Most fertile land is in E. 1/3 of China Pop. concentrated in E. River valleys• “Internal”

Geography



Most fertile land is in E. 1/3 of China Pop. concentrated in E. River valleys“Internal” Geography• Yellow River

• Colder, Drier, Flatter

• Loess• Silting and

Flooding• Wheat, Millet• Dense

Settlement, Intense Cultivation





• Loess• Wheat, Millet• Flooding• Dense


• Yangtze River• Wetter, Hotter,

Hillier• Rice• Settled Later

Baskets of rice seeds await their initial planting as workers prepare a muddy field in the South during February.









• Outer China• Arid• Thinly

Populated• Home for

Nomads

Remains of the Great Wall wind their way through Mongolia

Sand dunes overlook sheep grazing in the western province of Gansu









• Outer China• Arid• Thinly

Populated• Home for

Nomads• The Sea



Irregular & massive floods Major irrig. & flood control projects Strong central govt.

Most fertile land is in E. 1/3 of China Pop. concentrated in E. River valleys


Hydraulic civ. evolves in Huang He River Valley after 2000 B.C.E.




First Chinese Civilizations• First Sedentary Ag Communities by 5000-4000 BCE• Yangshao (2500-2000)• Longshan (2000-1500)







• More intensive agricultural production• Early Innovations

• Walled towns• Silk production• Bronze Production• Early form of writing

• Flood Control and development of Governments







• More intensive agricultural production• Early Innovations

• Walled towns• Silk production• Bronze Production• Early form of writing

• Flood Control and development of Governments• Legendary Emperors

• 3 Sovereigns and 5 Sage Emperors • Brought Cultural Innovations

• Yao-Calendar• Fu Xi- The “Ox-Tamer”• Huang Di, the Yellow Emperor

• Yu, founder of likely mythical Xia Empire, unites tribal states. Revered for controlling flood.

• Dawn of Shang in 1523

Fu Xi was the first of three noble emperors, supposedly ruling from 2952-2836 BCE (116 years)


Shang Dyn. (c.1500-1028 B.C.E.) Sev. developments in Ch. civ.Combining priestly &

polit. roles No separate priest class

Ideographic writing Chinese Civ. spreads

across E. Asia





Silk textiles, carved jade & highly

developed bronze

Shang Dynasty• Conquest• Government• Social Structure• Culture

Shang Dynasty• Conquest

• 16th Century• Warlike Nomads, Horse/Chariot• Warfare Style• Stronger Kings



• Government and Feudalism• Bureaucracy at Capital, Anyang• King First Among Equals• Feudal Vassals

• Mutual Obligation• Vassals get…• Vassals give…• Originally, Personal Ties

• Strong Shang Army• Ritual Status of Kings

NOTE: This chart shows European Feudalism. In China, the general concept is the same, though the titles are different.



• Government and Feudalism• Bureaucracy at Capital, Anyang• King First Among Equals• Feudal Vassals

• Mutual Obligation• Vassals get…• Vassals give…• Originally, Personal Ties

• Strong Shang Army• Ritual Status of Kings

• Social Structure• Family Structure

• Elites: Extended Family, Patriarchal, Hierarchy• Commoners: Nuclear Family, but still Patriarchal

• Peasants• Artisans• Economic Summary

Shang Dynasty• Culture

• Ritual• Ritual and Reciprocity• You give…• You get…



• Ancestor Worship• Ancestor spirits as intermediaries• Eldest Male Presides




• Ritual and Shang Power• Royal Ancestors as intermediaries• Accessing Shang-Di




• Ritual and Shang Power• Royal Ancestors as intermediaries• Accessing Shang-Di• Elaborate Tombs• Sacrifices and Captives




• Ritual and Shang Power• Royal Ancestors as intermediaries• Accessing Shang-Di• Elaborate Tombs• Sacrifices and Captives

• Oracles• Why go to Oracle?• Who goes to Oracle?• Related to Development of Writing


• Writing• Development/Standardization

• RebusIdeographic• Simple Pictographs• Combine Symbols• Stylized


• Writing• Development/Standardization

• RebusIdeographic• Simple Pictographs• Combine Symbols• Stylized• 3000 characters in Shang8000 today• Paper in Han

• Chinese Identity/Governance• Various Spoken Languages• Enables gov’t bureaucracy• Common Identity (esp among elites)• LiteracySocial Mobility


Shang Dyn. (c.1500-1028 B.C.E.) Sev. developments in Ch. civ.

Mandate of Heaven justifies

good dyn’s & rev. vs. bad dyn’s







Combining priestly & polit. roles No

separate priest class

Phonetic rebus (not ideogr.) script Still

over 47,000 characters


developed bronze

Mandate of Heaven• Zhou conquer Shang, justify with Mandate of Heaven
















developed bronze

Mandate of Heaven• Zhou conquer Shang, justify with Mandate of Heaven• Content of Mandate

• Shang connection with Shangdi• Right to rule a gift from heaven (tien)• Conditional mandate, could be lost
















developed bronze

Mandate of Heaven• Zhou conquer Shang, justify with Mandate of Heaven• Content of Mandate

• Shang connection with Shangdi• Right to rule a gift from heaven (tien)• Conditional mandate, could be lost

• Significance of Mandate• Appeal to Supernatural power• Justifies Authoritarian Monarchy• Justifies Revolution











RECURRING CYCLE OF CHINESE HISTORY







developed bronze


Energetic new dynasty, often semi-civilized nomads, takes over & revives China

















developed bronze

Lower taxes, redistribute land to peasants & restore irrigation & flood control

Restore govt. & civil service exam system

Restore army & the Great Wall


Prosperous soc. until neglectful emp’s take over Corruption, High taxes & loss of peasant lands Army is neglected & Great Wall not maintained


















developed bronze






















developed bronze






Peasant revolts Raids & invasions

















developed bronze







Central government steadily weakens

















developed bronze






Energetic new dynasty, often semi-civilized nomads, takes over & revives ChinaLower taxes, redistribute land to peasants

& restore irrigation & flood controlRestore govt. & civil

service exam system Restore army & the

Great Wall













Energetic new dynasty, often semi-civilized nomads, takes over & revives ChinaLower taxes, redistribute land to peasants

& restore irrigation & flood controlRestore govt. & civil

service exam system Restore army & the

Great Wall






developed bronze

China has a long history of revolutions, largely justified by the Mandate of Heaven which decrees an old dynasty’s reign should end in times of corruption and natural disasters. Unlike the West, where revolutions typically originate with the middle class, Chinese revolutions often arise from peasant unrest.*


N. Nomads est. Zhou dyn. (1028 B.C.E.) Follow cycle of Ch. history “Age of Warring States” (481-221 B.C.E.) (FC.54)





















developed bronze




Zhou Dynasty• Overview

• Founded ~1150


• Founded ~1150• Capitals at Xi’an and Luoyang


• Founded ~1150• Capitals at Xi’an and Luoyang• Lasted in some form til 221 BCE• Lacked strong central powerFeudalist



• Zhou Feudalism• Overview

• Royal RuleMajor VassalsMinor VassalsPeasants• Early Zhou had greater control over vassals

• Problems of Feudalism• Potential to Fracture• Mandate of Heaven• Growth of shi

• Peasants• Segregation• Burdens



• Zhou Feudalism• Overview

• Royal RuleMajor VassalsMinor VassalsPeasants• Early Zhou had greater control over vassals

• Problems of Feudalism• Potential to Fracture• Mandate of Heaven• Growth of shi

• Peasants• Segregation• Burdens

• Farming for Lord• Fighting• Laboring• Feeding Lord

• Resentment

Peasant Resentment: A PoemBig rat, big rat

Do not eat my millet. Three years I have served you,

But you will not care for me.I am going to leave you

And go to that happy land; Happy land, happy land,

Where I will find my place.

Big rat, big rat, Do not eat my sprouts!

Three years I have served you But you give me no comfort.

I am going to leave you And go to those happy fields; Happy fields, happy fields; Who there shall long moan?

Zhou Dynasty• Expansion of Civilization

• Increased Cultivation and Population• Migration Patterns• Results

Zhou Dynasty• Expansion of Civilization

• Increased Cultivation and Population• Migration Patterns• Results

• End of Western Zhou• Strong Rulers Make it work for several centuries• Decline Factors

• Weaker Kings• Disenchanted Nobles• Increased Barbarian Attacks

• Fall of “Western” Zhou in 771• Start of “Eastern” Zhou (770-221 BCE)

Conclusion: Shang vs. Harappan• Comparison: Shang vs. Harappan

• Shang Continuity• Harappan “Break”

• Lack of Long-Term Harappan Impact• Some Continuity• Examples of cultural “break”

• Examples of Chinese Continuity• Why?

Conclusion: Shang vs. Harappan• Comparison: Shang vs. Harappan

• Shang Continuity• Harappan “Break”

• Lack of Long-Term Harappan Impact• Some Continuity• Examples of cultural “break”

• Examples of Chinese Continuity• Why? Persistent presence of Nomadic Invaders

• India: Nomadic threat remote for centuries• lacked milit tech to resist/absorb nomads

• China: Ever-present nomad threat• Develop Milit tech• Unite under strong rulers• Nomads reinvigorate rather than destroy

Paper Review Average Grade: 89.4% (vs. 87.3% on Water) Improvement on Argumentation

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