Family and Dynasty in China

The Family• Family is center of society• More important than the

individual or nation• 1st responsibility is

always to the family• Household• Can have up to 5

generations• Included extended

family

• Rich-lived in large house• Most Poor-farming

villages-1 room cottages

The Family• Power & privilege in the

family• Belonged to oldest male

• He decided marriages• Punished family

members

• When he died, power divided among sons

• Family Names• First people to use 2 names• Individual name and family

name• Family name comes first• Emphasizes importance of

family

• Heaven grants a ruler the right to rule• Mandate based on rulers ability to govern well and fairly• Could only rule so long as they were good and just rulers

• Mandate could be taken away and given to another family• Ruler becomes selfish• Ruler becomes corrupt• Natural disasters happen• Mandate would be taken away

• Rebellion happens• If successful, it shows the Mandate was moved

Heaven bestows its mandate on a just ruler, so long as he remains so.

Xia (Hsia) Dynasty10,000-5,000 BCE

• China’s first political dynasty• Founded by the Xi

clan• “Great Engineer” Yu

founder

•No written records• Settled along the

Yellow River

Shang Dynasty 1700-1100 BCEZhou Dynasty 1100-250 BCE

• Cities• Surrounded by walls• Society divided between rulers, priests, warriors,

merchants/craftsmen, and peasants

• Major Developments• Built roads and canals• Began using bronze• Developed literature, studied astronomy, and created

art, First writing system.• China’s first organized armies

• Chopsticks invented

• Religion• Ancestor worship• Practiced human sacrifice

Shang

Zhou

• Founded by Qin Shihuangdi• 1st man to control all of China• Established Bureaucracy• Legalist society• Standardized government• Laws applied to all people• Built roads, canals, bridges, worked on the Great Wall,

created terra cotta soldiers• Used censorship/Suppression of information and public

speech.• Burned books and cut education

Qin Dynasty 221-206 BCE

Qin

• Han a peasant who led revolt and became Emperor• Silk Road began

• Trade route from China to the West• Exchange of goods and ideas

• Scientific Progress• Invented acupuncture, paper, and a seismograph

• Tombs• Buried with stuff for next world (clothes, food, money)

• Public Schools• Boys only• Education Key to good government• Civil Service Exam: test to work for government

• Religion• Buddhism introduced from India• Christianity introduced from the west

Han

Han Dynasty 200 BCE-200 CE

• 220-600CE Period of War and many rulers

• Tang Dynasty “Golden Age” of China• China very prosperous

• China reunited under Li family• High positions open to all, just

had to take a exam• Arts flourished w/people coming

from India and Korea to study.• Chang’an Capital City

established

Tang

Tang Dynasty 600-900 CE

Song Dynasty 960-1279 CE• China’s “Age of Invention”• Created Standing Navy• Used to fight pirates

• Gun powder first used• Invented magnetic compass• Seismograph• Rice and Tea become popular• Capital Hangzhou largest city in

world at time• Marco Polo in China• Fascinated with Song• Rainbow Bridge, wouldn’t was

away.

Song

Ming Dynasty 1368-1644 CE• Time of adventure and travel• Wealthy traders• Brought back treasures from

Korea and Japan• Folding fan

• Exported art works and porcelain all over world. (Vases at Biltmore)

• Finished Great Wall• Forbidden City built (Beijing)• 980 buildings on 180 acres• Worlds largest palace complex• 1m workers built over 14 years• Ming Capital

Ming

Mongols

• Nomads from Asian Steppe• Traders and herdsman• Small groups, very poor, lead

by chiefs (Khans)• 1162 Temuchin born• 1206 becomes sole leader of

Mongols• Given title of Genghis Khan, The

Khan of Khans

• Mongols become warrior people• Conquer almost all of Asia

Mongols