ANCIENT AND CLASSICAL CHINA

1. ANCIENT AND CLASSICAL CHINA

2. The Sage Kings • Gave the Chinese “civilization” • King Yao • A virtuous ruler bringing harmony to society • King Shun • Regulating the four seasons, • Invented weights, measures, and units of time • King Yu • Rescued China from raging floods of the Yellow River • Legendary? • Legends reflect values of society • Many may prove true! • The Xia Dynasty • Considered historical by Chinese • Possibility that the Sage Kings were from the Xia Dynasty ANCIENT LEGENDS: THE 3 WISE SAGE KINGS

3. Beginnings • Over two hundred thousand years ago • Domesticated rice • Around 7000 B.C.E. • In the valley of the Yangzi River • Millet cultivation • In the valley of the Yellow River • Also around 8000 BCE • Wheat and barley • Became staple foods of north China by 2000 B.C.E. • Two Hearths? • Genetic and archaeological evidence says yes • Northern hearth (Yellow R) ethnically Chinese • Southern hearth (Yangzi R) ethnically Polynesian APPEARANCE OF HUMANS IN EAST ASIA

4. Agricultural villages • Appeared in the valleys of the two rivers • Society was patriarchal • Fathers dominated families • Elder males ruled village • Males performed religious sacrifices • Political Institutions • Towns and small states • Appeared in north China during 2nd millennium B.C.E. • Three dynastic states in the valley of Yellow River: • Xia • Shang • Zhou EMERGENCE OF CHINESE SOCIETY 2ND MILLENNIUM BCE

5. The Yellow River • Water source at high plateau of Tibet • Loess soil carried by the river's water, hence "yellow" • River was "China's Sorrow" as it flooded uncontrollably • Loess: rich soil, soft, easy to work • Neolithic societies after 5000 B.C.E. • Yangshao society, 5000-3000 B.C.E. • Excavations at Banpovillage: fine pottery, bone tools • Longshan culture: 3000 – 2000 BCE EARLY AGRARIAN SOCIETY

6. ANCIENT CHINA

7. Archaeological Evidence • Discovery of Xia is still in preliminary stage • Archaeologists have found some tombs • Chinese scholars believe it existed • Supposed History • Established about 2200 B.C.E. • Legendary King Yu • The dynasty founder • A hero of flood control • Erlitou: possibly the capital city of the Xia XIA DYNASTY

8. Xia china

9. Arose in the North China • Along Yellow River • Between Ordos Bulge and Mouth of Yellow River • Evidence • Many records, material remains discovered • Bronze metallurgy, monopolized by elite • Vast network of walled towns • Agricultural surpluses supported large troops • Shang Society • Shang-kings were warriors • Constant struggle with nobles for power • The Shang capital moved six times • Small Shang elite ruled large common population • Lavish tombs of Shang kings • Contained chariots, weapons, bronze goods • Sacrificial human victims, dogs, horses THE SHANG DYNASTY: 1766-1122 B.C.E.

10. Shang china

11. The right to rule granted by heaven • Zhou justified their overthrow of Shang • Ruler called "the son of heaven" • Only given to virtuous, strong rulers • To lose mandate = someone else should rule • Replacement of dynasties = Dynastic Cycle • Signs one had lost mandate • Corruption, heavy taxes • Lazy officials and rulers • Revolts, invasions, civil wars, crime • Natural disasters • Society develops bad morals, habits MANDATE OF HEAVEN

12. The mandate of heaven and the dynasty cycle

13. The rise of the Zhou • The last Shang king was a bad ruler • The Zhou forces toppled the Shang • Political organization • Adopted decentralized administration • Used princes and relatives to rule regions • Consequences • Weak central government with ceremonial functions • Rise of regional powers; often called feudalism • Constant rivalry between warring families, nobles THE ZHOU DYNASTY: 1122-256 B.C.E.

14. The zhou map

15. Iron metallurgy • Iron technology spread; 1st millennium B.C.E. • Iron weapons were cheaper to produce than bronze • Helped regional aristocrats to resist the central power • Feudal state of Qin mastered iron technology, weapons • Nomadic invasion sacked capital • Prior period called Western Zhou • Capital moved to Loyang beginning Eastern Zhou • Warring StatesPeriod (403-221 B.C.E.) • Territorial princes became more independent • States warred one with another • Rise of Sun Tzu as military strategist • Rise of Qin state • Qin began conquering rivals • Created vast army, no one able to stop Qin kings • Last Zhou king abdicated his position in 256 B.C.E. THE FALL OF THE ZHOU

16. Central to Chinese culture: kinship • Veneration of ancestors • Belief in ancestors' presence, continuing influence • Burial of material goods with the dead • Offering sacrifices at the graves • Eldest males presided over rites honoring ancestors • Only males could perform religious duties • Filial Piety • Young must respect elders without question • Elders always right, make decisions • Patriarchal society • During Neolithic times, Chinese society = matrilineal • Rise of states, war due to men's contribution s • After Shang, not even queens merited temples FAMILY

17. The ruling elites • Royal family and allied noble families at the top • Their lavish consumption of bronze products, silk • Hereditary aristocrats with extensive landholding • Most of the land owned by the king, nobles • Peasants, the majority of population • Called the “mean” people • Landless peasants provided labor • Lived in small subterranean houses • Wood, bone, stone tools common • Iron spread in 6th century B.C.E. • Women’s World • Wine making, weaving, silkworm raising • Managing household, raising children • Elite women vs. poor women THE SOCIAL ORDER Imperial Family Nobles Peasants

18. Specialized labor • Free artisans • Artists, musicians • Craftsmen in great demand • Served the needs of ruling elites • Merchants, trade were important • Jade from Central Asia, tin from SE Asia • A few pieces of pottery from India • Merchants ranked socially lower • Slaves • Mostly war prisoners • Performed hard work • Became sacrificial victims • Suspicious towards Foreigners OTHERS Slaves Artisans Merchants

19. No organized religion, priestly class • Impersonal heavenly power - tian • Males performed few duties • Fathers took care of family duties • Rulers took care of the public duties • Oracle bones • Rulers, people question tian for direction • Primary instruments of fortune-tellers • Discovery of the "dragon bones" in 1890s • Bones recorded day-to-day concerns • Early Chinese writing • Earliest form was the pictograph • From pictograph to ideograph • Absence of alphabetic or phonetic component • More than two thousand characters • Modern Chinese writing is direct descendant SECULAR CULTURAL TRADITION

20. Customary beliefs and practice • As old as civilization in China • Never encouraged/discouraged by state • Syncretic in nature • Will absorb many different traditions • Blends all major ideas, philosophies • Exists in harmony with official philosophies, faiths • Believes gods, spirits (shen) influence family, world • Power over world affairs • Deceased members of community, family • Deified figures of history, literature • Spiritual embodiment of nature, geography • Maintenance of family shrines, community temples • Prayers, supplications • Food offerings • Shamanism and divination are practiced CHINESE POPULAR RELIGION

21. Household Rituals • Always performed by males • Expression of Confucian filial piety • Domestic altar • Names of deceased, icons • Worship of the stove god • Oversees family’s moral conduct • Reports on family to heaven • Public Rituals • Preserve social harmony, local identity • Local earth god protects area from spirits • City god important; has temple at center of city • Physical, public processions, offerings • Supreme Deity and Influence of Daoism • Shangdi (Ruler on High) • Cannot be addressed directly • Shang kings called up other spirits to address Shangdi • Later called Tian or Heaven • Rulers called Son of Heaven • Empire is his favorite government • Mandate of Heaven is an off-shoot of this idea HOUSEHOLD & PUBLIC RITUALS

22. Zhou literature • The Book of Change, a manual of diviners • The Book of History, the history of the Zhou • The Book of Rites • The rules of etiquette and rituals for aristocrats • The Book of Songs • The most notable of the classic works • Verses on themes both light and serious • Reflected social conditions of the early Zhou • Destruction of early literature • Most Zhou writings have perished • 1st emperor destroyed most writings THOUGHT, LITERATURE

23. Steppelands • Pastoralists domesticated animals • Lived on grassy lands • Seasonal migrations to pasture lands • Became nomads, ancestors of Turks, Mongols • Nomadic society • Little farming, but relied on herding animals • Two classes – a royal clan and then all commoners • Patriarchal society but women had influence • Interactions • Constant warfare between nomads over best grazing area • Relied on grains and manufactured goods of the Chinese • Exchange of products between nomads, farmers • Nomads often invaded rich agricultural society • Nomads did not imitate Chinese ways PASTORALISTS

24. The Yangzi valley • The longest river of China • Two crops of rice per year • Dependable and beneficial to farmers • Indigenous peoples of South China • Ancestors of the Malayo-Polynesians • Many assimilated into Chinese society • Some pushed into hills, mountains • Many migrated to Taiwan, Vietnam, Thailand • State of Chu (Conquered by Qin) • Emerged in the central Yangzi region • Challenged the Zhou for supremacy • Adopted Chinese ways EXPANSION OF china

25. Confucius (551-479 B.C.E.) • A strong-willed man, from an aristocratic family • Traveled ten years searching for an official post • Educator with numerous disciples • Sayings compiled in the Analects by disciples • Confucian ideas • Fundamentally moral and ethical in character • Restore political and social order; stress ritual • Formation of junzi - "superior individuals" • Edited Zhou classics for his disciples to study • The key Confucian concepts • Ren - a sense of humanity • Li - a sense of propriety • Xiao - filial piety • Cultivating of junzi for bringing order to China • 5 Relationships and filial piety as basis of society CONFUCIUS’ SEARCH FOR ORDER

26. Mencius (372-289 B.C.E.) • Principal spokesman for the Confucian school • Believed in the goodness of human nature • Government by benevolence, humanity • Xunzi (298-238 B.C.E.) • Served as a governmental administrator • Cast doubt on the goodness of human nature • Harsh social discipline to order to society • Stress moral education, good public behavior LATER CONFUCIANS

27. CONFUCIAN SOCIAL HIERARCHY Confucian Scholar Official

28. Legalism • The doctrine of statecraft • Promoted a practical and ruthlessly efficient approach • No concern with ethics and morality • No concern with the principles governing nature • Doctrine used by Qin dynasty • Shang Yang (ca. 390-338 B.C.E.) • A chief minister of the Qin state • His policies summarized in The Book of Lord Shang • Was executed by his political enemies • Han Feizi (ca. 280-233 B.C.E.) • Student of Xunzi, became the most articulate Legalist • A synthesizer of Legalist ideas • Forced to suicide by his political enemies LEGALISM

29. The state's strength • Agriculture • Military force • Discouraged commerce, education, and the arts • How to treat people • Harnessing self-interest of people for needs of state • Called “carrot and stick” approach in west • Called for harsh penalties even for minor infractions • Advocated collective responsibility before law • Not popular among the Chinese, • Chinese used legalism if state threatened • Legalism still doctrine common to China LEGALISM IN PRACTICE

30. Founder Mo Zi • Lived 470 – 391 BC • A commoner, worked with mean people • Served in military, ideas based on it • Beliefs • Partiality, competition causes problems • Advocates doctrine of universal love • Advocates cooperation • Stress discipline, order, authority • Loyalty to all elders, not family • Emphasized practical; hate waste, war • Favor math, science over arts, ritual MOHISM

31. Prominent critics of Confucianism • Preferred philosophical reflection and introspection • Understand natural principles, live in harmony with them • Laozi and Zhuangzi • Laozi, founder of Daoism; wrote the Daodejing • Zhuangzi, Daoist philosopher, wrote Zhuangzi • Philosophical Daoism • Dao - The way of nature, the way of the cosmos • Opposites in balance, complementary • An eternal principle governing all workings of the world • Passive, yielding, does nothing , accomplishes everything • Tailor behavior to passive, yielding nature • Ambition, activism brought the world to chaos • Popular Daoism • A folk or religious form of Daoism; not philosophical • Emerged at end of Han Dynasty • Seek to master forces of natural, spiritual world • Many deities including immortals, which people venerated • Symbolized prosperity, happiness • Many saints were patrons of certain occupations • Gods associated with natural cycles, agriculture • Daoist priests were shamans, performed exorcisms DAOISM

32. The doctrine of wuwei • Disengagement from worldly affairs • Called for simple, unpretentious life • Live in harmony with nature • Advocated small state, self-sufficient community • Political implications • Served as a counterbalance to Confucian activism • Individuals often both Confucians and Daoists • Flourishes when society at peace, prosperous DAOIST WUWEI

33. The Qin State and Dynasty • Partially sinified pastoralists, perhaps even Turkish • Located in west China and adopted Legalist policies • Encouraged agriculture, resulted in strong economy • Organized a powerful army equipped with iron weapons • Conquered other states and unified China in 221 B.C.E. • Qin Shi Huang di • King of Qin proclaimed himself First Emperor, 221 B.C.E. • Established centralized imperial rule • Held sons of nobles as hostages • Demolished nobles castles • Project of connecting and extending the Great Wall • 700,000 people worked on project; 100,000 killed UNIFICATION OF CHINA

34. Suppressing the resistance • Bitterly opposed, was opposed by Confucian scholars • Buried 460 scholars alive because of their criticism against the Qin • Burned all books except some with utilitarian value • Policies of centralization • Standardization of laws, currencies, weights, measures • Standardized scripts: tried to create uniform language • Creates a uniform writing system but not language • Tomb of the First Emperor • The tomb was an underground palace • Excavation of the tomb since 1974 • Terracotta soldiers and army to protect tomb • The collapse of the Qin dynasty • Massive public works generated ill will among people • Waves of rebels overwhelmed the Qin court in 207 B.C.E. • A short-lived dynasty, left deep marks in Chinese history QIN STATECRAFT

35. Liu Bang • A general, persistent man, a methodical planner • Restored order, established dynasty, 206 B.C.E. • Han was long-lived dynasty • Early Han policies • Sought middle way between Zhou and Qin • Royal relatives were not reliable • Returned to centralized rule • Martial Emperor (141-87 B.C.E.) • Han Wudi ruled for 54 years • Pursued centralization and expansion THE EARLY HAN DYNASTY

36. Han centralization • Adopted Legalist policies • Built an enormous bureaucracy to rule the empire • Continued to build roads and canals • Levied taxes on agriculture, trade, and craft industries • Imperial monopolies on production of iron and salt • Established Confucian educational system for training bureaucrats • Confucianism as the basis of the curriculum in imperial university • Thirty thousand students enrolled in the university in Later Han • Han imperial expansion • Invaded and colonized northern Vietnam and Korea • Extended China into central Asia • Han organized vast armies to invade Xiongnu territory • Han enjoyed uncontested hegemony in east and central Asia HAN STATECRAFT

37. MAPPING HAN CHINA

38. Patriarchal, patrilocal households averaged five inhabitants • Large, multigenerational compound families also developed • Women's subordination (Ban Zhao Admonitions for Women) • Cultivators were the majority of the population • Differences apparent between noble, lower class women • Scholar bureaucrats: Confucian trained bureaucrats • Officials selected through competitive testing • Used to run the government in Early Han • Scholar Gentry • Confucian bureaucrats intermarried with landed elite • New class comes to dominate local, national offices • Strongest in late Han • Merchants held in low social esteem HAN SOCIAL STRUCTURE

39. Iron metallurgy • Farming tools, utensils • Weapons • Silk textiles • Sericulture spread all over China during the Han • High quality Chinese silk became a prized commodity • Traded as far as India, Persia, Mesopotamia, and Rome • State monopolies on liquor, salt and iron • Paper production • Invented probably before 100 C.E. • Began to replace silk and bamboo as writing materials • Population growth • Increased from 20 to 60 million (220 BCE to 9 CE) • Despite light taxation, state revenue was large • Silk Road established: horses for silk COMMERCE, INDUSTRY

40. Expeditions consumed the empire's surplus • Raised taxes and confiscated land of some wealthy individuals • Taxes, land confiscations discouraged investment • Much of defense consumed on defending against nomads • Social tensions, stratification between the poor and rich • Problems of land distribution • Early Han supported land redistribution • Economic difficulties forced some small landowners to sell property • Some sold themselves or their families into slavery • Lands accumulated in the hands of a few • No land reform, because Han needed cooperation of large landowners • The reign of Wang Mang • A powerful Han minister dethroned the baby emperor • Claimed imperial title himself, • 9 C.E. Land reforms - the "socialist emperor“ • Overthrown by revolts 23 C.E HAN TROUBLES

41. The Later Han Dynasty (25-220 C.E.) • Overthrown of Wang Mang restores Han • New Han much weakened • Rule often through large families, gentry • Rise of Eunuchs in government as new source of power • The Yellow Turban Uprising (Daoist Revolt) • Rulers restored order but did not address problem of landholding • Yellow Turban uprising inflicted serious damage on the Han • Collapse of the Han • Court factions paralyzed central government • Han empire dissolved • China was divided into regional kingdoms • Period of 3 Kingdoms • Local aristocrats divided empire • Later fragmented further • During period nomads invaded, Buddhism entered LOSS OF THE MANDATE