China In Antiquity Chapter 3 Shang Dynasty The Zhou Dynasty Overview Confucianism of Legalism Ancient Daoism The Qin Dynasty China The Han Dynasty Daily Life in Ancient China Political Organization Agricultural society whose major occupation was war Combat with two-horse chariots Appeared to have contact with neighboring The Shang regions Dynasty – 16th Kings ruled with central bureaucracy Century BCE Oracle bones- used to communicate with the gods, on these were inscriptions in the form of pictographic writing Believed in the afterlife and had burial practices similar to those of Egypt including human sacrifice. Like the pharaohs in Egypt, Chinese rulers filled their tombs with prized possessions from daily life. It was believed that if a tomb was furnished and stocked with supplies, including chairs, boats, chests, weapons, games, and dishes, the spiritual body could continue its life Comparative despite the death of the physical body. Illustration Religion & Philosophy – The Afterlife and Prized Possessions In the photo on the left, we see the remains of a chariot and horses in a burial pit in China’s Hebei province that dates from the early Zhou dynasty. The lower photo on the right shows a small boat from the tomb of Tutankhamun in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt. Social Structures The Shang Neolithic period: Farming village basic social unit Dynasty cont. Villages organized by clans, not nuclear families; villagers probably all took same name Today there are only 400 commonly used last names Classes becoming increasingly differentiated Division into aristocratic elites and peasants who worked the land. Known for mastery of casting bronze and sophisticated writing system that would evolve into modern Chinese Ruling powers The Zhou Zhou king served by increasingly more complex bureaucracy It included several ministries responsible for rites, education, law and Dynasty public works. (1045-221 Kingdom divided into principalities governed by hereditary B.C.E.) aristocracy Peasants Peasants worked the land owned by their lord, but also had land they cultivated for their own use. Merchants and artisans Engaged in trade and manufacturing Lived in walled cities controlled by local lord and were considered the property of the local lord and could even be bought and sold. Class of slaves- most likely prisoners of war The period in the later Zhou, from the sixth to the third century The Zhou BCE was an era of significant economic growth and Dynasty technological innovation (1045-221 Iron tools and plow B.C.E.) Natural fertilizer Wet rice, will become prime food source and support the population of appr 20 million. Trade Silk (most important), jade, salt, cloth Read mandate p 69 – white section The Mandate What is the Mandate of Heaven? of Heaven How is this an essential element in Chinese political culture? Confucius Analects- a collection of sayings by Confucius The universe was constructed in such a way that if human beings could act harmoniously in accordance with its purposes, their own affairs would prosper. Confucianism Major Tenets Concept of Duty- It was the responsibility of all individuals to subordinate their own interests and aspirations to the broader need of the family and the community. Humanity- sense of compassion and empathy for others. Argued that human beings were by nature evil (in contrast to Confucianism which argued that human nature was fundamentally good) Legalism Rejected Confucian view of government by superior men; only strict system of impersonal law and harsh punishments could control people Strong rulers needed for an orderly society In most respects opposed to Confucianism True way to interpret will of Heaven is not action but inaction (wu wei) Act spontaneously and let nature take its course Popular Daoism; framework for spiritualistic and animistic beliefs among common people Daoism More religion than philosophy Set of rituals to achieve heavenly salvation or state of immortality on earth Primarily this form that survived into a later age Belief that spirits of the dead lived in atmosphere before going to heaven or hell. Family members must care for spirits The Qin Empire, 221–206 B.C.E. Qin Shi Huangdi (The First Emperor of the Qin) Legalism adopted as official ideology Those who opposed regime punished or executed New administrative and political structures Highly centralized state Three primary ministries: civil, military and censorate Divided into provinces and counties Official positions appointed not inherited Harsh penal code Society and the Economy Qin Dynasty Unified system of weights and measures; standardized money system and written forms of Chines characters Reduce landed aristocracy and distributed land to peasants who were taxed by state Viewed merchants as parasites; private commerce restricted Aggressive in foreign affairs Expanded borders to Red Rive in modern Vietnam Beyond the Frontier: The Nomadic Peoples and the Great Wall Xiongnu- Mongols By end of third century B.C.E. had unified may groups and pose serious threat to Northern frontier Building begins on the Great Wall of China Qin Dynasty Fall of the Qin Eunuchs organize against Emperor Court Eunuchs were adult men who had been castrated. Resentment from landed aristocracy, Confucian intellectuals and common people The Tomb of Qin Shi Huangdi The First Emperor of Qin ordered the construction of an elaborate mausoleum, an underground palace complex protected by an army of terra- cotta soldiers and horses to accompany him on his journey to the afterlife. This massive formation of six thousand life-size armed soldiers, discovered accidentally by farmers in 1974, reflects Qin Shi Huangdi’s grandeur and power. Founder; Liu Bang, later known as Han Gaozu or Exalted Emperor of Han Commoner of peasant origin Maintained Qin political institutions but abandoned harsher aspects of Legalism Confucianism and the State Han Dynasty State Confucianism (integration of Confucian doctrine and legalist institutions) 165 B.C.E. first known civil service examination Established academy to train civil servants Mostly from elite classes but officially open to anyone based on merit. MAP 3.3 The Han Empire This map shows the territory under the control of the Han Empire at its greatest extent during the first century B.C.E. Note the Great Wall’s placement relative to nomadic peoples. The Economy Fiscal policies led to greater social inequality More land in hands of the wealthy Peasants suffered under tax burden and compulsory military service for adult males up to one month of forced labor Manufacturing and Trade Han Dynasty Major expansion both domestic and foreign Merchants seen as parasites; State controlled most trade and manufacturing Built and revitalized existing infrastructure New technologies fostered growth of textiles, water mills, iron casting, shipping; invention of paper One of China’s most important contributions to the world was the invention of paper during the Han dynasty. Although the first known use of paper for writing dates back to the first century B.C.E., paper was also used for clothing, wrapping materials, military armor, and toilet tissue. It was even suggested to a prince in 93 B.C.E. that he use a paper handkerchief. Paper was made by pounding fibers of hemp and linen. Then the crushed fibers were placed on a flat meshed surface and soaked in a large vat. After the residue dried, it was peeled away as a sheet of paper, seen piled at the right in this eighteenth-century painting. Making Paper Imperial Expansion and the Origins of the Silk Road Han Wudi (r. 141-87 B.C.E.) Incorporated northern Vietnam West to Caspian Sea Zhang Qian and expansion of trade into Central Asia Silk Road flourishes Han Dynasty Buddhism brought into China (1st century C.E.) The Decline and Fall of the Han Wang Mang and the Xin Dynasty “Late Han Dynasty” Cao Cao; constant anarchy; internal divisions; nomadic invasions Events in Ancient China Date Range Xia Dynasty ?-c. 1570 B.C.E. Shang Dynasty c. 1570 - c. 1045 B.C.E. Zhou Dynasty c. 1045 - 221 B.C.E. Chronology – Life of Confucius 551 - 479 B.C.E. Ancient China Period of the Warring States 403 - 221 B.C.E. Life of Mencius 370 - 290 B.C.E. Qin Dynasty 221 - 206 B.C.E. Life of the First Emperor of Qin 259 - 210 B.C.E. Han Dynasty 202 B.C.E. - 221 C.E..