China's First Dynasties: Preview

Ancient India and China
Section 4
Chinas First Dynasties

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Main Idea / Reading Focus Chinas Geography The Shang Dynasty The Zhou Dynasty Map: Shang and Zhou Dynasties New Philosophies Faces of History: Chinese Philosophers
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Visual Study Guide / Quick Facts Video: The Impact of Hinduism as a World Religion
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Main Idea
Chinas river valley civilizations built the foundations of a longshared Chinese culture. The achievements of the Shang and Zhou dynasties can be felt to this day.
Reading Focus
How did Chinas geography affect its early civilization?
What were the achievements of the Shang dynasty? How did China change during the Zhou dynasty? What new philosophies were introduced in China?
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Chinas Geography
The development of civilization in early China was aided by features like long rivers, fertile soils, temperate climates, and isolated valleys.
Rivers, Soils, Climates

Chinas first civilizations developed in river valleys Two major rivers supplied water for earliest civilizations
Chang Jiang, also called Yangzi Huang He, or Yellow River
Loess
Annual floods deposited rich soil, loess, on flood plains Valley of Huang He particularly fertile due to loess
Fine dusty soil Carried into China by desert winds
Both flow east from Plateau of Tibet to Yellow Sea
Ancient India and China Crops
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Most of eastern China covered with fertile soils; some regions better suited than others for growing certain crops
Southern Chinawarm, receives plenty of rainfall, excellent region for growing rice
Further northclimate cooler, drier; suitable for grains, wheat, millet
Isolation
Combination of rivers for irrigation, fertile soil for planting allowed Chinese to thrive, as did Chinas relative isolation Mountains, hills, desert protected China from invasion Himalaya Mountains separate southern China from India, rest of southern Asia; vast Gobi Desert prevented reaching China from west
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Chinas Geography
Beginnings of Civilization Xia
Archaeological discoveries suggest Chinese civilization began in Huang He valley

People started growing crops there 9,000 years ago
Legend says earliest Chinese ruled by Xia dynasty No written, archaeological evidence Xia dynasty existed
Most historians date beginning of Chinese civilization to rise of Shang dynasty
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Summarize What geographic features influenced life in early China?

Answer(s): Rivers deposited rich soil for farming; mountains, hills, and desert isolated the area.
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The Shang Dynasty

According to ancient Chinese records, the Shang dynasty formed around 1766 BC, although many archaeologists believe it actually began somewhat later than that. Government and Society China ruled by strong monarchy At capital city, Anyang, kings surrounded by court Rituals performed to strengthen kingdom, keep safe Order Kings governors ruled distant parts of kingdom King also had large army at disposal Agricultural Society Shang China largely agricultural Most tended crops in fields Farmers called on to fight in army, work on building projectstombs, palaces, walls
Prevented rebellions, fought outside opponents
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Shang Elite
Leisure
Ruling elite had free time to pursue leisure activities, hunting for sport Wealthy enjoyed collecting expensive bronze, jade objects
Artifacts
Much of what is known comes from studying royal tombs Contained valuable items made of bronze, jade
Afterlife
Tombs held remains of sacrificed prisoners of war
Ancestor Worship
Shang offered gifts to deceased ancestors to keep them happy in afterlife Steam from ritual meals nourished ancestors spirits
Believed in afterlife where ruler would need riches, servants
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Oracle Bones
As part of worship, Shang asked ancestors for advice
Sought advice through use of oracle bones
Inscribed bits of animal bone, turtle shell
Living person asked question of ancestor

Hot piece of metal applied to oracle bone resulting in cracks on bones surface Specially trained priests interpreted meaning of cracks to learn answer
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Shang Achievements and Decline

Writing
Development of Chinese writing closely tied to use of oracle bones Earliest examples of Chinese writing, questions written on bones themselves Early Shang texts used picture symbols to represent objects, ideas
Bronze
Shang religion led to great advances in working with bronze Highly decorative bronze vessels, objects created for religious rituals Also built huge structures like tombs; created calendar, first money systems
End of Dynasty
Shang ruled for more than 600 years, until about 1100 BC Ruling Chinas growing population proved too much for Shang Armies from nearby tribe, Zhou, invaded, established new ruling dynasty
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Summarize
How did religion influence other aspects of Shang culture?
Answer(s): ritual meals for ancestors; oracle bones connected to early writing; bronze work for rituals; built stable tombs
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The Zhou Dynasty

Beginning around 1100 BC, the Zhou rules China for several centuries. The Zhou dynasty is divided into two periods. During the Western Zhou, kings ruled from Xian in a peaceful period. Later conflict arose, kings moved east to Luoyang, beginning the Eastern Zhou period. Government
When Zhou conquered Shang, leaders worried Chinese people would not accept them
Introduced idea they ruled by Mandate of Heaven
Dynastic Cycle
Zhou said Shang overthrown because they lost gods favor
Later rulers used Mandate of Heaven to explain dynastic cycle, rise and fall of dynasties in China
Gods would support just ruler, not allow anyone corrupt to hold power
If dynasty lost power, it obviously had become corrupt
In that case, they said, it was the will of the gods that that dynasty be overthrown and a new one take power.
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Zhou Achievements
Before Zhou, Chinese metalwork done almost exclusively in bronze Zhou learned to use iron, became backbone of economy
Iron was strong, could be cast more cheaply, quickly than bronze
Iron weapons strengthened Zhou army, as did new weapons like catapult and creation of Chinas first cavalry
Growth
Population grew under Zhou Farmers learned new techniques, increased size of harvest, created food surpluses; cities also grew Roads, canals allowed better transportation, communication Introduced coins, use of chopsticks
Decline of the Zhou

Conflict arose during latter part of Zhou dynasty Clan leaders within China rose up against king As time passed, more and more local leaders turned against Zhou, further weakening rule
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Small States Fight

Result of rebellions was Warring States Period
403 BC to 221 BC, number of small states fought each other for land, power
Zhou still nominally in charge, but power almost nonexistent by mid-200s BC Qin, new dynasty, arose to bring end to Warring States Period, Zhou dynasty
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Analyze How did China change under the Zhou?

Answer(s): iron technology, population grew, new farm techniques, more food, cities grew, roads and canals built, coins and chopsticks introduced
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New Philosophies
The conflicts of the late Zhou period led many Chinese thinkers to question the nature of society and peoples roles in it.
Effort to make sense of chaos led to creation of many new Chinese philosophies, or ways of looking at the world
Of many philosophies created during late Zhou period, two became influential in later Chinese history: Confucianism Daoism
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Confucianism
Confucius
Confucianism based on teachings of scholar named Kongfuzi, better known as Confucius, who thought people should treat one another humanely Should express love, respect for others, honor ones ancestors
Love and Respect

Believed that love, respect had disappeared and was responsible for violence in society; restoring respect for tradition would make society stable Thoughts on how to improve society collected in book, Analects
Analects
Ruler should treat subjects fairly; subjects reward ruler with respect, loyalty People should respect members of family, devote selves to public service Confucian ideas spread elsewhere in Asia, including Korea, Japan, Vietnam
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Daoism
Definition
Unlike Confucianism, which focuses on improving society, Daoism encourages people to retreat from laws of society, yield to law of nature Heart of Daoism is concept of the dao, or the way Dao is the limitless force that is part of all creation Through the dao, all things in nature connected Finding ones place in nature allows person to achieve harmony with universe
Yin and Yang

Daoism embraced Chinese concept of yin and yang, representing balancing aspect of naturemale, female; dark, light; hot, cold Neither can exist without other Important for two to remain balanced for perfect harmony Origins of Daoist teachings attributed to philosopher named Laozi Wrote book called Dao De Jing Laozi worshipped by some as a god
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Some Lasting Effects

Daoism eventually proved less influential than Confucianism in Chinese history
Still played major role in later dynasties Idea of balance key concept in China for centuries as result of Daoist teaching Daoist philosophy led many followers to work for preservation, protection of natural environment
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Contrast What is one difference between Confucianism and Daoism?

Answer(s): Daoismretreat from society and commune with nature; Confucianismimprove society
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Ancient India and China