2013 Chinese Dynasties

Pronunciations

• Huang He hwahng he • Shang shong • Zhou Joe• Loess less• Henan hey – nahn• Wei way• Qin chin

A Dynasty is a line of rulers that come from

the same family

An aristocrat is a noble, or upper class person, whose wealth comes from their land

Key Terms….

China’s history is usually divided into time periods based on the rule of different dynasties. A ‘dynasty’ is a ruling family that passes the power to rule down through the generations. These rulers were thought to be ‘divine’, or actual gods, and thus were obeyed without question.

Four Chinese Dynasties

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.

• China ruled by strong monarchy

• At capital city, Anyang, kings surrounded by court

• Rituals performed to strengthen kingdom, keep safe

Government and Society

• King’s governors ruled distant parts of kingdom

• King also had large army at disposal

• Prevented rebellions, fought outside opponents

Order

• Shang China largely agricultural

• Most tended crops in fields

• Farmers called on to fight in army, work on building projects—tombs, palaces, walls

Agricultural Society

The Shang Dynasty

Leisure• Ruling elite had free time to

pursue leisure activities, hunting for sport

• Wealthy enjoyed collecting expensive bronze, jade objects

Afterlife• Tombs held remains of

sacrificed prisoners of war

• Believed in afterlife where ruler would need riches, servants

Artifacts

• Much of what is known comes from studying royal tombs

• Contained valuable items made of bronze, jade

Ancestor Worship• Shang offered gifts to deceased

ancestors to keep them happy in afterlife

• Steam from ritual meals nourished ancestors’ spirits

Shang Elite

Shang Dynasty 1750-1050 BCE

• Chinese civilization is one of oldest, continuous on earth

• 5,000 years of history

• Archaeologists believe the Huang He valley was the center of Chinese civilization.

• The Shang kings were part of a dynasty that may have build the 1st Chinese cities. They ruled from about 1750 B.C. to 1122 B.C.

• The Shang Dynasty built the city of Anyang which was China’s first capital.

Shang culture characterized by:

Centralized governmentUrban communitiesStratified social classesPalatial architectureDistinctive writing systemElaborate religious ritualsSophisticated art forms

Shang culture characterized by

Bronze metallurgyHorse drawn chariotAbility to mobilize human labor for huge

projects/corvee laborRelatively accurate calendarMoney in form of cowrie shellsPantheon of godsComplex lineage structure

The Shang

• The Shang left written records and extensive material remains, especially bronze works.

• Bronze metallurgy, horses, chariots, and other wheeled vehicles came to China with Indo-European migrants.

• The Shang employed artisans to make many weapons for the government.

• They controlled access to copper and tin ores.

The Shang• The Shang kings had many

political allies who supported the king in exchange for agricultural output and access to metal works.

• Several large cities were highly fortified with thick, tall walls.

• This indicates a highly centralized political power and central rule of the Shang kings.

Shang zun (wine vessel)

Made of Bronze

The Shang

• The Shang royal tombs included thousands of objects including human material remains.

Political and Religious Organization of the Shang

• Ruled by specific internal clans, each with its own king.

• Kingship and kinship were linked.• As head of his biological clan and

geographical realm, the king:– Performed rituals and sacrifices – Waged war– Constructed irrigation and flood

control– Administered the government.– Was thought to be descended from

the god of the spirits.– Had divine rights.

Political and Religious Organization of the Shang

• The ruler directly controlled a growing network of towns.

• He ruled from his capital city.• He designated representatives to

oversee regional cities. Most of these representatives were blood relatives.

• These relatives received title to land, shares in the harvests, and rights to build and control the regional capital cities.

• In exchange, they represented and served the king and his interests in the provinces.

Cities: Shang• Vast network of walled

towns whose local rulers recognized authority of the Shang kings

• Shang rulers moved their capital six times– Capital at Yin (near

modern Anyang) contained a complex of royal palaces and eleven large and lavish royal tombs

Royal tomb at Anyang

Class Organization under the Shang

• Inside the walled area lived the royal family, the nobility, and their retainers.

• Outside this palace was a network of residential areas.• To the north were the dwellings and graves of the wealthy

and powerful marked by ritual bronze vessels and sacrificial victims.

• To the south were the dwellings of the commoners and their burial places in trash pits.

• Occupations were inherited within specific family units.• Many “zu” or lineage groups corresponded to occupational

groups.

• People of the Shang dynasty were divided into groups…

• THE NOBLES: The king and his family were the most powerful of this group. Warlords and other royal officials were also in the class. They were aristocrats, nobles whose wealth came from the land they owned.

• THE COMMONERS: Traders and artisans were below the nobles. The commoners did most of the specialized work including farming.

• THE SLAVES: Slaves captured during wars were the lowest class of people.

•Royalty/ Imperial CourtThe king (emperor) and his family were the most powerful and wealthy people in Shang times.

•Nobles: Warlords and officials loyal to the king were given land and peasants. In return, they fought in the king’s army and provided the king with soldiers & supplies.

•Craftsmen (Artisans): These skilled workers made artifacts for the aristocrats.

•Traders (Merchants):Like the craftsmen, traders were a very small class. They bartered or sold goods.

•Farmers:The largest social class, farmers often used simple wooden and stone tools.

•Slaves: Captured during wars, slaves were from opposing clans and used as human sacrifices or laborers

Social Classes Under the Shang

The king was the ultimate ruler; yet, to expand his power, he set up smaller kingdoms under his younger brothers and nephews.

New Technologies: Shang and Military Success

• Shang ruling elites were able to monopolize production of bronze in the Yellow River Valley by controlling access to copper and tin ores

• Allowed Shang forces to defeat Xia forces who were equipped with only stone, wood, and bone weapons

• Shang nobles used bronze to make fittings for horse-drawn chariots

New Technologies: Shang and Military Success

Shang pictograph of composite bow

• Shang were also able to exert military might over the Xia through bows

Shang Warfare• Shang rulers used warfare

to control land and expand their power.

• Conflicts between the Shang and neighboring clans to the west and south were caused by boundary disputes, the desire for valuable resources, and the need to capture prisoners for human sacrifice or forced labor.

Foot soldier

Axe man

Shang Noble

Yi Captive

Shang Armies• Many wars involved large

armies of more than 13,000 men.– Foot soldiers– Archers– Calvary on horses & elephants– Fighters in chariots

• Soldiers used bronze weapons such as arrowheads, spearheads, helmets, and daggers mounted on wooden shafts.

Shang Dynasty1600 B.C.-1046 B.C.

The most advanced bronze-working civilization in the world.

1500-1000 B.C.Greeks destroy Troy (c. 1193 B.C.).

Bronze Weapons—Created by Craftsmen and Used by Nobles

• The bronze weapons of the ancient Chinese gave Shang warriors an advantage over their enemies, who had less technologically advanced weapons.

Jade Weapons—Placed in Emperor’s Tomb

• Jade copies of Shang daggers and spears were placed in imperial tombs for use in the afterlife.

Jade spearhead set in bronze

Ceremonial daggers with turquoise and jade ornamentation

Ceremonial Axes—Created by Craftsmen and Used for Kings

• Bronze ceremonial axes, which were found in many Shang emperor’s tombs, were symbols of imperial authority.

• These axes were used to kill the sacrificial victims who were buried with the emperor.

• Early Chinese emperors had complete power to make all government decisions.

• Emperor’s owned the land, but they gave some of it away to their loyal supporters (nobles)

Jade Carvings—Symbols of Noble Power

• When a Shang emperor gave control of a town or land to a nobleman, he also gave him symbols of his new power.

• The emperor gave jade carvings of lucky creatures, such as dragons and tigers.

• Jade was a stone reserved for nobility, and the Chinese saw the hard stone as a symbol of wisdom and charity/kindenss.

• Power symbols also included chariots, flags, and drums.

Bronze Vessels—Created by Craftsmen

• Shang people believed that ancestors brought their families good or bad fortune.

• They used bronze containers, or vessels, to hold food items in ceremonies honoring their ancestors.

• They also placed such vessels in the bombs so the dead could continue these rituals and have things to eat and drink in the after life.

• Craftspeople designed some vessels to hold wine and others to hold meat or grain.

• Early Chinese writing used pictographs, or characters that stand for objects.

• By the Shang dynasty, people used logographs, characters that stand for words.

• This differs from the American alphabet system (phonetic system) where each letter represents a sound.

• In the Chinese language, each marking, or symbol, represents a whole word.

Writing Under the Shang

• Early Chinese writing used pictographs, or characters that stand for objects.

• Ideographs are two or more pictographs joined to represent an idea. – The Chinese language differs from the American alphabet system

because in the American alphabet, each letter represents a sound. The letters, or sounds, are put together to make words. In the Chinese language, each marking, or symbol, represents a whole word.

• Development of Writing– Writing system uses symbols to represent

syllables, not ideas– People of different languages can use same

system– Huge number of characters make system difficult

to learn

Shang: Focus on the Family

• Multiple generations of the same family lived in the same household, which was a patriarchal institution headed by the oldest male.

• Shang religion held that gods controlled all aspects of peoples’ lives.

• People believed they could call on the spirits of their dead ancestors to act as their advocates with the gods. This was called “veneration of ancestors.”

• This gave the extended family even greater significance.

• Religious Beliefs– Spirits of dead ancestors

can affect family fortunes

– Oracle bones used to consult gods; supreme god, Shang Di

• Priests scratch questions on animal bones and tortoise shells

• People in the Shang dynasty believed in many spirits and gods and honored ancestors with offerings.

• Shang kings believed they received wisdom and power from the gods, spirits, and ancestors.

Early Chinese Dynasty Gods…

The river god, rain god, earth god. They believed in many gods, but the most powerful was the sky

god, T'ien, the king of gods. To the peasants, T'ien was more brilliant

and more powerful than any earthbound king.

• People believed in many gods and practiced ancestor worship.

• They honored their ancestors with offerings.

• Shang kings believed they received wisdom and power from the gods, spirits, and ancestors.

The Sky God (T’ien)

The most powerful god was the sky god, T'ien. He was the king of gods. To the peasants, T'ien was more brilliant and powerful than any earthbound king.

Religion Under the Shang

Ancestor reverenceUltimate source of political power was royal

ancestorsDeceased ministers had some influenceDead went to HeavenIntercede on behalf of descendantsSo ritual life of Shang court was sequence of

sacrifices to ancestors

Ancestor worship; the belief that your dead relatives control and guide your destiny. Thus respect and honor for them is necessary.

Shamanism;Shang Religion was based on

ideas of ancestor worship, as well

as a belief in nature gods, demons and

magic.

Important ideas from Shang

Notion of supreme heavenly power—Shangdi (god above)

Belief in power of spirits of ancestors to affect events on earth

Importance of rituals venerating ancestors & role of king in performing rituals

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 bone’s surface

– Specially trained priests interpreted meaning of cracks to learn answer

Oracle Bones—Used by Kings and Nobles

• Shang emperors and priests used oracle bones to predict the future.

• Shang priests etched positive or negative statements onto the surface of the shell or bone.

– Rainfall --Sickness– Harvest --Childbirth– Sickness --Enemy attacks

• Then the priest applied a hot poker to a groove on the bon so the bone would crack.

• The cracks were analyzed to reveal the answer of the gods or ancestors.

Oracle bones were made from tortoise shells or the shoulder blades of cattle.

Tomb of Fu Hao (Warrior Princess)

• Museums display recreations of objects found in royal burial tombs.

• Along with bronze vessels, jade ornaments, and bronze weapons, royalty were buried with food, animals, servants, and slaves to serve them in the afterlife. All were marched down a ramp into the tomb.

Cowrie Shells—Used by Traders

• During the Shang dynasty, people usually traded, or bartered, for the goods they wanted.

• However, cowrie shells were also used as currency (money) during the Shang period.

• The ancient Chinese strung 5 to 10 shell together and used them as coins are used today.

• They were valuable because the source of the shells was so far away.

• They closest supply of cowries was on the east coast of China below the Chang Jiang, or Yangtze River.

Farming Tools

• During the Shang dynasty, the main occupation of most people was farming.

• Peasants used simple wooden plows, stone shovels, stone sickles, and stone axes to work the land.

Shang economic features

Tamed water buffaloCultivated rice in southGrain grown in north

Shang musical instruments

• Music used as “civilizing” influence in state rituals

DrumsBellsChiming stonesocarinas

Shang Accomplishments

1. Made bronze by mixing copper and tin2. United the clans of Inner China3. Jade jewelry and sculptures4. Ancestor worship5. Logographs

What was special about the Shang?

• Shang China had limited contact with the rest of the world, though it did trade with Mesopotamia, a very long journey.

• The Shang were so isolated that they believed themselves to be at the center of the world.

• The Shang had an ethnocentric attitude which means they considered themselves superior to all others.

• The Shang were accomplished bronze workers, used horse-drawn chariots, developed the spoked wheel, and became experts in the production of pottery and silk.

• They also devised a decimal system and a highly accurate calendar.

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

End of Dynasty • Shang ruled for more than 600 years, until about 1100 BC• Ruling China’s growing population proved too much for Shang• Armies from nearby tribe, Zhou, invaded, established new ruling dynasty

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

Shang Achievements and Decline

Last Shang King• King Di Xin (aka Zhou Wang; 紂王 ).• Added territory to Shang

empire.• According to Sima Qian, he

was given to drinking, women, festive orgies, and “songs with crude lyrics.”

• Ignored affairs of state.• Fall of Shang Dynasty, 1046

B.C.E.

Zhou Dynasty

In that case, they said, it was the will of the gods that that dynasty be overthrown and a new one take power.

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.

• When Zhou conquered Shang, leaders worried Chinese people would not accept them

• Introduced idea they ruled by Mandate of Heaven

• Gods would support just ruler, not allow anyone corrupt to hold power

Government

The Zhou Dynasty

• 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

• If dynasty lost power, it obviously had become corrupt

Dynastic Cycle

The Zhou Dynasty

• The Shang dynasty fell to the Zhou Dynasty around 1122 B.C.E. but it did not disappear.

• The Zhou survived for more than 600 years, making it one of the longest lasting Chinese dynasties.

Zhou Dynasty

• Zhou Dynasty (1045 – 256 B.C.E.), named after the Zhou province, emerged in western Yellow River as a principality of the Shang Dynasty.

• Founded by Ji Chang, son Ji Fa (aka King Wu) first Zhou emperor; claimed Mandate of Heaven.

• Battle of Muye (1046 B.C.E.), Zhou army attacks Shang capital; Di Xin sets his own palace on fire and is burned alive.

• Dynasty divided into Western Zhou and Eastern Zhou dynasties.

Zhou Dynasty

• Displaced the Shang Dynasty– China’s longest lasting

dynasty– Located in NE China– Increased the territory

of China– Flourished until 700’s,

then began a slow decline

http://www.artsmia.org/art-of-asia/history/images/maps/china-chou-large.gif

• Wu Wang and his followers rebelled against the Shang dynasty and created the Zhou dynasty.

• The Zhou dynasty ruled longer than any other dynasty in Chinese history. Wu Wang

The Zhou Dynasty

c. 1050 - 400 BC the leaders of a people who came to be known as the Zhou (JOH) ruled over a kingdom in China.

They joined with other nearby tribes and overthrew the Shang dynasty.

Longest lasting dynasty in Chinese history

Zhou Politics

• Zhou Dynasty becomes “feudal”: Fengjian system.– Decentralized rule, emperor appoints lords and

vassals as territorial governors.– Eventually results in instability.

• Mandate of Heaven elaborated on.– Not only justifies rule, but also overthrow.– “He who wins is the king; he who loses is the

rebel.”– Permanent rule of statecraft.

Zhou Dynasty: Government

• No strong centralized government– Feudal system

• Govt. dependent upon loyalty from nobles

• Rulers claimed to have a Mandate of Heaven– Ruler chosen by gods to rule– Gods can take away the mandate if the ruler is

unjust or unfit

The Zhou Political System

The Zhou kings claimed to possess the• Mandate of Heaven - heaven gave power to

the king or leader, and no one ruled without heaven’s permission.

• If a king was found to be bad, heaven would support another leader

““T’ien Ming”T’ien Ming”The Mandate of The Mandate of

HeavenHeaven1.1.The leader must lead by ability The leader must lead by ability

and and virtue. virtue.

2.2.The dynasty's leadership must The dynasty's leadership must be be justified by succeeding justified by succeeding generations.generations.

3.3.The mandate could be revoked The mandate could be revoked by by negligence and abuse; the will negligence and abuse; the will of of the people was important. the people was important.

The Mandate of Heaven

The Mandate of Heaven developed during the Zhou Dynasty and dominated Chinese thought well into the 20th Century.

It is based on four principles:• The right to rule is granted by Heaven.• There is only one Heaven; therefore, there can

be only one ruler.• The right to rule is based on the virtue of the

ruler, which serves as a check on the ruler's power.

• The right to rule is not limited to one dynasty, which justifies rebellion as long as the rebellion is successful.

TheDynastic

Cycle

A new dynasty

comes to power.

People’s lives improved;

taxes reduced.

Problems begin(extensive wars,invasions, etc.)

Economic problems,high taxes

Govt. corruption.

Droughts,floods,

famines occur.

Poor loserespect for govt.

They rebel.

Rebels findstrong leader and

Rebel against Emperior.

Emperor isdefeated !!

The emperorimproves government.

Start here

The dynastic cycle refers to the rise and fall of dynasties.

The Dynastic Cycle in ChinaThe Dynastic Cycle in China

Primary Source Description• “Heaven, unpitying, has sent down ruin on Yin

[Shang]. Yin has lost the Mandate, and we Zhou have received it. I dare not say that our fortune would continue to prosper, even though I believe that heaven favors those who are sincere in their intentions. I dare not say, either it would end in certain disaster. . . .

• The Mandate of Heaven is not easy to gain. It will be lost when men fail to live up to the reverent and illustrious virtues of their forefathers.”

• – Duke of Shao

• Kings in the Zhou dynasty served at the head of the government. In a bureaucracy, officials are responsible for different areas of government that all serve under the king.

• The Zhou kingdom was divided into smaller territories. Each territory was led by an aristocrat.

• Zhou kings were thought to be the link between the gods and people. The Mandate of Heaven was a heavenly law that gave Zhou kings the power to rule. The Mandate of Heaven also gave people rights.

• The Dao was the proper way kings were to rule their people.

A mandate is a formal command to rule or

do something important

The Zhou Dynasty

• What was the Mandate of Heaven?– It was a divine right given to the king to rule as long as he ruled

well. If he ruled poorly, others had the right to overthrow him!

• What is feudalism?– System of government where the king owns all the land. He

gives land to loyal supporters & in exchange they have to provide soldiers to fight for the king. Peasants, called serfs, work the land for the king.

The Zhou

• The Zhou from an area to the west of the Shang kingdom.

• Early Zhou rulers used the mandate of heaven to justify their rebellion against the Shang.

• Later Zhou rulers expanded their territory to the northwest and the east.

• Zhou soldiers then moved south, eventually expanding their rule to the Chang Jiang.

Zhou Dynasty

Zhou Political OrderThe Zhou king - highest level. Granted land to lords -

people of high rank - in return for loyalty, military support, and other services.

• Lords paid taxes and provided soldiers to the king as needed.

• Peasants, or farmers with small farms, at bottom of the order.-Each peasant family received a small plot of land and had to farm additional land for the noble.

Zhou’s Contributions to Chinese Culture

• The Zhou transformed warfare.• They developed the cavalry in which

soldiers fought with bows and arrows on horseback.

• They introduced infantry troops of draft foot soldiers.

• The Zhou expanded significantly, creating a much larger state than what had been ruled by the Shang.

• The Zhou created a decentralized administration that left much power in local hands.

Zhou’s Contributions to Chinese Culture• “Book of Songs’ includes a

collection of China’s earliest poetry which includes insights into family life and gender relations in early China.

• These poems make clear that men pursue women in courtship and not the other way around.

• Other poems speak of a deep distrust of women in politics and argue that men alone should be in the public sphere and that women belonged at home.

Book of Songs• Collection of 331 poems

from the Zhou era• Represent a variety of

subjects– Political themes– Ritualistic hymns– Life– Love and friendship– Family– Work and play

Book of Songs

“Everywhere under vast Heaven There is no land that is not the king’sWithin the borders of those landsThere are none who are not the king’s

servants.”–from the Zhou Book of Songs

New Technologies: Zhou and Military Failure

• Zhou kings were not able to monopolize bronze production as the Shang had

• Moreover, iron technology was spreading rapidly throughout China– Iron ores were cheaper and more abundant than copper

and tin so Zhou could not monopolize iron• Subordinates were able to outfit their forces with iron which

enabled them to resist the central government• When nomads invaded the Zhou capital at Hao in 771 B.C.,

the subordinates refused to support the king

The Zhou system brought order toChina

• Ruling through lords helped the Zhou control distant areas and helped ensure loyalty to the king.

• Over time the political order broke down. • Lords passed their power to their sons, who

were less loyal to the king. • Local rulers gained power. They began to

reject the authority of the Zhou kings.

Economic• Agriculture• Cities are surrounded by agriculture • North harvested millet grain

o Rain was hard to predict • South harvested rice

o Predicted monsoons o Rice patties must be flat and very weto Used channels to create controlled floods o An acre of rice can feed more people then an acre of graino Cultivating rice is very labor intensive requires many people o South eventually became more populated and important then the

North• Trade• Jade, ivory and bronze weapons were traded • Silk was the most valuable innovation and was in high demand • Traded as far as Mesopotamia

• Improvements in Technology and Trade– Zhou Dynasty builds

roads, canals to improve transportation

– Uses coins to make trade easier

– Produces cast iron tools and weapons; food production increases

Economic Exchange

• Somewhat limited by the mountain ranges and deserts that stood between China and India and southwest Asia– Shipbuilding emerged during Zhou era and facilitated

trade

• Evidence of– Cowrie shells from Burma and the Maldives– Military technology from Mesopotamia – Jade from central Asia– Tin from Malay

Zhou Economy

• Feudal economy and land divisions: “well field system” from Chinese character for well, jing (井 ); slavery decreased.

• Development of an artisinal and merchant class in the walled towns and villages.

• Improvements in agriculture = improved crop yields = rise in population.

• Silk trade begins with ancient Mediterranean and Middle East cultures.

• Barter system transitions into money system.

New Technologies: Silk

• During the Zhou era, the Chinese discovered how to make silk from the cocoons of silkworms. – Silk would become China’s

most valuable export, eventually linking them with most of the world through trade.

New Technologies: Bookbinding

• Chinese artisans learned how to bind together long, thin strips of wood or bamboo to make books

Poem from Late Zhou Dynastynoting use of oracle bones in deciding the

location of a new city

The plain of Zhou was very fertile,Its celery and sow thistle sweet as rice cakes.“Here we will make a start; here take counsel.Here notch our turtle.”It says, “Stop,” it says, “Halt.Build houses here.”

Zhou Dynasty: Society and Culture

• The family was the main social unit within Classical China– Headed by patriarch

• Zhou rulers attempted to create a greater sense of unity within China– Language: Promoted Mandarin Chinese– Religion: outlawed human sacrifice

• However, feudalism made this unity difficult

Cosmological Beliefs

• Anthropomorphic god Shang Di evolves into Heaven (tian, 天 ).

• Yang and Yin; harmony/balance.• The Dao (道 , Way): ethical way of living,

similar to Dharma.• Competing schools of philosophy:

– Confucianism: more philosophy than religion.– Daoism: more religion than philosophy.

Confucianism• How did Confucius

(Kung Fuci) explain Dao?

• First, duty to family and community.

• Second, “human-heartedness” compassion or empathy for others.

• Third, deemphasize gods, death, and the afterlife.

Daoism• Founded by Laozi (4th c.

B.C.E.), contemporary of Confucius.

• Similar to Confucianism, except:– Inaction over action.– Let nature take its

course.– Stress on deities and

spirits.

Zhou (Chou) Dynasty 1027B.C. - 221 B.C.

It was philosophers of this period who first proclaimed the principles of the “Mandate of Heaven," the notion that the ruler (the "son of

heaven") governed by divine right but his dethronement would mean that he had lost his mandate.

Agriculture in Zhou Dynasty was very intensive and in many cases directed by the government. All farming lands were owned by nobles, who then gave their land to their serfs, similar to European feudalism. Well-Field System

was established. A piece of land was divided into nine squares in the shape of the character jing ( 井 ), with the grain from the middle square

taken by the government and that of surrounding squares kept by individual farmers.

• 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 China’s first cavalry

• 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

Growth• 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

Decline of the Zhou

Zhou Achievements

The Decline of Zhou PowerAs the lords’ loyalty to the Zhou king lessened, refused to fight against invasions.• 771 BC invaders reached the capital. • According to legend, the king had been lighting warning fires

to entertain a friend. • Each time the fires were lit, the king’s armies would rush to

the capital gates to protect him. • When the real attack came, the men thought the fires were

just another joke, and no one came. • The Zhou lost the battle, but the dynasty survived.

Decline of Zhou

• After this defeat the lords began to fight each other.

• By 481 BC, China had entered an era called the Warring States period, a time of many civil wars.

Fighting became brutal and cruel as soldiers fought for territory, not honor.

Decline of ZhouThe decline of the Zhou took place as well as• important changes in the Chinese family structure • For many centuries the family had been the

foundation of life in China. • Large families of several generations formed

powerful groups. • When these families broke apart, they lost their

power.• Close relatives became rivals.

Contributions of the Shang & Zhou Dynasties• Two of the most important contributions of the Shang Dynasty are the use of

bronze and a system of writing.– Warriors… were knights in bronze armor who went to battle in horse-

drawn chariots made of wood and bronze. They wore bronze helmets, and carried daggers, spears, and axes

• Chopsticks were invented, which changed the way people ate their food.

• Irrigation and flood-control systems were developed during the Zhou dynasty. Farm tools, such as the plow, were developed.

• Silk was an important trade item during the Zhou dynasty.

Decline of the Zhou Dynasty

• Regional disunity caused Zhou Dynasty to decline– Feudal lords began to assume more power, weakening the

dynasty– Invasion from nomads to north

• China entered the Warring States Period – 480-221 BCE– Strongmen competed for power– Eventually, one man was able to rise up and begin a new

dynasty