Ancient China

The Shang Dynasty

In power from 1766-1050 BC First dynasty to

have archeological evidence of

Greatly influenced Chinese history

Shang Government

Created strong central government If rulers benefit people, their power grows

IrrigationFlood Control

Shang Religion

The king was the high priest and the link between heaven and earth.

The King needed to perform rituals to please gods If pleased, the gods bring good harvests

and victory in war If not, floods and famine occurred

Mandate of Heaven

Heaven granted rulers the right to rule which means people owed loyalty to them

War, Floods, and Famine were all signs that the Mandate of Heaven had been lost

Shang Achievements

Developed a system of writing.Used pictographs

Pictures and symbols that represent objects and ideas

Started with 3,000 charactersLater people had to learn 10,000 to even

be considered literate Priests developed advanced calendars

Used by Farmers

End of the Shang Dynasty

The Zhou (joh) invade and overthrow the Shang dynasty

The Zhou claim the Mandate of Heaven

Dynastic Cycle in China

an old dynasty

Chinese Philosophies and Religion

Confucius Teachings

Based on the 5 Relationships:Ruler and RuledFather and son (Filial Piety)

The duty and respect that children owe their parents

Older brother and younger brotherHusband and wifeFriend and Friend

Confucius The superior person

should set an example for the inferior one and is responsible for the inferior.

Confucius’s teachings are collected in the Analects

Daoism/Taoism

Created by Lao ZiThoughts collected in The Way of Virtue

A society with rules is an artificial creation that disturbed the natural order.

Best government was the one with the fewest laws and rules.

Philosophy – “The best action is inaction.”

Taoist Influence

Believed to have invented the magnetic compass (for graves) and gunpowder (scare ghosts)

Example of Taoist Philosophy

“The duck’s legs are short, but if we try to lengthen them, the duck will feel pain. The Crane’s legs are long, but if we try to shorten them, the crane will feel grief. Therefore we are not to cut off what is by nature long, nor to lengthen what is by nature short.”

Legalism

Based on teachings of Han FeiziCollected in book called Han Feizi

People act on self-interest.Therefore they respond to rewards and

punishments, not good examples.

Buddhism

Developed in India, but reaches China in the 1st century AD

Preaches reincarnation Based on Karma (good or bad) Constantly reborn until you reach

enlightenment Appealed to Chinese because it offered an escape

from earthy sufferings, and meshed with Chinese ideas and values

Buddhism

Buddhism can be summarized by the 4 Noble TruthsLife is sufferingThe cause of suffering is desire and

attachment It is possible to end sufferingThe way to end it is through the Noble

Eightfold Path

Chinese Empires

First Empire (221 – 202 BC)

After the Zhou, China breaks into several smaller warring nations

Shi Huangdi (sher hwang-dee) takes over neighboring states and re-centralized powerCalled the Qin DynastyUsed legalist tactics

Great Wall of China

The Qin dynasty is most remembered for the Great Wall of China

Constructed to keep nomads (Mongols) from the North out

Entire Great Wall is 13,171 miles today and 1,500 miles long

Great Wall of China

Used forced labor to build Estimated that 1 million people died during the

construction of the wall “Every stone cost a human life.” – Chinese

historian Did not stop invaders from attacking

Did become a symbol to ChineseSouth = Civilized farming peopleNorth = Nomadic Barbarians

Start of the Wall at Shanhaiguan

Great Wall of China Clip

Great Wall of China Modern Marvels – The Great Wall

The Han Dynasty (202 BC – 220 AD)

The Chinese people are unhappy under Qin Established by Liu Bang (lyoh bong) who

led peasants and overthrew the Qin China greatly expands under Han

Silk Road The Silk Road becomes prominent under the

Han Increases Trade Increases spread of ideas

Silk Road greatly increases cultural diffusion:

Gunpowder, Wheel, Religions, Silk, Foods

Fall of the Han Dynasty

After 400 years of rule, the Han Dynasty is eventually ended by invaders.

Achievements of the Han

Developed Acupuncture as a medical treatment Qi

Invented wheelbarrow and sundial

Discovered how to make paper

Mongol Conquest (Yuan Dynasty)

China begins to experience prosperity again in the 1st and early 2nd century AD.

Empire created by Genghis Khan Grandson Kubilai Khan took over China in

1279 Under Mongol control, China makes contact with

Marco Polo Described the effective transportation system

set up by the Mongols.

End of Mongol Rule

By 1368 the Mongols are kicked out from power and the Ming Dynasty is established (1368-1644)

Ming Dynasty Chinese begin to regain their glory

Built impressive Navy and Forbidden City

Majority of Great Wall today is from them

Mysteriously go into isolation though and remain that way until the 1800s

Forbidden Palace

Shang Qin Han Mongol Ming

Begin of Reign

Interesting Fact

Achievements

End of Reign Conquered