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Study Guide 3
China
Chinese geography
Yellow River Valley
Loess
Yangtze River Valley
Shang dynasty
ancestor worship
Zhou dynasty (1122 BCE - 256 BCE)
“Mandate of Heaven”: The Zhou defeated the Shang around 1100 B.C.E. and built
their empire on Shang cultural foundations. In order to legitimize and strengthen
their claims to the Shang domain, Zhou kings devised a religious system in which
the chief god was referred to as “Heaven,” the king was the “Son of Heaven,” and
the king's rule was a product of the “Mandate of Heaven”—heaven's ultimate
authority to choose the king. The Mandate of Heaven proclaimed that kings
would have the backing of the gods, but only as long as they were wise and
principled guardians of the people. Incompetent or otherwise unfit rulers—as the
Shang had supposedly been—would have the Mandate withdrawn and would be
replaced. Compared with that of the Shang, Zhou religion was more accessible to
those outside the ruling elite. The result was a separation of religion from politics,
which allowed for the development of important secular philosophies during the
Zhou period. The most prominent of those philosophies was based on the ideas of
Confucius.
“meet the new boss . . .” --- The masses had played a key role in the uprising.
But they did not benefit from its outcome. The new empire was scarcely
different from the old.” (Harman)
Confucius (551-479 BCE): Ways that Confucian philosophy attempts to create
societal harmony: By emphasizing the idea that the country is parallel to the
family, By expanding the traditional feelings of benevolence toward family so
that they apply to all of humanity, By avoiding violence and promoting justice,
loyalty, and dignity, By emphasizing the goodness of human nature and seeking
to promote it through education, particularly of public officials
yin/yang: Harmony remained an important consideration for social order in
Confucianism, as well as in religious precepts such as Daoism. It manifested itself
in the idea of filiality, which emphasized obedience in both personal and political
relationships. When people do their duty, the yin/yang characteristics are balanced
and the “right order” of society exists. To maintain one's honor, one must show
respect for and submission to the family and the state. Harmony is also reflected
in the aesthetic and spiritual order of feng shui, which represents the desire to
harmonize buildings with the terrain and the elements of nature, including light,
water, wind, and chi (the natural energy or “force” in the world).
Warring States Period (480-221 B.C.E.): Confucius developed a doctrine of duty and
public service that became the most influential philosophy in China. He combined
ancestor worship with the assumption that hierarchy is the natural order of the
universe, emphasizing that societal harmony depended on everyone following
prescribed rules of conduct and ceremonial behavior. Confucius believed that, like
a moral family, the government should be based on ren, or benevolence. His
teachings emphasized benevolence, justice, loyalty, and dignity. Taking a very
different approach to social harmony, the Daoists believed that one should be
passive and take minimal action. Since the world lacks any real meaning or
absolute morality, all that really matters is the individual's understanding of, and
efforts to live in accordance with, the “path” of nature.
Lao Tze (c.604 - c.521 BCE) and Taoism: Lao-tze is the reputed author of the 'Tao Te
Ching' and founder of the Taoist religion in China. His name means 'Old Master'
and 'Tao' means the 'Way'. The 'Tao Te Ching' teaches a nonagressive approach
to life and a stoical indifference to the powers of the world. It called for a return to
an imaginary simple way of the past and for a style of life in harmony with the
universe. It says that man must imitate the universe, which endures because it
does not live for itself. Lao-tze worked as a librarian at the court of Chou. -accepting the world as you find it, avoiding useless struggles, and adhering to the
“path” of nature.
Qin state
Shi Huangdi (259-210 B.C.E.): Shi Huangdi, the founder of the Qin dynasty, was a
violent and brutal man. Shi Huangdi provided a dynasty for generations to come,
unfortunately, it was through the suffering of his people. Shi Huangdi had many
names that were used, including Shi Huangdi, Ch'in, Prince Zheng, and Qin. Qin
pronounced "chin" became the family name. Shi Huangdi named his land after
one of his many names, the land became known as China
Legalism: The Chinese political system that relied primarily on strict laws and
punishments to compel people to behave
Han Dynasty (206 B.C.E. – 220 C.E. 426 years.)
Accomplishments of the Han
Continuation of tight, centralized authority/administration
Extension of the silk road (connects China to the Middle East)
Refinements in production of silk:
Han synthesis
Promotion of Confucianism (academy), even selecting government officials
by tests on Confucian literature
Extend and protect silk route to Roman dominated Mediterranean world: In
addition to transporting goods, the Silk Road was important in the
exchange of ideas and cultures. Because of its size and isolated nature, it
was not dominated by any one culture or state. As trade became
increasingly important to the peoples along the road, the trend toward
moving from the countryside to the cities and trading centers
fundamentally altered people's lives. Cultural exchange along the road was
particularly evident in religion. Buddhism, Islam, Christianity, and
Zoroastrianism combined to create a complex culture that affected both
the peoples along the road and those far beyond.
Expansion of empire to Indo-China, Central Asia, southern Manchuria and
northern Korea
Suppression peasant rebellions
***Merchant classes --- The merchants were unwilling to break with the other
privileged classes and put forward a program of social transformation
capable of drawing behind it the rebellious peasants, adopting instead the
quietist Buddhist religion of India.
Height of Chinese power, prosperity and culture
Iron production, tools, weapons (adapted from Central Asia):
Students should recognize some of the advances made in areas
such as agriculture, husbandry, and warfare. The agricultural
products exchanged along the Silk Road became important
economically and also helped to diversify people's diets. Advances
in horse and camel breeding were also closely linked to the road.
Hybrid camels are one example of an improvement expressly
designed to overcome the limitations of the road's climate and
length. Those camels were bred so specifically for travel on the
Silk Road that their numbers declined rapidly as the use of the road
itself declined. The nature of warfare was dramatically changed by
the invention of the stirrup, which gave mounted troops enormous
advantages over their opponents.
Silks, porcelains, jade
Technology (e.g., iron ploughs, tools, fertilizers, crop rotation,
water-wheel, wheel barrow, sun dial, water clock, paper)
Literature
The Confucian Classics
histories
Religions
Buddhism
Confucianism
Daoism
Intermingling beliefs
Strong family ties
4th century crisis --- “The Chinese Empire, like the Roman Empire, fell apart in the
face of economic breakdown and famine within, and incursions by ‘barbarians’
from without” (Harman)
drought, famine, plagues in the North --- emergence of rival ‘barbarian’
kingdoms
new barbarian kingdoms and assimilation
introduction of several innovations: horse collar, saddle, stirrup,
bridge building techniques, mountain road techniques, medicinal
plant
Yet, no “dark ages”
Shift in production to the South --- The agricultural devastation of the North
was soon offset by the vigorous and sustained expansion of rice
cultivation in the Yangtze region
Fall of the Han
Factionalism within the ruling clan
Corruption and inefficiency
Peasant uprisings
Spread of banditry
Attacks by nomads
Ambitions of rural warlords
Factionalism/political fragmentation (three separate states)
Migrations south
Traditional Chinese culture rolls on