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The Shang Dynasty
Rulers known as the Shang became powerful because they controlled land and
had strong armies.
Parts of ancient China were controlled by different clans, or large,
extended families. Rival clans frequently fought each other.
Sometimes, one clan became powerful enough to rule all of
ancient China and begin a dynasty. The Shang was one
example of such clans.
Shang Government & Military
The Shang government was led by a powerful king. To extend
his power, a king set up smaller kingdoms led by his younger
brothers and nephews. When a king died, his power was often
passed on to a younger brother or to a son. Shang kings depended on
strong armies to maintain their rule and to defend and expand their
kingdoms. The kings took part in almost constant warfare with their
enemies and fought to keep other clans under control. The king’s
armies were especially powerful because Shang nobles had weapons
made of bronze. Archaeologists have found huge cities with
walls, royal palaces, and royal tombs from the time of the Shang.
One of these cities was Anyang (AHN•YAHNG) in northern China.
Anyang was China’s first capital.
Shang Religion
Shang religion centered on ancestor worship. They also believed that
dead ancestors had the power to help or harm the living. Kings used
oracle bones to seek their ancestors’ advice on important matters such
as when to hunt, where to build cities, and whether to go to war. The
oracle bones were made from turtle shells or the shoulder blade of a
cow. To ask a question, a holy man would make a statement such as
this: “Tomorrow is a good day for the hunt.” Then he would press a hot
needle against the back of the bone. The heat would make the bone
crack. The pattern of the crack was believed to be a message.
The End of the Shang Dynasty
The Shang excelled in war. Constant warfare eventually
weakened the military power of the Shang. The Shang king and his
nobles spent extravagant amounts of money on their palaces,
furnishings, clothing, and even their tombs. Over time, this lavish
spending may have weakened the economy. One of the last Shang
kings was especially corrupt. Rather than look after his people, he
spent all his time on recreational activities like hunting. But no one
knows whether this report was true. Around 1045 B.C.E., a clan called
Zhou (joh) rose up against and conquered the dynasty. One story says
that, as Zhou rebels stormed his capital city, the last Shang king ran
from the battlefield, put on all his jewelry, and threw himself into the
flames of a fire.
The Zhou Dynasty
Chinese rulers claimed that the Mandate of Heaven gave them the right to rule.
Reading Focus Who gives you permission to do the things you do? Your
mother? Your teacher? Read to find out how the rulers of the Zhou dynasty
turned to the heavens for permission to rule.
During the rule of the Shang, a great gap existed between the
rich and the poor. Shang kings lived in luxury and began to treat
people cruelly. As a result, they lost the support of the people in
their kingdom. In 1045 B.C. an aristocrat named Wu Wang led a
rebellion against the Shang. After defeating the Shang, King Wu
began a new dynasty called the Zhou (JOH).
The Zhou Government
To explain why they conquered the Shang and get
acceptance from their citizens, Zhou leaders claimed that the
Shang king had been a poor ruler and that the god’s had taken
away his power. They claimed that they had been given the
Mandate of Heaven, a right to rule China granted from god or
the heavens.
As long as the king governed his people well, Heaven gave
him the right to rule. If the king did not govern well, Heaven
would send signs of its displeasure, such as earthquakes and
floods. When these signs happened and the king lost the support
of Heaven, this signaled others had the right to overthrow him.
The Zhou and later groups believed in the Mandate of Heaven.
The Zhou dynasty ruled for more than 800 years—longer
than any other dynasty in Chinese history. Zhou kings ruled
much like Shang rulers. The Zhou king was at the head of the
government. The Zhou kings copied the Shang system of
dividing the kingdom into smaller territories. The kings put
aristocrats, rich nobles, that they trusted in charge of each
territory.
Zhou Achievements
For thousands of years, Chinese farmers depended on rain
to water their crops. During the Zhou dynasty, the Chinese
developed irrigation and flood- control systems. As a result,
farmers could grow more crops than ever before. Because more
food could support more people, the population increased.
During the late Zhou dynasty, China’s population had expanded
to about 50 million people
Zhou people also learned to use iron, which was cheaper
and stronger than bronze. Iron weapons, the catapult and
China’s first cavalry (military on horseback) were some of the
Zhou achievements that helped strengthen the army. The Zhou
also introduced coins to China and began the use of chopsticks.
The Zhou Empire Falls
During its later years, different leaders fought for control in
China. Many of the aristocrats that ruled Zhou territories became
powerful, stopped obeying the Zhou kings and started to
compete for control. The country was thrown into disorder. For
almost 200 years, the states battled each other. Historians call
this time the “Period of the Warring States.” These troubles led
Chinese thinkers to ask serious questions about the best way to
have peace and order in society. Ultimately, this disorder
weakened the Zhou dynasty and allowed them to be conquered
by Qin Shihuangdi and the Qin dynasty began.
Emperor Qin Shihuangdi
Qin Shihuangdi used harsh methods to unify and defend China.
You have read about the problems in China during the Warring States.
The rulers of powerful local states fought one another and ignored the
Zhou kings. One of these states was called Qin. Its ruler took over
neighboring states one by one. The Qin ruler declared himself Qin
Shihuangdi, China’s first emperor. The Qin ruler made changes in
China’s government that would last for 2,000 years.
A Powerful Ruler
Qin based his rule on the ideas of Legalism. He had everyone who
opposed him punished or killed. Books opposing his views were
publicly burned. Qin made the central government stronger than ever
before. He appointed government officials, called censors, to make sure
government
officials did their jobs. He was also suspicious of the wealthy
people. Qin required them to move to his capital city so that he could
monitor them. Qin Shihuangdi unified China. He created one currency,
or type of money, to be used throughout the empire. He also ordered
the building of roads and a huge canal. He used the roads and canal to
ship supplies to his troops in far-off territories.
The Great Wall
While making his empire improvements, Emperor Qin also
fought to protect his empire from outside threats. Northern China’s
farms and villages were being attacked by nomads, people who move
from place to place with herds of animals. Several previous Chinese
rulers in the north built walls to keep out the invaders. Qin Shihuangdi
forced farmers to leave their fields and work on connecting and
strengthening the walls. The result was the Great Wall of China, built
with stone, sand, and piled rubble.
Why Did People Rebel? The Death of Emperor
Qin and the End of the Qin Dynasty.
Despite the Emperor of Qin’s many achievements, some ancient
Chinese writings say that he could not find happiness. Above all,
the emperor was afraid to die. He summoned magicians to his
court, asking them how he could become immortal, or live
forever. Some magicians told him that he should seek a magic
potion. The emperor searched far and wide for such a potion.
After ruling for ten years, Emperor of Qin died while he was off
searching for the magic potion. No one knows the cause of his
death. He may have been poisoned trying a magic potion.
The harshness of the emperor’s rule had caused much
unhappiness across China. When news broke of his death,
rebellions broke out in the countryside. Many Chinese viewed
Qin Shihuangdi as a cruel leader. Wealthy people were angry
because he reduced their power and made them move. Scholars hated
him for burning their books. Farmers hated him for forcing them to
build roads and the Great Wall. Civil war broke out and a new dynasty
soon arose.