Download Dynasties of China

Dynasties of China
Ch 11 Sections
3&4
Chinese legend…
• China’s first dynasty according to legend
was the Xia. (Dynasty means “ruling
family”).
• There was a reciprocal type of agreement
between ruler and ruled under this
system…the ruler was to work hard to
provide “good government” and in return
He deserved the full support of the people.
Earliest civilizations…
• 1st dynasty backed by archeological
evidence is the Shang (1650 BC) – which
started the tradition of dynastic rule that
would last until 1911.
• Shang achievements: well organized army;
irrigation & flood control projects; writing
system based on ideographs (symbols
represent ideas, not sounds); accurate
calendar helped with farming; bronze making
led to new weapons & household items;
• Zhou overthrew the Shang & ruled for 800
years introducing many of the ideas that
would govern Chinese rule for centuries…
Shang religious traditions
• Polytheistic; consulted the gods & the spirits
of ancestors. The Emperors used people
who were adept at this (“oracles”) to try to
foretell problems (floods, earthquakes).
• Priests became very important to Emperor
because of their abilities. Some used oracle
bones to try to interpret the messages from
the heavens.
• Other methods of telling the future??
Reading tea leaves; palm readings; tarot
cards; horoscopes…
Mandate of Heaven
• Chinese believed that heaven granted a ruler the
mandate, or right, to rule. In return, the people owed
the ruler complete loyalty & obedience.
• The Mandate linked power with responsibility…in
exchange for their loyalty, the people had the right to
expect good government. If the ruler failed to
maintain harmony, he was thought to have lost the
mandate & someone else had the right to claim it
(this usually occurred through warfare& could take
years).
• The period between the Zhou & China’s next dynasty
(Qin) was long & chaotic & during that time the 3
philosophies emerged in an effort to provide stability
& direction in the absent of a ruling dynasty…
The Dynastic Cycle
• The Dynastic cycle in China reflected this “reciprocal
agreement” between ruler and ruled. A new dynasty
restored peace, redistributed land to peasants, ended
corruption in govt & improved infrastructure; as the
Dynasty aged it became corrupt, lost lands to invaders,
taxed unfairly & lost favor with the peasants. Problems
would crop up (rebellions, natural disasters) & that would
signal the need for a new Dynasty to claim the Mandate
of Heaven. Sometimes that happened quickly but
sometimes that took several centuries, bringing chaos
and uncertainty to the country and its people.
China’s First Empire: the Qin
(not on handout*)
• The Qin
• In 221 BC the Qin united China & claimed the
mandate under the leadership of Shi Huangdi, a
Legalist.
• As a Legalist he ruled strictly, instituting a single law
code, uniform currency & weights/measures,
improved transportation. He banned & burned all
books on Confucian teachings. Began construction
on the Great Wall, intended for protection & as a
symbol of China’s desire to keep “barbarians” out so
under this dynasty China was closed to outside
contact.
HAN DYNASTY…
• 206 BC – 220 AD; Confucian leaders, they
expanded trade & were open to contact with
areas outside of China. (see “The Silk Road”
p. 338 in text). Buddhism spread into China
during this period. Placed great emphasis
on education & set up an exam system to
choose gov’t. officials (called “civil
servants”). This system allowed people to
improve their social status based on merit
and not birth.
• Many advancements in science, farming,
inventions (due to emphasis on learning)
TANG & SONG DYNASTIES
• Tang = 618 – 907; Song = 960 – 1279
(Daoists). This was China’s “Golden Age”
because of long periods of peace that
allowed for economic & cultural
advancements. China was open to outside
contact & greatly increased their trade &
became a great naval power. China’s
influence in the region increased as they
expanded into Vietnam, Korea & Japan
during this time.
YUAN DYNASTY…
(not on handout*)
• China’s first foreign rule experience came
when the Mongols defeated the Song in 1279
& extended their rule over China. China’s
trade with Europe increased significantly
during this time (Marco Polo); the Yuan also
improved transportation & introduced new
innovations such as the magnetic compass,
gunpowder, & mechanical printing. They
were open to outside contact.
MING DYNASTY
• Control of China returned to a Chinese leader when a
poor peasant led an army that drove the Mongols out
in 1368. The Ming Dynasty ruled until 1644. They
revived Confucian learning, expanded the civil
service, built a new imperial palace in Beijing
(Forbidden City). Initially open to outside contact
the Ming very suddenly closed China to outsiders &
restricted privileges of foreigners in China as well as
forbidding Chinese to travel abroad. China’s
isolation began just as Europeans were making
advances that would lead to the Age of Imperialism.
QING DYNASTY (not on your
handout)
• Second time a foreign group seizes control
of China. This time outsiders from
Manchuria defeated the Ming in 1644 & rule
until 1911. Kown as the Qing, they kept
Confucian ideals and limited contact with
foreigners. They also passed laws
forbidding Manchus to marry Chinese people
or wear Chinese clothing.
• Death of the last Qing Empress brought an
end to Dynastic rule (which had lasted 3000
yrs.) & marked the start of a long period of
civil war & decline for China.
Opium Wars
• By the mid 1800’s the Chinese Emperor &
the whole system of dynastic rule were
weak. Europeans saw this as an
opportunity to trade openly in China but
the Emperor would not allow it and only
limited foreign trade was allowed. The
British began to sell opium illegally and
when the Chinese gov. tried to stop them
the British attacked & prevailed in a series
of wars called the Opium Wars.
Effect of Opium Wars
• China’s loss in the Opium Wars began
political & economic chaos in their country.
• The British demanded free trade &
increasingly gained political influence. By
1900 China was divided into “spheres of
influence” where colonial powers had no
formal authority but had informal influence
& a lot of economic influence (p. 486). This
further weakened the Chinese political
system.
After the Qing …
• After the Qing Dynasty fell in 1911 China went through a
long period without an official government. There were
efforts to establish a democratic like government, but
they were challenged by the CCP (Chinese Communist
Party) who would eventually win control, but not until
almost 1950. So for ½ century China saw warlords
fighting for control & was also pulled into the events of
WWII. This long chaotic period would change China
from its stable & impressive history to a nation of poverty
stricken and disorganized people. Mao used
Communism to try to restore China to its former
greatness.