Download Slide 1 - Barrington 220

Early Chinese Civilizations
Geography of China
• Civilization began
between the Yellow
River and the Yangtze
River
– Needed for farming.
• Only 10% of China is
farmable.
– Farmland = valuable
• Geographically
isolated from other
civilizations.
– Mountains and deserts
create natural barriers.
Early Chinese Government
• Religious and governmental
traditions are established
during the Shang Dynasty
(1750 – 1045 BC)
KING
– 2nd Chinese dynasty; followed
Xia
– Dynasty
• A succession of rulers from the
same family.
WARLORD
WARLORD
WARLORD
ARMY
ARMY
ARMY
• King’s land was divided into
territories governed by the
aristocracy.
– Powerful upper-class landowners.
– Aristocrats were military leaders
with their own armies (warlords).
• Major concern was war.
– King could choose and remove
the warlords.
Early Chinese Religion
• Believed that supernatural
forces could intervene in worldly
affairs.
• Practiced ancestor worship.
– Stems from belief in life after
death.
– Spirits of ancestors could bring
good or bad fortune to living family
members.
• Human sacrifices used to win
favor of gods.
– Accompany king in life after death.
• Utilized oracle bones to
communicate with gods.
– A priest would write questions on a
bone; a heated metal rod would be
stuck into it; the priest would then
read the cracks and interpret the
answer.
Chinese Writing
• Uses pictographs and ideographs
– Symbols which represent an object or idea.
Zhou Dynasty
• In 1045 BC the Zhou
overthrew the Shang.
– Longest-lasting
dynasty in Chinese
history
•1045 – 256 BC
• Believe in the Dynastic
Cycle
– All dynasties will rise
and fall.
• Explained their right to
rule as a Mandate of
Heaven.
– King was given the
authority to rule from
Heaven.
Dynastic Cycle
Dynasty is founded by a powerful leader
Leader gains Mandate of Heaven
Period of power and prosperity
Restores peace and glory
Improves society
Period of decline
Society declines, natural disaster
Leader loses Mandate of Heaven
Period of rebellion – Dynasty overthrown
Roots of Philosophy: The Decline of
the Zhou
• Zhou had been divided
into many small
kingdoms.
– Civil War breaks out
– “Period of the
Warring States”
• Lasts from 475BC
to 221BC
• During this time, Chinese philosophers wanted to
create stability in society.
– Become ideas behind Confucianism & Taoism