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CHINA
Traditional China
Son of Heaven
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The King
Served as a link between heaven and Earth
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King consulted spirits of ancestors to find answers to
problems
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Oracle Bones
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Sheep or goat bones with questions written on them.
Bones were heated
Cracks revealed answers from the Heavens.
Pictographs
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Pictures of objects
Early Chinese writing used pictographs
Ideographs
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Symbols to express ideas
Mandate of Heaven
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Heaven granted a ruler a right to rule.
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The people, in turn, obeyed the ruler and
were loyal and obedient.
Dynastic Cycle
Chinese Social Structure
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Based on four Confucians ideas:
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1) Age
2) Sex
3) Education
4) Occupation
Chinese Social Structure
Social Pyramid:
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Note: Amount of
people in class
indicated by size of
word; Importance
indicated from top to
bottom.
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Emperor
Scholars;Government Officials
GENTRY: Landowners; Warlords
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Peasants
Merchants; Artisans
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Soldiers
Gentry
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Wealthy landowners educated in Confucian
classics.
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The Leisure Class
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Looked down on those who had to perform physical work
Let fingernails grow to to show they did not do physical work.
THREE ROLES:
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1) Collected taxes
2) Maintained the peace
3) Advised the Emperor
Peasants
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Worked small plots of land
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Some owned the land
Some worked as tenant farmers
Some were landless laborers
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Made cloth; furniture; etc.
Social Mobility
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Artisans; Merchants;
Peasants
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Wealth was used to
educate their sons.
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If a young man could
pass the examinations
he could become a
government official
Joint Family
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Included multiple generations.
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Oldest male had the most authority.
Filial Piety
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Family’s interests are placed before ones
own.
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Parents expect complete obedience and
respect.
Respect for Ancestors
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Extended Family:
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Included living; dead; future generations.
3 Primary Forms:
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Provided them with food, clothing, and other necessities.
Family created sons so that traditions could be continued.
Held memorial services to ancestors.
Arranged Marriages
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Parents arrange marriages for their children.
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What to base it on?
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Peasant:
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Gentry:
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Woman who could work hard and bear many children
Resources of a bride’s family
Dowry
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Groom paid the bride’s family.
Chinese View of Women
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View of Women:
Inferior to men.
 Valued for work
 Valued for ability to bear children
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Foot Binding
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Feet of women were bound
Kept feet small
Large feet were unattractive
Right:
Bound foot.
Below:
Schema of an x-ray comparison between
an unbound and bound foot
China’s Dynasties
Xia – Shang – Zhou – Qin – Han – Tang – Song – Yuan – Ming – Qing
Xia
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Founder of Dynasty: Yu
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According to legend, Yu tamed the Hwang He
and founded the Xia Dynasty
Location =
Shang 1650 BCE
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Origin of Dynasty:
Strong rulers over the agricultural
lands of China.
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Religious/Philosophical Ideas:
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Dynastic rule
Son of Heaven
Emperor was the link between Earth and Heaven (Heaven - the
home of many Gods)
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Achievements:
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Form of writing (pictographs; ideographs)
Accurate calender
Bronze (weapons; everyday goods)
Zhou 1027 BCE
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Origin of Dynasty:
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Invaders from northwest
Political Idea (Justification for Rise to Power):
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Mandate of Heaven
Qin
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Origin of Dynasty (Founder):
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Religious/Philosophical Ideas:
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Emperor conquered his neighbors and called himself the Shi
Huangdi (“First Emperor”)
Legalistic Principals
Achievements:
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Established a single:
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code of law
uniform weights and measures
currency
Built first Great Wall
Han
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Origin of Dynasty (Founder):
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Liu Bang (lyoh bong)
Religious/Philosophical Ideas:
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Central control; Confucian learning
Contact with Outside World:
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Silk Road = Trade with west
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Key route of trade through central asia’s deserts to Persia
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Called silk road because of the demand for Chinese silk.
Buddhism introduced to China via the Silk Road
Achievements:
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Built second Great Wall
Learned to make paper
Set up civil service exam system.
Created a prosperous trade route (The Silk Road)
Medical Treatments (acupuncture)
Tang & Song Dynasties
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General Description:
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Religious/Philosophical Ideas:
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The “Golden Ages” of China
Embraced Confucianism.
Perfected Exam System.
Concentrated Power among the Scholar
Elite
Tang
Achievements:
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The sternpost rudder
Magnetic compass
Became a naval power
Block printing
Moveable type (literature flourished)
Song
Yuan
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Origin of Dynasty (founders):
Mongols
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Ghenghiz Khan
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Kublai Khan
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Gave a Chinese name to his dynasty: Yuan
Relationship with Chinese:
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Conquered land from the Pacific all the way westward to the Danube River
in Europe.
Did not want Chinese in powerful positions
Wanted to preserve Mongol culture
Chinese resented foreign rule
Achievements:
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Marco Polo visits China
Infrastructure
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Roads; Messenger System; Trade Routes.
Kublai Khan
Ming
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Origin of Dynasty (founder):
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Zhu Yuanzhang (joo yoo ahn jahng)
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Called himself Ming Hung Wu
1368 – Captures Beijing from Mongols
Peasant general claims mandate of heaven.
Religious/Philosophical Ideas:
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Revived Confucian Learning
Hung Wu
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Contact with Outside World:
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Achievements:
Built Imperial Palace “The Forbidden City”
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Qing
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Origin of Dynasty (founder):
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Religious/Philosophical Ideas:
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Established by Manchu invaders.
Forbid marrying with Chinese
Forbid wearing Chinese clothing.
Contact with Outside World:
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Wished to limit contact with foreigners
Chinese Philosophies
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4 Key Philosophies
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Confucianism
Buddhism
Taoism
Legalism
Confucius (Confucianism)
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Facial Expression:
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Sour
Attitude toward Life:
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Life is sour.
Life would be better with strict rules.
Strict order.
Buddha (Buddhism)
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Facial Expression:
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Bitter
Attitude toward life:
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Bitter
Necessary to transcend this world.
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Physical world filled with illusions and desires
that lead to suffering.
Lao Tzu (Taoism)
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Facial Expression:
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Smiling
Attitude toward life:
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World governed by laws of nature.
Natural order to the world, man should not
interfere or else the world falls out of balance.
Confucianism
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Birth of Confucius:
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551 BCE
Confucianism:
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Stresses the need to develop responsibility
and moral character through rigid rules of
behavior.
Confucius’ Birthday
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Teacher’s Day
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In mainland China (People's Republic of China)
Confucius is honored on the anniversary of his death October 1st.
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In Taiwan, he his honored on the anniversary of his birth
- September 28th. His birthday is a legal holiday in
Taiwan. It is referred to as “Teacher's Day” since
Confucius is considered the greatest teacher in Chinese
history.
The Analects
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record of the words and acts of the
philosopher Confucius and his disciples.
Confucianism
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Ren
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BEING
(The Golden Rule) – do onto others as…
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Primary teaching of Confucius
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Yi
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DOING/MEANS
(Behave properly/ fulfill responsibilities)
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“LOVE OTHERS”
Righteousness
Li
Li
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ENDS
(Self Interest)
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Profit; gain; advantage (one should not practice this)
Confucius’ Relationships
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Five Relationships
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Purpose: to govern human society
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1) Ruler and ruled
2) Father and son
3) Older brother and younger brother
4) husband and wife
5)* friend and friend
*In all but (5), one person has authority over another
and the superior should set an example for the
inferior.
Buddhism
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Buddha’s Given Name:
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Prince Siddharta Guatama
Buddha’s Birth:
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Where:
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When:
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Ancient India
553 B.C.E.
Buddha –
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“Awakened One”
Buddha
Buddhism
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The Four Noble Truths:
1. Life is filled with suffering.
2. Suffering is caused by people’s wants.
3. Suffering can be ended if people stop wanting things.
4. To stop wanting things people must follow the
Eightfold Path ( 8 basic laws)
Buddhism
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The Middle Way
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Eightfold Path was designed to
guide people without making life
too strict or too easy.
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The Middle Way
The name Buddhists call a life guided
by the laws of the Eightfold Path.
Wheel with eight spokes –
a symbol for following the
eightfold path.
Taoism
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Main Themes:
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Intuition
Simplicity
Spontaneity
The way of nature
Taosim – Key Definitions
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Tao: The way of nature of the universe
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Yin/Yang: balance of opposing forces
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Wu Wei: (non-doing) behavior that is spontaneous, natural, and
effortless. (Going with the flow)
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Pu: (The uncarved block) things in their natural state.
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Te: (the flowing power) virtue obtained through balance, compassion,
and living simply.
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Ch’i: cosmic energy
Yin/Yang
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Masculine
Active
Light
Warmth
Strong
Heaven
Sun
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Feminine
Passive
Darkness
Cold
Weak
Earth
Moon
Taoism
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Lao Zi (6th-3rd Century BCE)
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Creator of the foundation of Taoist philosophy.
Legend: Born immaculately as an 82 year old man
Lived simply in mountains, but put under guard and forced to write his
life’s wisdom.
Important literature:
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Tao Te Ching
Written by Lao Zi and several other teachers.
 Basic text of Taoist thought.
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Taoist Influences on Chinese Culture
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Acupuncture
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I Ching
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Tai Chi
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Feng Shui
Acupuncture
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200 year old medical procedure that is based on the
concept of balancing ch’I (the energy that flows
throughout the body) by puncturing the skin with hair-thin
needles at particular points
I Ching
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An ancient scripture about the yin/yang
used by Taoist and Confucianists as a form
of divination - (to gain insight into a question)
Tai Chi
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A set of smooth, flowing exercises used to
improve or maintain health, create a sense
of relaxation and keep the ch’i flowing.
Tai Chi
Feng Shui
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The ancient Chinese art of placement. Its
goal is to achieve harmony, comfort, and
balance, first in ones environment and then
in one’s life.
Legalism
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Law is the supreme authority.
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3 Components:
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Fa
Law
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Shi
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Legitimacy of Rule
Shu
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Arts of the ruler
*Laws enforced by strict reward/punishment.
Legalism
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The Two Handles:
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1. Reward
2. Punishment
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People not smart enough to know how to behave
so a system of reward and punishment must be in
place.
Legalism
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Founders of Legalism:
Han Feizi
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Han Feizi – the main text of legalism.
Legalism would unite China.
Shangzi
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Feizi
Saw a strong government according to law as
a solution to growing populations and limited
resources.
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