Download Statue of Qin Shu Bao

• Golden Age
– A kingdom is strong and wealthy
– Has a powerful army
– Achievements in areas such as the arts and
sciences
• Gupta Dynasty : India’s Golden Age or Classical Age of India
• Made possible by the might of the empire & riches gathered by
rulers
• This Golden Age of India reached its height during the rule of
Chandragupta II
• Gupta Dynasty : Many poets and writers produced literary
works in Sanskrit LANGUAGE OF THE UPPER CLASSES
• Kalidasa : Well-known poet & Dramatist; “Shakespeare of
India”
• Kalidasa said to have lived at Chandragupta’s court; wrote
poems and plays for the king
• Kalidasa : Most famous play – Shakuntala – a story about a
young woman who married a king, was separated from him by a
curse but was reunited with him several years later
• Indian writers also famous for their fairy tales and fables
• Panchatantra : a collection of animal stories
• Shakuntala and Panchatantra reached Europe and translated
into many languages
• They are still read with much interest today
• Temples were built and decorated with excellent sculpture and
paintings
• Buddhists sculptors also cut temples into rock walls
• Best-known cave temples :
• At Ajanta in the state state of Maharashtra in south-central India
• Beautiful paintings and sculpture in bright colours showing scenes
from the life of Buddha
• Gupta craftsmen also used metal such as copper, bronze and
iron to create sculpture
• Eg the seven-metre high iron pillar in Delhi built over 1,500
years ago. Till today, it has not yet rusted.
• “The Indians also made great contributions to the world
in the area of mathematics. One area of contribution was
in the development of number symbols. We would not
know the symbol zero if not for the Indians.”
• Right?
• WRONG!
… the universal system using the
numbers one to nine – known as
the Hindu-Arabic system – had its
roots in the rod bundles used in
China from as early as 475 BC
The Straits Times, 13 Jun 2002
• This goes to show that history is never dead…stagnant
• What was thought to be quite true is not because new evidence
has surfaced
• Dr Lam Lay Yong, a Singapore mathematician, had proven
historians wrong
• Dr Lam wrote the book Fleeting Footsteps on how the HinduArabic numeral system had its origins in the Chinese rod system
• Our textbook also mentions that Gupta mathematicians were
also the first to invent the decimal system. We are unable to
dispute this at this point in time. So we will take this as true.
• The system was adopted by the Arabs who, in turn, took it to
Europe.
• ASTRONOMY : Greater understanding in astronomy, esp the
solar system
• Aryabhata, the Indian astronomer, came up with the theory that
the earth was a sphere and that it revolved around the sun and
rotated on its own axis
• He predicted correctly the cause of the lunar eclipse
• Able to calculate correctly the length of a solar year as 365.3586
days
• MEDICINE : Indian physicians knew how to clean wounds,
perform surgery and treat certain diseases
• Many ideas spread from India to other countries during its
Golden Age and after
• Buddhism spread from India to China where it gained popularity
during the Tang Dynasty
• Indian influence in SE Asia eg Java and Cambodia
• Indian art made a strong impact on a Buddhist dynasty, the
Sailendras in central Java
• The kings of Sailendra built the world’s largest Buddhist shrine at
Borobudur in the 8th or 9th centuries
• The people of Cambodia (now Kampuchea) constructed an
impressive Hindu religious building, the temple of Angkor Wat in
the 12th century
• Shang Dynasty : Chinese already knew how to weave silk
threads, a well-kept secret
• Silk became an important export item in China’s trade because
foreigners like it
• Han Dynasty : Seen by many as an age of great wealth and
expansion; also many inventions
• Among the greatest of inventions is the seismograph
• Zhang Heng, an inventor, was a scientist in the royal court
• He invented the seismograph, an instrument which can predict
earthquakes
• In China, earthquakes resulted in floods and famines, leading to
civil disprder and riots
• Thus important for the Emperor to be able to predict
earthquakes, especially since the people saw earthquakes as a
sign that the Emperor was not favoured by Heaven and needed
to be overthrown
• Paper : Han Dynasty - Chinese made paper from plant fibres
• It was first used to wrap things and as blankets
• Only later did the Chinese use it for writing rather than on
bamboo or silk
• The use of paper spread to all parts of the world
• Printing : Before printing was invented, each book had to be
handwritten
• Invention of block printing in the Tang Dynasty, ore books
became readily accessible
• Can you remember what was the earliest printed books?
• The Diamond Sutra – a book of Buddhist prayers; printed
using the woodblock printing method
• Printing probably originated because of the need to spread
Buddhism
• This, in turn, resulted in the development of education and
literature
• Song Dynasty : Instead
of fixed block, a ‘movable
type’ block was used
• Before printing, printer
arranges the correct ‘type’
or individual Chinese
character carved on clay on
an iron plate
• These types could be
rearranged and used again
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Compass : Invented more than 2000 years ago
First used in town planning to ensure new houses were built in the
correct direction
During Song period, used for navigation at sea
Gunpowder : invented in the Tang period
Used to make fire works and fire arrows
In the Song period, bombs were made which created a loud explosive
noise and were used to frighten enemies horses
Fire arrows were the earliest weapons used
See pg 73
Only in the Song Dynasty was an arsenal set up to make gunpowder
• Acupuncture : Involved needles being placed at special points
in the body to cure illnesses
• The aim was to affect the balance between systems of energy in
the body
• Sima Qian : A court historian during the reign of Han Wudi
• Wrote the Shiji, a historical account of Chinese history from the
earliest times
• Based on oral and written evidence
• The Shiji is actually the first real work on Chinese history
• It was designed to cover the whole of history in the eyes of the
Chinese
• This was a new approach to writing history
• Used as a model by later historians
• Tang Period : Well-known for poetry and calligraphy; these
were subjects included in the Imperial Examinations
• Famous Tang poets : Li Bai and Du Fu
• Even today, their poetry is still appreciated
Source : http://www.usglobe.com/Asia/China/lipocom.html
• Buddhism an important theme in the sculptures of the period
• As we know, Wu Zetian supported the spread of Buddhism
• She built many Buddhist sculptures and monuments in China
and along the Silk Road
Statue of Qin
Shu Bao
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Tang Dynasty : Tang artist paid
great attention to detail
Meant to achieve a lifelike finish to
their paintings and sculptures
Song Dynasty : Painters painted
landscape paintings with
mountains, waterfalls, rivers and
forests
Human figures were kept small and
insignificant
The aim was to unite heaven and
earth in a landscape
Paintings were done on silk or
paper in the form of hanging
scrolls, handscrolls or fans
T'ang Yin (1470-1524)
Statue of Qin
Shu Bao
http://www.chinapage.com/painting/wangximeng.html
Statue of Qin
Shu Bao
Night-Shining White
Tang dynasty (618–907)
Attributed to Han Gan (Chinese, active 742–756)
Handscroll; ink on paper; 12 1/8 x 13 3/8 in. (30.8 x 34 cm)
http://bc.barnard.columbia.edu/~ndillone/museum/pages/painting.html
• Tang pottery is still famous today
• Painted in 3 colours : cream, chestnut-brown and green
• Porcelain was of high quality and in very great demand by
foreign traders
• Very few intact pieces have survived from Tang times
Source : http://mcclungmuseum.utk.edu/specex/tang/tang.htm
Source : http://www.chinavista.com/experience/tang/main.html
• Song Dynasty : More pottery
was produced and they were
very beautiful
• All over China, there were kilns
where pottery was produced
• Thousands of people were
employed
Ewer with Phoenix Head
c. 900 A.D.
Qingbai stoneware, translucent glaze
14.5 ' high
Source :
http://www.artincontext.org/image/chinese/ewer_with_phoen
ix_head_c_9.html
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Shang Dynasty : Chinese
practised human sacrifice –
burying attendants and animals
in the same tomb as an
emperor or noble
Tang Dynasty : Grave figures
were used instead
Tang potters made jars, vases
and other vessels and used
glaze to give these figures shine
Song porcelain was extremely
fine and elegant, in soft colours
like blue, green and cream
Who is this? Where can you find
him? Hint : He’s in Singapore!
Statue of Qin
Shu Bao
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This is Qin Shu Bao
Qin Shu Bao, together with Wei
Chi Jing De were generals
during the Tang Dynasty in 618
BC
Possessed with special powers,
they were called upon to protect
the Emperor Tang Taizong from
the Dragon King who swore
vengence on the Emperor
during a conflict
In popular Chinese beliefs, they
are the guardians of doorways.
These two statues were built in
1975 and weigh 3 tons each.
Both statues are found outside
the Hilton Hotel along Orchard
Road
General Wei Chi Jing De
• SEA performing arts – borrowed ideas from
India
• The story of Rama and episodes from the
Mahabharata are still being told in dance,
recitation and drama all over SEA
• Performed in villages and courts of the kings
• Ramayana adapted to suit many SEA cultures
• Eg Indonesians still watch wayang kulit or
shadow puppet plays about the exploits of
Rama
• Scenes from the Mahabharata are also
portrayed in the wayang orang, another form
of theatre in Java
• In SEA, the Golden Age of Java was achieved during the
Majapahit empire – the empire that arose in the late 13thC
after the decline of Srivijaya
• Works of literature thrived during the time of Gagah Mada, a
famous PM of King Hayam Wuruk of Majapahit
• Nagarakertagama – a poem by a Buddhist monk that is one
of the most famous works of the time
• Language : Pali, a language used in Buddhist writings and
Sanskrit, an ancient Indo-European language form the basis of
many words today
• Malay, Thai, Khmer (language of Kampuchea) also borrowed
from these languages
• Jawi : a modified Arab script is used to write Malay in SEA
• Many Malay words are borrowed from Arabic
– “qasi” the Arabic word for “judge” of “kadhi”
• Bronze and stone statues in SEA inspired by Buddhist and Hindu
ideas
• Originally copied from those in India
• Later, statues were adapted and carved differently
• Eg Hindu gods Vishnu and Shiva and that of Buddha
• In SEA, architecture also influenced by Hinduism and Buddhism
• Most well-known works in SEA : Borobudur and Angkor Wat
• Although inspired by Hinduism and Buddhism, they show the
creativity of SEA
• Islamic influences can also be seen in the designs of mosques
Source : http://www.leidenuniv.nl/pun/ubhtm/mjk/mjk072.jpg
Source : http://www.bergerfoundation.ch/Home/high_borobudur.html
PORCELAIN
• Porcelain was made from a special white clay that had been mixed
with powdered rock, made moist and worked into a paste
• A potter’s wheel or mould was used to shape the pots
• Glazes were also used to give porcelain a soft, rich colour and a
shine
• Chinese porcelain was so prized by Europeans in the West that
they called it “china”, meaning quality porcelain.