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INTERACTIVE LECTURE NOTES – SHANG, ZHOU, MANDATE OF HEAVEN,
WARRING STATES PERIOD, & CHINESE PHILOSOPHIES
I. Shang
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Shang were first family of Chinese rulers to leave written records.
Writing began as pictographs (Shang had 3000 characters)
Famous for ceremonial bronze artwork and weaponry
Used Oracle Bones for divination of future events
Politically they did not centralize their power – instead they left most of the
day-to-day control in East Asia up to the local kings; These lords were free
to run their kingdoms on a day-to-day basis; they just had to pledge their
overall allegiance to the Shang rulers.
Feudalism: land grants given to nobles in exchange for
• financial and military obligations,
• submit to royal law,
• serve the king in the capital
They showed their power over these lords by demanding tribute in the
form of elaborate bronze artifacts. These were very ornate bronze artifacts,
like weapons, or bowls, or wine jugs as tribute from the regions/provinces
they controlled. So collecting this was a way of projecting their authority
through ceremonial tribute
So maintaining power was a balancing act between allowing these lords
their independence and keeping them in line.
II.
Zhou
Eventually that balancing act came to an end when The Zhou overthrew
the Shang in 1045 BCE.
Now we are going to see a lot of dynasties in China… What is the
definition of a “dynasty”? (a sequence of rulers form the same family).
Sometimes it might be difficult to keep these dynasties straight in your
head. Throughout this course we are going to be talking a lot about
other dynasties coming to power, replacing one another… and it might
seem like “another day, another dynasty” at times… but just for now,
remember the Shang dynasty comes first… then the Zhou dynasty
replaces them.
So the Zhou were initially allies of the Shang, but they steadily increased
their power over time at the expense of the Shang…and they eventually
rise up and defeat them and took power themselves.
Zhou kings controlled a large empire; China's frontiers expanded
Although they took control of a large amount of territory and people, the
Zhou rulers worked very hard to make sure they were not looked at as
conquerors. Because they worried that this would turn the population
against them… People generally don’t like being conquered. So the Zhou
rulers tried to find ways to portray themselves in a favorable light.
They did this in a couple of different ways.
Firstly, the Zhou rulers kept much of the Shang political structure intact.
They ruled over many provinces and kingdoms whose lords swore
allegiance to the Zhou emperor, but these lords remained more or less
independent, just as they had under the Shang dynasty.
By carrying on Shang traditions, the Zhou showed continuity with the
past, and helped them win favor with local populations.
As we will see this year, maintaining a respect for the past and
venerating ancestors was a crucial part of Chinese culture. And so by
doing these things the Zhou showed themselves to be heirs to a great
tradition; and also increases their authority and legitimacy.
III. Mandate of Heaven
Another way the Zhou tried to not be portrayed as conquerors was that
they created this idea of the Mandate of Heaven. This was an idea that the
sky god chose worthy men to lead the kingdoms of China. And if they failed
they must be replaced by their subjects.
So Zhou leaders legitimated their authority by creating this idea of the
Mandate of Heaven. This idea was very important and the Mandate of
Heaven is something that is going to guide East Asian rulers and dynasties
for thousands of years.
The Mandate of Heaven stated that the heavens, and particularly the sky
god, gave leaders the right to rule only if they succeeded in maintaining
stability and harmony…and rulers maintained that authority as long as they
kept society running smoothly. If leaders failed, the people that they ruled
over had the right… and even the duty to replace them.
So, this idea of the Mandate of Heaven…and this idea that we are
going to leave you alone to govern your day-to-day affairs as long as you
pay us some respect… These practices helped the Zhou dynasty maintain
power without much violence or brutal coercion. And helped them
consolidate their power and hold onto power for a long period of time.
IV. Warring States Period
The collapse of the Zhou Dynasty in China created a centuries-long period
of violence and political chaos in which different regional states attempted
to exert their power over one another. This was known at the Warring
States Period.
It really begins in 722 BCE during the Eastern Zhou period when the small
regional states that had been united under the Zhou grew powerful enough
to basically overpower them. Because of this - there was approx. 300 years
of political anarchy and complete violence and chaos as these small
kingdoms went to war against each other, vying for power and trying to
become the next ruling dynasty of China.
So there was an incredible amount of war and bloodshed and anarchy
during this period. These warring states built huge and technically
advanced armies... and they were extremely destructive.
[Incidentally, the most famous warrior to come out of this period was a guy
name Sun Tzu, who some of you may have heard of. He wrote a classic
book called The Art of War, which is still widely read today. In fact, it is
assigned reading for Military officers in the U.S. armed services. You could
walk into the mall this afternoon and find many many copies of it on the
shelves at Barnes and Noble here in Frisco, TX thousands of years later. The
book was based on the knowledge of warfare he gained from fighting for a
local king in this period of civil war.]
V. Chinese Philosophies
Even though the WSP was a time of great conflict and chaos, it was
ironically also a time of great intellectual output. In fact this was the era
known as the Golden Age of Chinese philosophy... and the famous
"Hundred Schools of Thought". These included some very famous
philosophies that are still around today... like Confucianism, Daoism, &
Legalism.
Confucianism
1. Ethical and political philosophy that is still informally in practice in China
today.
2. Developed from the teachings of Master Kong Fuzi (who we know as
Confucius) lived and taught in the middle of the 1st millennium BCE (551479)
3. He did not write his philosophies down, but his followers did (The
Analects)
4. Confucius taught that society should be based on three things:
a. family
b. correct performance of rituals/adhering to customs
c. the education and perfection of moral character
5. He believed that these virtues had existed earlier in Chinese history, and
then they had been replaced by selfishness and greed... and Chinese people
needed to get back to that.
6. According to Confucius, if people lived by these guidelines, the chaos and
anarchy in China would end... and that these guidelines would help create
the perfect man. And no laws / punishments would be needed to keep
order in society - because everyone would be morally obliged to do the
right thing.
Daoism
1. Probably the 2nd most famous philosophy to come out of this period
was Daoism. The origins of Daoism are a bit unclear to historians... however
most scholars believe that a man named Lao Tsu was the original
philosopher of this movement.
2. Daoist beliefs are recorded in a book called the Dao de Jing (translated as
"The Book of the Way and Its Power")
3. Although it, too, was a political philosophy, it differed from Confucianism
in many ways.
4. Daoists argued that people should distance themselves from social
customs, and distance themselves from government, and abandon any
attempt to restore order to society.
5. Basically, Daoists said that they should literally "do nothing."
6. Daoists believed that there was a natural order and "flow" to the
universe which they called the Tao. (Yin & Yang symbolizes this idea - that
there was a balance and order to the universe). And humans should not try
to interfere or try to control it.
7. Instead, humans should abandon rules and just try to live in harmony
with this order... Just "go with the flow". So if you have ever said, hey man
- just go with the flow... you were basically reciting Daoist philosophy.
8. Politically, Daoists argued that rulers who did not attempt to interfere
with the flow of the universe would be the most successful. Rulers should
just sit back and let things happen.
9. When you think about Daoism - you should think about Yoda from Star
Wars. He incorporates Taoist philosophy into his messages: "Unlearn what
you have learned... let go, Luke... Feel the force flow through you!"
LEGALISM
The third philosophy we are going to look at is probably the least famous,
but still very important to Chinese history - and that's called Legalism.
1. Legalists argued that human beings were essentially bad and that leaders
needed to establish strict systems of laws and punishments to keep their
population in line; this was essentially the opposite of Daoism.
2. The school's most famous proponent and contributor Han Fei Zi
3. In the view of the Legalists, attempts to improve the human situation by
noble example, education, and ethical precepts were useless. Instead, the
people needed a strong government and a carefully devised code of law,
along with a policing force that would stringently and impartially enforce
these rules and punish harshly even the most minor infractions.
4. Legalism emphasized the need for order above all other human concerns.
Philosophers who preached Confucianism or Daoism or Legalism were
supported by different rulers of these small states who were constantly at
war with each other; and these rulers paid them to guide their
governments.
The end result was that the Qin state, which was guided primarily by
Legalism, emerged victorious from the Warring States Period, and
eventually becomes the next dominant dynasty in China. And we'll talk
more about them later in the next unit.