The Shang Dynasty

According to ancient Chinese records, the Shang dynasty formed

around 1766 BC, although many archaeologists believe it actually
began somewhat later than that.
Government and Order Agricultural Society
Society
• China ruled by • King’s governors • Shang China
strong monarchy ruled distant parts largely agricultural
• At capital city, of kingdom • Most tended crops
Anyang, kings • King also had large in fields
surrounded by army at disposal • Farmers called on
court • Prevented to fight in army,
• Rituals performed rebellions, fought work on building
to strengthen outside opponents projects—tombs,
kingdom, keep safe palaces, walls
 Oracle Bones

As part of worship, Shang asked ancestors for

advice
• Sought advice through use of oracle bones
▫ Inscribed bits of animal bone, turtle shell
▫ Living person asked question of ancestor
▫ Hot piece of metal applied to oracle bone resulting in cracks on
bone’s surface
▫ Specially trained priests interpreted meaning of cracks to learn
answer
 Shang Achievements and Decline
Writing
• Development of Chinese writing closely tied to use of oracle bones
• Earliest examples of Chinese writing, questions written on bones themselves
• Early Shang texts used picture symbols to represent objects, ideas

Bronze
• Shang religion led to great advances in working with bronze
• Highly decorative bronze vessels, objects created for religious rituals
• Also built huge structures like tombs; created calendar, first money systems

End of Dynasty
• Shang ruled for more than 600 years, until about 1100 BC
• Ruling China’s growing population proved too much for Shang
• Armies from nearby tribe, Chou, invaded, established new ruling dynasty
 The Chou Dynasty
Beginning around 1100 BC, the Chou rules China for several centuries.
The Chou dynasty is divided into two periods. During the Western
Chou, kings ruled from Xian in a peaceful period. Later conflict arose,
kings moved east to Luoyang, beginning the Eastern Chou period.
Government
• When Chou conquered Shang, leaders worried Chinese people
would not accept them
• Introduced idea they ruled by Mandate of Heaven
• Gods would support just ruler, not allow anyone corrupt to hold power

In that case, they said, it was the will of the gods that that dynasty be
overthrown and a new one take power.
 Chou Achievements
• Before Chou, Chinese metalwork done almost exclusively in bronze
• Chou learned to use iron, became backbone of economy
• Iron was strong, could be cast more cheaply, quickly than bronze
• Iron weapons strengthened Chou army, as did new weapons like
catapult and creation of China’s first cavalry

Growth End of the Chou

• Population grew under Chou
• Farmers learned new techniques,
increased size of harvest, created
food surpluses; cities also grew
• Roads, canals allowed better
transportation, communication
• Introduced coins, use of chopsticks
• Conflict arose during latter part of
Chou dynasty
• Clan leaders within China rose up
against king
• As time passed, more and more
local leaders turned against Chou,
further weakening rule
 Small States Fight

Result of rebellions was Warring States

Period
• 403 BC to 221 BC, number of small states fought
each other for land, power
• Chou still nominally in charge, but power almost
nonexistent by mid-200s BC
• Chin, new dynasty, arose to bring end to Warring
States Period, Chou dynasty
 New Philosophies
The conflicts of the late Chou period led many Chinese thinkers to
question the nature of society and people’s roles in it.

Effort to make sense of chaos Of many philosophies created

led to creation of many new during late Chou period, two
Chinese philosophies, or ways became influential in later
of looking at the world Chinese history:
• Confucianism
• Daoism
 Confucianism
Confucius
• Confucianism based on teachings of scholar named Kongfuzi, better known
as Confucius, who thought people should treat one another humanely
• Should express love, respect for others, honor one’s ancestors

Love and Respect

• Believed that love, respect had disappeared and was responsible for violence
in society; restoring respect for tradition would make society stable
• Thoughts on how to improve society collected in book, Analects

Analects
• Ruler should treat subjects fairly; subjects reward ruler with respect, loyalty
• People should respect members of family, devote selves to public service
• Confucian ideas spread elsewhere in Asia, including Korea, Japan, Vietnam
 Daoism
Definition
• Unlike Confucianism, which
focuses on improving society,
Daoism encourages people to
retreat from laws of society, yield to
law of nature
• Heart of Daoism is concept of the
dao, or the way
• Dao is the limitless force that is part
of all creation
• Through the dao, all things in
nature connected
• Finding one’s place in nature allows
person to achieve harmony with
universe
Yin and Yang
• Daoism embraced Chinese concept
of yin and yang, representing
balancing aspect of nature—male,
female; dark, light; hot, cold
• Neither can exist without other
• Important for two to remain
balanced for perfect harmony
• Origins of Daoist teachings
attributed to philosopher named
Lao-Tze
• Wrote book called Dao De Jing
• Lao-Tze worshipped by some as a
god
 Some Lasting Effects

Daoism eventually proved less influential

than Confucianism in Chinese history
• Still played major role in later dynasties
• Idea of balance key concept in China for centuries as
result of Daoist teaching
• Daoist philosophy led many followers to work for
preservation, protection of natural environment
 Chin
Dynasty
221 B.C. - 206 B.C.

First Emperor
Chin Shih Huang Ti

Dynasty
It was short-lived.
 Geography
Chin Dynasty
• Extended Chinese
territory to the
south

• Reached up to
present-day Hong
Kong on the South
China Sea and
Northern
Vietnam.
 ARTS

• The arts did not exist in the Chin

Dynasty because Emperor Chin
Shihuang ordered musical instruments
and art forms to be burned. He
considered them an unnecessary item
in China because it taught people to
have their own thoughts.
Government Structure
Shih Huang Ti
 He provided a single law code for the
whole empire

 Established a uniform tax system

 Appointed governors to each district. These rulers

had legal and military powers. They also had their
own lower rulers for smaller regions.

 Epitome of effective centralized government

Han Dynasty

206 B.C. – 220 A.D.

The Most Famous

Ruler
Wu Ti

Dynasty
It lasted over 400 years.
 Geography
Han Dynasty

• Extended to
Korea,
Indochina, and
Central Asia.
 ARTS

Han Dynasty
• Emperors and musicians during the Han Dynasty wished
to bring back the arts.
• They wanted to adapt to Confucian thought, which
considered music as an intellectual pursuit.
• Office of Music (Yuefu) was created to collect the folk
music of China
• During the Han Dynasty 829 people were employed in
three orchestras.
Government Structure
Han Dynasty
 Established 130,000 bureaucrats. Had to take examinations.

 Judicial matters were done by local governments.

 Military was not extremely strong.

 Emphasized Confucian philosophy as an official Chinese

values..

 Sponsored public works (irrigation/canal systems)

 Standardized currency to facilitate trade

 Regulated agricultural supplies

• Through Taoism, Zhang Jue began to convince
masses of people that the Han rulers had lost
the Mandate of Heaven. Subsequently, he
called for a full blown rebellion which turned
out to be extremely violent and destructive,
and eventually lead to the downfall of the Han
dynasty.
 SUI DYNASTY
The Sui Dynasty lasted from 580-618 A.D. The
Sui once again united China. They were led in
their campaign to unite China by Yang Chien
who had been an official of the Northern Zhou.
• The Sui Dynasty had only two emperors, Yang
Chien who was called Emperor Wen Ti and his
son Emperor Yang. Traditionally, Emperor Yang
is portrayed as usurping the imperial power,
and is criticized for the amount of money he
spent and his cruelty to the people. Yet most of
the policies he followed were simply
continuations of his father's policies. Despite
having a short lifetime, the Sui Dynasty
accomplished many things.
• The Grand Canal was extended north from
Hangzhou across the Yangzi to Yangzhou and
then northwest to the region of Louyang. The
internal administration also improved during
this time, which is evident by several things;
the building of granaries around the capitals,
the fortification of the Great Wall along the
northern borders, the reconstruction of the two
capitals near the Yellow River, and building of
another capital in Yangchow.
• Confucianism also began to regain popularity, as the
nobles gained importance. The Sui rulers were interested
in expanding their borders and, along with their public
works projects, they began costly military campaigns.
They were largely successful with their efforts at
territorial expansion into the south. However, to the
north, in Korea, they did not achieve much. They attacked
Korea four times, and each time were met with defeat.
These defeats in Korea led to an attack by the Khan of the
eastern Turks who surrounded the emperor. Independent
governments arose and for five years, China was again
split into smaller state
 TANG DYNASTY
•The T’ang are closely associated with the Sui, and are often discussed as
the same dynasty. Their dynasty lasted from 618-907 A.D. Much of their
power was made possible through the canals built by the Sui. These canals
allowed for communications to all parts of the empire. Also, the granaries
the Sui built alongside the canals helped the T’ang to transport goods
from the south to the north. This especially was important in the transfer
of rice to the north in times of famine. These canals were important in
the economic development of the T’ang empire. The T’ang expanded on
the administrative system that dated from the 4th and 3rd centuries B.C.
and earlier. The administration was comprised of four main departments:
a Department of State Affairs, an Imperial Chancellory, an Imperial Grand
Secretariat, and a Council of State. Judicially, the T’ang also made many
advances. They first compiled the T’ang Code in 624 A.D. This is the first
complete Chinese code that still exists. It consists of a continuous scale of
penalties that are applied based on both the crime and the degree of
relation between the criminal and the offended person. The degree was
based on the amount of time that would be spent in mourning if the
person died. The T’ang Code had more than five hundred articles divided
into twelve sections.
• T’ang Accomplishments
• The land distribution program of the T’ang was an important part of
both their agricultural reform and their economic growth. The T’ang
implemented a program where they gave life plots to the peasant
families. This was supposed to be an equal distribution of the land. The
T’ang wanted to ensure that the families had enough land to both
support themselves and to pay taxes. Taxes were based therefore, not
on how much land one had, but on the number of people in the family.
Each person was responsible for certain taxes. This system of taxation
by person rather than by land also implies an incredibly accurate
census system. Archaeological finds of census records have proved this
to be the case. This system probably worked better in the north where
wheat was grown than in the south; land was not so easy to divide and
more labor was required for rice cultivation. The production of rice
rapidly increased during this period. As rice growing became more
profitable, population centers began to shift from the Wei valley and
the central plain towards the lower Yangtze basin. Techniques such as
planting out seedlings rapidly increased yield. Early ripening varieties
and a systematic selection of varieties helped to increase yield. Three
important tools were developed to aid in rice cultivation: the chain
with paddles which allows water to be transferred among levels, the
harrow, and the rice field plough.
SONG Dynasty
• Song Dynasty Great advances were made in the areas of
technological invention, material production, political philosophy,
government, and elite culture. The Song used gunpowder as a
weapon in siege warfare, foreign trade expanded greatly, and the
Chinese had the best ships in the world. Their ships contained as
many as four decks, six masts, and a dozen sails. The ships were
guided by a stern post rudder, while navigation was done through
the use of charts and compasses. These ships could carry 500 men.
European ships on the other hand used muscle power and an
inefficient steering oar. Advances were also made in medicine, as
the first autopsy was performed in about 1145 AD on the body of a
Southern Chinese captive. Education, and the examination system
became central to the upper class. This rise in the popularity of
education was due in part to advances made in printing and the
greater availability of books. Examinations grew steadily in
popularity throughout China; although, only enough were allowed
to pass them as was needed to fill the administrative positions. This
resulted in the education itself, and the attempted examination,
gaining more importance socially than it had in the past.
Yuan Dynasty
• The Yuan Dynasty, which lasted from 1279-1368
A.D., was the first of only two times that the
entire area of China was ruled by foreigners, in
this case, the Mongols. During the Yuan
Dynasty, China was part of the Mongol Empire.
Genghis Khan led the Mongols in their defeat of
much of China, however, it was his grandson,
Kublai Khan who became the emperor and
founder of the Yuan dynasty. The Mongols were
able to conquer China due to their superior
military capabilities.
• Mongols The excessive spending and trade restriction enacted
during the Yuan Dynasty severely depleted China economically.
Canals and palaces were built, which required the peasants to
both supply more tax money and to leave their homes to build
them. Campaigns were also launched against Japan which were
not successful and destroyed many Chinese ships. External trade,
while not forbidden was made very difficult for the Chinese. The
Chinese were forbidden to learn to speak any other language.
Travel outside of China for commercial reasons was made very
difficult. Foreign merchants, however, were able to trade within
China and were given privileges by the Yuan. They were free of
taxes and were allowed to travel throughout China without
restrictions. It is at this time that Marco Polo gave his description
of China. It thus follows that he as a foreigner experienced a much
friendlier China than the native Chinese themselves did. The
Mongols took over a rich China and less than one hundred years
later left an impoverished nation.
Ming Dynasty
• The Ming dynasty began in 1368, and lasted
until 1644 A.D. Its founder was a peasant, the
third of only three peasants ever to become an
emperor in China. He is known as Hongwu
Emperor, and led the revolt against the Mongols
and the Yuan Dynasty. He was constantly
worried about conspiracies against himself, and
despite the many moral homilies he gave,
favored violence in dealing with any one
suspected of plotting against him or associated
with the conspirators. The capital was originally
located in Nanjing but the third emperor moved
the capital to Beijing.
• Hongwu As a result of his peasant origins, he created laws
that improved the peasant life. He kept the land tax low,
and kept the granaries stocked to guard against famine. He
also maintained the dikes on the Yellow and Yangtze
Rivers. However, economically he lacked the vision to push
trade. He supported the creation of self-supporting
communities and, in a typically Confucian viewpoint, felt
agriculture should be the country's source of wealth and
that trade was ignoble and parasitic. While retaining the
Confucian view that being a merchant is an inferior
occupation, Hongwu discarded the belief that military too
was inferior and developed a militant class that ranked
higher than any civil servant. Maintaining and having a
strong military was important because, even though the
Mongols had been defeated, they were still a threat to
China. The name Hongwu means Vast Military and reflects
the increased prestige of the military
The Manchu-Ching
Dynasty
• The Manchu-Ching Dynasty was the second time
when the whole of China was ruled by
foreigners, the Manchu. The Manchu-Ching
Dynasty lasted from 1644-1911 A.D. The reigns
of the first three emperors of this dynasty were a
time of peace and prosperity for China. These
three rulers provided strong leadership for 133
years; they were the Kangxi Emperor who
reigned from 1662-1722 A.D., the Yongzheng
Emperor who reigned from 1722-1736 A.D. and
the Qianglong Emperor who reigned from 1736-
1796 A.D.