China’s Dynasties

I. Ancient China

Neolithic China

• 12,000B.C. to 2,000 B.C.• Agricultural communities with

some hunting and gathering• Climate wetter, warm• Most of North - lakes and

Marshes• Most Central – 1 big lake• Silk already been discovered• Painted and Black Pottery • Bury dead face down• Fired bones to see into future

Xia Dynasty • 2100-1800 B.C.• Thought to be myth • Only in oral history• Evidence found 1959 in city of

Yanshi• Agrarian (farmers)• Bronze weapons and Pottery• Ruling acted as shamans• Dramatic rituals to confirm power

Shang Dynasty• 1700-1027 B.C.• First true dynasty• King had much power• Polytheistic • Human sacrifice• Bronze weapons, fittings for

chariots, worship vessels• Descent passed from eldest

bro to youngest bro• Writing invented (found on

oracle bones, bronze and stone)

• Many Public works = Many People

Zhou Dynasty • 1027-221 B.C.• Western and Eastern• “Mandate of Heaven”• Took over because Shang were

morally degenerated• Changed govt. to feudal system

(landowners vassals to king)• Descent became patriarchal• Banned human sacrifice• Polytheistic (sun/stars)• Second half called “Warring State

Period”• “One Hundred Schools Period” –

Cultural flowering• Confucianism, Taoism, Legalism(++)• Laws written down• Much poetry/prose• Money economy• Population explosion!!

2. Early Imperial China

Qin Dynasty• 221 – 207 B.C.• Qin Shi Huangdi unified China for first

time• Ruled only 37 years• Implemented Legalism (rewards and

punishments)• State had absolute control over

people• Group responsibility• Standardized language, writing,

currency, measurements and axle length

• MANY Public works (Great Wall, roads, irrigation canals, palace, Terra cotta Army (6,000 soldiers)

• Shi Huangdi not popular! – Public works/taxes great burden– Nobility transplanted, all power taken

away– Writings of great philosophers burned– Banned all books advocating other

forms of government– Executed 400 opponents

Han Dynasty • 206B.C. -220A.D.• Western and Eastern• Continued to rule like Qin but gradually

incorporated Confucian ideals• Main Goal was unification of China• Much expansion• Silk Road developed• Education more important• Encyclopedias written• Millions died in fighting

– Left land for peasants and freedom of debt as lenders died!

• Economic and Political struggles arose• Peasants revolted (begun by Yellow Turbans)• 3 kingdoms emerged

The Three

Kingdoms

• 220A.D. – 265A.D.• Disunity and civil war• Kingdoms grew out of the 3

chief economic areas• Buddhism began to spread• Tea Discovered• Porcelain developed• Ts’ao Ts’ao made great impact

– Used other cultures “barbarians” in army

– Assimilation among people

Chin Dynasty • 265A.D. – 420A.D.• Eastern and Western• Ssu-ma Yen started Dynasty

– Was an assimilated barbarian

• Reunified China again• Never a stable empire• Declared armies disbanded and all

arms returned• Some sold theirs instead to

neighboring countries• Fatal mistake!• Chin defeated by Huns• Disunity continued

Dynasties of

North and

South

• 420A.D. – 588A.D.• Another lengthy period of disunity

– N. Dynasties = N. Wei, E. Wei, West Wei, N. Qi, N. Zhou,

– S. Dynasties = Song, Qi, Liang, Chen

• Buddhism flourished (in N. especially)– Tenets appealed to country people– Offered hope in Buddhism’s

reincarnation to a better life if one lived their current life well.

– Meant nobles who oppressed them would come back to a harder life

3. Classical Imperial China

Sui Dynasty • 580A.D. – 618A.D.• China united again• Accomplished many things

– Grand Canal extended– Built granaries around capitals– Fortified The Great Wall– Reconstructed 2 capitals near

Yellow River– Confucianism regained popularity

T’angDynasty

• 618A.D. – 907A.D.• T’ang Code

– Continuous scale of penalties– Degree based on amount of time that

would be spent mourning if the person died

• Tax based on # of people in family, not how much land

• Rice production rapidly increased• Expanded empire to Iran• Only female empress (Wu Chou)• Finances put in order• Tea became popular• Warfare and internal struggles

made peasant life difficult• Peasant uprisings led to T’ang’s fall

The FiveDynasties

• 907A.D. – 960 A.D.• 4 important advances

– Trade increasingly important, especially tea

– Translucent porcelain developed– Movable type

• Books became readily available• Allowed more people to become

educated

– Paper money invented

• Foot binding began– Widely practiced-rich and poor– Few did not-boat women of Kuang-tung,

aboriginals of S.W., non-Chinese groups surrounding China

• Buddhism experienced sharp decline

North and SouthSong Dynasties

• 960A.D. – 1279A.D.• Great advances

– Used gunpowder as weapon– First autopsy performed– Neo-Confucianism developed

• “Pursuit of the Way” encouraged nobles to live up to Confucian ideals by being less selfish.

• Education and examination system became central to upper class

• Best ships in world– Carried 500 men, 4 decks, 6 masts, 12

sails– Used charts and compasses

• Most technologically and culturally advanced people in the world

• Diplomacy favored instead of fighting

4. Late Imperial China

Yuan Dynasty • 1279A.D. – 1368A.D.• 1st time China ruled by foreigners-Mongols• Genghis Khan conquered, but grandson,

Kublai Khan became emperor• Culturally very different –made ruling very

difficult• Excessive spending & trade restrictions

severely depleted China economically.• No trade out, but outside could come in• Marco Polo experienced friendlier China than

the natives• <100years China impoverished• Governing duties led to lax military training• No interest in holding onto an impoverished

country.

MingDynasty

• 1368A.D. – 1644A.D.• Founder (Hongwu) was peasant• Created laws that improved peasant life

– Low taxes– Granaries stocked (famine)– Maintained dikes

• Great cultural development– Novels written (still read today)– Blue and white porcelain– Encyclopedias written– Dictionaries written– Reduced # of Chinese characters– Built more of and repaired Great Wall

• Money always a problem, went back to copper coins but counterfeiting a problem

• Zheng He made 7 diplomatic expeditions• After last voyage records destroyed and

shipbuilding restricted to small ships• Internal power struggles led to downfall

QingDynasty

• 1644A.D. – 1911A.D.• Last Dynasty• 2nd time ruled by foreigners – the Manchu• First 3 emperors= peace and prosperity.

Peace=growth– Taxes low but Public works maintained– Internation trade grew– European missionaries allowed. Later outlawed

when Christian sailors looted the Chinese coast– Boarders expanded

• Instituted changes in dress– Men = Shave heads and wear queues. Also wear

Manchu cothes– Women = No change in clothes but outlawed foot

binding. Impossible to enforce. 1688A.D. ruling withdrawn

• West’s impact felt for first time– British imported opium– Much Chinese $$ used to pay for opium– Many became addicted– 1839A.D. opium trade abolished– BOXER REBELLION– China forced to sign treaty-Hong Kong and trade

rights. Virtually turned China into a British colony.

Qing

Dynasty

(Cont.)

• Internal rebellions weakened China• Japan’s Westernization meant

China needed to buffer for attack• Emperors were younger and

younger – power in hands of empresses and other advisors

• Tzu His – empress who held the most power of all empresses– Uneducated– Opposed all reform– Reformers executed– Before death placed 2 year old on

thrown!– After 2 years Republic of China arose.

• No more dynasties