Transcript Two Golden Ages of China

Golden Ages of China
Dynasty
a
family of rulers who rule over a
country for a long period of time
First Dynasty of China
Shang Dynasty
 Built the first cities in China
 King- practiced absolute power:
political, religious, and military leader
 Grew to rule the people of the Huang
He River valley
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Warlords
 Kings
relied on warlords to govern
conquered territories
 Military leaders, exercised civil
power by force in a limited area
Lifestyle
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King, warlords, and royal officials made up
the upper class
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Aristocrats- people of noble birth
Most people were farmers: raised cattle,
sheep, chickens, and grew grains millet,
wheat, and rice
Polytheistic, but the god Shang Ti ruled as
supreme god; gave offerings of food and
gifts
They also worshipped their ancestors,
hoping they’d bring them good luck
The Zhou: China’s Longest Dynasty 1045256 B.C.
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The last Shang ruler was wicked, so he
was overthrown by rebels led by Wu
Wang
Wu Wang began a new dynasty- The Zhou
Dynasty lasted over 800 years
The king led with the help of a
bureaucracy
Bureaucracy- group of non-elected
government officials
China grew under the Zhou Dynastythe rule effectively, the king divided
the kingdom into territories
 The king’s main duty was to carry out
religious ceremonies, because they
believed that the king represented
the people before the gods
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Mandate of Heaven
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The Zhou Dynasty believed in the
Mandate of Heaven- this was the belief
that the king’s right to rule came from the
gods
This changed what the people expected of
their king- he must rule by the proper
“Way”- the Dao
The king’s duty was to honor and please
the gods
Disasters were caused by the king failing
to please the gods
Period of the Warring States
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The aristocrats who ruled territories grew
in power; they began ignoring their king’s
commands, and took control of their own
territories.
These aristocrats began fighting each
other for territory and power
200 years of fighting; forced farmers to
fight with swords, spears, and crossbows
Horses were introduced- developed the
saddle and stirrup
Led to a new dynasty…
Qin Dynasty
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Strong fighting territory- Qin; strong
leader defeated all the other states: 221
B.C.
Qin ruler declared himself “the First Qin
Emperor”
Wanted to strengthen and unify China, so
he took control of all the territories
Now governors had to be appointed by
the ruler
Qin Shihuangdi
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(Chin Shee-hwahng-dee)
Ruled with absolute control and harsh
punishment
He punished or killed those who disagreed
with him
Created a common currency for all of
China and simplified and set a standard
for rules
Constructed many building projects:
palaces, roads, dams, and huge canal
(connected two cities so they could
transport supplies)
Great Wall
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To protect China from the skilled warrior
nomads of the Gobi desert, he connected
already existent walls
http://www.history.com/topics/great-wallof-china
End of Qin Dynasty
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After the death of Qin, aristocrats and
farmers rebelled against his harsh rule –
fighting broke out throughout China
206 B.C. the Qin Dynasty was no more…
The Han Dynasty (206 B.C.–A.D
220)
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One of the longest of China’s major dynasties.
It rivaled the Roman Empire in the West.
With only minor interruptions it lasted a span of
over four centuries and is considered a “Golden
Age” in Chinese history especially in arts, politics
and technology.
Han Wudi- first strong emperor; took great steps to
improve China’s government
Han’s Government
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Wanted to end the practice of putting
family members in important roles, so he
chose educated, dedicated, and skilled
men for civil service
Government workers were chosen on the
basis of competitive tests
Education
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Students were educated to prepare for
future civil service
Boys studied law, history, and ideas of
Confucius
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60 million
They needed more food, but farms were
smaller due to families dividing land among
sons
Families had to sell their farms, and they
became tenant farmers
Tenant Farmers- men who work land own
by someone else, very poor
China expanded north, including Korea,
Southeast, and west into northern India
Eventually had 150 years of peace
Han Culture
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During time of peace, literature and arts
flourished
Ideas of Confucius and filial piety became
strong
Inventions: cast-iron plow, techniques to
drain fields and direct water, waterwheels
to grind grain, wheelbarrow, silk
manufacturing, paper (written records),
rudders in ships
Medical Advancements
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Acupuncture- practice of inserting needles
through the skin at specific points to treat
disease and relieve pain
Herbs to treat illnesses
Silk Road
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They grew rich by sending expensive
goods all over the world.
Encouraged trade with other places in
the world
A network of trade routes: 4,000
miles W. China to the Mediterranean
Main link between Asia and Europe
Spread knowledge, culture, and
religions- Buddhism
Fall of Han Dynasty
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Corrupt officials
and weak ,
dishonest leaders
caused people to
rise up and rebel
After the Han
Dynasty collapsed
in 220, Civil wars
divided China into
North and South.
Social Unrest
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300 years of no central government- lost
many conquered lands, including Korea,
Warlords fought each other
A.D. 581 Sui (Sway) Dynasty tried to
create stability
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Rebuilt and added to the Great Wall
Constructed a Grand Canal to connect rivers
Higher taxes, made farmers mad, so they
revolted
Chapter 17
Tang Dynasty (A.D. 618-907)
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Empress Wu
624-705 A.D.
Page 476
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Restored uniform government
throughout China and
enlarged the civil servicebrought back exams.
China conquered many lands,
like Korea, Tibet, and
Vietnam.
The most powerful emperor
was Taizong (Ty-Dzung).
Empress Wu ruled in the late
600s: only woman to rule in
China- strengthened the
military
Tang Dynasty
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Conquered lands became
“tributary states”-meaning they
remained independent but had
to acknowledge Chinese
supremacy.
land reform-broke up land and
redistributed it to peasants.
Even though they were
successful, the dynastic cycle
took over and collapsed in 907.
Inventions
Gunpowder- explosives, weapons,
and fireworks: changed wars page
485
 Perfected the magnetic compass
used in navigation
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Song Dynasty
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After the fall, military leaders
controlled China. In A.D. 960,
one general declared himself
emperor and started the Song
Dynasty. China was reunited,
and they ruled for 319 years.
Under the Song, the Chinese
culture and economy
expanded and trade
flourished.
They issued paper money due
to their booming trade centers
and became a very wealthy
dynasty known for their
economic success.
Society During the Song
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Chinese society during this time was well ordered.
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Backed a new understanding of Confucianism- neoConfucianism: Concerned for the worldly life and
after life: included some Buddhist and Daoist beliefs
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At the top-the emperor and his court of aristocratic
families
Middle-The gentry (wealthy land owners)
At the bottom- peasants
Became a set of rules for good behavior
Brought back civil service exams- very hard tests
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Began at 4 to write Chinese characters; had to memorize
Confucianism writings and recite them
1 in 5 boys passed the test
Foot Binding
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During the late Song Dynasty,
women had much fewer rights
and the custom of foot binding
began.
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This reinforced the Confucian
tradition that women should stay
inside the home.
Women had a subordinate position that had to
be enforced
The tradition started in the aristocratic sect of
society but eventually spread to lower classes
Feet were bound with strips of cloth-as a result
feet became half the size of a natural growing
foot
Tiny feet and an extended walk became a
symbol of nobility and beauty
Women feared not being able to find a
husband if their feet were large
The practice was extremely painful
Peasants who had to work in the fields did not
bind their feet because binding often prevented
women from being able to walk
Footbinding