Chapter 5 History

King Shun

2nd Sage King -Succeeded Yao as sage king. Ordered 4 seasons & institute uniform weights & measures

Why did Yangshao Society develop central authority?

To maintain order, resolve disputes & organize large scale public work pojects.

Zhou Dynasty

1122 - 256 BCE From Wei River valley Northwest China. Challenged Shang in east and nomadic raiders from western steppes. Allied with Shang and became kings of western region but better organized than Shang and overtook them. Came to power late 12th century BCE when Shang run by criminal fool king. Towns and political district switched loyalty to Zhou. Zhou tried to discipline Shang king but didn't work. 1122 BCE - Zhou forces seized Yin, beheaded king and took control. Zhou maintained control over North and central China until 256 BCE.

Shang Dynasty

1766 - 1122 BCE Legends say last Xia king oppressive despot. Founder of Shang Dynasty gained control from him. Change probably gradual not sudden. Shang Dynasty region south and east of Xia realm. Written records and material remains give us info about this dynasty. Ruled by proclamation or decree not law codes. Trusted military & allies would enforve their will. Technological advances helped Shang dynasty succeed.

King Yao

1st Sage king. Towering figure, mountain symbol, most & sincere & respectful. Virtuous influence brought harmony to family, society & all of China

King Yu

3rd Sage King -Most dashing sage king. Founded Xia Dynasty...1st ruling house of ancient China. Tireless worker rescued China from raging flood waters of Yellow River. Abandoned earlier effort to dam river and instead dredged it to deepen channel which minimized floods and dug canals parallel to river to siphon flood waters off to sea without flooding and destroying land. Worked 13 yrs on project didn't go home. Taming river made cultivation of rice & millet possible.

Period of the Warring States

403-221 BCE Violent period or political instability and ongoing wars at the end of the Zhou dynasty as subordinates fought one another trying to gain control and power.

Yangshao Society & Banpo Village

5000-3000 BCE Northern China- Neolithic villages developed as result of abundant harvests. Yangshao Society - middle Yellow River Region Distinctive pottery, architecture, political, social and cultural traditions. Banpo - Famous Village excavated in 1952 unearthed bone tools & painted pottery revealed info about Yangshao Society.

Patriarchal Society

Absence of organized religion and officials priests in ancient China so patriarchal head of family was in charge. Elderly Male presided over rites and cermeonies honoring ancestors. Neolithic times Chinese men had public authority by virtue of female line of discent. This fave family reason to respect women even if they were not directly in charge

Society & Family in Ancient China

Agriculture allowed individuals to accumulate wealth & keep it for family. This Led to social distinctions. Xia, Shang and Zhou Dynasties made distinctions greater. Patriarchal family emerged as institution that directly influenced individual's lives and roles in society.

Pastoral Nomadic Society (North & west)

Agriculture not successful because of arid climate so concentrated on herding. Animals provided meat & milk to eat, bones for tools and skins for clothes. Travelled far and wide looking for grass & water for herds, so they did NOT settle in one place or build cities. Nomads organized clans with powerful warrior chiefs and did NOT follow Chinese social or political traditions. No real writing used til later. Nomads served as links between agricultural societies of east and west. Brought knowledge of technologies fromdifferent regions to people. Intermediaries in trade network. Trade - Relied on agricultural societies for grains and finished good like textils and metal goods that were hard for them to produce. Provided agricultural societies with horses and served as links to other societies. Without access to agricultural society goods, pastoral nomads wouldn't have been as successful. Symbiotic relationship between nomads and agriculture but often warred too. Nomads wanted wealth of agricultural people. Frequent raids in north and west. Zhou became strong battling nomads and used that might to overtake Shang synasty. But frequent nomad raids on Zhou later hurt Zhou dynasty. Getting g

Chinese cultivators & Nomadic people of Central Asia

Agriculture spread from Yello River valley north and west. Dry steppes limited agricultural expansion because harvests not bountiful.

Book of Songs

Also known as Book of Poetry or Book of Odes. Collection of verses from Zhou Dynasty. Compiled & edited after 600 BCE. But many of 311 poems come from earlier period. Reflections on politics and heroic deeds as well as many aspects of everyday life-like eating, drinking, family, love, friendship and human affairs. One song -Peasants compared lords to rodents and threatened to abandon lord's land for enighboring state when conditions improved. Another song - illustrates importance of family connections in hHina.

Shang Capitat at Ao

Ao - one of the early capitals. Near modern Zheng-zhou Ao excavation site shows remarkable city wall made of pounded earth. Once towered 33 ft high and 66 ft thick. Probably took 10,000 workers 20 yrs to make....this coordination of labor for large project demonstrates Shang ruler's ability to mobilitze subjects. Parts of wall remain today.

Xia Dynasty - Early Agriculture

Based in Yellow River valley or Huang He. Little need for irrigation because usually enough rain. Only partial success with dikes to control flooding. Soil rich and loose. Could use simple wooden or metal tools to plant and reap big yields. Big crop yields boosted population growth.

Ancient China & larger world

Geographic obstacles (mountains, deserts, seas) hindered but did Not stop development of long distance trade routes.

Tian "Heaven"

Chinese word for Heaven. Chinese did NOT have organized religious tradition. Spoke of impersonal heavenly power "tian" that bestowed or removed mandate of heaven on rulers - but they did NOT recognize a personal supremee deity who took special inteerst in humans. Therefore no real need for large class of priests to carry out rituals. Family patriarchs carried out rituals and represented interests of living to spirits of deceased ancestors.

State of Chu

Developed late Zhou period In central region of Yangzi Governed autonomously and challenged Zhou for supremacy. Adopted CHinese political/social traditions and writing. Societies resembled Yellow River communities. Only northern part of Yangzi River officially under Shang and Zhou state authority but by end of Zhou period all of southern China became part of larger Chinese society.

Early Chinese Writing

Earliest writing pictographs - stylized representations of object. Ideograph - combination of various pictographs to express complex ideas. Ex. Symbol mother and child = "good" Unlike most languages, early Chinese writing did NOT have an alphabet or phonetic component. Contemporary CHinese writing characters (5,000) are direct descendants from Shang pictographs or ideographs.

Zhou Dynasty Collapse

Early 8th century BCE -several factors threated Zhou dynasty. 771 BCE nomadic tribes invaded China from west. Subordinates refused to support the weak king and nomades invaded Zhou capital at Hao. Zhou moved capital east to Luoyang and royal court never regained central authority. 5th Century BCE Subordinates used resources to strengthen their states and fought with one another to try to expand their power. Last centuries of Zhou Dynasty so violent known as the Period of the Warring States. 256 BCEZhou dynasty ends as kind abdicates his position under pressure from subordinate the kind of Qin. 221BCEQin Dynasty established effective central government in China.

Erlitou

Erlitou - perhaps the capital of Xia dynasty Archeological dig of City shows it had large palace structure, modest homes, pottery workshops & bronze foundry.

Family & Patriarchy

Extended family influential Chinese institutions in neolithic times and continued to shape society during Xia, Shang and Zhou Dynasties..

Early East Asian society

First dwellers hunter/gatherer economy. Growing Population pressures forced them to experiment with agriculture. South China & SE Asia Yangzi River - Domesticated rice 7000 BCE By 5000 BCE neolithic villages relied on rice as diet staple in Yangzi River valley. North China - 5000 BCE Yellow River valley - millet cultivated first. Later wheat and barley supplemented millet 2000BCE. After 3000 BCE Yellow R and Yangzi R. became agricultural economies based in villages and traded/communicated with people throughout the region. Second millenium BCE cities established, large states built. 3 dynastic states forged individual communities into larger distinctive Chinese Society.

Xia Dynasty

First dynasty 2200 BCE. - 1766 BCE King Yu - Legend says flood control projects established authority for political institution. Region same as Yangshao society. Extending formal control of this region established precedent for hereditary monarchial rule in China. Just learning about it from archeological dig at city of Erlitou - perhaps the capital? No written records so much is surmised about Xia. Discoveries suggest they made one of first efforts to organize public life in China on large scale. Ruler probably controlled leaders of individual village to maintain order. Probably encouraged founding of states and metallurgy because ruling classes needed adminsitrative centers & bronze weapons to keep control.

Specialized labor - Free Artisans & Craftsmen

Free Artisans & craftsmen. Silk Textile manufacturers included in this group because their materials were important to ruling class. Worked almost exclusively for privileged classes. Homes made of pounded earth were smaller butmodest but considered expensive because took a lot of work to pound earth.

Mandate of Heaven

Heavenly powers granted the right to govern to a deserving individual known as son of heaven. Ruler served as link between heaven and earth. Ruler had to govern responsibly and live by high standards and maintain order and harmony in his realm. As long as he did this the heavenly powers would approve of his work and his family would maintain the mandate of ehaven to rule. But If a ruler failed in his duties and chaos and suffering afflicted his realm the cosmos would fall out of balance and the heavenly powers would withdraw the mandate to rule and transfer it to another deserving candidate. Zhou used this Mandate of Heaven principle to justify the fall of Shang and the transfer of the mandate to the Zhou dynasty. Until 20th Century CE Chinese ruling houses used Mandate of Heaven to justify their rule and emperors took tile "Son of Heaven."

Ruling Elites -Hereditary Aristocrats

Hereditary Aristocrats - priveleged class came from military allies of Shang and ZHou rulers worked at administrative and military tasks. ENjoyed good standard of living with some basic education and expected to learn refined behavior from manuals such as don't pick your teeth, swill wine or make unpleasant noises when dining in polite company!

Shang Dynasty - Bronze metallurgy & Horse Drawn Chariots

Indo-European migrants brought technological advances to this part of China. Bronze metallurgy, horses, horse-draw chariots, carts, wagons & wheeled vehicles probably arrived 2000BCE to Tarim Basin. Shang rulers controlled access to copper and tin source needed to make bronze and also monopolozed bronze production. This gave them advantage against others. Government employed craftsmen who made large quantities of bronze spears, knives & arrowheads just for Shang rulers & their armies. Xia using mostly wooden, stone & bone weapons couldn't compete. 1500 - 1200 BCE chariots arrive. Shang nobles made bronze fittings for horse drawn chariots and easily defeated Xia who had no horses or chariots and inferior weapons. Shang used advantage or bronze weapons, horses and chariots to impose their rule on agriculture villages and extend their area of control. Since Shang controlled supply of materials to make bronze their enemies or rebels couldn't challenge ruling dynasty's authority. Shang able to control much of NE China. Shang kings claimed part of surplus agriculture to feed their troops and political allies who helped them maintain power. Shang armies between 3,000 - 30,000 strong.

Yangzi River

Known as Chang Jiang ("Long River") 3915 miles long from Tibetan mountains to East CHina Sea near moder Shanghai. Mosit, subtripical climate good for rice-sometimes 2 crops of rice per year. Not known for devastating floods of Yellow River. Used irrigation system to cultivate rice by flooding rice paddys and later releasing water at appropriate time. Shang and Zhou dynasties provided authority to organize and carry out irrigation project which increased rice production and cause population in southern area to flourish. Cities and states popped up, like State of Chu Expansion of agriculture south forced indigenous people to adapt and become growers or move to hills or mountains to continue hunter/gatherer life. SOme people moved to Taiwan or Vietnam land.

Political Organization in early China

Late thrid millenium BCE larger regional states emerged. Most important - Xia, Shang and Zhou Dynasties. Their authority laid political foundation for distinctive Chinese Society.

Merchants & Trade

Little evidence exists before Zhou dynasty but archeological digs show long distance trade routes probably existed in Xia and Shang Dynasties too. Mountains & deserts presented challenges to trade but did NOT stop it. Jade & chariots brought into China from elsewhere. Chinese pottery found in Harappan sites. Sea routes explored for trade purposes too. King Yu of Xia Dynasty credited with invention of sails for ships. Early mariners used large oar propelled vessesls before 2000 BCE. SHips used for fishing & trade. Xia ships went to offshore islands. Shang ships went to Korea Zhou Dynasty - shipbuilding became big business and sailors used stars to navigate.

Destruction of Early Chinese Literature

Many written works did not survive because material they were written on deteriorated over time. But when Qin Dynasty took power 221 BCE and ended Period of Warring States and Zhou Dynasty, he ordered destruction of writings that did NOT have utilitarian purpose. Saved works on medicine, agriculture, divination but got rid of works of poetry, history and philosophy fearing those might inspire doubts about his government or encourage independat thinking. Only a few of these works survived because people hid them.

Tomb of Lady Fu Hao

Most important tomb at YIN Lady Fu Hao favorite of 64 consorts (wives) to Shang king Wu DIng Buried 1250 BCE Tomb escaped grave robbers probably because not in cemetary but in palace Discovered & excavated 1976. Tomb reflects her high status - contained 468 bronze objects - very expensive, 755 jade carvings, 564 bone carvings, pottery & cowry shells, 6 dogs, 16 sacrificed humans to serve her and guard her after death.

Shang tombs at Anyang

Most royal tombs looted by grave robbers but enough trmains exist to show high respect given Shang kings. Graves included thousands of objects that king might need in afterlife. Chariots & bronze weapons, pottery, jade & ivory carvings, cowry shells (used as money and exotic ornaments), horses, dogs, and sacrificed humans to serve king in next life. (Maybe wives, servants and companions)

Slaves

Mostly enemy warriors captured in battle. Performed hard labor like clearing fields or building city walls. Shang Dynasty used slaves as sacrifial victims for funerals and rituals.

Zhou political organization

Much larger area than Shang dynasty. Decentralized administration needed. King entrusted power and authority to subordinates who owed allegiance, tribute and military support to king. Early days - system worked well. Taxes & tribute collected by subordinates major part of Zhou finances. Zhou tried to get subordinates married to ruling family matters to strenghten ties to political allies. Over time system weakened. Subordinates created own power bases - set up beauracracies, armies and tax systems allowing them to exercise ther authority and consolidate power. Setup law codes and enforced them. Became independent from king and started to ignore responsibilities to appear or bring tax money to royal court. Subordinates did not always provide armies or used them against dynasty to build up regional states.

Shang Capital at Yin

Near modern Anyang Capital during last two or three centuries of Shang dynasty. Archeologists have unearthed large complex of palaces, archives with written documents, several residential neighborhoods, two bronze foundries, many workshops used by potters, woodworkers and bone cravers & burial grounds

China's Sorrow

Nickname for Yellow River because it overflowed banks so many times and caused so much destruction.

Shang Political Organization

Not a highly centralized state so used political allies to help maintain control ...just like Xia rulers. Shang had large network of walled towns with local rulers who recongnized Shang king's authority. Agricultural surplus taken by king for these local rulers and also shared with advisors, ministers, craftsmen and metal smiths -alll who helped Shang kings.

Women's Influence in Society

Occassionally a woman wileded control. Example - Fu Hao (Shang Dynasty King Wu Ding's consort or wife) Riches in her tomb show her importance. Fu Hao played prominent role in public life supervising her estate, presided over sarificial ceremonies & served as general on military campaigns. But during later Shang and Zhou Dynasties women pushed to shadows behind men and matriarchal lineage lost.

Veneration of ANcestors

One reason for profound influence of family on China. Always tended to graves of departed family members believing that spirits of ancestors had power to protect and support surviving family members so they showed proper respect for the spirit's needs burying tools, jewelry and possessions with dead. Offered sacrifices of food and drink at graves. Strong sense of ancestor's presenence and continued influence promoted family solidarity encouraging all of them to work together for common interests. Link between living, dead and even the unborn gave institution of the family enormous influence over private and public life.

Steppe Nomads

Pastoral societies supporting cattle, horses, sheep, goats and yaks on grasses in arid region. Chinese agriculture ran into nomads as they moved north and west looking for cropland. 4000BCE - Intro of horses helped nomads became more effective herders. 2900 BCE Wagons built w/bronze used in steppes. 2200 BCE wagons in steppes east of Ural mountains. 1000BCE Powerful herding societies existed in Eurasian steppes.

Peasants

Peasants populated Chinese countryside. They did NOT own land but provided agriculture, military & labor services to lords in exchange for the ability to farm plots of land owned by the lord. Peasants had to give lords large part of their harvest in return. Lived in subterranean houses 3 ft below ground with thatched walls and roofs. Women worked indoors - winemaking, weaving, sultivate silkworms. Men in fields planting, hunting & fishing. Had few tools available to them until later. Rlied on wooden digging sticks and spades made of bone or stone tips for planting. Simple tools were adequate to cultivate powdery loess soil, Sixth Century BCE iron tools became popular and came into use in countryside by common people.

Marquis Yi of Zeng

Provincial governor of late Zhou dynasty had a tomb containing 11 tons of bronze items.

Social Order - Ruling ELites - Royal family

Ruling Elites - Royal family & allied noble families. Lived in palatial compounds made of pounded earth. Enriched by taxes & fed on agricultural surplus from their subjects. Controlled copper & tin sources so they could control bronze production. Only rich had bronze weapons so gave them tools to ensure military strength & political power. Only rich had bronze utensils like pots, cups, plates, bells, mirrors and ritual vessels that were adorned with paintings. Less privileged used clay pots. Bronze utensils filled with rich & varied diet of fish, peasantm rabbit, mutton, rice & poultry. Less priveleged ate simple vegetables, rice, millet and porridge.

Shang Cities

Shang Society revolved around large cities which were social, economic and political centers. Capital moved 6 times. Ao - one of the early capitals.

Role of iron metallurgy on subordinate rule in Zhou Dynasty

Shang controlled bronze production but Zhou not as good as controlling this. Ist millenium BCE iron metallurgy spread to China. This mad bronze weapons obsolete. Iron ores cheaper and more abundant than copper and tin so Zhou kings couldn't control access to iron ore like they did copper and tin. Iron weapons longer, stronger and more lethal tham bronze counterparts. As a result, subordinates moved quickly to setup ironworks and gave armies iron weapons used to resist central government

Early Chinese Writing & Cultural Development

Since no religious tradition, early writing foundation for secular cultural traditions. Simple records may have been kept during Xia Dynasty but writing came into prominence in Shang Dynasty. Earliest writing served interest of rulers rather than traders. Shang used bamboo strips and pieces of silk to write on. These were fragile and did not survive. Shang also used Oracle bones and bronze pieces to write on and they have survived.

Oracle Bones

Used by fortunetellers in ancient China to forecast the future. Specially prepared bones from sheep shoulder blade or turtle shell. Question inscribed on bone and heated it in a fire or scorched with a tool. Heated bones developed splits and cracks. Fortuneteler studied patterns of splits and cracks to determine answer to question written on bone, Answer often recorded on bone. Scribes sometimes later wrote events that actually occurred. 19th Century CE farmers found many oracle bones near Anyang. Called them "dragon bones." Didn't know historical importance. Instead sold to druggists who ground them and used as medicine to treat aches and pains. 200,000 Oracle bones have been found. Most oracle bones found from royal archives and reflect daily concerns of royal court. Predict harvests, Determine who to go to war with, predict sex of queen's children. Shang Kind Wu Ding had at least 1300 oracle bones about prospects of rain. Studying bones gives historians information about political & social times of Shang dynasty.

Confucius

Well known Chinese thinker during Zhou dynasty whose reflections serve as foundation of classic Chinese society. His works survived in books from Zhou period. Other anonymous writers were also keen observers about the world and life.

Zhou Literature

Well-respected works from Zhou period became Textbooks in Chinese Schools. Examples: Book of Changes - manual instructing diviners in art of foretelling future. Book of History-collection of documents justifying Zhou state and called for obedience to rulers. Book of Etiquette also known as Book of Rites - Taught aristocrats polite behavior and how to conduct rituals. Book of Songs

Thought & literature in ancient China

Writing first used for Shang kings and ruling elite but once developed spread to other people for other uses. Evidence of expanded use of writing comes from Zhou times. Used oracle bones and bronze ceremonial utensils for ancester rituals but also books of poetry, manuals for divination & ritual, eassays on moral, philosophical and political subjects from Zhou times.

What are the 3 ancient Chinese dynasties?

Xia, Shang, and Zhou Dynasties - all hereditary states that extended control over larger areas with time. Xia & Shang - originally considered mythical but recent archeological digs turned up evidence showing they were real. Zhou - Lots of written accounts about this dynasty. Later Qin & Han dynasties brought China under unified rule in third century BCE

Southern expansion of CHinese Society

Yangzi Valley influence spread south too. No barriers to cultivation south. In fact Yangzi R. valley supports even more intensive agriculture than yellow R.

Sage Kings

Yao, Shun & Yu - legends about them exagerate their heroic virtues, advocate values Chinese found beneficial to society thereby encouraging social harmony and selfless work for society.

Yellow River

Yellow River also known as Huang He which means Yellow River. Named after light-colored loess soil a fine powder-like soil suspened in the river that made it yellow and thick like soup. Loess deposited by Yellow River along plains of northern China. Made soil rich and easy to dig in. But soil buildup made river prone to great floods that devastated fields.