Classical

Civilization: China
(1000 B.C.E. – 500 C.E.)
The Geography of Ancient China
 China was the most isolated of
the civilizations studied thus far.
 Long distances and physical
barriers separated China from
Egypt, the Middle East, and India.
 Isolation contributed to the
Chinese belief that China was the
center of the earth and the only
civilization.
 As in Egypt and Mesopotamia,
Chinese civilization began in a
river valley, the Huang He.
 Chinese Civilization Develops
Shang Dynasty Zhou Dynasty
(1650 B.C.–1027 B.C.) (1027 B.C.–256 B.C.)

Gained control of corner of Overthrew the Shang.

northern China along Huang He.
Promoted idea of Mandate of
Drove off nomads from northern Heaven.
steppes and deserts.
Set up feudal state.
Held complex religious beliefs.
Economy and commerce grew.
Developed written language
used by all Chinese people. Population increased.
Shang Dynasty Zhou Dynasty
 The Zhou Dynastic Cycle in China
 The Mandate of Heaven, also called the dynastic cycle,
explained the rise and fall of the may dynasties that came to
rule China.
 Shang Religious Beliefs
 In Shang times, Chinese developed a complex religious system
in which they prayed to many gods.
 Shang Di was the mother goddess who brought plants and
animals to Earth.
 The emperor was the intermediary to the gods.
 Later, Chinese religion centered around the veneration of
ancestors and maintaining the balance of two forces, yin and
yang.
 Yin was linked to Earth, darkness, and female forces.
 Yang stood for Heaven, light, and male forces.
 Shang Achievements
 During the Shang and Zhou periods,
the Chinese made great strides in
astronomy.
 They developed a complex system of
writing.
 The oracle bones were a way of
communicating with the ancestors.
 Chinese writing was based on
pictographs and ideographs.
 Scholars turned calligraphy into an
elegant art form.
 Cultural Achievements
The Chinese made progress in many areas during the Shang and
Zhou periods.
Discovered how to make silk thread. Silk became China’s most valuable export.
Trade route to the Middle East became known as Silk Road.
Made the first books from wood or bamboo.
Studied the movement of planets and recorded eclipses of the sun.
Developed accurate calendar with 365 1/4 days.
Made remarkable achievements in the art of bronze-making.

Zhou Bronze Shang Pitcher

 The Period of the Warring States
Iron swords from the Warring States Period
 The Zhou alliances began to fall
apart as larger states began to
invade and conquer less
powerful states.
 Seven major families rose to
the forefront.
 The discovery of iron increased
W. Zhou Helmet
agricultural production leading
to a rise in population.
 Small armies led by aristocracy
gave way to huge, conscript
armies led by professional
soldiers.
 Chinese Government and
Advances
 Shi Huangdi united China and
built a strong authoritarian
government, which laid the
groundwork for China’s classical
age.
 Under Han rulers, the Chinese
made huge advances in trade,
government, technology, and
the arts.
 The Silk Road was a trade route
that linked China with the West.
Han era servant in terra cotta
 How did Shi Huangdi Unite China?
 He replaced feudal states with military
districts governed by loyal officials.
 He sent spies to report on local officials.
 He forced noble families to live in his capital
so he could monitor them.
 He jailed, tortured, and killed those who
opposed his rule.
 He had all books of philosophy and
literature burned.
 He standardized weights and measures.
 He created uniformity in Chinese writing.
 He strengthened the transportation system.
Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi
 He ordered the building of the Great Wall.
 Map of the Qin Dynasty

Qin Imperial Palace

 Emperor Shi Huangdi

 Though his methods were

brutal, Shi Huangdi
ushered in China’s
classical age.

 This period is called a

classical civilization
because it set patterns in
government, philosophy,
religion, science, and the
arts that served as the
framework for later
cultures.
 Tomb of Shi Huangdi

The First
Emperor’s Terra
Cotta Soldiers
Han Rulers Strengthen the Economy
and Government in China
ECONOMY GOVERNMENT
 They improved canals and  They made Confucianism
roads. the official belief of the
 They set up granaries state.
across the empire.  They relied on well-
 They reorganized finances. educated scholars to run
 They imposed a the government.
government monopoly on  They used a civil service
iron and salt. exam to find the most
 They opened up the Silk qualified officials.
Road, a trade route linking
China and the West.
 The Han Golden Age
Han China made such tremendous advances in so many fields,
that the Chinese later called themselves “the people of Han.”
SCIENCE MEDICINE
• Wrote texts on chemistry, • Diagnosed diseases.
zoology, and botany.
• Used herbal remedies and other
• Measured movements of stars
drugs for treatments.
and planets.
• Invented seismograph to • Developed anesthetics.
measure earthquakes. • Explored uses of acupuncture.

TECHNOLOGY THE ARTS

• Made paper out of wood pulp. • Built grand temples and palaces.
• Pioneered advanced methods of • Produced jade and ivory carvings
shipbuilding. and ceramic figures.
• Invented the rudder, fishing • Improved bronze-working and silk-
reels, wheelbarrows, and making techniques.
suspension bridges.
 The Later Han Dynasty and Decline
 The Han depended on taxation to maintain control over their
territories.
 The wealthy began to find ways to avoid paying taxes, so the burden
fell to the merchants and peasants.
 By 22 B.C. revolts broke out all over the country.
 Wang Mang, serving as regent for the infant emperor, tried to reform
the country by confiscating land from the wealthy and distributing it to
the peasants.
 Floods destroyed irrigation systems.
 Widespread famine lead to further revolts in the south.
 In reaction the “Later Han” government strengthened their control on
the population and economy.
 Like the earlier Han dynasties, though, the wealthy stopped paying
taxes, the economy declined, the peasants revolted, and the Han
dynasty fell in 220 A.D.
 Empire fractures into “Three Kingdoms” and “Six Dynasties.”
 Chinese Philosophies
Three philosophies dominated Classical Chinese Society:
 The teachings of Confucius, called Confucianism, tried to
restore order after the Period of Warring States.
“Lead the people by laws and regulate them by punishments, and the
people will simply try to keep out of jail, but will have no sense of
shame. Lead the people by virtue . . . And they will have a sense of
shame and moreover will become good.”

 Legalism grew out of the teachings of Hanfeizi.

“. . . the nature of man is evil. His goodness is acquired.”

 Daoism was founded by Laozi, or “Old Master,” who

wrote The Way of Virtue. Dao means “the way.”
“Those who know the Dao do not speak of it. Those who speak of it do
not know it.”
 Teachings of Confucius
Confucius developed a philosophy, or system
of ideas, that was concerned with world
goals, especially how to ensure social order
and good government. His ideas included:

• Harmony results when people accept their

place in society.

• Everyone has duties and responsibilities.

Filial piety, or respect for parents, is the
most important duty.

• A ruler has the responsibility to provide

good government. In return, the people
would be respectful and loyal subjects.

• Government leaders and officials should be

Confucius (illustration from Myths well educated.
& Legends of China, 1922, by E.T.C.
Werner)
 Legalism vs. Daoism
Legalism and Daoism promoted very different views of
government.

LEGALISM DAOISM
 Taught that humans are  Taught that people
naturally evil should turn to nature
and give up their
 The only way to achieve worldly concerns
order is to pass strict
 Government is
laws and impose harsh unnatural & is the cause
punishments on of many problems.
lawbreakers.
 The best government is
 The ruler alone the one that governs the
possesses power. least.
 Buddhism in China
Buddhism became popular among the Chinese,
especially in times of crisis. It was appealing because it

 promised an escape from suffering.

 offered hope of eternal happiness.

 presented Buddha as a
compassionate, merciful god.

 taught that anyone could gain

salvation through prayer, good works,
and devotion.