Dynasties of Ancient China

1
Dynasties of Ancient China
2
Early Chinese History

• Chinese Civilization dates back more than 6000
  years
• Chinas landscape provided fertile river valleys
  while isolating the people from other parts of
  Asia

3
The Shang Dynasty (1750 BC to 1045 BC)

• The first empire in China was the Shang
• A farming society
• Developed rule by aristocracy
• Shaped early Chinese culture
• Developed the art of bronze casting

4
The Zhou Dynasty(1045 BC to 256 BC)

• The last Shang rulers were corrupt and overthrown
  by the Zhou Dynasty
• Utilized the Mandate of Heaven
• Rulers followed the Dao (the way)
• Expected to rule in a way that benefits the
  people
• Developed the concept of filial piety
• Ruled wisely and efficiently for centuries

5
Chinese Philosophy

• Between 500 and 200 BC three major schools of
  thought developed in China
• Tried to answer questions about the nature of
  human beings and the universe

Confucianism
Daoism
Legalism
6
Confucianism

• Based on the ideas of Confucius (born in 551 bc)
• His ideas were shaped by the violence and moral
  decay of his era
• Developed a small group of loyal followers who
  recorded his teachings in the Analects
• Provided a set of guidelines to restore order and
  morality

7
Confucianism

• Philosophy is political and ethical, not
  spiritual
• Assumes that there is order in the universe
• If humans act in harmony with the universe, their
  own affairs would prosper

8
Confucianism

• There are two elements to the Confucian view of
  the Dao (way)
• Duty
• Humanity

9
Duty

• People must subordinate their own interests to
  the broader needs of the family and the community
• In all relationships the subordinate should be
  obedient and respectful the higher rank should
  be responsible and caring
• Duty manifests itself as a work ethic
• Above all, the ruler must set a good example

10
Duty

• If each individual worked hard to fulfill his
  duties, the affairs of society would prosper
• If there is righteousness in the heart, there
  will be beauty in the character. If there is
  beauty in the character, there will be harmony in
  the home. If there be harmony in the home there
  will be order in the nation. If there be order
  in the nation, there will be peace in the world.

11
Humanity

• Compassion and empathy for others
• Do not do unto others what you would not wish
  done to yourself
• Measure the feelings of others by ones own

12
Confucianism

• The most significant political idea of Confucius
  was the idea of rule based on merit
• Government offices should be open to superior
  talent, not just noble birth
• Led to civil service exams for placement in
  government jobs

13
Daoism

• A system of ideas based on the teachings of Lao
  Tsu
• If he existed, he was a contemporary of Confucius
• Ideas written in the Tao Te Ching (The Way of the
  Dao)
• The meaning of the Tao is arguable

14
Daoism

• Daoism sets forth beliefs for proper human
  behavior
• The way to follow the will of heaven is not
  through action (as in Confucianism) but through
  inaction
• The best way to act in harmony with the universal
  order is not to interfere with the natural order

15
Daoism

• Without going outside you may know the world.
  Without looking through the window, you may see
  the ways of heaven. The farther you go, the less
  you know. Thus the sage (wise man) know without
  traveling He sees without looking he works
  without doing.

16
Daoism

• The universe is Sacred. You cannot improve it.
  If you try to change it, you will ruin int. If
  you try to hold it, you will lose it.

17
Legalism

• Unlike Confucianism and Daoism, Legalism proposed
  that human being were evil by nature
• Legalism was referred to as the School of Law
  because they rejected the Confucian idea of rule
  by superior men
• Believed society should be ruled by a set of
  objective, impersonal laws

18
Legalism

• Legalists believed that a strong ruler was
  required to create an orderly society
• Only harsh law and stiff punishment will cause
  common people to bend to serve the interests of
  the ruler

19
Legalism

• People are not capable of being good, therefore
  the ruler does not have to show compassion for
  the people

20
Dynasties of Ancient China

• With the development of these schools of thought,
  new Dynasties emerged after the fall of the Zhou
  and put the theories to the test

The Qin Dynasty
The Han Dynasty
21
The Qin Dynasty

• Qin Shihuangdi defeated the last of his enemies
  and founded a dynasty in 221 bc
• Established a universal monetary system
• Built a system of roads that ran throughout the
  empire
• Left behind a remarkable artistic and
  architectual legacy The Terra-Cotta Warriors
  The Great Wall

22
The Terra-Cotta Warriors

• Terra-cotta hardened clay made for his tomb as a
  recreation of his army

23
The Great Wall

• Wall of earth and loose stone built to keep out
  the nomadic tribe the Xiongnu to the north

24
The Qin Dynasty

• Qin Shihuangdi adopted Legalism as the regimes
  official ideology
• Controled books and the media
• Punished or executed political rivals
• Built a strong centralized bureaucracy
• Decreased the power of aristocrats by dividing
  their land among the peasants

25
The Qin Dynasty

• The Fall of the Qin
• By ruthlessly controlling the empire, Qin
  Shihuandi hoped to established a rule that would
  be enjoyed by his sons for ten thousand
  generations
• The emperor died in 210 bc and his dynasty was
  overthrown by aristocrats tired of strict
  censorship and centralized power

26
The Han Dynasty

• The Han Dynasty emerged in 202 bc
• Discarded the harsh principles of Legalism and
  established Confucianism as the new state
  philosophy
• Continued the Qin tradition of choosing
  government officials based on merit rather than
  noble birth

27
The Han Dynasty

• As the population increased, the need for a more
  efficient bureaucracy developed
• The Han introduced the Civil Service Exam to
  choose government officials
• Established schools to teach Confucianism,
  Chinese history, and law to prepare for the Civil
  Service Exams

28
The Han Dynasty

• Han leaders extended the Empire to the West and
  the south
• Population increases and forced military service
  put a great strain on the average citizen

29
The Han Dynasty

• Technology and Culture
• Advancements in iron casting led to the creation
  of steel
• Paper was invented by the Han
• Developed the rudder and a sail that allowed
  ships to sail against the wind
• Confucian readings taught children the
  expectations for behavior

30
The Fall of the Han Dynasty

• The strain on the peasant farmers forced them to
  sell land to landed aristocrats
• Powerful nobles emerged to challenge the power of
  the Emperor
• Combined with corruption at court and invasions
  from nomads to the north
• The Han Dynasty collapsed in 220 AD

31
Dynasties of Ancient China

• China Reunified

32
China Reunified

• For 300 years after the Han, China fell into
  chaos
• The Sui dynasty (581-618) managed to reunify
  China
• The short lived dynasty accomplished the building
  of the Grand Canal

33
China Reunified

• Corrupt and extravagant lifestyle caused a
  rebellion
• The Tang dynasty emerged to replace the Sui in 618

34
Tang Dynasty

• 618-907
• Instituted reforms to create a more stable
  economy
• Restored the civil service exams
• Expanded Chinese control to the borders of Tibet
• Government Corruption ended the Tang

35
Song Dynasty

• Rose to power in 960
• Ruled over a period of economic prosperity
• Fought the Mongol invasion in the 1200s but lost
  control of China

36
The Mongols

• Created the worlds largest land empire

37
(No Transcript)
38
(No Transcript)
39
(No Transcript)