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An animal bone or turtle shell used by the ancient Chinese to find out about the future.
Animal bones or shells used by the shang kings.
Oracle bones are pieces of shell or bone, typically from ox scapulae or turtle shells due to their flat surfaces. They were used in as a form of divination in ancient China, mainly during the late Shang dynasty |
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| Major Characteristics of the Shang Dynasty |
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Second Chinese dynasty (about 1750-1122 B.C.) which was mostly a farming society ruled by an aristocracy mostly concerned with war. They're best remembered for their art of bronze casting.
Anyang: The ancient Chinese capital of the Shang dynasty.
Mandate of Heaven: the belief that the Chinese king's right to rule came from the gods
Warring States Period: Period in China from 475 to 221 B.C.E. that was typified by disorder and political chaos. Brutal and destructive conflict. |
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Feudalism: The kingdom of the Western Zhou was somewhat feudalistic due to a single political form constituted by multiple iterations of the same form.
Fractal: main difference between it and the Shang is the level of consolidation and unity during the Zhou. - hierarchy was emphasized when deciding the next ruler.
Zhou kings dispatched kinsmen to territories he granted to them. These nobles were allowed to rule their own lands hereditarily, so long as they observed certain obligations to their king. (1046-771 BCE) |
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Chinese teacher and philosopher
best known teachings are collected sayings - the analects
humanism over metaphysics, cared more about how we live than human nature of the world |
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| follower of confucius. was a Chinese Confucian philosopher who has often been described as the "second Sage", that is after only Confucius himself. Living during the Warring States period, he is said to have spent much of his life travelling around China offering counsel to different rulers. A key belief of his was that humans are innately good, but that this quality requires cultivation and the right environment to flourish. He also taught that rulers must justify their position of power by acting benevolently towards their subjects, and in this sense they are subordinate to the masses. |
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| the Warring States Period |
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475 - 221 BCE. The time when China became many rival states that fought for territory and dominance. The Qin state was victorious in the end and established the first unified Chinese state.
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| With particular emphasis on the importance of the family and social harmony, the core of Confucianism is humanistic. Confucianism regards the ordinary activities of human life, especially in human relationships as a manifestation of the sacred. Confucianism rests on the belief that human beings are fundamentally good, and teachable, improvable, and perfectible through personal and communal endeavor especially self-cultivation and self-creation. |
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| Chinese philosophy to signify the fundamental or true nature of the world: simplicity and selflessness in conformity with the Tao, leading a life of non-purposive action, a life expressing the essence of spontaneity.. Taoism, also known as Daoism, arose about the same time as Confucianism. |
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| The Legalists believed that political institutions should be modeled in response to the realities of human behaviour and that human beings are inherently selfish and short-sighted. Thus social harmony cannot be assured through the recognition by the people of the virtue of their ruler, but only through strong state control and absolute obedience to authority. The Legalists advocated government by a system of laws that rigidly prescribed punishments and rewards for specific behaviours. |
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Founder of the short-lived Qin dynasty and creator of the Chinese Empire. He chose not to follow Lao-Tzu or Confucius' teachings. He is remembered for his ruthless conquests of rival states and standardization.
He helped the Chinese government by unifying its government and culture. He did this by creating a stable money system and simplifying the writing system. He also created the Great Wall which protected the empire from invaders and he expanded china's borders.
He hurt the empire because he used forced labor and executed hundreds of his enemies. His building projects killed thousands of his own people. The harshness of his rule caused a great deal of unhappiness |
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Qin Shihuangdi
(r.221-210 BCE) The first emperor of the Qin Dynasty who believed strongly in Legalism and sought to strengthen the centralized China through public works. |
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| founder of the Han dynasty |
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| Chinese general and leader of the rebel forces that overthrew the Qin dynasty (221–207 BCE). He was the principal contestant for control of China with Liu Bang, who, as the Gaozu emperor, founded the Han dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE). Xiang Yu’s defeat signaled the end of the old aristocratic order in China. |
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was the seventh emperor of the Han dynasty of China, ruling from 141–87 BC.[3] His reign lasted 54 years
As a military campaigner, Emperor Wu led Han China through its greatest expansion. At its height, the Empire's borders spanned from modern Kyrgyzstan in the west, to Korea in the east, and to northern Vietnam in the south. Emperor Wu successfully repelled the nomadic Xiongnu from systematically raiding northern China, and dispatched his envoy Zhang Qian in 139 BC to seek an alliance with the Yuezhi of Kangju |
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| nomadic pastoral people who at the end of the 3rd century BCE formed a great tribal league that was able to dominate much of Central Asia for more than 500 years. China’s wars against the Xiongnu, who were a constant threat to the country’s northern frontier throughout this period, led to the Chinese exploration and conquest of much of Central Asia. |
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| astronomer, calendar expert, and the first great Chinese historian. He is most noted for his authorship of the Shiji (“Historical Records”), which is considered to be the most important history of China down to the end of the 2nd century. |
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-3 regional powers remaining
-similar to warring states
-fought to unify China
1. Wes (N. China)
2. Wu (East China)
3. Shu (Southwest China) |
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-legalist-like; cold hearted; craved/used power
-"Duke of Wei"
- his son finally destroyed Han Dynasty
one of the greatest of the generals at the end of the Han dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE) of China. |
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| courtesy name Kongming, was a politician, military strategist, writer, engineer and inventor. He served as the chancellor and regent of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period. He is recognised as the most accomplished strategist of his era, and has been compared to Sun Tzu, the author of The Art of War. |
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The Age of Division was the period between the Han Dynasty and the Tang Dynasty. This was a time of constant war between the various kingdoms in ancient China. Everybody wanted to be in charge, and no one really was. There was no middle class during the Age of Division. You were either rich or poor, and almost everyone was poor.
It was during the Age of Division that tea was first introduced and gunpowder was invented. |
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the longest-lived and most powerful of the northern Chinese dynasties that existed before the reunification of China under the Sui and Tang dynasties.
The Wei dynasty was founded by Tabgatch (Tuoba) tribesmen who, like many of the nomads inhabiting the frontiers of northern China, were of uncertain origin.
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| Establishment and Spread of Buddhism |
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Ashoka promoted Buddhist expansion by sending monks to surrounding territories to share the teachings of the Buddha. A wave of conversion began, and Buddhism spread not only through India, but also internationally.
attractive to new social classes (eg merchants)
attractive to travellers who spread it as they travelled
accessibile to the masses unlike brahminism which could only be accessed by certain castes
monastic community well organised |
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| who reunified and reorganized China after 300 years of instability, founding the Sui dynasty (581–618). He conquered southern China, which long had been divided into numerous small kingdoms, and he broke the power of the Turks in the northern part of the country. |
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| Emperor Yangdi of the Sui |
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| the second and penultimate emperor (604–617/618) of the Sui dynasty (581–618). it is generally agreed that he did so after assassinating his father (the Wendi emperor) and his elder brother. Embarking on a costly program of construction and conquest, in 608 he built a great canal between the rice-producing areas in the south and the Beijing area in the north. Yangdi extended this transportation system in 610, beginning the Grand Canal network that was later used to supply the capital and northern border armies with food from the south. He strengthened China’s northern border by rebuilding, at great expense, the Great Wall separating China from Inner Asia |
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Created by the Sui Dynasty who united china
• Connected the yellow and the Yangzi river regions
• Facilitated the shipping of grain from the Yangzi valley
to the centers of political and military power in north china
• Strengthened china's cohesion and economic development |
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| Emperor Taizong (or Li Shimin) |
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| was the second emperor of the Tang Dynasty and is considered one of the greatest rulers in Chinese history for his reforms of the government and the laws, his religious tolerance, and the prosperity China enjoyed under his reign |
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| Chinese imperial examinations were a civil service examination system in Imperial China for selecting candidates for the state bureaucracy. The system reached its apogee during the Song dynasty and lasted until the final years of the Qing dynasty in 1905. The exams served to ensure a common knowledge of writing, the classics, and literary style among state officials. The examination system played a significant role in tempering the power of hereditary aristocracy and the promotion of a gentry class of scholar-bureaucrats. The content was narrowed and fixed on texts of Neo-Confucian orthodoxy by the Ming dynasty, during which the highest degree, became essential for the highest offices. |
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| the laws with stated penalties for specific acts and provided for their review every 20 years. |
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Who is the drunken poet of the Tang Dynasty? Li Po
What skills do you need to possess as a Tang poet? Calligraphy, Knowledge of Confucius' Analects, Five Classics, 8-Legged Essay, Memorize poems with tight system of illusions
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| Li Bai (701–762) and Du Fu (712–770) were the two best-known Tang poets |
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- unique personality, - concubine of Emperor Taizong, - Emperor Gaozong wanted to be with her -> became new empress -> emperor was sick so she took control of daily events, - the people wanted her to become the new ruler (petition), - after the Zhou Dynasty her name was demonized
Empress Wu's Policies, - expelled aristocratic families and officials -> they challenged her ruling, - encouraged economic development, - autocratic regime |
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| notorious beauty and concubine of the great Tang emperor Xuanzong (reigned 712–756). Because of her the emperor is said to have neglected his duties, and the Tang dynasty (618–907) was greatly weakened by a rebellion that ensued. The daughter of a high official, she was one of the few obese women in Chinese history to have been considered beautiful. Soon her two sisters were admitted into the imperial harem, and her cousin Yang Guozhong became the first minister of the empire. |
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| A network of land and sea routes that connected China, India, and the Middle East to Rome and even Europe. Silk Road, also called Silk Route, ancient trade route, linking China with the West, that carried goods and ideas between the two great civilizations of Rome and China. Silk went westward, and wools, gold, and silver went east. China also received Nestorian Christianity and Buddhism (from India) via the Silk Road. |
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1. Southern official opposes Northern military nobility and unnecessary war
2. Military general wants his position to go to An Lu Shan while others wanted it to go to a scholar
3. Emperor ended up giving it to cousin of concubine
was a devastating rebellion against the Tang dynasty of China.The rebellion and subsequent disorder resulted in a huge loss of life and large-scale destruction. It significantly weakened the Tang dynasty and led to the loss of the Western Regions. |
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| Technological and Cultural Developments of the Song Dynasty |
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| Printing, paper money, porcelain, tea, restaurants, gunpowder, the compass—the number of things that Chinese of the Song Dynasty (A.D. 960-1280) |
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| Kaifeng is a city in central China’s Henan province, just south of the Yellow River. Rebuilt many times, the city was the Northern Song Dynasty capital from the 10th to 12th centuries |
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581-618 CE: Sui Dynasty builds the Grand Canal c.605 BCE, Hangzhou thrived economically because of this.
618-907 CE: Tang Dynasty. The population increases due to wealth received from trade. Hangzhou becomes the capital of the Wuyue kingdom (which was an independent coastal dynasty c.10th century).
1127-1279 CE: Southern Song Dynasty. Ushers in the golden age of Hangzhou. Buddhism peaks, and West Lake was transformed into a cultural hub instead of a lake used for domestic purposes. Hangzhou was established as the capital of the Southern Song Dynasty. |
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| The Xianbei were a confederation of nomadic tribes that inhabited the steppe region to the north of China during the Jin Dynasty and the succeeding Northern and Southern Dynasties.Later on, the Xianbei were forced to move further south, into the region of the River Siramuren, as they had to recognize the suzerainty of the Han Dynasty, following the defeat of the Xiongnu by the Chinese. the Han governor of Liaodong made the decision to allow the Xianbei to trade in certain border towns, which stopped the raids. Additionally, the Xianbei began to pay tribute to the Han court, and eventually became a Han vassal. |
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| were a nomadic people from Northeast Asia who, from the 4th century, inhabited an area corresponding to parts of modern Mongolia, Northeast China and the Russian Far East. |
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| were a subject tribespeople in the north-eastern part of China with the most important clan being the Wanyan. The Jurchen were descendants of both the nomadic Tungus Malgal peoples and the remnants of the defunct Balhae (Parhae) kingdom of Manchuria and northern Korea. They spoke the Tungusic language |
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| Born Temujin to the son of a strong leader, father strong leader himself but died. Imprisoned by a rival clan, but escapes into the mountains with his family. Had a tough life early on. Made an alliance with another clan that his dad helped, began building a reputation as a warrior and military commander. Made other clans ally with him.Made it organized, disciplined, and unified. Directed fighting outwards. Divided groups into tumens. Had heavy and light armed fighters. Had great technology, like flaming arrows, gunpowder, and siege weapons. Adopted conquered groups' methods. |
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| Kublai was the fifth Khagan of the Mongol Empire, reigning from 1260 to 1294. He also founded the Yuan dynasty in China as a conquest dynasty in 1271, and ruled as the first Yuan emperor until his death in 1294. Kublai was the fourth son of Tolui and a grandson of Genghis Khan. accomplishments include taking over China and establishing Mongol rule there under the new name of the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368 CE), and thus becoming the first non-Chinese to rule the whole of that country. |
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| Chinese Life under the Mongol Rule |
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Military conquest, Terror, Reorganize land and human subjects and change modes of economic production
^^these kinds of approaches did not always work well... it would create divisions, and rebellions among the Chinese people, Relocate the political center, Written language (Uyghur script)- multi-language
Legal codes- incorporating Han Chinese legal systems, Postal relay system- promoting water transportation (the Grand Canal), Meritocracy- various promotion measures, including the civil service examination, Multicultural, multi-religion, Knowledge and technology, Multi Ethnicity |
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| Social Structures of the Yuan Dynasty |
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What was the social structure based off of?
ethnicity/geography
What was the social structure (top to bottom)
Mongol Warriors
Central West Asians
People of the Han (Han/Northern Chinese)
Nanren (Southern Chinese) |
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| Chinese Scholars during the Yuan |
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| Chinese scholars were only used by the Yuan government because it was necessary to employ them, and without their access to high officials, there was no political and very few philosophical literature under Mongol rule. The Yuan rulers tried to adopt the traditional Chinese governmental system, and one part of this very effective system was Confucianism. In 1313 the teachings of the Neo-Confucian philosopher Zhu Xi were declared as orthodox and kept this place until the end of the Chinese empire. High literature instead concentrated on science and technique. |
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Marco Polo headed for China along the Silk Road in the Yuan Dynasty. The Travels of Marco Polo described Chinese politics, economy, and culture in detail, which greatly aroused the desire of westerner to go to China and had a great effect on the European navigation.
Clever Marco Polo quickly learned Mongolian, Chinese and became familiar with the Chinese customs. Soon he became a confidant of Kublai Khan. He was appointed to high posts in the court and was sent on many special diplomatic missions to many places in China. Then he reported to Kublai Khan in detail. |
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Mongol invasion
begins Yuan dynasty. suspend civil service exams and scholar officials lose power, so some move to entertainment and without cultural authorities, the rules of art are free to reconfigure
Zaju
mixed performance/variety show. music, singing, miming, recitation, costume. acts built around known songs and melodies, bare stage
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founded Ming dynasty. His family was poor, he became an orphan at 16, was a southerner from Anhui Province, entered a Buddhist monastery to get some meals. He left and joined the red turban rebellion and eventually became the leader. Conquered Nanjing and made it his capitol. Harsh ruler. Killed and executed his opponents without much hesitation. Had sympathy for the poor people. Any scholars that said the word bald he would get offended because of his time with the monks. Sensitive about his background. Flogging with bamboo sticks. Harsh crack down on official corruption.
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Emperor Yongle (reigned from 1402-14424) Yongle means everlasting joy. Third emperor of the Ming . Stationed in Beijing with large number of troups. Unusual rise to power. Made his oldest grandson to be the successor (2nd emperor) . Transferred the capitol to Beijing. He rebuilt Beijing and it was called the forbidden city. During his 5th campaign against the mongols he died.
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Beijing. 1420
The city was built in |
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| Zheng He’s Sea Expeditions |
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| Zheng He’s expeditions (1371-1433) came from Yunnan providence. The most famous Chinese admiral. His family had always been on the side of the mongols. His family fought for the mongols and lost and as a young boy he was captured. He was a Muslim eunuch. focused on maritime trade. Zheng He had 40-300 ships of around 30000 men and led 7 naval expeditions. He visited Southeast Asia, the Arabian Peninsula, India, and the East Coast of Africa. He also established the trade routes around these areas. |
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| Popular Urban Culture of the Ming |
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| Traditions from old times came back, the civil service exam was reinstated, and Neo-Confucian was now supported |
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| Merchant Class in Imperial China |
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a result of the growth of trade and commerce in imperial china was ____.
the growth of the merchant class |
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