Classical China
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| 785246670 | Stages of Chinese Dynastic Cycle | family passes hereditary right to rule (except in Mandate for Heaven) until they are overthrown. Weakened dynasty, low tax revenues> social divisions> internal rebellions/invasions> new ruler emerges from military leader, peasant rebel --Many Chinese view history in terms of cycles, in contrast to Western view of steady progress from past to present. | |
| 785246671 | Zhou (1029-258 B.C.E.) | Politics of _______ Dynasty: >>Displaced The Shang >>Ruled through alliances with regional princes & noble families >>gave land/estates to those who agreed to provide centeal govenrment with army and taxes >>bascially a feudal period (rulers depended on a network of supportive rulers) | |
| 785246672 | Zhou | Decline of ___________ Dynasty >>regional land-owning aristocrats increased their power>>ignored promises to central government | |
| 785246673 | Zhou Middle Kingdom | Significance of _________ _________ _________: Zhou extended territory of China- took Yangtze River valley from Huanghe R. to Yangtze R. (in the "Middle" of China) =China's core— the "Middle Kingdom." >>allowed wheat farming in N. and rice growing in S.>wheat-growing in north, rice-grow¬ing in south >>population growth >>but communication to distant regions was difficult >>therefore Zhou relied heavily on regional support (led to downfall) | |
| 785246674 | Mandate of Heaven | Idea that leaders were "endorsed" or given the right to rule through heaven's approval. >>was key justification for rulers >>stared in the Zhou dynasty Zhou rulers claimed direct | |
| 785246675 | Zhou | Cultural Unity in the _____ Dynasty: >>standardized Mandarin | |
| 785246676 | Confucius | ___________: >>Chinese person in the late 6th/early 5th centuries B.C.E. >>wrote a philosophy that dictated ethics >>remains influential in Chinese Society >>included political ethics and respect for authority/elders | |
| 785246677 | Era of the Warring States | Period during the collapse of/following the Zhou Dynasty: >>regional rulers from feudalist China build up armies and reduce power of emperor >>402 -201 B.C.E. | |
| 785246678 | 9. Identify/significance: Shih Huangdi (Qin) | regional ruler who deposed last Zhou emperor & made himself ruler of China. He took the title Qin Shi Huangdi, or First Emperor. The dynastic name, Qin >conferred on whole country=China. | |
| 785246679 | Qin | Achievements during the ______ dynasty: >>Shi Huangdi is brutal,effective ruler >>national census >>standardized coinage, writing, weights, measures, road planning, etc. >>Great Wall built to keep out invaders from the North (but built by forced labor) >>new irrigation projects >>promoted (silk) manufacturing | |
| 785246680 | Qin | Political System of _____ Dynasty: >>ordered warring regional aristocrats to live in his court as he seized their land >>large provinces were governed by bureaucrats >>chose bureaucrats from non-arisocratic families so they owed their power to the state >>burned books (and their authors) that were subversive to the legalistic regime | |
| 785246681 | Qin | Decline of ____ Dynasty: >>attacks on intellectuals and high taxes to support public works and expansion were not so popular. >>massive revolts after death, massive revolts >>Han dynasty comes next | |
| 785246682 | Han Dynasty (202 B.C.E.-202 C.E.) | Achievements of _____ __________: >>centralized government without Qin's craziness >>expansion (into Korean, Indochina, etc)--this results in direct contact with the Middle East and India, and thus those Roman guys and their Mediterranean trade shtick. | |
| 785246683 | Wu Ti (140—87 B.C.E.) | >>Han Ruler >>enforced peace throughout much of Asia (a little bit like the phenomenon of pax romana but China had the romans beat on the territory and population of their domain) >>this peace brought prosperity to China | |
| 785246684 | Han | Politics of the _____ Dynasty: >>state bureaucracy improved & government linked to formal training that emphasized values of Confucian philosophy >>Wu Ti supported Confucianism rather than the legalistic principles of the Qin dynasty | |
| 785246685 | Han (220-589 C.E.) | Decline of the ____ Dynasty: >>lasted 2 centuries >>Central control weakened, invasions from central Asia, led by a nomadic people called the Huns, who had long threatened China's northern borders >>China is is a state of chaos. >>the political structures and social values developed in the Han Dynasty enabled China to endure 3 centuries of chaos | |
| 785246687 | Qin and Han | Governments of _____ and _____ Dynasties: >> stressed central authority >>expanded bureaucracy >>largest political system in the classical world >>system is streamlined in future centuries but never requires complete overhaul | |
| 785246688 | Confucianism | Philosophy that stressed: >>tightly knit patriarchal families >>extended families all living together | |
| 785246689 | Shi Huangdi | ____ __________ organized and centralized the government: >>attacked local rulers >>standardized coinage and taxes >>appointed governors to each district so that they could exercise military/legal power | |
| 785246690 | Han Dynasty Bureaucracy | >>130,000 bureaucrats=0.2% of pop. >>Wu Ti establishes civil service exams >>established school to train future bureaucrats, which consisted mostly of the upper class but sometimes recruited from lower ranks >>this system limited arbitrary power of emperor and complete dominance by aristocracy >> lasted until the 20th century. . | |
| 785246692 | 22. Explain how far the power of the Chinese government was able to reach. | Its system of courts was backed by strict law code; torture & execution widely used to supplement preaching of obedience & civic virtue. Cen¬tral government taxed its subjects & required annual labor on part of every male peas¬ant in building canals, roads, palaces. No other government had organization/staff to reach ordinary people so directly until modern times, except in much smaller political units such as city-states. | |
| 785246693 | successes of the Chinese government | >>the entire population respected the government's power and authority >>invaders could topple a dynasty but could not instate a better system of government, which enabled the Chinese civilization to endure. | |
| 785246695 | 24. Describe the Chinese way of viewing the world that developed during the classical period. | Upper-class cultural values emphasized good life on earth & virtues of obedience to the state, more than speculations about God & mysteries of heaven. Chinese tolerated/ combined various beliefs, so long as they did not contradict basic political loyalties. | |
| 785246696 | 25. What beliefs did the Zhou rulers stress? | maintained belief in a god/ gods, but little attentio given to nature of a deity. Leaders stressed a harmonious earthly life, which would maintain balance between earth & heaven. | |
| 785246697 | 26. In what ways did the Chinese upper class seek and express harmony? | rituals to unify society & prevent individual excess. Upper class people trained in elaborate exercises & military skills;ceremonies venerating ancestors; use of chopsticks began at end of Zhou dynasty=encouraged politeness at meals. Soon, tea introduced, but most elaborate tea-drinking rituals developed later. | |
| 785246698 | 27. Describe the ideas and teachings of Confucius. (Analects) | If people could be taught to emphasize personal virtue (including reverence for tradi¬tion) a solid political life would naturally result. Confucian virtues stressed respect for one's social superiors— fathers/husbands as leaders of family; emphasis on proper hierar¬chy balanced by insistence that society's leaders behave modestly & shun abusive powers & treat people who were in their charge courteousl. Moderation in behavior, veneration of custom/ritual, love of wisdom should characterize leaders of society at all levels."In an age of good government, men in high stations give preference to men of ability and give opportunity to those who are below them..." | |
| 785246699 | 28. According to Confucius, how should rulers and subordinates act? | emphasized virtuous behavior by ruler & ruled. Only a man who demonstrated proper family virtues, including respect for parents & compassion for children should be considered for political service. He emphasized personal restraint & socialization of children. Subordinates show obedience & respect; people should know their place, even under bad rulers. He urged political system to make education accessible to all tal¬ented/intelligent people. Rulers should be humble/sincere; people will grow rebellious under hypocrisy/arrogance. He warned against greed in leadership. | |
| 785246700 | 29. Describe Legalism. | rejected Confu¬cian virtues in favor of authoritarian state that ruled by force. Human nature =evil & required restraint /discipline. The army should control & people should labor. Legalism never won widespread approval, but it entered political tradi¬tions of China, where a Confucian veneer was often combined with strong-arm tactics. | |
| 785246701 | 30. Explain the effects of Confucianism on peasants. | Most peasants needed more than civic virtue to understand/survive their harsh life. During most of the classical period, polytheistic beliefs, focusing on spirits of nature, persisted. Many tried to attract blessing of spirits by creating statues, emblems, household decorations honoring spirits,& holding parades/ family ceremonies. A belief in symbolic power of dragons came from a popular religion= combined fear of these creatures with more playful sense of their activities in its courtship of divine forces of nature. Gradually, ongoing rites among ordinary masses integrated Confucian values urged by upper classes. | |
| 785246702 | 31. Describe Daoism. (Laozi) | It embraced tradi¬tional Chinese beliefs in nature's harmony & added sense of nature's mystery=spiritual alternative to Confucianism. Daoism= vital for Chinese civilization but not exported. 5th century B.C.E. Laozi said nature contains divine impulse that directs all life. Human understanding comes in withdrawing from world & contemplating life force. Dao= "the way of nature" Along with secret rituals, Daoism promoted its own set of ethics. Daoist harmony with nature best resulted through humility/frugal living. Political activity& learning were irrelevant to a good life, & general conditions in world=little importance. | |
| 785246703 | 32. Why was Daoism able to co-exist with Confucianism? | Daoism would join with strong Bud¬dhist influence from India during chaos that fol¬lowed collapse of Han dynasty; guaranteed China's people would not be united by a single religious or philosophical system. Individuals embraced elements from both Daoism &Confucianism; many emperors favored Daoism& accepted its spread because some found solace in Daoist belief & because its otherworldly emphasis posed no real political threat. Confucian scholars disagreed vigorously with Daoist thinking (myster¬ies/magic), but saw little reason to challenge its influence. Daoism provided many Chinese with ceremonies to promote harmony with mysterious life force. Chinese govt from Han dynasty onward was able to persuade Daoist priests to include expressions of loyalty to emperor in temple services>heightened Daoism's political compatibility with Confucianism | |
| 785246704 | 33. Identify/significance: Five Classics | written in early Zhou dynasty; edited in time of Confucius= important tradition; used as basis for civil ser¬vice examinations; included historical treatises, speeches, discussion of etiquette/ceremonies. The Classic of Songs =300 poems dealing with love, joy, politics, fam¬ily life. Chinese literary tradition devel¬oped on basis of mastering these early works, plus Confucian writing; each generation of writers found new meanings in the classical literature= expressed new ideas in a familiar framework. | |
| 785246705 | 34. Describe the characteristics of Chinese literature in the classical period. | Poetry=particular attention because Chinese language featured melodic speech & vari¬ant pronunciations of the same basic soun. From classical period onward, ability to learn/recite poetry= mark of educated Chinese. Literary tradition in classical China reinforced Confucian emphasis on human life, but subjects included romance& sorrow as well as political values. | |
| 785246706 | 35. Describe the characteristics of Chinese art in the classical period. | stressed careful detail/craftsmanship;reflected precision of symbols of Chinese writing. Calligraphy >art form. Artists painted, worked in bronze & pottery, carved jade & ivory & wove silk screens. Classical China=no monumental buildings-except for Great Wall & imperial palaces/tombs- because of absence of a single reli-gion; & entire tone of upper-class Confu¬cianism discouraged notion of temples soaring to heavens. | |
| 785246707 | 36. Describe Chinese achievements in science and math during the classical period. | science stressed the practical not theoretical. Astronomers developed accurate calendar by 444 B.C.E., based on a year of 365.5 days. Later astronomers calculated movement Saturn&Jupiter; observed sunspots—more than 1500 years before Europe. Purpose of Chinese astronomy=make celestial events pre-dictable as part of ensuring har¬mony between heaven /earth. Scientists invented seismograph to register earthquakes in Han dynasty. Medical research> anatomical knowledge &studying principles of hygiene. Mathematics stressed practical. Daoism encouraged exploration of orderly processes of nature but more research focused on how things worked. This focus for science and mathematics contrasted with more abstract definition of science in clas¬sical Greece. | |
| 785246708 | IV. Economy and Society | ... | |
| 785246709 | 37. Describe the social structure in classical China. | By time of Zhou, main social division was between land-owning gentry (2% of pop.) & peasants, who provided dues/service to these lords while also controlling some of their own land. About the only thing the Chinses nobleman and peasant had in common was dependence on land as the basic economic resource. Chinese peas¬antry depended on intensive cooperation, in southern rice region; property usually owned/regulated by village or extended family. Beneath peasantry social structure included "mean" people who performed unskilled jobs & suffered from lowest status. Social sta¬tus passed from one generation to next through inheritance, but talented person from peasant background might be given access to education & rise in bureaucracy. Officially-3 main social groups:1. landowning aristocracy/educated bureau¬crats 2. laboring masses of peasants/urban artisans=much poorer & condemned to life of hard manual labor, sometimes worked directly on large estates but in other cases had some economic independence. 3. The "mean people"-those without meaningful skills. (Performing artists in this group despite upper classes enjoyment of plays/entertainment). Mean people punished for crime more harshly & required to wear green scarves. Household slaves also in class structure, but relatively few&China did not depend on slaves fo production. | |
| 785246710 | 38. Explain why trade became increasingly important during the Zhou and particularly the Han dynasties. | Much trade focused on luxury items for upper class, produced by skilled artisans in cities—silks, jewelry, leather goods, furniture; food exchange between wheat&rice regions. Copper coins facilitated trade; merchants sponsored commercial visits to India. Trade/merchant class didn't =focal points of Chinese society;Confucian emphasis on learning/ political service= scorn for lives devoted to moneymaking. Gap between real importance & wealth of merchants & their officially low prestige= enduring legacy in Confucian China. | |
| 785246711 | 39. Describe Chinese technological advances during the classical period. | Agricultural implements improved. Ox-drawn plows introduced 300 B.C.E.>greatly increased productivity. Under Han, new collar >draft animals pull plows/ wagons without chok¬ing (available to other parts of world many centuries later). Chinese iron mining=pulleys/winding gears. Iron tools & lamps widely used. Production methods in textiles&pottery =highly developed. Under Han 1st water-pow¬ered mills > gains in manufacturing. During Han, paper invented= boon to a system of gov¬ernment that emphasized bureaucracy. Classical China= far higher levels of technical expertise than Europe or western Asia in same period, a lead that it would long maintain. | |
| 785246712 | 40. Explain the role of agriculture in classical China. | Farming technology> increase size of pop¬. in countryside; smaller land>support more families. China's agricultural base also >expansion of cities/manufacturing. Goods produced by arti¬sans in small shops/homes. Only minority of workforce involved manual methods>>output of tools, porcelain, textiles increased considerably, aided by interest in improving techniques. | |
| 785246713 | 41. Describe the structure of family life in Chinese society. | resembled families in other agricultural civi¬lizations = importance of unity/ power of husbands/fathers. Stressed authority to unusual extremes: law courts didn't prosecute parents who injured/killed disobedient son; would severely punish child who scolded/attacked a parent. Emphasis on obedience to parents& wives' obedience to hus¬bands didn't>great friction. Pop¬ular culture stressed control of one's emotions; family seen as center of orderly hierarchy. Family= training ground for principles of author¬ity/restraint applied to larger social/ political world. Women=clearly defined roles&could sometimes gain power through sons & as mothers-in-law of younger women brought into household. Mother of Confucian philosopher, Mencius, said she had exerted considerable influence over him. Hier¬archical order for children: boys superior to girls & oldest son= most enviable position. Inheritance=pri¬mogeniture:oldest male child> inherit property & position. | |
| 785246715 | 42. Why did Classical Chinese technology, religion, philosophy, and political structure evolve with very little outside contact? | Trade routes led to India & Middle East; most Chinese saw China as island of civilization sur¬rounded by barbarians with nothing to offer except threat of invasion. Proud of cul¬ture & its durability, Chinese had no need /desire to learn from other societies. Spread of Buddhism from India during/after Han decline= notable instance of cultural diffusion that altered China's religious map & artistic styles; but theme of unusual isolation developed in formative period of Chinese civilization>persistent in later world history. | |
| 785246716 | 43. In what ways were the systems of government, belief, economy, and social structure closely meshed in classical China? | Centralized government/bureaucracy=clearest unity/focus to Chinese society; Confucianism=vital sup¬plement>> bureaucracy =trained corps with common ideals. Appreciation of distinctive artistic styles, poetry & literary tradition added to common culture. Political stability aided eco. growth & govt.= direct role in encouraging agriculture&industry> strong eco.> tax revenues. Eco. interests related to pragmatic Chinese view of science. Social relationships reinforced all; vision of stable hierar¬chy & tight family structure +strong impulse toward orderly politics instilled virtues of obedience/respect important to larger political system. | |
| 785246718 | 44. Describe the Silk Roads and explain how it connected China and other regions. | China's silk >>valued in India, Middle East & Mediterranean. Trade in silk/luxury products> road network through central Asia =Silk Roads. During Han, Chinese govt. encouraged trade. Improved roads in China & Middle East, >>trade. Chinese emissary Zhang Qian traveled to western India. Most trade on Silk Roads carried by nomadic merchants; until well after the classical period no one trav¬eled all way between China & Mediterranean, but trade lively>attention to sea routes in Indian Ocean. Volume of Silk Road trade unknown, but gained attention in upper-class/government circles; it= initial framework on which global trad¬ing patterns would later elaborate. | |
| 786746142 | Ancestral Worship | veneration of elders more commonly practiced in wealthy, land-owning families. Not such a hit among the peasant class. |
