Dynasties of China

1. Dynasties of China Ch 11 Sections 3 & 4

2. Chinese legend… • China’s first dynasty according to legend was the Xia. (Dynasty means “ruling family”). • There was a reciprocal type of agreement between ruler and ruled under this system…the ruler was to work hard to provide “good government” and in return He deserved the full support of the people.

3. Earliest civilizations… • 1st dynasty backed by archeological evidence is the Shang (1650 BC) – which started the tradition of dynastic rule that would last until 1911. • Shang achievements: well organized army; irrigation & flood control projects; writing system based on ideographs (symbols represent ideas, not sounds); accurate calendar helped with farming; bronze making led to new weapons & household items; • Zhou overthrew the Shang & ruled for 800 years introducing many of the ideas that would govern Chinese rule for centuries…

4. Shang religious traditions • Polytheistic; consulted the gods & the spirits of ancestors. The Emperors used people who were adept at this (“oracles”) to try to foretell problems (floods, earthquakes). • Priests became very important to Emperor because of their abilities. Some used oracle bones to try to interpret the messages from the heavens. • Other methods of telling the future?? Reading tea leaves; palm readings; tarot cards; horoscopes…

5. Mandate of Heaven • Chinese believed that heaven granted a ruler the mandate, or right, to rule. In return, the people owed the ruler complete loyalty & obedience. • The Mandate linked power with responsibility…in exchange for their loyalty, the people had the right to expect good government. If the ruler failed to maintain harmony, he was thought to have lost the mandate & someone else had the right to claim it (this usually occurred through warfare& could take years). • The period between the Zhou & China’s next dynasty (Qin) was long & chaotic & during that time the 3 philosophies emerged in an effort to provide stability & direction in the absent of a ruling dynasty…

6. The Dynastic Cycle • The Dynastic cycle in China reflected this “reciprocal agreement” between ruler and ruled. A new dynasty restored peace, redistributed land to peasants, ended corruption in govt & improved infrastructure; as the Dynasty aged it became corrupt, lost lands to invaders, taxed unfairly & lost favor with the peasants. Problems would crop up (rebellions, natural disasters) & that would signal the need for a new Dynasty to claim the Mandate of Heaven. Sometimes that happened quickly but sometimes that took several centuries, bringing chaos and uncertainty to the country and its people.

7. China’s First Empire: the Qin(not on handout*) • The Qin • In 221 BC the Qin united China & claimed the mandate under the leadership of Shi Huangdi, a Legalist. • As a Legalist he ruled strictly, instituting a single law code, uniform currency & weights/measures, improved transportation. He banned & burned all books on Confucian teachings. Began construction on the Great Wall, intended for protection & as a symbol of China’s desire to keep “barbarians” out so under this dynasty China was closed to outside contact.

8. HAN DYNASTY… • 206 BC – 220 AD; Confucian leaders, they expanded trade & were open to contact with areas outside of China. (see “The Silk Road” p. 338 in text). Buddhism spread into China during this period. Placed great emphasis on education & set up an exam system to choose gov’t. officials (called “civil servants”). This system allowed people to improve their social status based on merit and not birth. • Many advancements in science, farming, inventions (due to emphasis on learning)

9. TANG & SONG DYNASTIES • Tang = 618 – 907; Song = 960 – 1279 (Daoists). This was China’s “Golden Age” because of long periods of peace that allowed for economic & cultural advancements. China was open to outside contact & greatly increased their trade & became a great naval power. China’s influence in the region increased as they expanded into Vietnam, Korea & Japan during this time.

10. YUAN DYNASTY…(not on handout*) • China’s first foreign rule experience came when the Mongols defeated the Song in 1279 & extended their rule over China. China’s trade with Europe increased significantly during this time (Marco Polo); the Yuan also improved transportation & introduced new innovations such as the magnetic compass, gunpowder, & mechanical printing. They were open to outside contact.

11. MING DYNASTY • Control of China returned to a Chinese leader when a poor peasant led an army that drove the Mongols out in 1368. The Ming Dynasty ruled until 1644. They revived Confucian learning, expanded the civil service, built a new imperial palace in Beijing (Forbidden City). Initially open to outside contact the Ming very suddenly closed China to outsiders & restricted privileges of foreigners in China as well as forbidding Chinese to travel abroad. China’s isolation began just as Europeans were making advances that would lead to the Age of Imperialism.

12. QING DYNASTY (not on your handout) • Second time a foreign group seizes control of China. This time outsiders from Manchuria defeated the Ming in 1644 & rule until 1911. Kown as the Qing, they kept Confucian ideals and limited contact with foreigners. They also passed laws forbidding Manchus to marry Chinese people or wear Chinese clothing. • Death of the last Qing Empress brought an end to Dynastic rule (which had lasted 3000 yrs.) & marked the start of a long period of civil war & decline for China.

13. Opium Wars • By the mid 1800’s the Chinese Emperor & the whole system of dynastic rule were weak. Europeans saw this as an opportunity to trade openly in China but the Emperor would not allow it and only limited foreign trade was allowed. The British began to sell opium illegally and when the Chinese gov. tried to stop them the British attacked & prevailed in a series of wars called the Opium Wars.

14. Effect of Opium Wars • China’s loss in the Opium Wars began political & economic chaos in their country. • The British demanded free trade & increasingly gained political influence. By 1900 China was divided into “spheres of influence” where colonial powers had no formal authority but had informal influence & a lot of economic influence (p. 486). This further weakened the Chinese political system.

15. After the Qing … • After the Qing Dynasty fell in 1911 China went through a long period without an official government. There were efforts to establish a democratic like government, but they were challenged by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) who would eventually win control, but not until almost 1950. So for ½ century China saw warlords fighting for control & was also pulled into the events of WWII. This long chaotic period would change China from its stable & impressive history to a nation of poverty stricken and disorganized people. Mao used Communism to try to restore China to its former greatness.