Chinese Dynasties River Valley Dynasties - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

Chinese DynastiesSlide2

River Valley DynastiesSlide3

Archeological discovery of the

Xia

is still in its preliminary stage

Established about 2200 B.C.E. Legendary King Yu, the dynasty founder, a hero of flood control Erlitou: possibly the capital city of the XiaChinese scholars believe it existed

XIA DYNASTYSlide4

Arose in the southern, eastern areas

Many records, material remains discovered

Bronze

metallurgy, monopolized by elite Agricultural surpluses supported large troops Vast network of walled towns

Shang-kings were warriors

Constant struggle with nobles for powerThe Shang capital moved six timesLavish tombs of Shang kings Contained chariots, weapons, bronze goods Sacrificial human victims, dogs, horses

THE

SHANG

DYNASTY:

1766-1122 B.C.E.Slide5

The right to rule granted by heaven

Zhou justified their overthrow of Shang

Ruler called "the son of heaven"

Only given to virtuous, strong rulersTo lose mandate = someone else should ruleReplacement of dynasties = Dynastic Cycle

Signs one had lost mandate

Corruption, heavy taxesLazy officials and rulersRevolts, invasions, civil wars, crime Natural disasters

Society develops bad morals, habits

MANDATE OF HEAVENSlide6

The rise of the Zhou

The last Shang king was a bad ruler

The Zhou forces toppled the Shang

Political organization Adopted decentralized administrationUsed princes and relatives to rule regions

Consequences

Weak central government with ceremonial functionsRise of regional powers; often called feudalismConstant rivalry between warring families, nobles THE

ZHOU

DYNASTY:

1122-256 B.C.E.Slide7

Iron metallurgy

Iron technology spread; 1st millennium B.C.E.

Iron weapons helped regional authorities to resist the central power

Qin mastered iron technology, weapons Nomadic invasion sacked capitalOther Troubles

Territorial princes became more independent

Warring States (403-221 B.C.E.) Rise of Qin state Last king abdicated his position in 256 B.C.E.

THE FALL OF THE ZHOU Slide8

The Classical Dynasties

600 BCE to 600 CESlide9

Suppressing the resistance

Bitterly opposed, was opposed by Confucian scholars

Buried 460 scholars alive because of their criticism against the Qin

Burned all books except some with utilitarian value Policies of centralization

Standardization of laws, currencies, weights, measures

Standardized scripts: tried to create uniform languageCreates a uniform writing system but not language Tomb of the First Emperor The tomb was an underground palace

Excavation of the tomb since 1974

Terracotta soldiers and army to protect tomb

The collapse of the Qin dynasty

Massive public works generated ill will among people

Waves of rebels overwhelmed the Qin court in 207 B.C.E.

A short-lived dynasty, left deep marks in Chinese history

QIN STATECRAFTSlide10

Liu Bang

A general, persistent man, a methodical planner

Restored order, established dynasty, 206 B.C.E.

Han was long-lived dynastyEarly Han policies Sought middle way between Zhou and QinRoyal relatives were not reliable, returned to centralized rule

Martial Emperor (141-87 B.C.E.)

Han Wudi ruled for 54 years Pursued centralization and expansionTHE EARLY HAN DYNASTYSlide11

Han centralization

Adopted Legalist policies

Built an enormous bureaucracy to rule the empire Continued to build roads and canals Levied taxes on agriculture, trade, and craft industries Imperial monopolies on production of iron and salt

Established Confucian educational system for training bureaucrats

Confucianism as the basis of the curriculum in imperial university Thirty thousand students enrolled in the university in Later Han Han imperial expansion

Invaded and colonized northern Vietnam and Korea

Extended China into central Asia

Han organized vast armies to invade Xiongnu territory

Han enjoyed uncontested hegemony in east and central Asia

HAN STATECRAFTSlide12

Patriarchal, patrilocal households averaged five inhabitants

Large, multigenerational compound families also developed

Women's subordination (Ban Zhao

Admonitions for Women) Cultivators were the majority of the population

Differences apparent between noble, lower class women

Scholar bureaucrats: Confucian trained bureaucratsOfficials selected through competitive testingUsed to run the government in Early Han

Scholar Gentry

Confucian bureaucrats intermarried with landed elite

New class comes to dominate local, national offices

Strongest in late Han

Merchants held in low social esteem

HAN SOCIAL STRUCTURESlide13

Expeditions consumed the empire's surplus

Raised taxes and confiscated land of some wealthy individuals

Taxes, land confiscations discouraged investment

Much of defense consumed on defending against nomads Social tensions, stratification between the poor and rich Problems of land distribution

Early Han supported land redistribution

Economic difficulties forced some small landowners to sell property Some sold themselves or their families into slavery Lands accumulated in the hands of a few No land reform, because Han needed cooperation of large landowners

The reign of Wang Mang

A powerful Han minister

Dethroned the baby emperor, claimed imperial title himself, 9 C.E.

Land reforms - the "socialist emperor"

Overthrown by revolts, 23 C.E.

HAN TROUBLESSlide14

Post Classical Dynasties

600-1450Slide15

After fall of the Han, turmoil lasted for more than 350 years

Three major states contended for rule; further fragmentation

Nomads constantly invaded, created their own states, dynasties

The rule of the Sui Reunification by Yang Jian in 589Constructions of palaces and granaries, repairing the Great Wall

Military expeditions in central Asia and Korea

High taxes and compulsory labor services The Grand Canal One of the world's largest waterworks before modern times Purpose: bring abundant food supplies of the south to the northLinked the Yangtze and the Huang-Hi

The canal integrated the economies of the south and north

The fall of the Sui

High taxes and forced labor generated hostility among the people

Military reverses in Korea

Rebellions broke out in north China beginning in 610

Sui

Yangdi

was assassinated in 618, the end of the dynasty

SUI DYNASTYSlide16

IMAGES OF SUI CHINASlide17

Founding of the Tang Dynasty (618 – 907 CE)

A rebel leader seized

Chang'an

, proclaimed a new dynasty, the Tang Tang Taizong2nd Tang emperor, a ruthless but extremely competent ruler China enjoyed an era of unusual stability and prosperity Extensive networks of transportation and communications Adopted the equal-field system

Bureaucracy of merit

Recruited government officials through civil service examinations Career bureaucrats relied on central government, loyal to the dynastyRestored Confucianism as state ideology, training for bureaucrats Foreign relations Political theory: China was the Middle Kingdom, or the center of civilization Tributary system became diplomatic policy

Tang decline

Casual and careless leadership led to dynastic crisis

Rebellion of An

Lushan

in 755, weakened the dynasty

The Uighurs became de facto rulers

The equal-field system deteriorated

A large scale peasant rebellion led by Huang Chao lasted from 875 to 884

Regional commanders gained power, beyond control of the emperor

The last Tang emperor abdicated his throne in 907

THE TANG DYNASTYSlide18

TANG CHINASlide19

TANG ARTSlide20

Song Taizu

Reigned 960-976 C.E.

Founder of the Song dynasty

Song weaknessesSong never had military, diplomatic strength of Sui, Tang Financial problemsEnormous bureaucracy with high salary devoured surplusForced to pay large tribute to nomads to avoid war Military problemsCivil bureaucrats in charge of military forces

Military was largely foot soldiers at war with cavalry nomads

External pressuresSemi-nomadic Khitan, nomadic Jurchen attacked in northConstant drain on treasury to pay tribute to nomadsThe Song moved to the south, ruled south China until 1279Nomads invaded, overran northern Song landsSong retreated to the South along Yangtze, moved capital

After defeat, constantly forced to pay tribute

SONG DYNASTY (960-1279 C.E.)Slide21

THE SONG WORLD

NORTHERN AND SOUTHERN

DYNASTIESSlide22

THE SONG ARTISTIC WORLDSlide23

Developments reinforced patriarchal society

Chinese reaction to foreign ideas

Reaction to Buddhist’s gender equality

Neo-Confucianism emphasized patriarchyAncestor worship revivedPreserving of familyFamily wealth became paramountResults

Tightening of patriarchal structure

Reinforcing of male domination Foot binding gained popularity during the SongEmphasized dependence of women on men, homeWealthy, aristocrats could afford practice, hire servants to do workFeet of women broken, reformed around stiltsWomen could not walk without pain but had to shuffle

Forced women to remain at home, dependent on others

Male sense of beauty at women’s expense

Poor, peasant women not subject to footbinding

Women had to work with men to support family

Men could not afford to have women at home, idle

PATRIARCHAL SOCIETYSlide24

Porcelain

High quality porcelain since the Tang, known as

chinaware

Technology diffused to other societies, especially to Abbasid Arabia Exported vast quantities to southeast Asia, India, Persia, and Africa Metallurgy Improvement: used coke instead of coal in furnaces to make iron, steel Iron production increased tenfold between the early 9th and 12th century

Gunpowder

Discovered by Daoist alchemists during the Tang Bamboo "fire lances," a kind of flame thrower, and primitive bombs Gunpowder chemistry diffused throughout Eurasia Printing Became common during the Tang

From block-printing to movable type

Books became widespread

Naval technology

"South-pointing needle" - the magnetic compass

Double hulled junks with rudder, water-tight compartments

TECHNOLOGY & INDUSTRYSlide25

SONG LIFESlide26

Khubilai

Khan rules Yuan Dynasty in China

Chinggis

Khan's grandson, consolidated Mongol rule in China Conquest of southern China

Song Dynasty fell in 1276, Yuan Dynasty founded in 1279

Unsuccessful conquests of Vietnam, Burma, Java, and JapanMongol rule in China New hierarchy: Mongol and allies; northern Chinese; Southern Chinese

Central administration reserved for Mongols, allies

Brought foreign administrators into China and put them in charge

Dismissed Confucian scholars; dismantled civil service examination

Favored merchants, cities, peasants over Chinese elites

Mongol Social Policies

Would not allow Mongols to settle in China nor Chinese in Mongolia

Outlawed intermarriage between Mongols and Chinese

Promoted Buddhism, supported

Daoists

, Muslims, and Christians

Forbade Chinese from learning the Mongol language

Mongol ruling elite adopted

Lamaist

Buddhism of Tibet

Mongol women refused to adopt Chinese customs, retained influential status

Mongol

armies may also have transmitted the plague infection

Yuan DynastySlide27

Dynasties from 1750 thru 1900’sSlide28

Ming government (1368-1644)

Drove the Mongols out of China

Constantly faced threats of new nomad invasions

Rebuilt Great Wall to prevent northern invasions Centralized government control Restored Chinese cultural traditionsRestored Confucian bureaucracy, civil service examinationsEunuchs given impressive role in Forbidden City as bureaucrats

Ming attempted to recreate the past, not improve upon it

Moved capital to BeijingBuilt Forbidden City for emperor, bureaucratsCity was closer to danger of northExtended Grand Canal to the north to bring food to cityMing decline

Centralized government ran poorly under weak emperors

Weak emperors isolated by eunuchs, advisors

Public works fell into disrepair

Coastal cities, trade disrupted by pirates, 1520 – 1560

Government corruption and inefficiency

Caused by powerful eunuchs

Overshadowed by inability of bureaucrats to reform, innovate

Famines and peasant rebellions: 1630s and 1640s

Rebellion by army units opens door to nomadic invasion

Nomadic Manchu invaders led to final Ming collapse, 1644

THE MING DYANSTYSlide29

Manchus (1644-1911)

Nomadic invaders

Originated in Manchuria

Last of the steppe invaders, dynasties Overwhelmed Chinese forcesProclaimed Qing dynastyOriginally pastoral nomadsMilitary force called banner armies

Captured Mongolia first, then China

Remained an isolated ethnic eliteForbade intermarriage with ChineseForbade Chinese immigration to Manchuria, MongoliaPermitted Confucian scholars to run governmentMaintained Confucian system Emperor Kangxi (1661-1722)

Confucian scholar; effective, enlightened ruler

Conquered Taiwan

Extended control to Central Asia, Tibet, Sinkjiang

Emperor Qianlong (1736-1795)

A sophisticated and learned ruler, poet, and artist

Vietnam, Burma, Nepal made vassal states of China

China was peaceful, prosperous, and powerful

THE QING DYANSTYSlide30

Ming restored social system; Qing maintained traditions

Basic unit of Chinese society

Remained the family

Highest value, filial piety Family mirrored state-individual relationsConfucian duties of loyalty, reciprocity Children to parentsSubjects to the emperor

Wife to husband (women to men)

Younger to elder Important functions of clan, extended familiesJustice, government administered through extended familiesReward, punishment effected allGender relationsStrict patriarchal control over all females

Parents preferred boys over girls

Marriage was to continue male line

Female infanticide; widows encouraged to commit suicide

Footbinding of young girls increased

Lowest status person in family was a young bride

THE PATRIARCHAL SYSTEMSlide31

Neo-Confucianism

Confucianism

Education, traditions supported by Min and Qing emperors

Hanlin Academy in Beijing, provincial schools Prepared students for civil service exams Blended with Buddhism, Daoism to produce a Chinese synthesisChristianity comes to China

Nestorian Christians not unknown in China, but had little influence

Portuguese brought Catholicism to China, courtsMatteo Ricci (1552-1610), an Italian Jesuit in the Ming court A learned man who mastered written and oral Chinese Impressed Chinese with European science and mathematics Popular mechanical devices: glass prisms, harpsichords, clocks

Confucianism and Christianity

Jesuits respectful of Chinese tradition, but won few converts

Chinese had problems with exclusivity of Christianity

Franciscan, Dominican missionaries criticized Jesuits' tolerance

When pope upheld critics, Emperor

Kangxi

denounced Christianity

Jesuits

An important bridge between Chinese and western cultures

Introducing each to the achievements of the other

TRADITION & NEW CULTURAL INFLUENCES