...is balanced by an opposite, every yin by a yang. According to this philosophy, an individual should find a way, called Dao, to relate to this harmony. Patterns in Classical China China has maintained the clearest links to its classical past. Already a pattern was set in motion that lasted until the early part of the 20th century. Dynasties would start rule, develop strong political institutions, and encourage an active economy. But afterwards, the dynasty would grow weaker and tax revenues declined, while social divisions increased in the larger society. As one dynasty went down, another emerged and repeated the pattern. * Three dynasties covered the centuries of classical China: Zhou, Qin, and Han. Zhou The Zhou dynasty lasted from 1029 to 258 b.c.e. The dynasty only until about 700 b.c.e. flourished. They replaced the Shang rulers. It was then declined by political infrastructure and frequent invasions by nomadic people from border regions. * Government was not very powerful. * Rulers didn’t have the means to control their territories directly. * In exchange for land, supporters were supposed to provide the government with troops and tax revenues. * Extended territory by taking over the Yangtze river valley. (Middle Kingdom) * Wheat grew in the North and rice in the Southpopulation growth. * Difficult to communicaterely on loyal supporters. * Began the spoken language of Mandarin Chinese * During late 6th and early 5th century b...
Words: 766 - Pages: 4
...who exchanged surplus food and crafts items. Centers such as Anyang and Loyang in China grew and became a focus of migration for a growing agricultural population. V. Political factors: Presence of a king with distinguished roles. VI. Environmental factors: Stability of environment, natural boundaries. 2. Discuss the major features of the following in the early Chinese history showing those that have affected development of the modern world. 1. Political structures 2. The Chinese economy 3. Social structures 1. Political structures China had a government ruled y dynasties, united under one dynasty but often competing dynasties in controlling different regions. Ancient China’s resources, large areas and large populations demanded a strong central government. When one of these regional dynasties became dominant their king would become the emperor. The government these dynasties created tended to be very autocratic and even despotic, ruthlessly enforcing...
Words: 710 - Pages: 3
...Throughout history, there have been many forms of government. Ancient Asia had many too, but the Han dynasty started something different from all of the rest that would continue on for over a thousand years. The Qin dynasty, before the Han began, had caused terrible education, high taxes, and harsh laws that made it hard to live in China. The Han dynasty wanted to change that, for no one could live under such circumstances. They combined Legalism, a philosophy that order came before everything else, and Confucianism, which changed major aspects of how government should be. Gao Zu, the first emperor of the Han dynasty, created a new sect of advisors who were Confucian scholars. He created this new form because “he believed the government...
Words: 1079 - Pages: 5
...Tong Zhang Pre-Modern East Asian History China: Introduction Written records of Chinese civilization date back to 1200 BCE. Naturally many parts of China have become worldwide attractions due to historical richness. The Dynasties of China covered in this chapter will be: Shang (1600 – 1050 BCE), Zhou (1046 – 256 BCE), Warring States Period (475 – 221 BCE), Qin (221 – 206 BCE) Han (206 BCE – 220 CE). Henan Museum, Zheng Zhou Yellow River Valley (Shang) Today, Zheng Zhou is the provincial capital of the Henan Province and is a fast growing city that is one of the centers of technology and politics in China. Lying on the southern bank of the Yellow River (Huang He) Zheng Zhou is home to many beautiful pagodas, Shaolin Temples, and amazing sceneries. Though a bustling megacity today, Zheng Zhou has been an integral part of since the Shang Dynasty of China starting in 1600 BCE. During the Bronze Age, the huge country we call China today had hardly developed. At the time, people understood very little so the base of Chinese culture known as Di (or god) was created. Di gave the Shang people a sense of predictability and understanding of the world. For example, they used Di to predict whether a harvest was to be good or bad. The Shang people communicated with Di through Oracle Bones and Pyromancy. Ritual specialists would use fire to strike a special oracle bone. The grains in the bone would crack in a certain direction and the Shang people would take that as a sign...
Words: 2556 - Pages: 11
...Han Dynasty was a strong and united empire established by Gaozu Liu bang in 202 B.C. The empire prior to Han, also the first empire in the history of China, Qin Dynasty was established and governed based on the ideology of legalists. Under the reign of Qin Shi Huang, legalists’ ideology was spread and executed across the entire empire. Without any doubt, legalists ideology made Qin a very powerful empire, as legalists ideology gave Qin a very disciplined army and a very centralized bureaucratic system, but legalists ideology was also a major factor that contributed to the fall of Qin Dynasty, as this ideology was rigid and harsh, bringing strong discontent from both government officials and ordinary citizens to the ruler. Therefore, Han Gaozu Liu Bang, learned the lesson from Qin Dynasty, founded the Han on the basis of Confucianism. Hence, in my point of view, Han Dynasty, especially early Han dynasty, was dominated by the Confucianism. I have two points to demonstrate my argument. First and foremost, Ren (benevolence) is one of five fundamental concepts of Confucianism, and Ren zheng (a benevolent government), brought up by Mencius, is a concept of government that is benevolent to the people. “Ren Zheng” advocates that a ruler should treat his officials and his people with benevolence and tolerance. Mencius believes that a great emperor should regard its people as priority, then the state, and last the emperor himself. Mencius states that an emperor should often implement...
Words: 1226 - Pages: 5
...The Han dynasty was a very important time in ancient China’s history. The Han dynasty lasted from 206 B.C.E. to 220 C.E., which is over 400 years! The Han dynasty arose because the Chinese people were unhappy with the harsh, Legalist rule of the Qin. Under Han rule, China had a golden age, or a long period of stability and wealth. Education, literature, and art flourished, while new practices, inventions, and discoveries improved people's lives. The Han dynasty improved government and daily life in China in many ways. The government improved a lot under the Han dynasty. They adopted the centralized government established by Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi. But they softened the harsh ruling style of the Qin emperor and brought Confucian ideas back...
Words: 409 - Pages: 2
...g Han dynasty), states started to adopt a mixture of Confucianism and Legalistic ideology. Why did Legalism and Confucianism fall off? In this paper I will explore and provide my own insights on the shortcomings of both ideologies; how Legalism was more persuasive in getting people to accept their ideas and more effective as an ideology and how Confucianism lost out in both aspects. Persuasiveness of Legalism The central idea of legalism was to provide absolute power to the person in charge and the supremacy of authority. Legalists like Han Fei Zi believed that human nature was “evil” and strict rules should be in place to ensure order, similar to a shepherd and sheeps3. With this theory in mind, the idea of absolute power was very attractive to rulers of states. Rulers will exercise the “two handles” of reward and punishment accordingly to keep their subjects obedient and loyal. This ideology is even more appealing towards newly founded states that lack in the department of control over its subjects. If states can adopt the legalistic way of ruling, rulers can exercise their control over the whole state to maintain order. Therefore it is more likely for rulers to be persuaded into adopting legalism as their state ideology since it aligns with their objectives. When compared to Confucianism where rulers are encouraged to trust officials in states with their own ruling, power dilution was a very glaring problem to the rulers. China underwent many changes in dynasty with...
Words: 2469 - Pages: 10
...Brief History of China Prehistory Mythical Era Ancient Era Imperial Era Modern Era Introduction Chinese civilization originated in various city-states along the Yellow River Valley in the Neolithic era A history of 4700 years since Yellow Emperor during the period of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors; the written history of China begins with Shang Dynasty 3600 years ago when turtle shells with ancient Chinese writing were carbon dated in 1500BC Prehistory Peking Man Paleolithic – – – – China was inhabited by Homo erectus more than 1 million years ago The archaeological site of Xihoudu site in Shanxi Province is the earliest recorded of use of fire by Homo erectus 1.27 million years ago The excavations at Yuanmou and later Lantian show early habitation The most specimen of Homo erectus found in China is the so-called Peking Man discovered in 1965 Prehistory (cont.) Neolithic – – – – – – Stone Tools The Neolithic age traced back to 10,000 BC Early evidence for proto-Chinese millet agriculture is carbon-dated to about 7,000 BC Population was increased due to agriculture, the ability to store and redistribute crops and to support specialist craftsmen and administrators In late Neolithic times, the Yellow River valley began to establish itself as a culture center, and the first villages were founded Early history of China is complicated by the lack of a written language during this period At Damaidi site in Ningxia...
Words: 4650 - Pages: 19
...As said previously, ancient politics had their flaws and enduring issues. An example was the idea that people have the power to rule from their god(s). This was an enduring issue because it gave the rule supreme power which meant the citizens had no say in decisions that would ultimately affect them. The Ancient Chinese’s term to describe this ideology was the Mandate of Heaven. Qin Shi Huangdi, the emperor of the Qin Dynasty, gained his position because of the Mandate of Heaven. Although he did bring unity and harmony to China, his way of gaining power did cause problems. Many know that during Qin Shi Huangdi's rule, he helped develop the Great Wall of China and his mausoleum which protected by a life-sized terracotta army statue. These great...
Words: 592 - Pages: 3
...Brief History of China Prehistory Mythical Era Ancient Era Imperial Era Modern Era Introduction Chinese civilization originated in various city-states along the Yellow River Valley in the Neolithic era A history of 4700 years since Yellow Emperor during the period of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors; the written history of China begins with Shang Dynasty 3600 years ago when turtle shells with ancient Chinese writing were carbon dated in 1500BC Prehistory Peking Man Paleolithic – – – – China was inhabited by Homo erectus more than 1 million years ago The archaeological site of Xihoudu site in Shanxi Province is the earliest recorded of use of fire by Homo erectus 1.27 million years ago The excavations at Yuanmou and later Lantian show early habitation The most specimen of Homo erectus found in China is the so-called Peking Man discovered in 1965 Prehistory (cont.) Neolithic – – – – – – Stone Tools The Neolithic age traced back to 10,000 BC Early evidence for proto-Chinese millet agriculture is carbon-dated to about 7,000 BC Population was increased due to agriculture, the ability to store and redistribute crops and to support specialist craftsmen and administrators In late Neolithic times, the Yellow River valley began to establish itself as a culture center, and the first villages were founded Early history of China is complicated by the lack of a written language during this period At Damaidi site in Ningxia, 3172 cliff carvings dating to...
Words: 4650 - Pages: 19
...------------------------------------------------- History of China From at least 1766BCE to the twentieth century of the Common Era, China was ruled by dynasties. A dynasty is a family that passes control from one generation to the next. A dynasty does not have to last for a long time. One Chinese dynasty lasted more than 800 years while another lasted only fifteen years. The ancient Chinese believed their ancestors in heaven had chosen their leaders. They called this the Mandate of Heaven. The Chinese people often rebelled against a weak leader if they believed he had lost the Mandate of Heaven. There are indications of an earlier Hsia Dynasty, but the Shang were the first dynasty to leave written records. The Shang also developed a lunar calendar consisting of twelve months of 30 days each. The Shang Dynasty ruled China from approximately 1766BCE to about 1040BCE. Shang rulers expanded the borders of their kingdom to include all of the land between Mongolia and the Pacific Ocean. The Shang practiced human sacrifice. If a Shang king died, many of his subjects would join the ruler in his grave. Some people were beheaded first but others were buried alive. When a Shang king died, his next oldest brother replaced him. When there were no brothers, the ruler’s oldest maternal nephew became king. A maternal nephew would be a child of one of the deceased king’s cousins – that is, a son of his mother’s siblings. The Chou were initially nomads who lived west of the Shang...
Words: 2674 - Pages: 11
...China regarding dynasties, unification, leadership, political philosophies, government structure and international relationships. The country has an extensive history. China also has many customs we would consider to be unacceptable. Come with me and let’s explore the up and coming global power. SECTIONII: There were many dynasties that have ruled China since 2033BC. Xia dynasty is one that people did not want to admit it existed. Xia ended with its leader being overthrown, imagine that. People can only put up with so much oppression. The monarch was a typical imbecile with money and power at his fingertips; he was overthrown. The Shang dynasty was ruled by a corrupt leader; he was overthrown. The longest lasting dynasty in China was the Zhou dynasty; they were in charge from 1027-221BC (www.google.com). A writing system and bronze metallurgy were invented. The king was assassinated by rebels (www.paulnoll.com). Power equals money which in turn, equals demise especially regarding dynasties. China dynasty rulers when overthrown are usually exiled or murdered. One Zhou ruler was overthrown and killed by rebel lords. With the royal line broken the power of the Zhou court gradually diminished (www.paulnoll.com/China/Dynasty-Zhou.html). The Qin dynasty was a ruthless one. They relied heavily on standardizing legal codes and bureaucratic procedures (www.paulnoll.com/China/Dynasty-Qin.html). Wow! One could say that China is communist due to this dynasty. What is it...
Words: 4313 - Pages: 18
...World Civilizations I (HS150) Lesson 6 Assignment 6 03/04/2015 Sui Dynasty (589 – 618 CE) was a short lived Imperial Chinese dynasty, preceded by the Southern and Northern Dynasties. It unified China for the first time after nearly four centuries of north-south division. It was followed by the Tang Dynasty. Founded by Emperor Wen of Sui, the capital was Chang’an. His reign saw the reunification of Southern and Northern China and the construction of the Grand Canal, connecting the Yellow and Yangtze River for easy trading. The canal was used to carry rice and other agricultural products. Wendi was the first emperor to build a centralized government, created legal codes (social security); Buddhism was also spread and encouraged throughout the empire, uniting varied peoples and cultures of China.(Refer to pages 277; Wikipedia,2015). The Sui dynasty which reunified China after nearly four centuries of political fragmentation during which the north and south had developed in different ways, played a part far more important than its short span would suggest. In the same way that the Qin rulers of the 3rd century BC had unified China after the Zhanguo (Warring States) period, so the Sui brought China together again and set up many institutions that were to be adopted by their successors, the Tang. Like the Qin, however, the Sui overstrained their resources and fell. And also as in the case of the Qin, traditional history has judged the Sui somewhat unfairly, stressing the...
Words: 667 - Pages: 3
...The rise of the dominant military power of the Roman Republic and the Qin dynasty was based on a well-reputed legal system and strong economic power. Qin's advanced bureaucratic system and Roman citizenship enabled their citizens to change their social class through their own efforts. Such a system makes soldiers more willing to fight. This system stimulated people's desire to work, so that their national strength has been greatly increased. At the same time, a powerful economy is required for a dominant military power, because money is needed for logistics and supplies such as food. History and Economics are the most important disciplines for this research. There are two concept for each discipline. Nationalism is a kind of fanatical worship of a specific nation. It usually emphasizes the culture, interests of the nation, and ignores other groups. Sometime excessive nationalism leads to war. Chinese Legalism is a belief that human nature tends to be evil because of self-interest, so legalism suggests that laws are necessary for any society, and laws should be above everyone. The Monetary system is a model in which government issues a unified currency. At the same time, in order to control the economy, the government also controls the money supply. Physiocracy is a school that suggests that most of the wealth of a country comes from agriculture, so government should not take tax from...
Words: 530 - Pages: 3
...expansion of China during the Qin and Han dynasties (221-220 B.C.E) was a rich tradition of the social and political philosophies of Confucians, Daoists, and Legalists was the foundation on which these and later dynasties rested. The important elements that contributed to the unification of China in this period were building a centralized bureaucracy staffed with professionals educated in Confucian thought and values, a prosperous economy based on technological and industrial development and long-distance trade, and standardization of the written language. Confucius was an educator and political advisor and his sayings were compiled in the Analects by his disciples. His ideas were fundamentally moral and ethical in character and practiced on how to restore political and social order. His ideas concentrated on the formation of junzi or superior individuals and did not allow personal interests influence their judgements. Confucius had edited the Zhou classics for his disciples to study. Ren, an example of key Confucian values, was a sense of humanity, kindness, and benevolence. There was also Li, a sense of propriety, courtesy, respect, and deference to elders. Lastly, there was Xiao, afilial piety and familial obligation. He wanted to cultivate personal morality and junzi for bringing order to China. One of the spokesmen for Confucian school was Mencius, who believed in the goodness of human nature, an example of ren, and advocated for a government by benevolence and humanity...
Words: 877 - Pages: 4
