ch 4 !! Flashcards
Chinese neolithic
the development of Neolithic cultures leading up to the second millennium BCE, at which point
the first kingdoms in Chinese history emerged. Longshan culture (3000 – 1900 BCE) consisted of
competing chiefdoms that laid the foundations for the emergence of the first major states.
Xia Dynasty
-first major state
Although historians debate
whether or not it was legendary and lack written sources from that time, the archaeological
evidence points to a Bronze Age civilization with a capital city at Erlitou.
shang dynasty
brings us into history proper, because we have written evidence in
the form of oracle bones and bronze inscriptions. The last Shang capital was located at Anyang
on the North China Plain near the Yellow River. The dynasty’s most important legacies were the
earliest form of Chinese writing and ancestor worship. The oracle bones were used to divine the
will of higher powers and the spirits of deceased Shang kings.
Zhou dynasty
began when chieftains to the west of
the Shang declared themselves kings and overthrew it. They justified doing so with the Mandate
of Heaven, which states that a higher power withdraws its support from corrupt ruling families
and transfers it to righteous ones. Because it lasted eight hundred years and saw much change,
the Zhou is divided into two major periods, the Western (1045 – 771 BCE) and Eastern Zhou
(770 – 256 BCE). During the Western Zhou, Zhou kings ruled by granting land and noble titles
to kinsmen and allies in exchange for loyalty and service. The resulting political system, which
saw China divided up by over one hundred feudal states, is known as Zhou feudalism. During the
Eastern Zhou, this nobility became increasingly independent and fought with each other for power
and territory. A few declared themselves kings and forged powerful militaries by gearing their
kingdoms for war. In the end, in 221 BCE, the state of Qin prevailed, initiating China’s imperial
era. Also, in the midst of the dislocation caused by Eastern Zhou instability, three of China’s major
philosophical traditions emerged: Confucianism, Legalism, and Daoism.
qin dynasty
-short lived
han dynasty
Confucianism was adopted as the governing philosophy andalso penetrated society, shaping the Chinese worldview. The Han also became an empire, as borders
were expanded in all directions. During the reign of Emperor Wu (141 – 87 BCE), China extended
control over parts of Korea, northern Vietnam, and also much of Central Asia. The resulting stability
and the productivity of the economy spurred the development of the Silk Routes.
sui dynasty
After the Han dynasty fell, China was divided up by independent, short-lived kingdoms until
589 CE, when the Sui Dynasty reunited most of the territory once controlled by the Han. Thus,
for four centuries, during what is known as the Period of Division (220 – 589 CE), China was
politically unstable and racked by endemic warfare. Yet, in spite of the violence, these centuries
also saw vibrant cultural developments, as Buddhism became an organized institutional religion
reshaping the spiritual landscape.
tang dynasty
yet another long-lived one in Chinese history. Tang
rulers built an empire on the foundations of solid political and legal institutions, agricultural
policy, and a formidable military. Also during the Tang Dynasty, East Asia first emerged as an
identifiable cultural sphere. By Tang times, kingdoms had already formed on the Korean Peninsula
and the main islands of Japan, but it was during the Tang that ruling elites in both of these states
made extensive efforts to adapt components of the Chinese political, legal, and writing system, as
well as of Chinese culture, to their own societies. During the seventh century CE, the Silla Dynasty
unified the Korean Peninsula, and the Yamato heavenly sovereigns unified much of Japan. Two
other unique East Asian civilizations had taken shape.
song dynasty
CE), one that is notable
for the challenges it faced from northern conquest dynasties, its economic prosperity, and the
civil service examination system and the educated elite of scholar-officials it created. Also, since
footbinding developed during the Song, we considered the status of women in Chinese society,
where gender hierarchy was the norm.
The Song Dynasty ended with Mongol conquests in 1279 CE. The Mongol Yuan Dynasty made
China one part of a much larger Eurasian territorial empire. Mongol ruled lasted until 1368 CE,
when native rebellions overthrew a faltering Yuan state, initiating a new period in Chinese history:
the Ming Dynasty. This dynasty properly belongs to early modern history.
