1. China in the Shang and Zhou
Eras

2. Shang Era
• Culture develops
–Divination, Shamans use bones, shells
–Silk worms, silk fabrics
–Ancestor worship
–Pictograms
 3000 characters
–Paper used by 100 C.E.
• Religion
–Fertility central
–Human sacrifice

3. Zhou Era
• Zhou – 1100 BCE
–Feudal
 Oaths of allegiance, fiefs for military service
• 2 Things weaken feudal order
–Mandate of Heaven
–Professional bureaucracy (government
officials)
• Movement along Huanghe, Huai, Yangzi
• Non-Chinese displaced

4. Cultural Change in the Early Zhou
Period
• Patriarchy reinforced
• Correct behavior, ritual important
• Decline by 8th
• Xian city abandoned

5. The Era of Nomadic Incursions
and Warring States

6. Kung Fuzi (Confucius)
• Late 500s B.C.E.
• Wandering scholars
• Analects, collected sayings
• Correct behavior
• Filial piety
• Duty, order, obedience
• Stability, peace
• Education is important

7. Daoist Alternatives
• Laozi
–Philosopher and founder
• Retreat from society
–State cannot solve all problems
• Nature
–Dao, cosmic force
• Meditation
• Education not important

8. Qin and
Imperial Unity
• Qin Dynasty
–Originally nomadic, marginal
–Shi Huangdi
 c. 200 B.C.E.
• Reforms
• Improved technology
• Peasants freed
• Bureaucracy

9. China from the Later Zhou to the
Han Era

10. The Transformation of a
“Barbarian” Land
• Military transformed
–Influence of nomads
–Cavalry
–Crossbow
• Legalism
–All to serve the state
–People are bad and need harsh laws and
punishments

11. Shi Huangdi, Emperor of China
• Unification by 221 B.C.E.
• Unification
–Common writing
–Coinage,
–Weights and measures
• Great Wall begun
• Killed by son
• Shortest dynasty–ends 207 B.C.E.

12. The Han Dynasty
• Liu Bang (Gaozu)
–Peasant
–202 B.C.E., becomes first Han ruler
• Strong centralized state
• Expansion to Korea and Vietnam
–Assimilation
 Education common

13. Scholar Gentry
• Legalists replaced by scholar gentry
(educated bureaucrats)
• Dominance of Confucianism
• Education
–Examination system
 Based on Confucianism
–Meritocracy – earn your job

14. Class and Gender
• Peasants
–Production increased
 Horse collar, wheelbarrow
• Mean people
• Below peasants – no land, no training
• Women
–Upper classes
 Arranged marriages
 Education common

15. Towns and Traders
• Xian, capital
–Walls, towers
–Grid pattern
–approx. 100,000 citizens
 approx. 100,000 in hinterland
–"Forbidden city“
• Trade as far as India, Rome on the Silk
Road

16. Arts and Sciences
• Invention
–Paper
–Compasses
–Watermills
–Rudders
• Art
–Calligraphy
• Science
–Calendar: 365.5
–Medicine: acupuncture