China

Name Dates Key Summary

Terms/Events/Ideas
Shang 1600-1027 Tombs discovered in The Shang dynasty was
Dynasty BCE 1928 characterized by its bronze
artisan work, writing and
government system. It was
associated with the beginnings
of ancestor worship.
• First family of Chinese rulers to leave written records

• The Shang kings built elaborate palaces and tombs

• Anyang was one of the capitals of the Shang dynasty and was built mainly of
wood

• They surrounded their cities with massive earthen walls for protection

• Famous for pottery with 3 legs which symbolized Confucianism:

o Ritual (li) *related to li of the 5 relationships

o Humaneness (ren)

o Filial piety

• Chinese writing developed from Oracle Bones: the cracks on the bones would
be the answers to questions and these pictographs later turned into the
characters

Name Dates Key Summary

Terms/Events/Ideas
Zhou 1027-256 BCE Lifetime of Confucius During the Zhou dynasty, the
Dynasty and Laotzu longest reining dynasty,
(Western and Eastern Zhou) the
Mandate of Heaven was
developed allowing the Zhou to
overthrow the Shang dynasty.
The Chinese philosophies
Daoism, Confucianism, and
Legalism arose at this time
especially during the warring
states period but did not take
hold until later.

Fig 1.

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 • Established feudalism: political system in which nobles, lords, are granted use
of lands that legally belong to the king. In return, the nobles owe loyalty and
military service to the king and protection to the people who live on their
estates

• Many innovations

o Roads and canals built for trade and agriculture

o Coined money introduced

o Blast furnaces that produced iron

Warring States Period

• Nomads from the north and west sacked the Zhou capital and murdered the
Zhou monarch

• A few members of the royal family escaped at set up a capital at Luoyang

• Zhou kings at Luoyang were almost powerless; couldn’t control the noble
families

• Lords picked fights with neighboring lords

• As their power grew, these warlords claimed to be kings in their own territory

Name Dates Key Summary Architecture Art Literature

Terms/Events/
Ideas
Qin 221-206 Terracotta Though The Huangdi A standard
Dynasty BCE Warriors ruthless, construction commission written
Great Wall Emperor Qin of the first ed an army script was
Mandate of Shi Huangdi Great Wall of developed.
Heaven defined the Qin began. terracotta Several
established dynasty with Elevated warriors, books by
Standardization his remarkable terraces and each one Confucian
of weights, accomplishmen magnificent was scholars
measures ts in uniting palaces were unique. were
United China and advancing created. Standards burned and
China. 4000+ miles of writing, the
of highway law, scholars
network currency, were
measures murdered.
• From Western state of Qin

• Shi Huangdi was considered the First Emperor and son of Tìan (Heaven)

• Halted internal battles, external invaders

• Doubled China’s size

• Controlled all noble families and took their lands

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 • Established autocracy government with unlimited power

• Harsh taxes and oppressive gov. made it unpopular

• Common laborers commissioned to work on building defensive walls across

China

• Great Wall = Longest Graveyard

• Legalism thrived during this time (see political philosophies chart

Name Dates Key Summary

Terms/Events/Ideas
Han 202 BCE – 220 Confucianism The Confucian philosophy was
Dynast CE adopted adopted during the Han dynasty and
y Beginning of Silk flourished domestically. The empire
Road extended its influence, social, political,
and territorial, across Asia before
collapsing under external pressures.
• Founded by Liu Bang who changed his name to Emperor Gaozu
• Skillful and talented, surrounded himself with smart people
• 94% of Chinese are descendants from ?Hans
• One of the longest dynasties
• Tried to retain feudal and decentralized gov. (see Zhou) but left a centralized
imperial rule
• Han Wudi (141-87 BCE)
• Continued to build roads, canals, to facilitate trade, communication
• Pursued administrative centralization, imperial expression
• Demanded educated people in gov.
• established imperial university
o the university took Confucianism values to form the curriculum
o initially 3,000 students graduated but by end of dynasty 30,000 more
added
• manufacture of silk, invention of paper
• empire extended as far south as North Vietnam and as far west as Korea
Silk Road
• Network of trade routes linking China and the West- stretching 7,000 miles
• In China, Silk Road started in Xian which was the capital city during the Han
dynasty – this route followed the northwest along Great Wall crossing the
Taklimakan desert (aka Desert of Death) Pamir Mts. into Bactria to reach
Mediterranean Sea
• Another route took people from New Delhi over the Khyber Pass into Pakistan
• Often very dangerous – you could be robbed at any time
• Most famous was probably Marco Polo (Yuan dynasty) who made it all the
way to China from Italy
• Most were ancient travelers who traveled across mountains and deserts to
exchange goods
• Few traveled the entire route – goods were bartered at trading centers

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 • Variety of goods were traded from porcelain to pepper, spices, gold, jade, gun
powder, printing techniques, art and architecture
• The “hot” item was silk especially for the Roman empire
• Silk production from China was highly secretive and punishable by death if
given away
• Silk production began in 3000 BCE
• Most important good that traveled? Buddhism!

Name Dates Key Summary

Terms/Events/Ideas
Sui 581-618 China reunited The Sui dynasty was marked for its
Dynast CE completion of the Grand Canal and the
y reunification of China. However its early
demise stemmed from the
government’s tyrannical demands on
the people.

Name Dates Key Summary Literature and Science and

Terms/Ev Poetry Technology
ents/Idea
s
Tang 618- “Golden The Tang dynasty Advances in First book is
Dynast 906 Age” of is regarded by Chinese poetry printed using
y CE art/cultur historians as the with two of China’s wood blocks.
e/ high point in most famous poets Scholarly
literature Chinese (Du Fu/Li Bai) compilation
civilization. They More than 50,000 commissioned
Empress had social, poems created. that documented
Wu literature, and Rulers were 833 medical
technological patrons of the arts. substances.
advances which More than 60 Hydraulics used
modernized China. individual styles of to power air
Encouraged foot poetry. conditioning
binding. fans.
Advances in
Zoology

• Civil Service Exams- started in Sui dynasty to stop hereditary aristocracy in

the gov. Strengthened the government and made a purely bureaucratic gov.
o Tang – used the exams to fill gov positions as they wished. 2 defects-
# who passed was extremely small and harsh conflicts among officials
o Song- fixed 2 problems, # of men granted degrees rose. Literature
became available to everyone.
• FUNNY MONEY: Fast economic growth- ran out of metal coins, so Chinese
gov. started printing paper money.
o It could be circulated over long distances, was easy to carry, and
stopped the trading of commodities that others might not want.
o Silk served as a function of currency the west loved it

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 o Silver followed paper money- came from Southeast Asia then the new
world.
• Tang fall- they imposed crushing taxes to meet the rise of gov. costs

Nam Dates Key Summary

e Terms/Events/Idea
s
Song 960-1279 “Golden Age” of The Song dynasty with its considerable
CE science and army and navy and the invention of
technology gunpowder was able to defeat the Jins and
Mongols. After two decades of warfare
they were finally conquered by Kublai
Khan.

Paid hefty annual tributes to northern enemies didn’t stop threat from north. In
early 1100’s Manchurian ppl conquered N. China.
Name Dates Key Summary
Terms/Events/Idea
s
Yuan(Mong 1271-1368 Largest empire The Yuan is not considered a
ols) CE ever dynasty by the people of China,
Beijing established instead a group of Mongol bandits
as capital led by Kublai Khan who seized
control of most of present day
China. Kublai Khan centralized the
government of China and modified
the tax system
Genghis Khan unites Mongols and conquers much of Asia creating largest empire in
history. Grandson Kublai Khan conquers China and starts the Yuan rule. Foreign
trade increased on the Silk Road, and Marco Polo arrived.
Chinese rebels finally overthrew the Mongols and founded the Ming dynasty

Tribute System:
Name Dates Key Summary Architecture Science and
Terms/Even Technology
ts/Ideas
Ming 1368- Great Wall During the Ming dynasty a Restoration Many renowned
Dynast 1644 Beijing vast army and navy was of the Grand scientists in this time.
y CE established constructed and enormous Canal and Medical classic
as capital construction projects were rebuilding of published Bencao
undertaken. Maritime the Great Gangmu.
trade and agriculture Wall. Detailed notes on
production increased Established agriculture methods/
under orderly government the Developments
with social stability. Forbidden (fertilizer and food
City processing).
o Laid trading ground rules (who trades with who), showed the Emperor’s
superiority. People gave expensive gifts to the emperor in return for trading
rights and Confucian books. (foreign countries rarely got trading rights) West

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 didn’t believe rituals should be mixed with economics

Early Ming Emperors had treasure ships to impose early imperial control over
foreign trade and impress foreigners
Zheng He:
o Eunuch admiral who commanded treasure ships, was a Muslim and trusted
advisor to Emperor Yongle. Made 7 voyages and brought envoys from 30
kingdoms’ to pay respect to the Ming court. He had huge ships and traveled
over Asia and Africa. Yongle suddenly ended voyages and destroyed all
nautical charts. China’s navy declines.
Forbidden City:
o Emperor Yongle moved capital to Beijing and built a huge palace complex
known as Forbidden city, because commoners and foreigners weren’t allowed
to enter.

Name Dates Key Summary

Terms/Events/Ideas
Qing/Manchu 1644-1912 Taiping Rebellion The Qing dynasty was
Dynasty CE Manchu dynasty integrated with Chinese
Boxer Rebellion culture but faced defeat
Opium Wars after its military power
weakened from internal
pressure, rebellions, and
wars resulting in the
collapse of China’s
dynasties.
Opium Wars:
o Opium had a strong hold on China, and still craved it after it was outlawed

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 o British brought it in through the Black Market
o China fought British over right to sell opium
o China lost (several times) and made the UNEQUAL TREATY w/ Britain
o UNEQUAL TREATY- China was forced to give up trading rights and ports to
European control while they received nothing. China gave up Hong Kong, a
major port
Taiping (Great Peace) Rebellion- goal was to establish kingdom of Heavenly
Peace in China
o Leader- Hung Hsiu- fails in school but has visions that he is Jesus’ younger
brother
o Chinese gov. attacked his movement, but he turned it back and became
leader of Heaven
o Essentially- a Christianity movement gone awry
Spheres of Influence:
o Carving up the melon (China), Foreign nations sought to control parts of
China’s trade within their “Sphere of influence”
Boxer Rebellion: “fists of harmony”
o Boxers were skilled in martial arts and believed they were immune to bullets
o Goal- to expel all foreign devils from China
o The empress dowager manipulates them to do her bidding
Then the empress dies leaving a young son on the throne.

• Sun Yat Sen defeats the Qing dynasty (the son abdicates in 1911 marking the
end of China’s dynasties) with the Nationalist Party (Kuomintang) and China
is now a Republic with Sun Yat Sen as the first president.
• Sun Yat Sen dies still fighting the warlords and they continue to vie for power.
• Chiang Kai Shek fights the warlords for over 20 years and gets control of China.
• During the Long March Chiang Kai Shek chases Mao (who is enamored with
Communism) out of China but Mao wins and Chiang Kai Shek is exiled to Taiwan
(capital Taipei) which he says is the real China.
• Mao calls China the Peoples’ Republic of China and calls Taiwan the Republic of
China.
• Then Mao starts the Great Leap Forward (collectivization) where people are
sent to communes of 50,000 households. People are worked to death, and
typhoons, locusts, the Yellow River flooding and double planting cause a huge
famine that kills 30,000,000!
• This was Mao’s attempt to industrialize to the same level as Britain.
• The Great Leap Forward was a miserable failure.
• Then Mao starts the Cultural Revolution which is the government’s attempt to
rid China of all cultural background.
• Propaganda is everywhere and people are forced to carry around the Little Red
Book, a book of Mao’s quotations.
• Students, mainly teenagers join the Red Guards who pledge their devotion to
Mao. They tried to smash the old non-Maoist way of life (the 4 Olds: ideas,
habits, culture, customs).

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• As a result of China’s huge population, the one-child policy (which spoilt only
boys and led to Little Emperor Syndrome) was created by Deng Xioping
(one of the last of the old revolutionaries and the most powerful leader in China
by 1980).
• Although a lifelong Communist, he was willing to use capitalist ideas to help
China’s economy, unlike Mao.
• He embraced a set of goals known as the 4 Modernizations which called for
progress in agriculture, industry, defense, science/technology (AIDS). These
widened the gap between rich and poor.
• Tiananmen Square: the Chinese government massacres thousands during a
student-led protest for rights and democracy
• Tankman stood stopped tanks and a picture was taken making him a hero and
giving hope to the Chinese people
• But China’s government doesn’t like tankman and censors his pictures and other
stuff they don’t like

• Tibet: a country in the Himalayas that had been a soverign nation but Mao
invaded it and calls it part of China. It is now referred to as TAR (Tibet
Autonomous Region)
• The Dalai Lama is the spiritual leader of Tibet (which is a theocracy)
• He was exiled from Tibet when Mao invaded and lives in India
• A lot of people want China to free Tibet

• China’s current economic relationship with the US is that they are trading
partners with China now having a capitalistic economy. But the US still dislikes
China’s resistance to democracy

Political Philosophy Chart

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Legalsim Confucianism Daoism
• Han Fei • Confucius (founder) • Laozi (founder)
(founder) • Born in Zhou dynasty, but ideas didn’t • Be one with the
• Severely take hold until the Han dynasty. Dao or nature
punish light • Popular during the Tang and Song • The idea of Yin
crimes in an dynasty (Ban Zhao wrote about (dark, female) and
attempt to Confucianism with women) Yang (male, light)
avoid major • Peoples status in life can be elevated • Live a balanced life
ones. through education and embrace
• State dictates • Li: involves correct behavior, and the 5 opposing forces
your life relationships: • Wuwei- action
• Unity is 1. Subject and Ruler through non
strength 2. Father and Son action
• Flourished 3. Husband and Wife • Chi- energy,
during the 4. Elder and Younger brother brought about the
Qin dynasty 5. Friend and Friend (equal) idea of Taichi (a
esp. w/ Qin • Established gov. by meritocracy (gov. form of martial
Shi Huangdi jobs by ability not inheriting the job arts)
based on relation to emperor) • Idea took hold in
• 3 ideas of Confucianism illustrated by the the Han dynasty
Shang bowl, took hold during the Han
dynasty
o Ritual (li) *related to li of the 5
relationships
o Humaneness (ren)
o Filial piety

1.

The Mandate of Heaven was first used by the Zhou dynasty to justify their
overthrowal of the Shang dynasty. It is a concept that states that Tian, heaven, can
legitimize rule of a dynasty by divine approval. Once a dynasty established peace
and prosperity it was considered to have the Mandate of heaven. One of the beneits
of the Mandate of heaven was that the right of power by divine authority was
conditional apon the behavior of the rulers. Therefore, it was rather successful in
that if any dynasty began to abuse its ruling rights too much, another dynasty could
be justified in taking over. The Mandate of Heaven ended in 1911 when the young
Qing emperor abdicated and the Nationalist Party (Kuomintang) under Sun Yat Sen
took over.

2.

The examination system in China, known as the civil service exams helped
create China into a powerful nation. The exams started in the Sui dynasty and were
meant to stop hereditary aristocracy in the government and instead create a
meritocracy. The exams were founded on the Confucian principe that knowledge is
power. The Sui dynasty used the exams to solve the problem that the emperor
could not employ men on the basis of their ability with out proviking attack from the
aristocratic officials. The Tang dynasty continued these policies and used the exams
to give the best scholars government positions. But there were two problems with

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the exams: the number who passed was very small and the exams sometimes
provoked harsh conflicts among officials. The Song dynasty fixed these two
problems. With the invention of the printing press materials for education were
available for more people and the number of people granted a degree rose. As a
result, candidates for the exams came from everywhere so the government could
freely pick the best. The Song dynasty also improved things with the establishment
of the palace exams overseen by the emperor. The exams were beneficial because
they allowed Chinese government to grow strong and be filled with smart people.

3.

The Tribute System laid the ground rules of trading with China. It showed the
Emperor’s superiority and set the order of who traded with who. People had to give
the emperor exotic gifts and kowtow before him, and in return, they were given
things like Confucian books, silk, instruments, etc., and the right to trade. The
people who liked this system were the nearby areas that complied with the customs
of China and were therefore lavished with the Emperor’s gifts and given good
exclusive trading rights. The people who didn’t like it were the Europeans who
didn’t believe rituals should be mixed with economics and refused to comply with
the system thereby not getting trading rights and having to trade through
subterfuge.

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