Ancient China

HIST 101 History of World Civilization IUniversity of Montevallo, Fall 2009

Adjunct Instructor Jill Cooley

Lecture 5September 16, 2009

Lecture 5: Outline

• Neolithic China– Agricultural areas– Development of

villages

• Shang Dynasty– Chinese writing– Cities– Society– Spirituality

• Zhou Dynasty– Early Zhou period– Warring States

period

• The Iron Age

Lecture 5: Key Terms

• Yellow River• Yangzi River• Shang dynasty• Chinese writing• Anyang• Bronze working• Serfs• Feudal society• Ancestor worship• Divination

• Human sacrifice• Zhou dynasty• Mandate of Heaven• Warring States Period• Infantry and cavalry

units• Iron Age

Neolithic China

• 4000 BC settled around the Yellow River thus forming agricultural villages yielding grain cultivation

• Yangtze River along southern border yielded rice production

• Lush (sandy yellow soil) blown by winds thus the name of the Yellow River

• Domesticated pigs, chickens, cattle, and sheep• Villages however moved around once the soil was

depleted on nutrients

Ancient China

Dynasties:•Shang•Zhou

Geographical Features:

•Yellow River•Yangtze River

Shang Dynasty 1776 BC

• Developed system of writing, very complex, each word represented by a symbol; very much today’s Chinese writing

• Shang dynasty continued to move around in search of better soil• City: Anyang• Use of bronze, but was in limited supply• Used stone tools in farming, mostly farmers (serfs) in this society• Feudal society• Vassals owned land in return gave loyalty to the king • Warfare predominant• Made human sacrifices to the gods to win favor, polytheistic

however elevated one god more so than the others • Divination practiced, used oracle bones to tell future• Human sacrifices usually done for the death and burial of kings

Zhou Dynasty

• Continued and adopted many of the Shang Dynasty concepts• Vassal State• Created “Mandate of Heaven” and idea continues on after the

dynasty falls• Even more so a feudal system• Expanded territory but became more decentralized • Land ownership depended on kinship ties greatly• Royal women had power behind the scenes, however average

women had very little power• Vassals became more powerful and independent thus leading to the

fall of this dynasty representing decreasing power and authority of the king

• Oracle bone

Chinese writing

Lecture 5: Timeline

Time Period Political Development Important Points

ca. 4000 BC Neolithic China Agricultural villages

ca. 1766-1050 BC Shang Dynasty Earliest historical dynasty, ancestor worship, divination

ca. 1050-481 BC Early Zhou Dynasty Mandate of Heaven; feudal society

ca. 481-221 BC Warring States Period Warfare among several independent Chinese states

ca. 600 BC Chinese Iron Age Iron Age began in Asia Minor in 1200 BC

Iron Age

• Began in Asia Minor by society called the “Hittites”

• 1200 BC begin smelting Iron

• 1600 BC spreads throughout most of China

• Used in weapons and farming