China

Unit Four

Part One:

Chinese philosophies

1. Confucianism2. Daoism (Taoism)3. Legalism

Two Great Thinkers

● Confucius and Laozi established philosophies to try to solve China’s social problems

Who Was Confucius?

What is Confucianism?

● An ethical system more than a religion○ Ethics-morals; knowing the difference

between right and wrong

What is the Significance of Confucianism?● Foundation for Chinese government and

social order● Ideas spread throughout East Asia

What is the Goal of Confucianism?To restore the order and moral living of earlier times

How Should Society Achieve This Goal?● Focus on 5 basic relationships

5 Basic Relationships

● Ruler and subject● Father and son● Husband and wife● Older and younger brother● Friend and friend

Centralized Government

● China had a centralized government○ When power or legal authority is exerted by a ruler

and local authorities have to obey that ruler

Bureaucracy

● Confucius laid the groundwork for a bureaucracy○ a gov’t where decisions are made by

state officials, not elected representatives

● Trained civil service ran the gov’t

Civil Service Connections to Today● Post office workers● Air traffic controllers● Police officers

Confucian Ideas About Education

Education has the power to transform a person into a gentleman

Do you agree with this statement? Do you think the United States supports or disagrees with this statement? Explain your ideas.

What is Daoism?

Like Confucianism, Daoism is a philosophy more than a religion

Who Established Daoism?

● Chinese thinker Laozi (Lao Tzu)○ Did he actually exist?

Legend Has It...

According to legend, Lao Tzu’s mother carried him in her womb for 62 years, and he was born with white hair and wrinkled skin.

What is the Dao?

● “The Way”● Universal force that guides all things● According to Lao Tzu, only humans fail to

follow the Dao

Daoist Beliefs

● Natural order more important than social order

● Humans should live simply and in harmony with nature

Daoist Influence

Due to a search for knowledge and understanding of nature, Daoists contributed to the studies of

● Alchemy (ancient chemistry)● Astronomy● Medicine

Legalists

● Political thinkers● Believed a powerful gov’t was the key to

order

Part Two:Four Dynasties:

1. Tang2. Song3. Yuan (Mongol)4. Ming

Where is China?

Chinese Empire c. 581-907 CE

Chinese Empire c. 1280-1365 CE

John Green’s Crash Course

Background Information

● Dynasties ruled China from c. 2100 BCE until 1912 CE○ Dynasty- a family of rulers who rule over a country

for a long period of time

We Will Focus On...

The

● Tang (618-906 CE)● Song (960-1279 CE)● Yuan/Mongol (1279-1368 CE)● Ming (1368-1644 CE)

Dynasties

China’s Golden Age

● Under the Tang and Song dynasties, China experienced a Golden Age○ Golden Age- the time period when a

place is at its greatest

The Tang Dynasty(618-907 CE)

Important Rulers During the Tang Dynasty● Tang Taizong● Empress Wu

Tang Taizong

● Killed his brothers and forces his father to step aside for the throne

● Reformed gov’t organization and law code

Taizong’s Armies

● Reconquered northern and western lands

Combining Cultures

● Due to expansion, Chinese culture started mixing with other cultures○ India, Korea, Japan

Chang-an

● The Tang capital○ Largest city in the world at that time○ 2 million people

● Arabs, Persians, Greeks, Jews, and native Chinese all lived there

Chang-an

Empress Wu

● Tang Taizong’s secondary wife● Became the favored wife of his son

○ Ruled for him, due to sickness● After his death, sons were unable to rule

○ She took the throne at age 65● Only Chinese female emperor

Empress Wu’s Accomplishments

● Expanded territory● State support for Taoism, Buddhism,

education, and literature

Revival of the Civil Service Exam

● China needed to restore their bureaucracy○ Revived the Civil Service Exam

Civil Service Exam

● Exams were open to all men○ Do you think men from every social

class took them? Why or why not?● Few who passed the exam became

scholar-officials

Effects of the Civil Service Exam

● Intelligent and qualified governing class● Talent and education became more

important than noble birth

Fall of the Tang Dynasty

External Causes

● Border attacks● (751) Muslims

defeated Chinese, took central Asia

Internal Causes

● High taxes● Rebellion

○ (907)Chinese rebels sacked and burned Tang capital

The Song Dynasty(960-1279 CE)

Reuniting China

● After the Tang fell,○ Warlords divided China into separate

kingdoms● In 960, Taizu reunited China

○ Proclaimed himself the first Song emperor

Song Empire

● Lost northern and southern lands● Moved capital to Hangzhou● Militarily weak● Economically prosperous

Song Empire

Song Prosperity

● China became○ Most advanced○ Most populous (at least 10 cities with 1

million people)

Inventions

● Movable type● Gunpowder● Porcelain● Clock● Paper money● Magnetic compass

Gunpowder

Changes in Trade

● China lost control of Silk Roads● Relied on ocean trade

○ Traded with Africa, Asia, and Japan

Religion & Trade

● Increase in trade impacted the spread of religion○ Buddhism spread from China to

Vietnam, Korea, and Japan○ Islam and Eastern Christianity spread

to China

Social Structure

● China’s prosperity produced many social changes.○ Old aristocratic families faded○ New upper class emerged

New Upper Class

● Made up of scholar-officials and their families

● A powerful class is called a gentry

Social Classes in China

Gentry Scholar-officials

Urban Middle Class Merchants, shopkeepers, artisans, and minor officials

Lower Class Laborers, soldiers, and servants

Bottom of Society (the largest class)

Peasants

Women’s Status

● During the Tang and Song dynasties, women’s status declined.○ Especially in the uppers classes○ Foot-binding

The Yuan (Mongol) Dynasty(1279 -1368 CE)

Mongol Territory

Remember Genghis Khan?

This is his grandson, Kublai Khan.

Kublai Khan’s Goals

● Extend and strengthen power of his own khanate

● Conquered China● First time a foreign ruler was in charge of

China

A New Dynasty

● The Yuan Dynasty

Important because…

1. United China for the first time in 300 years2. Increased foreign contact and trade3. Tolerated Chinese culture & gov’t

Why Was Kublai Khan Successful?● He ruled China from China, not Mongolia.

Military Goals

● Wanted to conquer Japan○ KK forced Koreans to build and sail

ships● Sent 150,000 Korean, Chinese, and

Mongol warriors○ Largest navy in history until WWII

● Failed both times

The Chinese Empire Under the Mongols● Mongols maintained a separate identity● Different laws● Highest gov’t jobs went to Mongols &

foreigners● Trade increased

○ Caravan routes kept safe○ KK invited foreign merchants to China

Marco Polo’s Journeys

Jot Down 5 Facts About Marco Polo

Mongol Legacy:

Three things we owe to the Mongols:

1. Pants- before the Mongols, men wore Roman tunics2. Hurray!- comes from the Mongol phrase “Hurree!” which

is similar to “Amen”3. Passports- the Mongols used paizas, needed to show at

posts for food, shelter, & a fresh horse

The Ming Dynasty(1368 -1644 CE)

Ming Ideals

● Distrust of foreigners● Return of Confucianism● Still traded high priced goods

○ Porcelain and silk

Hongwu

● First Ming Emperor● Son of a peasant● Led an army who defeated the Mongols

Zheng He

● Chinese Muslim explorer○ Increased trade and tribute

Isolationism

● Eventually, China returned to isolationism○ When a nation stays out of the affairs

of other countries