Name: ______________________ Date: ___________ Blk: ________
Notes on Ancient Chinese
(source for much of this comes from http://history.howstuffworks.com/asianhistory/history-of-china.htm )
Chinese culture began sometime before 1500 B.C. The Chinese contributed
Confucianism and Taoism philosophical thought to civilization.
Classical China centered on the Huang He (Yellow River) and was relatively
geographically isolated.
The river provided rich loess (silt) deposits
along its banks thus the land around the
river was very fertile. The loess made its
way to the river from the windswept
steppes of the Tibetan Plains.
According to legend, the Hsia dynasty
(about 1994 B.C.-1523 B.C.) was China's
earliest ruling family. Recorded history
begins with the Shang people, whose
dynasty (1700's B.C.- about 1122 B.C.)
ruled a state centered in the Huang He
valley.
Chinese history is commonly discussed in terms of dynasties. A dynasty may be named
after a people or a kingdom as well as after a ruling family. The most important city
during the Shang dynasty was Anyang.
The Shang were conquered by the Chou, a people who came from the northwest. During
the Chou dynasty (1028 B.C.-222 B.C.), China was dotted with walled cities surrounded
by peasant farms, which were under the protection of feudal lords. Some lords controlled
powerful states and gave only nominal allegiance to the Chou king. Transport canals and
an extensive irrigation system were built. The region of the Yangtze River came under
Chinese domination as the population began settling farther south.
The latter half of the Chou period produced the classical age of Chinese philosophy.
Among the great philosophers and scholars of that period were Confucius, Lao-tzu, and
Mencius. Followers of Confucius and Mencius made their teachings the basis for a
religious movement, Confucianism. Similarly, the teachings of Lao-tzu became the basis
for Taoism (also spelled Daoism).
By the end of the fifth century B.C., the
Chou king had lost control over the feudal
lords, and for two centuries afterward China
was divided into warring states. Finally, in
221 B.C., the Chin principality conquered all
of China, founding the Chin, or Qin, dynasty
and the first Chinese empire. Under the Chin
dynasty a strong central government was
established; provinces replaced feudal states.
The empire was extended into parts of south
China. The Great Wall was largely
completed, protecting China on the north
from the Huns.
The greatest ruler of the Qin Dynasty was Qin Shi Huangdi and he is considered the 1st
Emperor of China because he unified the entire region from the Huang He to the Yangtze
Rivers. He also ordered the building of much of the Great Wall and his tomb is now a
world heritage site.
The Han dynasty rose to power in 202 B.C., and greatly expanded the empire. Conquests
were made in south China, Annam (northern Vietnam), and Korea. The Huns north of the
Great Wall were subdued. Han conquests,
westward as far as present Afghanistan,
brought about trade with the Middle East by
way of the Silk Road through Central Asia.
China exported vast quantities of silk
westward, much of it reaching the Roman
Empire.
The Han adopted, for those going into
government service, a system of
examinations based on the Confucian
classics. Scholars edited the classics and
discovered and copied many old texts. The
first Chinese encyclopedia was compiled.
Paper was invented. Buddhism was introduced from India.
The Han dynasty was deposed in 220 A.D. There followed nearly 400 years of divided
rule and civil war. During 221-65 China was divided into three separate statesWu, Shu,
and Weitraditionally called the Three Kingdoms. The country was reunited in 280 under
the Western Chin dynasty, but the state collapsed in 316 following uprisings by various
non-Chinese peoples, mainly Turkic, Mongol, and Tibetan. In the south small Chinese
states continued to rule. China lost its outlying areas, closing the Silk Road. Political
disunity was offset by a general cultural advancement, however. Trade was established
with southeast Asia. Buddhism became more prevalent, while interest in Confucianism
declined.
In Depth Dates
ca. 2000-1500 B.C. - Xia Dynasty
1700 B.C. - Shang Dynasty
1028 B.C. - Zhou conquered the last shang dynasty
1027 B.C. - End of Shang Dynasty; Beginning of Western Zhou Dynasty
771 B.C. - Zhou suffered severe defeat in a conflict with their enemies; End of Western
Zhou Dynasty
770 B.C. - Beginning of Eastern Zhou Dynasty
551 B.C. - Confucius was born to a peasant family
500's B.C. - Origins of Doaism traced to this period of time to a scholar nammed Laozi
479 B.C. - Confucius died. Teachings became the Analects
300's B.C. - Chinese astronomers had calculated the length of the solar year
240 B.C. - chinese astronomers had recorded the appearance of the object that would
later be called Halley's Comet
221 B.C. - the kin had wiped out the Zhou and conguered the rest of northern china; End
of Eastern Zhou Dynasty; Beginning of Qin Dynasty
213 B.C. - Qin ordered all books be burned except those dealing with the practical
subjexts like agriculture medicine and magic
210 B.C. - Qin died. the dynasty came to an end
207 B.C. - Liu Bang overthrew the Qin Government; End of Qin Dynasty
206 B.C.- Beginning of Western Han Dynasty
202 B.C. declared himself the emporer of a new dynasty, the han.
141 B.C. - Wudi Became ruler of the han
139 B.C. - Wudi sent out an expedition led by Zhang Qian
9 A.D.- End of Western Han Dynasty; Biginning of Xin Dynasty
24 A.D.- End of Xin Dynasty
25 A.D.- 220 A.D. Eastern Han Dynasty
220 A.D.- 280 A.D. Three Kingdoms: Wei, Shu, Wu
265 A.D.- 316 A.D. Western Jin
317 A.D.- 420 A.D. Eastern Jin