Themes Across Cultures:
Ancient China
AP World History
LSW
State-building, expansion, and conflict
• Political structures and forms of governance
• Empires
• Nations and nationalism
• Revolts and revolutions
• Regional, transregional, and global structures and organizations
Xia: 2200-1767
BCE
 Established dynastic
precedent
 Form of Government:
Monarchy, Sage King Yu,
Legend says tamed the
Yellow River
 Large scale public work
projects helped to establish
recognized authorities and
formal political institutions
 Encouraged the founding of
cities and development of
metallurgy (Bronze weapons
to maintain control)
 Traded with nomadic groups
from Central Asia, offered
animals (horses esp.) in
exchange for agriculture and
metals
State-building, expansion, and conflict
• Political structures and forms of governance
• Empires
• Nations and nationalism
• Revolts and revolutions
• Regional, transregional, and global structures and organizations
 Shang: 1766-1122
BCE
 Took over after replacing
despotic Xia ruler,
originated to the South
and East of Xia
 Used bronze weaponry
and horse drawn
chariots to extend rule
 No codified law but
rulers made decrees and
trusted military to
enforce
 Claimed surplus of agriculture
from conquered areas to
support the state and military
 Rulers relied on local rulers who
recognized Shang authority, at
one point Shang emperors may
have controlled more than 1,000
towns
 Construction of immense city
walls (33 ft. high, 66 ft. wide)
around capital, Ao…required the
labor of 10,000 workers for 20
years
 Shang emperors buried with
family, servants, others
State-building, expansion, and conflict
• Political structures and forms of governance
• Empires
• Nations and nationalism
• Revolts and revolutions
• Regional, transregional, and global structures and organizations
 Zhou: 1122-256 BCE
 People that at one time allied with
the Shang and were rulers in the
West
 Shang dynasty declined under
foolish ruler, many cities
transferred their loyalty to Zhou
rulers, eventually Zhou dynasty
toppled Shang rule
 Promulgated the “Mandate of
Heaven” idea (justified Zhou
dynasty in taking over)
 Dynasty so large that the dynasty
employed decentralized admin.:
entrusting power, authority and
responsibility to subordinates
who were loyal to central
government
 Surrounding cities ruled by
emperor’s family who paid tribute
through taxes and appearances at
court
 Arranged marriages between newly
conquered areas
 Eventually collapsed as leaders
from outlying regions strengthened
themselves and nomadic peoples
from the West attacked
Interaction between humans and the
environment
• Demography and disease
• Migration
• Patterns of settlement
• Technology
Xia:
 Agricultural practices helped to fuel growth in
population around Yellow River (rich fertile soil)
 Building dikes to control the Yellow River
 Fine painted pottery
 Large oar propelled vessels
 Bronze implements and tools brought from
nomadic peoples from the West
Interaction between humans and the
environment
• Demography and disease
• Migration
• Patterns of settlement
• Technology
Shang Dynasty
 Height of bronze implements, used as tools,
weapons
 Chariots used in military campaigns to great
effect
 Large scale public works projects, continued
work on Yellow River, large city walls around
capital, burial tombs
 Beginning of writing (Oracle Bones)
Interaction between humans and the
environment
• Demography and disease
• Migration
• Patterns of settlement
• Technology
Zhou
 Development of Iron for tools and weapons (worked in
favor of decentralized rulers)
 Jewelers, jade workers, embroiderers and
manufactures of silk textiles specialized in their
industry
 Navigation of ships by the stars
 Books of poetry, history, manuals dealing with moral,
religious, philosophical and political themes
Development and transformation of social structures
• Gender roles and relations
• Family and kinship
• Racial and ethnic constructions
• Social and economic classes
Xia, Shang, Zhou:
 Emperor and ruling
family
 Artisans, Peasants,
Slaves
 Patriarchal
 Veneration of elders
(men)
 Some women recognized, Fu
Hao consort to the Emperor
performed sacrificial rites and
led men into battle
Theme: Development and interaction of cultures
• Religions
• Belief systems, philosophies, and ideologies
• Science and technology
• The arts and architecture
Xia:
 Organized religion did not play as important a role in
China as it did in other early societies
 Impersonal heavenly power- ‘tian’
 A few priests conducted ritual observances in honor of
royal ancestors at royal courts
Shang, Zhou:
 Writing with Oracle Bones, used by fortune tellers,
represented by pictographs and ideographs
 Books of History, Etiquette, Rites, Poetry and Songs