The History of Ancient China - Coursework Example

Ancient China Ancient China had nomadic people who later transformed into settlers. The settlers had leaders and later the s were ruled by a number of dynasties. The rule of each dynasty witnessed changes in the social, economical, political and literal developments. The paper reviews the political, economical, cultural and literary transformations undergone by Ancient China. Qin Shi Huangdi was the first emperor of Qin dynasty. The emperors was worried about his death and wanted to protect himself from the spirits of the world after death. Therefore he built a clay army to be surrounded around his tomb and underground palace after his death. The emperor died in 210 BC and his tomb was built according to his wish surrounded by clay soldiers (Deady & Dubois p.4). Ancient China was a period of ideas and inventions. China is one of the world’s oldest civilizations that date back to thousands of years. Rulers governed the land by drawing ideas from its philosophers, thinkers and inventors. The philosophers designed the way people should rule, live and treat each other. Products like silk and paper was first developed in China. Some of the ancient Chinese inventions include kite, wheelbarrow and iron plow (Deady & Dubois 2004 p.8) Several Chinese philosophies is said to have developed during the reign of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty. The three most significant philosophies are Confucianism, Daoism and Legalism. People lived their lives by using these philosophies as their guides. Daoism was followed by the philosopher Laozi. The word Dao stands for ‘the way’. The followers of Laozi and the philosopher himself believed they have to obey the methods of heaven and lived a simple life. The philosopher Confucius believed that a good person loves others and leaders must pursue the golden rule that says “What you do not wish for yourself, do not do to others”. Confucius was also of the belief that leaders must govern by setting an example and not by causing fear among the subjects. Legalism is a philosophy that is drawn on the idea that human beings are fundamentally evil and selfish. Followers of legalism believed that ruler should be strict and utilized fear as a tool to maintain control (Deady & Dubois 2004 p.9). The recorded history of China dates back to around 8000 years when nomads started moving to the plains and settled along river valley where there were sources of water. The main occupation included raising animals and farming. The rugged land of China separated the people who lived in several groups. There were two main groups called the Longshan and the Yangshao (Deady & Dubois 2004 p.10). The Yangshao formed villages on the shores of the Huang He River and started farming. They cultivated wheat and barley and raised chickens and pigs and continued to collect food through fishing and hunting. They built wooden houses and made roofs from thatched reefs. They stored food and water in pots made of red clay with pictures of plants, animals and people. The Yangshao civilization was at its peak around 3000 B.C. (Deady & Dubois 2004 p.12). Ancient Chinese are credited with the invention of the method of weaving silk though the correct date is not known. However, the Chinese kept the method of weaving silk a secret for over 3000 years and created wealth through its trade (Deady & Dubois 2004 p.13). The Longshan civilization stretched through the east and south of Yangshao during 3000 B.C. They learned that growing rice was perfect in a marshy land. They raised sheep and cattle and grew millet (Deady & Dubois 2004 p.14). As time passed by the Longshan became superior to Yangshao. The Longshan civilization continued till around 2400 B.C. Longshan began to witness change around 2400 B.C. when more people started to live in villages. They became richer and every village had a leader. The most powerful leader ruled as kings and passed their power to brothers and sons. This system of family rule came to be known as a dynasty. The Xia Dynasty is believed to have ruled from around 2100 BC to 1800 BC. More information about the dynasty is not known (Deady & Dubois 2004 p.16). The emperor of Shang Dynasty King Tang is believed to have defeated the last king of Xia dynasty around 1700 B.C. Shang Dynasty is considered one of the earliest dynasty for which there are written records. It was during the Shang rule the methods of making bronze was invented with which they made tools and weapons (Deady & Dubois 2004 p.18). The Zhou was a semi-nomadic people who lived in the western side of the Shang kingdom. They became vassals in the Shang kingdom after a certain period. Over time they overthrew the Shang in around 1040 B.C. and defeated them through war. The Zhou set up their capital in Xian. The Shang lost the war because they engaged in continuous war with people living in the north. The victory of the Zhou is attributed to their idea called the Mandate of Heaven which says that Heaven gives the right to rule to a family which has moral worthiness for the responsibility and this is visible when a family emerges victors by overthrowing a dynasty. The Zhou followed the lifestyle of the Shang by importing Shang communities to newly built towns to use the skills of Shang artisans. The Zhou used the writing system, administration methods and rituals of the Shang. They also produced bronze vessels that were closely identical to that of the Shang. The governance method of the Zhou was fundamentally feudal. The Zhou gave land to people and the landowners became vassals. The descent was patriarchal with father transferring authority to son, rather than the method followed by Shang where the authority was passed from elder brother to younger brother. The period of the Zhou dynasty has two sub periods called the Western Zhou and the Eastern Zhou. The Western Zhou is the first period from the time they overthrew the Shang till 771 B.C. In 771 B.C, the barbarians forced the Zhou to move towards the north and the King was killed. The King’s son set up a new capital at Loyang and this period came to be known as Eastern Zhou. This period is again dividend into the Warring States Period and the Spring and Autumn Period. The Spring and Autumn Period was between 770 B.C. to 476 B.C when the Zhou king continuously lost power when the feudal lords realized that the king was powerless and can be overthrown consequent to the defeat in the Western Zhou. The Warring States period is a time when there was power struggle among the large states that tried to seize control in the entire region. This occurred from around 475 B.C. to 221 B.C. The Warring States period is believed to be the classical age due the presence of several great philosophers. The cultural development of the period is often referred as the One Hundred Schools Period. Taoism, Confucianism and Legalism evolved during the period. Legalism had the instantaneous effects because the philosophy of Legalism was followed by the next dynasty called the Qin and legalism was the basis for their rule. Memorable prose and poetry was written during the Warring States period. Other development during the period includes the writing down of laws, money economy and the increase in the number of market places. The production of iron increased the production of iron tools which in turn increased agriculture and resulted in population explosion (Zhou Dynasty). There were several dynasties that ruled China from 221 B.C. to 1279 A.D. The Yuan Dynasty ruled from 1279 -1368 A.D. It was a period when the whole of China was taken over by foreigners. The Yuan dynasty comprised of Mongols led by Genghis Khan and later ruled by his grandson, Kublai Khan. The Mongols were contrast in culture with the Chinese and this deterred proper governance in China. Though the Mongol attempted to rule in a Chinese manner, the absence of Chinese in the government was a drawback. The noble Chinese were not free to participate in government and therefore they indulged in literature and art. There was great development to opera and theatre while poetry did not gain much popularity during the Yuan dynasty. The operas were destroyed and the only remains are found in the English form. Some of them are The Story of the Orphan of Chao, the Western Chamber, The Story of Lute and The Romance. The Chinese economy depleted due to trade restrictions and led to the impoverishment of the country. The Chinese could not travel out of country for trade purposes and were forbidden from speaking other languages (Yuan Dynasty). The Ming dynasty was found by a peasant in 1368 AD and ended in 1644 AD. The third emperor of the Ming dynasty used Beijing as the capital of the dynasty. The peasant rulers were weak and internal power struggle led to the weakening of the dynasty. Meanwhile the Manchu attacked the Chinese and formed the Qing dynasty in 1644(Ming dynasty). The Qing dynasty continued till 1911 A.D and had simple rules like the Ming dynasty but made changes to the dress code of China. The Qing preferred agriculture over trade but their isolation policy had a drastic negative impact that economically weakened China. The taxes were low and taxes were further lowered in famine hit regions. International trade and commerce flourished. There was peace and prosperity that allowed the revival of learning and arts. There were improvements in the areas of short story, novel and drama with famous literary works. Poetry had more recognition and it flourished. The emperors commissioned encyclopedic works. Innovations in the use of colors and the production of porcelain reached new vistas during the Qing. Painting was important and there were European influences in them. The Qing allowed European missions into China who influenced the ideas about science. The British then traded with China for silk and tea and exported opium. The Opium wars culminated in an 1842 treaty whereby Hong Kong was given to Great Britain. The failure to abide by the treaty by both sides resulted in a war in 1857 that gave more privileges to Great Britain and China became a British colony (Qing dynasty). Ancient China had been a continuous process of change and development politically and socially. Annotated Bibliography 1. Deady, K.W. & Dubois, M.L. 2004 Ancient China Minnesota: Capstone Press Ancient China by Deady and Dubois is an important because it gives details about the early lives of Chinese people. The book can be referred to understand the beginning of settlement in China along the Huang He River. The beginning of cultivation and the use of iron plows is details in the book. The book also gives in depth details about the beginning of dynasties, pottery, painting and the invention of bronze. 2.Ming dynasty Available: http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/prehistory/china/later_imperial_china/ming.html. Retrieved on December 6, 2009 The source gives details about the formation of Beijing as the capital city. There is also detail on how the peasants had a chance to become the rulers of China. It is evident that there was continuous power struggles even when there was change in the dynasties. 3.Qing dynasty Available: http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/prehistory/china/later_imperial_china/qing.html. Retrieved on December 6, 2009 The source on Qing dynasty describes the modernization of China. The use and correction of taxation, the influence of Europeans and the improvisation of art and color is explained in detail. It gives details on how China became a British colony and the culmination of the dynasty rule in China. 4.Yuan Dynasty Available: http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/prehistory/china/later_imperial_china/yuan.html. Retrieved on December 6, 2009 This source about Yuan dynasty gives the reason why the Chinese were restricted to their language and did not get a chance to learn foreign language. The source also details the reason for failure of the economy and the resultant impoverishment. There is also detailed mention about the changes in the entertainment culture (Yuan Dynasty). 5.Zhou Dynasty Available: http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/prehistory/china/ancient_china/zhou.html. Retrieved on December 6, 2009 The source has complete details about the transition from one dynasty to another. The internet source also details the evolution of culture and the changes in culture. The dates of the dynasties and the reason for the emergence of new dynasty are clearly explained. This is a good reference to learn about the beginning of social and economic systems like feudal system, agriculture, law and money. Read More