Question

What did you learn about China from its earliest cultures along the Yellow River to the first Qin Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi? What were China's most interesting foundational stories, and accomplishments that you recall?

Answer 1

According to Chinese legend, Chinese society was founded by a series of rulers who brought the first rudiments of civilization

1. Fu Xi, the ox-tamer who domesticated animals and introduced family life

2. Shen Nong, the divine farmer who taught people the techniques of agriculture

3. Huang Di, the Yellow Emperor who is credited with inventing the Chinese writing system and introducing the bow and arrow.

Yellow River

Where the early agricultural Chinese societies began. Yangshao and the Longshan were the two Neolithic societies.

Yangtze River

Society and civilization similar to the ones in the Yellow River began next in this river valley based around the cultivation of rice.

Qin Dynasty

4th dynasty after the Zhou. Founded by Qin Shi Huangdi who took power at age of 13. Leaglist and centralized state. Had first example of book burnings. was the first unified, multi-national and power-centralized state in the Chinese history. (Period of Warring States)

Qin Shi Huangdi

Founder of the Qin dynasty who took throne at 13. Imposed legalist views and greatly centralized the state. He unified the system of weights and measures, standardized the monetary system and the written forms of Chinese characters, and ordered the construction of a system of roads extending throughout the empire.

Shang Dynasty Accomplishment: Silkworms

- Learn how to get silk from silkworms

Shang Dynasty Accomplishment: Oracle Bones

Oracle bones: for study of writing + religion (used for: communing w/ gods by priest writing message on it, heating it, and interpreting cracks on bone as answers, gives priests power)

Shang Dynasty Accomplishment: Bronze

Bronze: vessels, weapons

Shang Dynasty Accomplishment: Chariots

Chariots: help them conquer & together w/ bronze = strong military

Shang Dynasty Accomplishment: Government

Government: hereditary kingship

Shang Dynasty Accomplishment: 2 calendars

2 calendars: sun and moon

Shang Dynasty Accomplishment: develop a written language

develop a written language: ideographs made of signifier and phonetic sign

Shang Dynasty Accomplishment: Art

Art: writing becomes art of calligraphy, basis of later ceramics

Shang Dynasty Accomplishment: Religion

Religion: combined animism and ancestor worship, nature gods, dragons are special

Shang Dynasty Accomplishment: Astronomy

Astronomy: pretty good estimation of year length

Zhou Dynasty Accomplishment: Mandate of Heaven

Justify their rule with the Mandate of Heaven

Zhou Dynasty Accomplishment: Iron usage

Iron usage: better weapons, better grain production

Zhou Dynasty Accomplishment: Copper coins

Copper coins: helps trade expand, had hole in middle to string them together (store, carry)

Zhou Dynasty Accomplishment: Longevity

Longevity: Rule for very long; stable

Qin Dynasty Accomplishment: Unify Chinese states (1st time in history)

Unify Chinese states (1st time in history): b/c of Shi Huangdi's savvy brutality

Qin Dynasty Accomplishment: Establish Chinese empire (1st time in history)

Establish Chinese empire (1st time in history)

Qin Dynasty Accomplishment: Military districts

Divide empire into military districts

Qin Dynasty Accomplishment: Code of Qin

Code of Qin: legal system - strict, not many individual rights

Qin Dynasty Accomplishment: Standardize everything

Standardize everything: weights, measures, currency, writing (cause people to lose individual identities, causes confusion, and causes resentment)

Qin Dynasty Accomplishment: Begin constructing Great Wall

Begin constructing Great Wall: intimidation, control (keeps people in), created w/ forced labor (slavery), superiority (Middle Kingdom, separates from those outside)

Qin Dynasty Accomplishments

All measures of control

Han Dynasty Accomplishment: Civil service system & Civil Service Exam

Civil service system & Civil Service Exam: way to find best people for job, merit based, you pass and you can be higher in society (1st example of social mobility)

Han Dynasty Accomplishment: Imperial university

Imperial university to train men for gov't service

Han Dynasty Accomplishment: Emperor Wu Di

Emperor Wu Di: Antithesis of Huangdi, reign is called "Pax Sinica" = Chinese Peace (Pax Romana)