1. Ancient Chinese Civilization
China is one of the world's four ancient civilizations
Lies between Yellow and Yangtze rivers.
Zahida Amin
2. Timeline of Chinese Civilization
The Xia Dynasty (c. 2070–1600 BC) — Early Bronze Age China
Ancient China (c. 1600–221 BC)
1. The Shang Dynasty (c. 1600–1046 BC)
2. The Zhou Dynasty (1045-221 BC)
Imperial China (221 BC – 1912 AD)
The Qin and Han Dynasties (221BC –220 AD)
Zahida Amin
3. Inventions and Discoveries
Ancient Chinese Technology include
modern agriculture,
decimal mathematics,
umbrella,
shipping,
astronomical observations,
Coin and paper money
wheelbarrow
the game of chess and even multi-staged rockets.
Zahida Amin
4. The Xia Dynasty (c. 2070–1600 BC) — Early
Bronze Age China
The Xia Dynasty (c. 2070–1600 BC) — Early Bronze Age China
First Dynasty- founded by Yu the Great
Yu was famous for building canals to help control the flooding of the Yellow River.
It was consisted of several clans which were living alongside the Yellow River
Very less information about it due to unwritten historical record.
But it was evident by the remains of Erlitou culture- early Bronze Age urban society
and archaeological culture that existed in the Yellow River valley from approximately
1900 to 1500 BC
Xia ended under the reign of Jie, a very notorious tyrannical emperor in Chinese
history.
Zahida Amin
5. Ancient China (c. 1600–221 BC)
Ancient China (c. 1600–221 BC)
1: The Shang Dynasty (c. 1600–1046 BC)
The Shang Dynasty was the first to have historical records remaining.
Written history of China (c. 1600–1046 BC), over 3,000 years ago.
Bronze objects and jade articles, have been found to support these early
archaeological records.
Traditional Chinese philosophies, such as Confucianism and Daoism
developed.
Territory and population expanded.
Earliest form of Chinese writing – oracle bones – was found.
It had Pictographic characters.
The Shang Dynasty's capital was Yin (Anyang)
Zahida Amin
6. Ancient China (c. 1600–221 BC)
2: The Zhou Dynasty (1045-221 BC)
After the Shang era, the larger Zhou era started
Territory was divided by a network of feudal states and was ruled over by kings.
The king of Zhou only had direct control over a small portion of the realm
He received tributes from the feudal states.
The first part of the Zhou era was called the Western Zhou (1045–771 BC)- peaceful
time
After 770 BC, the Zhou king lost his authority and seven prominent states emerged.
7 warring states: Qin, Chu, Zhao, Wei, Han, Yan, and Qi.
The Warring States Period (475–221 BC) ended with Qin's conquest of the other states.
It was transitional period between ancient China and Imperial China.( tribal society to
feudal society)
Zahida Amin
7. Imperial China (221 BC – 1912 AD)
First centralized feudal empire, the Qin Dynasty, which was
established in 221 BC and ended 1912
This period is known as the imperial era of China.
Rise and fall of dynasties
The Qin and Han Dynasties (221BC –220 AD)
During this period, a number of institutions were established
Provided foundation for the basic political system for the next 2,000
years.
The short-lived Qin Dynasty was the first to unite China as a country
under an emperor
A bureaucratic government was introduced
Zahida Amin
8. The Qin Dynasty (221–206 BC)
First and shortest imperial dynasty
Qin Shi Huang was first to use the title of emperor in China.
Qin Shi Huang centralized the power of the empire - Set up a system of laws.
He standardized units of weight and measurements, as well as the writing
system.
Great building projects, such as the Great Wall and the Terracotta Army,
The wall was built to repel nomadic invaders, the Xiongnu. Highways were also
built.
When he died, the emperor was buried in an enormous tomb with a terra
cotta army.
Liu Bang, a peasant leader, overthrew the unpopular Qin regime and
established the Han Dynasty.
Zahida Amin
12. Terracotta army -Some important facts
It was constructed over 2,200 years ago.
It was discovered by local farmers. while digging a well in 1974 in Xi’an.
Describes as eighth ancient wonder
Experts estimate there are more than 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots, and 670
horses.
Every soldier is unique, no two are alike and each has unique and realistic
features.
700,000 laborers constructed and took 40 years to finish
Zahida Amin
13. The Han Dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD)
Peasant Revolt -Liu Bang, a peasant leader, overthrew the unpopular Qin
regime and established the Han Dynasty.
The Han Dynasty was one of the most powerful and important dynasties in
China's history.
The longest imperial dynasty, the Han Dynasty, was known for starting the
Silk Road trade and connecting China with Central Asia and Europe.
Bureaucratic system introduced in which promotion was based on merit
Confucianism was adopted by the state for national governance.
agriculture, handicrafts, and commerce developed rapidly.
The multiethnic country became more united during the Han regime.
Zahida Amin
14. Three competing belief systems
• These three philosophies influenced early Chinese empires; some even
became official state ideologies.
• Confucianism is an ethic of moral uprightness, social order, and moral
responsibility.
• Legalism is a theory of autocratic, centralized rule and harsh penalties.
• King Zheng later known as Qin Shi Huangdi, formed Qin dynasty which is
often credited as the first dynasty to unify China adopted this philosophy.
• Daoism was a philosophy of universal harmony that urged its practitioners
not to get too involved in worldly affairs.
• The Dao is meant to represent the natural order of the universe, and
Daoism stipulates that human beings are the only species that disobeys the
Dao.
Zahida Amin
15. Government
King/ Emperors
the early rulers, of the Shang and Zhou dynasties, styled themselves “kings”
the monarchs of the Qin and Han dynasties ruled over a united China, and as a result they
styled themselves “emperors”
The Mandate of Heaven (Qin Dynasty)
Divine authority to rule.
Chinese rulers bore the title “Son of Heaven”.
Emperors were viewed as sacred figures: to disobey them was like to disobey Heaven.
It was believed that if emperors ruled badly or unjustly, their dynasty was liable to lose this
mandate
It provoked rebels attempt to replace the dynasty
Zahida Amin
16. The Court
Emperors were surrounded by courts.
Nobles of society: Royal family, ministers and officials
responsible for helping the emperor in governing the
huge country.
The court was housed in the royal palace, located in
the capital.
Capital was political center of the state
Zahida Amin
17. The Civil Service
Emergence of one of the most impressive governing institutions in world history, the Chinese civil service.
Examining candidates for public posts.
One of the most revered institutions in Chinese history.
Origin of Institution- Zhou dynasty, when the territorial princes were centralizing the government of their
states
Institution maturity came under the Han dynasty.
During Han times, the civil service became a huge organization, employing many thousands of officials.
Key Responsibilities of civil servants
1. keeping law and order,
2. collecting taxes,
3. maintaining irrigation systems and flood defenses,
4. and a host of other tasks to do with keeping China governed effectively.
Zahida Amin
18. Defence System
Ancient China saw the transformation of armed forces from feudal forces in Shang
and early Zhou times,
late Zhou, Qin and Han periods- mass armies composed largely of infantry troops.
Composition of Army: different kinds of recruits:
long service, professional soldiers, peasant conscripts, and non- Chinese
tribesmen.
The Great Wall 0f China
In the 5th and 4th centuries BCE, the northern and western border states most
exposed to raids by steppe nomads.
These walls were the ancestors of the famous Great wall of China
Refurbished into its present form under the Ming dynasty, in the 15th century CE.
Zahida Amin
19. Economy in Ancient China
Ancient China’s economy and society was based on agriculture.
Social position and economic condition of farmers has been different at
different time
During Shang and early Zhou, they were serfs, semi-servile bondsmen tied to
their particular lords.
From middle Zhou times, as the old feudal aristocracy disappeared, more of
them became free owners of their small farms.
Han times, their status declined again.
Chinese agriculture became more and more productive.
New crops and the spread of iron tools and new techniques led to more
intensive farming.
later Zhou times, government became active in promoting agriculture,
especially by bringing new land under irrigation,
Zahida Amin
20. As agriculture became more productive and population
increased, trade and industry also grew.
The introduction of coinage in later Zhou times facilitated trade,
Technological innovations such as the development of steel-
making contributed to industrial expansion.
Another major factor was state intervention.
Under the Qin and Han, the standardization in such things as
weights and measures and road building would have had a major
impact on economy
Zahida Amin
21. International trade
International trade first gained prominence under the Han dynasty.
Silk Road: By gaining control over the eastern steppes of central Asia, the Han
enabled the Silk Road, that great trade route across Asia to the Middle East
and Europe, to become established.
At the same time, the conquest of south China opened up the maritime trade
to south east Asia.
Craftsmen must have formed a privileged class in early China.
It was in this period that Canton began its long history as a center of
international commerce
In middle and later Zhou times, merchants became more influential as a
class,
Economic expansion under the Han dynasty especially benefitted the urban
classes.
Zahida Amin
23. Writing System
Origin of writing in China dates from 3500 years ago
China is among the first societies that adopted a formal writing language.
Ancient Chinese writing on oracle bones is called Jiaguwen shell bone
writing
Earliest form was Pictographic.
They were used for divination.
Divination was a process whereby the bones were heated and the cracks
thus formed was studied to find solutions to one’s questions.
The bones were then inscribed with details of the questions and the
answers.
Zahida Amin
24. Dazhuan represents the next stage of Chinese writing. script
on Bronze. It may be the same as the Jiaguwen.
By 500 B.C. the angular script that characterizes modern
Chinese writing had developed in the form called Xiaozhuan.
Bureaucrats of the Qin Dynasty used Lishu, a script still
sometimes used.
Kaishu appeared towards the end of Han dynasty was very
similar to Lishu.
Xingshu was a cursive version of Lishu
Caoshu script appeared during the Qin dynasty
Zahida Amin
27. Literature
Literature in Ancient China really got going in mid-Zhou times – the
time of Confucius and other philosophers.
A number of works, dating to Zhou and Han times, gained the status
of “Classics“ (5 Books)
Works of history
The Han historian Sima Qian (c. 145-87 BC) set the standard for
historical writing for the next two thousand years.
History would be a major feature of Chinese literature.
Poetry: Han period
Zahida Amin
28. Religion
Three main philosophies provided basis to ancient China
religion
Taoism,
Confucianism
and Buddhism
People worshipped a supreme god who was king of many
other lesser deities as early as c. 2200 BCE.
By the time of the Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 BCE) religious
beliefs recognized existence a definite "king of the gods"
named Shangdi
Zahida Amin
29. Taoism
6th centaury by Lao tzu
His book Tao Te Ching explains his philosophy
People should be one with nature
Taoists believe in spiritual immortality, where the spirit of the body joins the universe
after death
It did not believe on government and rulers-Government is unnatural because it tries
to change the nature which usually makes things worse
The Idea of Ying and Yang- nature has two balancing power- opposing forces are
always equal
Ying- Negative, female, night , passive , moon, intuitive, soft, cold,
Yang- Positive, male , day, Active, sun logical, hard, hot
Dragon is important symbol of Yang , it represents power, Sega and saint
Zahida Amin
30. Confucianism
Confucius (Philosopher and thinker) was born on 551 Bc
He describes the ways of living and behavioure
Treating other with respect, politeness and fairness
Honor and morality are very important qualities
Family is very important institution
Believe on strong centralized government (Opposite to Taoism)
Famous saying of Confucius depicts concept of kindness
“Forget injuries never forget kindness”
Zahida Amin
31. Buddhism
Based on teachingof Buddah
Born in Nepal in 553 Bc
Budism Spread in India and China
Belive on rebirth
Cycle of rebirth. Rebirth is complete once a person lives proper life –then
person soul would enter Nirvana
Concept of Karma: All Actions have conscequences
Zahida Amin