Ancient China Honors World History GBS

yellow river

Where Chinese civilization began

Yangshao and Longshan

Two neolithic societies along the Yellow River.

identified by their pottery as the "painted" and "black pottery" cultures

rice

southern civilizations preferred the cultivation of this crop over other dry crops

arid climate, mountain ranges, and forbidding landscapes

isolated China from advanced agrarian societies in other parts of Asia

Xia Dynasty

First Chinese dynasty- first was almost mythical, now proven real

Shang Dynasty

Second Chinese dynasty (about 1750-1122 B.C.) which was mostly a farming society ruled by an aristocracy mostly concerned with war. They're best remembered for their art of bronze casting.

earliest inscriptions

were on oracle bones, and turtle shells

Shang chariots, european textiles, and burial pottery all show

evidence of them being from an Indo-European migration

Bureaucracy

A large, complex organization composed of appointed officials

Veneration of Ancestors

Chinese had great respect for their ancestors. Offered sacrifices at graves. Head of family in charge of rites to honor spirits. Buried material goods with their dead.

Diffusion hypothesis

Yellow River Valley was the ancient heartland of Chinese civilization and that technological and cultural achievements radiated from there to other parts of East Asia

Yellow River Valley Civilization took the lead of

political organization and writing system

Zhou Dynasty

longest dynasty in Chinese history with the introduction to iron

Zhou political system

king at the highest level- served by a bureaucracy, then lords and warriors and then peasants.

Mandate of Heaven

Heaven was the law of nature -kept order in the universe through the Zhou King

Heaven

was viewed as an essentially benevolent force devoted to universal harmony and order that could be influenced by positive human action

land ownership

peasants worked on lands owned by their lord but also had land that they cultivated for their own use

Well-field system

the division of land into nine separate segments

big rat system

high taxation on peasants

Merchants and artisans

Trade and manufacturing

biggest class of ancient chinese civilizations

peasants

Advances in Agriculture

allowed populations to rise

silk

soft fabric used for clothing and body wrapping before burial

Silk Road

central China westward to the Middle East and the Mediterranean Sea was in operation as early as the fifth century B.C.E.

jade

a hard gemstone also traded on silk road

hundreds schools

wide-ranging debate over the nature of human beings, society, and the universe

Yin and Yang

In Daoist belief, complementary factors- good and bad

Confucianism

The system of ethics, education, and statesmanship taught by Confucius and his disciples

dao

The proper way to behave

idea of humanity

compassion and empathy for others.

Confucius's political idea

government should be open to all men of superior quality

Analects of Confucius

Collections of ideas and sayings

Legalism

the belief that people were bad by nature and needed to be controlled

Daoism

A religion in China which emphasizes the removal from society and to become one with nature.

Qin Dynasty

establishment of a new dynasty, the first truly unified government in Chinese history

qin politics

Legalism was adopted as the official ideology

Book Burning

To prevent criticism they murdered hundreds of Confucian scholars and ordered the burning of "useless books"

Great Wall of China

world's longest man made structure built to keep invaders from the north out of China, started by the Qin Dynasty, expanded by the Han Dynasty,

importance of family

help in agriculture production

Filial Piety

respect shown by children for their parents and elders

Five Relationships

1. husband and wife 2. parent and child 3. elder and younger brother 4. ruler and Minister or subject 5. friend and friend

legalists tried to break down family importance by

imposing high taxes on families with more than two older sons

Baojia System

Chinese practice originated by the Qin dynasty of organizing families into groups of five or ten to exercise mutual control and surveillance and reduce loyalty to the family

fu xi's wife nu wa

assisted her husband in organizing society by establishing the institution of marriage and the family

bronze casting

The best-known Shang art form.

Terracotta Warriors

army of clay warriors buried in Shi Huangdi's tomb

Chinese language

has never entirely abandoned its original ideographic format, the Chinese written language is virtually unique in the world today

Yangtze River

Longest major river in China

Three Sovereigns

Fu Xi, Shen Nong, and Huang Di.

Dynastic Cycle

the historical pattern of the rise, decline, and replacement of dynasties

Rites of Zhou

this was the written down records of how the Zhou Dynasty ran their government. One of the oldest Chinese documents found.

Feudalism

A system of government based on landowners and tenants

Warring States

between Zhou and Qin dynasties, lack of centralized government in China; No emperor or dynasty. Famine, constantly fighting against each other

Li Su

Administrator during the Qin who favored Legalist policies.

Lao Tzu

taught about Daoism, following the way of nature, and yin/yang

Qin Shihuangdi

The first emperor of the Qin Dynasty who believed strongly in Legalism first to rule a united china

Sima Qian

A Chinese scholar, astronomer, and historian; author of the most important history of ancient China, Historical Records

Xiongnu

Nomadic peoples to the north of the Great Wall of China who were a frequent threat to the stability of the Chinese state.

Han Dynasty

imperial dynasty that ruled China and expanded its boundaries and developed its bureaucracy

Tea-opium connection (Opium War 1839)

The tea-opium connection highlights how Britain's desire for tea and China's resistance to foreign goods led to an illegal opium trade that triggered war and significant shifts in Sino-Western relations.

Opium Wars in China

The Opium Wars were two major conflicts between China (under the Qing Dynasty) and Western powers, primarily Britain, during the 19th century. They were driven by trade disputes, especially over opium, and ended with humiliating defeats for China, leading to a series of unequal treaties that weakened Chinese sovereignty.

Extraterritorial Rights

An exemption of foreign residents from the laws of a country.

Opium war 1

Britain had a growing demand for Chinese tea, but China only accepted silver in return.

To fix the trade imbalance, Britain (via the British East India Company) began illegally selling opium grown in India to China.

The widespread opium addiction in China caused social and economic problems.

The Qing government banned opium and destroyed large British shipments (notably in Canton/Guangzhou).

Key Event:

Chinese official Lin Zexu led efforts to suppress the opium trade, including seizing and destroying over 20,000 chests of opium.

Britain responded with military force, leading to war.

Outcome:

Britain won due to its superior naval and military power.

The war ended with the Treaty of Nanjing (1842):

China ceded Hong Kong to Britain.

Opened five ports to British trade.

Paid a large indemnity.

Granted extraterritorial rights to British citizens.

opium war 2

Causes:

Britain wanted more trade rights and full diplomatic recognition in Beijing.

The war began after Chinese officials boarded a British ship (the Arrow), triggering renewed conflict.

France joined Britain after the killing of a French missionary in China.

Key Events:

Anglo-French forces captured major cities including Canton and Beijing.

In 1860, the Summer Palace in Beijing was looted and burned by British and French troops.

Outcome:

Treaty of Tientsin (1858) and Convention of Peking (1860):

Legalized opium trade.

Opened more ports to foreign trade.

Allowed foreign embassies in Beijing.

Gave missionaries access to the interior of China.

China paid more indemnities.

Consequences of the Opium Wars:

Marked the beginning of the "Century of Humiliation" for China.

Weakened the Qing Dynasty.

Increased Western influence and control over Chinese trade and territory.

Sparked internal unrest, such as the Taiping Rebellion.

Shifted the balance of power heavily in favor of Western imperial powers.

Taiping Rebellion (1850-1864)

Def: a rebellion by Chinese peasants challenged and threatened the imperial rule of the Qing dynasty; the leaders of the revolt were heavily influenced by Christian teachings and offered ideas such as the redistribution of land, public education and rights for women

Sig: although the rebellion was successful in gaining supporters and captured Nanjing, led to a tremendous loss of life; ultimately failed but forced the Qing to make reforms, such as the Self-Strengthening Movement

Dowager Empress Cixi

The leader during the last half of the 19th century, who ruled China with only one gap. They were committed to traditional values, but did support certain reforms

Spheres of Influence in China

one country would have special authority or presence and another country would have a different area of authority. China became divided by European powers. The different European countries supported each other through the spheres of influence because of economic advantage

Open Door Policy

A policy proposed by the US in 1899, under which ALL nations would have equal opportunities to trade in China.

Nationalist Party of China

political party that governed all or part of mainland China from 1928 to 1949 and subsequently ruled Taiwan under Chiang Kai-shek and his successors for most of the time since then.

Sun Yixian

(1866-1925) Chinese nationalist leader who fought to end foreign domination. He formed the Kuomintang, or Nationalist Party, which overthrew the Manchu Dynasty and established a republican form of government in its place. Also known as Sun Yat-sen.

Impacts of ww1 and may 4th movement

Event Key Impacts World War I- Disillusionment with the West- Shandong given to Japan- Sparked national anger May Fourth Movement- Rise of nationalism & anti-imperialism- Cultural and intellectual revolution- Birth of modern political ideologies (like Communism)- Beginning of modern Chinese politics

Chinese communist party

Party formed in 1923 when Sun Yat-Sen merged the Third Communist International and the KMT to create the first of many liberation fronts. This front was completely anticonservative and anti-imperialist, but not fully communist. Eventually it would separate from and defeat the KMT under Mao Zedong in 1927.

Mao Zedong

(1893-1976) Leader of the Communist Party in China that overthrew Jiang Jieshi and the Nationalists. Established China as the People's Republic of China and ruled from 1949 until 1976.

Jiang Jeshi or Chiang Kei-Shek

Jiang Jieshi was a Chinese military and political figure who led the Nationalists against the rising Communist forces and was driven from the mainland to Taiwan (1949). He then setup Taiwan because the US liked him.

Result of civil war in china

Political China became a communist one-party state under Mao Zedong. Territorial Mainland China controlled by the PRC; Taiwan governed by the ROC (leading to an ongoing political dispute).International The Cold War intensified: the U.S. supported Taiwan; the USSR supported the PRC (at first). SocialThe CCP began radical social reforms: land redistribution, collectivization, and campaigns like the Cultural Revolution (later).

Mao's version of communism

Wanted to reshape China in Marxist socialism. Seized holdings of landlords, killed any landlords that resisted. Gave the land to peasants. Later forced peasants to join collective farms(200-300 households), private companies were put under government rule, set up plan for goals of high production

"Great Leap Foward" 1958

A plan that called for larger collective farms(communes)

Communes

Collective farms grouped together to organize farming and plan public services

The Red Guards

the Radical youth of the Cultural Revolution in China starting in 1966. Often wore red armbands and carried Mao's Little Red Book.

Cultural Revolution

Campaign in China ordered by Mao Zedong to purge the Communist Party of his opponents and instill revolutionary values in the younger generation.