History yearly

Ancient China

  • (c.2070 - 1650 BCE) The  Xia [Shar]  dynasty had King Yu the Great who impressed people by building dams and canals

    • This controlled floodwaters of Huang Rivers and ensued the Xia rule’s over China for 400 years

      • May have lived in central and Henan province due to archaeological evidence at Erlitou in Henan Province 

  •   (c.1650 - 1050 BCE) the Shang dynasty and its rulers:

    • created efficient organizations in each of seven cities

    • taxed people (heavily) for construction of palaces

    • (feudalism) gave land to local leaders exchange for armies, animals, grain and farm labour 

      • Through military support, used soldiers to enforce will 

        • Punishments for disobedience included castration (testicles) mutilation, slavery or death

    • Dynasty ended when people revolted from the rule of SHang king Shou Xin 

      • Existence proved by oracle bones (animal bones used in ceremonies) that were used when wanting advice from Gods

        • These contain earliest record of China’s history on farming, hunting, fishing, religious customs and warfare

          • Proved SHang were literate and simplified language existed since second millennium (1000) BCE

      • Other evidences includes huge quantities of bronze objects (weaponry and vessels), pottery and jade items 

        • 1976 discovery of 3000 year old tomb with bronze and jade artifacts 

  •  (c.1050 - 1221 BCE) the Zhou [Jo] came from the Wei valley 

    • Strengthened feudalism by allowing nobles to control and use the king’s land

      • In return for taxes and military 

        • (nobles then divided land among peasants for produce and military)

  •  (c.475-221 BCE) the Warring States or second half of Zhou dynasty 

    • Nobles tried to gain power by fighting each other (~150 states)

      • End only seven large states remained (Chu, Han, Qi, Qin, Wei, Yan and Zhao) with own king and army

    • Leader of state Qin [Chin](Ying Zheng) (ruthless fighting techniques)  won and overthrew Zhou dynasty in 221 BCE

      • Renamed himself Qin Shi Huangdi [Chin Shur Hwung-dee] and was CHina’s first emperor of Imperial China (221 BCE - 1911 CE)

Confucianism

  • Filial piety: Respect for parents and ancestors was a core value.

  • Ren (Benevolence): A deep-seated empathy and concern for others.

  • Li (Propriety): Following social norms and traditions for harmony.


Taoism/ Daoism

  • The Tao (The Way): A universal force that guides all things.

  • Wu Wei (Non-action): Acting naturally and spontaneously, without over-exertion.

  • Yin and Yang: The balance of complementary forces in nature.


Legalism

  • Strict laws: The belief that strong laws and harsh punishments were necessary for order.

  • Firm management: Rulers should have absolute power and control.

  • People are selfish: A pessimistic view that humans are naturally bad and driven by self-interest.


Geography

  • Third largest country with land area of around 9.5mil km2

  • Located on the Asian mainland and shares boarders with 14 countries (India, nepal, kazakstan…)

    • Boarders pacific ocean

    • Coastline stretching 14 500km

  • China is surrounded by natural barriers-the Gobi* provides barriers along with mountains that isolated China for a long time so they believed they lived in the centre of their world (Middle kingdom)

  • Under different rulers the boarders of China changed

  • Mountains manly in the north and western areas

  • Climate varies in different areas of China

    • North has mild summers and cold winters

    • South has a wetter and warmer climate

  • The rivers of china were very important for the development of the country, two major rivers include Yangzi and Huang He (Yellow river) both over 5000km long

  • Rivers acted as a channel for communication and transportation bu also caused significant floods which was both beneficial and deathly for society's

  • Along the rivers was where the chinese first settled

  • The Gobi is a large dessert int he north and NW of china

  • The dessert was one if the largest and driest


Daily life

  • Daily life of people depended on their social class and wealth

  • Houses varied in size reflecting the wealth of the owner, richest people has homes made of stone or wood


Peasants:

  • Lived in the countryside and their occupation was growing food for the population

  • Made up 90% of the population

  • Revolved around the cycle of the farming year

  • Had to pay a tax of 20% to the emperor

  • The emperor also required peasants to spent 1 month every year working on his lands, they may also be asked to work on national projects

  • They lived in small houses made from wood or mud that occupied 4-5 people, the houses were all stationed in villages

  • Peasant meals were rice or noodles and vegetables, they really ate meat cause they couldnt afford it (They would often hunt food to add to their portion)

  • Wore simple clothing, often going barefoot or with staw sandals

  • Children were expected to work as soon as they could, women took care of the house

  • Sons helped with the farm and daughters were married off and lived with their husbands family (in hard times daughters were sold or killed)


Town dwellers: (Emperor, artisans, merchants, ect..)

  • Lived close to the towns and cities

  • Make up 10% of the population

  • The central building was the emperors

  • The richer people wanted to live as close to that central building as possible

  • Towns were divided into sections/wards, each ward occupied the people with the same occupation

  • The wealthy enjoyed a more varied diet

  • Clothing for the rich indicated their rank, the wealthy could afford to wear silk and jeweleries

  • Children would undertake their parents profession unless sponsored to work for the government in which they would take a test after receiving education.

  • Daughters had arranged marriages and would serve their husbands family


Death and funerary customs:

  • They were dominated by ancestor worship, believed that ancestors could influence the lives of living relatives

  • Believed in afterlife where people continued their daily tasks so they were buried with items they could take into the afterlife, items varied based on a persons status

  • Funeral services were usually held in temples or at offering halls

  • Tombs reflected a persons status in society, emperors were buried in elaborate tombs called mausoleums, it was very large often containing many chambers, it was properly plant and built


Warfare:

  • China’s early armies were small and poorly equipped, they were mainly made of peasants who were forced into the army

  • Military methods improved during the warring states period

    • Started training warriors professionally

  • The art of war is one of the most famous books on military strategy which is still utilised today for business situations (author: Sunzi)

  • Armies mainly consisted of infantry (foot soldiers) who fought hand to hand and used weapons like spears, knives and axes

  • There were also small groups of Cavalry (soldiers on horse back) they were accompanied with a halberd (a bronze dagger mounted on a pole)


Contact and conflict

  • Frequent interaction between different regions of China (e.g. north vs. south) through trade and farming.

  • Warring States Period (475–221 BCE): constant internal conflict between rival kingdoms before unification under the Qin Dynasty.

  • Development of defensive structures like the Great Wall to prevent invasions.


Trade:

  • The Silk Road (established during the Han Dynasty) connected China to Central Asia, India, and the Roman Empire, Goods traded: silk, porcelain, paper, and spices.


Cultural Exchange:

  • Buddhism entered China from India via Central Asia.

  • Exchange of art, ideas, and technology (e.g. metalwork, horsemanship).

Trade Developments:

  • Growth of major trade cities and economic prosperity along the Silk Road.

  • Introduction of new goods and ideas (e.g. glass, horses, grapes).

Technological and Cultural Advancements:

  • Paper, gunpowder, and silk production techniques spread to other regions.

  • Artistic and architectural influences from Central Asia appeared in Chinese culture.

Emperor Qin (Qin Shi Huangdi)

  • First emperor of unified china

  • Became king as a young boy and was able to lead the Qin to victory over other states

  • In 221 BC Qin finally completed his aim and china became one nation

  • Qin was a ruthless ruler who ruled according the the rules of legalism

  • Before the Qin empire each state in china had its own language, currency, ect. But Qin introduces changes to standardise systems across china because this made it easier to build a stable economy

  • Qin introduces hash laws for criminals with clear punishments, the rules were called ‘code of Qin’

  • He punished scholars who opposed him with execution most of the times


Confuctius

  • Confucius lived during the Zhou dynasty, he was a teacher and philosopher

  • He provided guidelines which gained him a lasting influence

  • He travelled around china trying to convince others of his ideas and beliefs

    • Worthy person would be honest and loyal

    • Everyone should have good moral standards

    • Government officials should be chosen on honest and not wealth

    • Family members should be loyal

    • Oldest man was the official of the family

    • A girls has to respect her husband and in-law’s

  • Greatly influenced chinese way of life and became the official belief system of chinese government


Buddhism

  • Buddha gave up his life as a prince in india to search for inner peace

  • He taught people equally regardless of other circumstances, he taught them the 4 noble truths

  • Buddhism teaches that people are born again and are reincarnated until they reach nirvana

  • Buddhism spread through china via the silk road and became the official religion in northern china 

  • Today there are about 300 million buddhist worldwide





Medieval Europe

 Medieval or  Medium Aevum in latin means a period between the collapse of the roman empire and the beginning of modern history around 1500 AD

  • After collapse of roman empire europe remained in a state of constant crisis, but there were still periods of economic revival

  • There was a hierarchical social system in society

  • Dark ages (500-1000)

    • Most peasants lived in poor conditions dying from poor conditions and diseases

    • Economy was based on substance farming

    • People relied on bartender system (homemade liquor)

  • High middle ages (1000-1300)

    • Was revival of agricultural production through new farming techniques

    • Population growth caused land expansion

    • More towns were established

  • Late middle ages (1300-1500)

    • Economic growth slowed down

    • Continued warfare bought economic burdens

    • There were continual natural disasters

    • Black death raised

  • Nobles (nobility)

    • Strict relationships were based on feudal bond, a knight swore to serve his lord faithfully in warfare and was granted protection and land

    • Over time lords became heavily reliant on the knights

  • There were 2 categories of peasants

    • Villeins - Owned or rented land to grow crops but still belonged to their lord

    • Serfs - were bounded to a lord and could not leave the land without permission 


Daily lifes

  • Families

    • Families were of moderate size and included married couple and their respective children

    • Although birth rated were high over 50% of children died before the age of 7

    • Girls could marry by 14 and boys were considered adults at 15

    • Life expectancy was between 30-35

  • Women

    • Women were controlled by the male authority in the household

    • Spent half of their lives pregnant

    • Had few legal rights and no financial independence 

    • Peasant women worked alongside their husband and noble women were doing embroidery

  • Housing reflected social status and wealth in the middle ages, castles and manor housed were for the lords family and assisted in protecting

    • They were built out of stone and were extremely large

  • Peasant houses  were constructed out of wood some may have 2 stories while some lived in small cottages a fireplace was used as a kitchen and was the only source of light, furniture was scarce and lice and bed bugs were common


Food:

  •  For a majority of the population meals were bland and  household prepared their own food

  • Peasants ate twice a day

  • Butter, cheese and milk provided the most protein

  • Staple drink was ale cider or water

  • Priest ate brown bread and porridge


Health care:

  • Remedies for sickness were consulting a doctor of praying to god

  • Pandemics were a punishment from god and self punishment were the cures

  • Trained doctors provided diagnosis by smell and colour of urine

  • Hospitals were paid for by the wealthy and were usually run by the church

 

Feudal System

  •  Made by Charlemagne

Feudal system (feudalism) controlled/protected people from (kings > lords > peasants)

  •   The overlord (provider) gave vassals (provided) fief (land)(fiefdom) 

    • Vassal was obedient and faithful to the lord

      • Forms of the feudal system includes (monarchs > tenants-in-chiefs (lords/Bishops) > sub-tentants (knights/lesser clergy) > peasantry 

    • Monarchs gave tenants-in-chief land 

    • Tenants-in-chief gave monarch money, governing advice, prayers, loyalty and knights (for 40 days)

    • Sub-tenants gained lands from tenants and gave themselves for military, praying, guarding and protection of a person/property/peasants

    • Peasants gained spare land from sub-tenants and gave service by working on the sub-tenants/tenants-in-chief land and paying taxes as crops or money

      • Villeins had own land but serfs had fief


    • Services for land (feudal) included serving overlords politically and militarily 

  • Feudal system died out in the c. 1700 as monarchs grew less reliant on Lords for soldiers

    • 1660 tenures abolition act abolished feudalism 

    • Due to Black DEath that also reduced workload, peasants gained bargaining control on their fief

      • Lords lost control over lower/middle ranks due to the prices of produce from fiefs

      • This reduced the economy and trade but led merchants to gain more money then lord


Catholic Church

  •  Catholic church had the most power 

    • Believed God was in control of everything (joy = rewards, struggles = punishment) 

    • They lived as Christians in Christendom (land)

      • Celebrations includes LEnt, Easter, Pentecost, ADvent and Christmas 

      • Sacraments (ceremonies) includes baptism and married that provided an unifying culture

  • Catholic church had power and authority over monarchy and institution as it was God’s word  

    • Power to take responsibility of Rome (feed and help during famine and employ soldiers during the siege) 

    • Had inquisition (power) from officials to try and torture people guilty of hersey 

      • ALso replaced corrupt officials with monks

      • Which then influenced the government through law making and law enforcement as the power ti approve decisions as god’s representatives 

  • Power could become corrupt to order people against the kingdom, 

    • Gained riches  from nobles wanting to stay in favour with God by gift tithes 

      • Done from beliefs that following God you get into heaven

    • Punishment deemed is excommunication (exclusion fromGod) as it was heresy as it was seemed to be the devil incarnate

      • Other forms of punishment was taking property, imprisonment and education 

  • Some of their jobs was to spread (inforce) Christianity; enforce the monarchy as they were incharge of religion 

    • Spread into AFrica, England, Gaul (France), ITaly, Spain from bishops who spread authority and message to strengthen, convert and maintain Christian power

      • Wealth of the church helped people recognize and maintain their land owned

    • Taught education to the illiterate 


The Crusades

  •  Crusades (battles) done by the Catholic church to recapture Jerusalem taken over by Islamic empire 

    • Pope said “whoever went to recapture would go straight to heaven” 

      • Cause of these crusades would be the Islamic expansion into Europe (enemy) that challenged Christians to get violent

        • The Muslims captured Jerusaleum (Holy Land) from the Bryantic and stopped Christians from visiting as they were attacked 

          • Byzantine Empire feared an attack on the Constantinople

    • These crusades were long series of wars between Christians the Muslims 

      • MOst armies consisted of peasants, wive, children, servants, squires, Lord and knights (feudal lords etc)

  • Pope Urban II called for the defeat of MUslims and the return of the Holy Land

    • Most people joining because of their poverty,  the appeal of adventures, merchants, Lords enlisting serfs and religious individuals  

  • First Crusade (1096 - 1099) captured Jerusalem and Antioch by peasants (untrained, lacked military equipment, still many killed by Muslims) and knights 

  • Second Crusades to get the Holy Land back failed because of Saladin


  •  Before, Christians and Islamic contacted each other about knowledge, but when Christians overtook SPain (Muslims) there were only a few survivors

    • They were given the choice to change to Christianity or be exiled

Knights 

  •  Knights are warriors who travelled and fought on horseback

    • Pages with knights in training and learned: (at 7)

      • To be polite

      • Serve God

      • Read

      • Write

      • Ride and hunt for wild animas

    • Squires learned to look after armour, weaponry and horses (at 14)

      • ALso trained their military skills, social graces and cultural pursuits under a service of a knight

  • Coat of arms was identification that knights adorned on shields, surcoasts and horsegarments

  • Chivalry was regulation that governed behaviour of knights to be loyal to the Catholic Church

    • Dedicating themselves to helping the weak, being brave and willing to fight to protect women

      • Knights seen as brave and courtly and eloquent, but also become stupored and savage when drunk

  •  Tilting the quintain meant that knights practise their fighting skills in a paired exercise developing their skills using lance in the battlefield tournaments

    • Melees violent engages between two opposing teams fought in mock battles

    • Jousting were two fight on horseback using lance and strick cause tilt so they topple over

      • Would continue in swordplay

Coat of Arms

  • Identification  to distinguish friends to foe that could represent an individual or entire family

    • Study of symbols, colours and patterns used in coat of arms known as heraldry

      • Colours symbolised generosity, peace and sincerity, constancy and grief, loyalty and truthfulness, military fortitude, hope and  joy and loyalty, and sovereignty and justice


Military and Defence Systems 

  •  Warfare important as fought to gain land, power and replace monarchy

    • Army divided into:

      • Knights (horseback) were noblemen with military skills, squires (knights in training) who carried armour, weaponry and horse

      • Infantry (foot) were archers who used longbows/crossbows

      • Calvary (horseback) more elite troops

    • Weapon and armour used

      • [order of being worn] Leather tunic < chain mail (interlocking iron beads < outer garment (out of arms) 

        • Head armour included chainmail hood < helmet (metal strip or fully covered face) 

      • Chain mail also covered stockings and metal shin guards

        • Full body armour was then heavy

      • Weapons:

        • Archers - longbow (English weapon)(1.5-1.8m)(slow rate high power, sneper) and years of training, crossbows (Europe) were heavier and shorter range only weeks of training

          • Crossbows able to pierce through knight’s armour

Architectural Protection

  • Lords protected by stone walls (3-4 levels high), has a tower or a keep

    • Entrance called port cullis (lowered iron gate) that lead into baileys (courtyard)

  • Multiple 3m thick walls, moat

    • City gates, wall towers for observation, walkways for height and interconnections for fast passage

  • Weapons included gunpowder, cannons, thicker walls and trebuchets


Purpose, Tactic and Strategy

  • Siege could talk months to years, so soldiers would surround castle trapping the inhabitants 

    • Caused starvation and disease which lead to surrender

  • Led advantage for negotiations as the other needed food, water etc

    • Physical strategies includes cannons (gunpowder), traitor and mining to weaken foundations under walls

      • Poising water supply also with sulfur and dead horses

  • Defense used thicker walls. loopholes/porcullis (arrow holes) and building counter-tunnels causing underground knights to trap and suffocate 

Features of a Castle

  • Battlement (protective wall at top of castle)

  • Merlon (raised part of battlement)

  • Crenel (opening in battlement to use weapon)

  • Gatehouse (defending by murder hole and metal portcullis)

  • Loophole (slit for arrows)

  • Ditch (moat filed with stakes or water)

  • Batters (at base which prevented battery ram)

  • Machinolations (holes in wall for missiles) 

    • Main features includes battlement, gatehouses, ditch, castle walls, castle gates and cremels

Methods to defend and attack:

  • Attack:

    • Surrounding

    • Cannons

    • Bribing

    • Mining under to burn placed supports

    • Poisoning water supply

    • Scaling ladders and belfries

    • Trebuchets

    • Battering rams

    • Ballistars (giant crossbow)

    • Mangonel (catapult to hurl objects)

    • Intentional spread of disease

  • Defend:

    • Large moats, counter tunnels, machiolations, forked sticks, archers, rocks/hot sand/boiling water, loopholes, ditch and batters


Crime and Punishment


  •  Five activities considered crimes includes treason, avoiding punishment, witchcraft, thievery and nagging a husband

    • Crime ranged from minor offences (stealing firewood) to serious crimes (murder, witchcraft or treason) 

  •  Witchcraft occurred when people blamed women on natural disasters, unhappiness, suffering, plagues, jealousy and a desire for revenge 

    • Believed witches were devil’s followers 

  •  Treason crime of murdering someone from higher social status; act of disloyalty to the Lord

    • Plan to kill or overthrow or help enemy to uproot the monarch

  • Canon Law from Catholic Church to control behaviour

    • Fine and whip people if they worked on Sundays and holy days

      • Another was heresy which was offence of contradicting the Church’s teaching

      • Church court heard cases involving familial disputes 

  • Crime controlled through ‘hue and raise’ - chase after wrongdoer until caught

    • If escaped, whole village punished 

      • Tried limit crimes by imposing curfew that lead to arrest

    • Other ways of discouraging rime was organise into “tithings’ consister of 10 males (12+) responsible of keep accountable 

      • Showed what happened if broke law

        • Iron cages, gibbets is executed criminals, severed heads etc

Main form of trails: 

  • Trial by compurgation

    • 12 people recite special oath to claim someone’s innocence, any mistakes cause oath to ‘burst’ and guilt

  • Trial by Combat

    • Champion fight for nobles and person won would be reward from God

  • Trial by Ordeal

    • Asked God for sign of guilt or innocence

      • Ordeal by water - thrown accused in holy waters or rivers or lakes with hands and feet tied together 

        • If sank (innocent, or floated (guilt

      • Ordeal by fire - put hand in boiling water, hold arm over fire or pick up a piece of red hot iron

        • If burn had healed after three days then sign of innocence 

  • Trial by jury conducted in court with juries of 12 men chosen in local townsman

    • Disputes chosen by jury who was in the right and judge impose final sentence

  • Torture (physical pain) gain confession accused of serious crime

    • Only approved when some evidence but ehh why not


Punishments

  • Meant to fit the crime and rarely involved imprisonment

    • Eg. nagging wives tied to ducking stool and ducked three times into river

    • Gossiping women wear scold’s bridle

    • Baker cheated customers dragged through streets on sledge with bread

    • Peasants who stole from Lord’s had to pay or perform extra work

  • Minor crimes is more humiliating

    • Pillory or stocks where rubbish target - shame

  • Stealing or cheating is whipping, mutilation (hand, ear or tongue; burned eye)) 

    • Justified by pain by one better by economic pain of whole family

  • Imprisonment used for prisoners-of-war and waited for ransom for release

  • Burning punishment for witchcraft or strangled before burning 

  • Murder or treason was public execution by hanging or beheading