Zhou Dynasty PDF

Shang, Zhou, & Belief Systems AIM: How did the Zhou use the Mandate of Heaven to justify their rule?  Do Now How did the Shang Dynasty demonstrate characteristics of a civilization?  Religion in Shang China Shang Di: Supreme Being who ruled over humanity &...

Shang, Zhou, & Belief Systems AIM: How did the Zhou use the Mandate of Heaven to justify their rule?  Do Now How did the Shang Dynasty demonstrate characteristics of a civilization?  Religion in Shang China Shang Di: Supreme Being who ruled over humanity & lesser nature gods Ancestral worship Rituals & ceremonies to communicate with their ancestors ○ the welfare of the living was contingent on the support and good will of ancestral spirits. ○ were consulted before any major undertaking. ○ if they failed to properly worship their ancestors, their family and the kingdom would experience many disasters  Oracle Bones Shoulder blades of oxen or plastrons of turtles were used for telling the future. (Plastron = the flat, underside of the turtle's shell)  ORACLE BONES Step 1: fortune-teller would carve (later, paint) symbols on the bones of the ox or the turtle shell Step 2: apply a hot poker or fire until the bone or shell cracked Step 3: then interpret the direction of the crack through their drawing to predict the future.  ACTIVITY: HOW DID THE KINGS OF SHANG CHINA USE ORACLE BONES? Charge: In the next ten days there will be no disaster. Prophecy: The king, reading the cracks, said “There will be no harm; there will be perhaps be the coming of alarming news. Verification: When it came to the 5th day, there really was the coming of alarming news from the west… The Du Fang (a group of people residing outside Shang China) are besieging the eastern borders and have harmed two settlements.  ORACLE BONES If a king wanted to know if he should raise taxes, the oracle bone records that question, what the answer was, whether the king listened to the advice, and what the results were. THIS IS SO IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT GIVES HISTORIANS INSIGHT INTO POLITICAL, RELIGIOUS, AND DAILY LIFE IN ANCIENT CHINA!  Ancient Chinese Writing From Oracle bones Scholars have been able to construct a written language from 3,000 of characters Each symbol represented a word or idea Made up of a number of different strokes Only the wealthy could afford to learn how to write Everyone used the same system of writing! Basis for modern Chinese!  Collapse of the Shang Dynasty Wu Ding: Considered one of Wu Ding of Shang Dynasty the greatest emperors of the Shang Dynasty (d. 1192 bce) After his reign the dynasty began to decline Xin/Zhou: last emperor of the Shang Dynasty overthrown by King Wu of Zhou in 1046 BCE who King Wu of Zhou Dynasty founded the Zhou Dynasty The Zhou Dynasty 2 Epochs: Western Zhou (1027 – 771 BCE) Eastern Zhou (771-256 BCE)  Activity 1! Analyze the excerpt from the Shu Jing and answer the questions collectively. 1. How does a monarch lose the Mandate of Heaven? What are the consequences of this loss? 2. What does the theory of the Mandate of Heaven tell you about the values and beliefs of Ancient China? 3. How might the Zhou use this theory to justify conquering the Shang dynasty?  Zhou Dynasty 1027-258 BCE Displaced the Shang dynasty Created/Enforced the “Mandate of Heaven” What was the “mandate of heaven”?  Mandate of Heaven Heaven, which embodies the natural order and will of the universe, selects leaders of China and bestows the mandate upon them. Divine right to rule GOVERNING IDEAL: The Mandate of Heaven The new dynasty establishes peace and is Mandate of Heaven - considered to have the mandate of Heaven. the divine approval New dynasty gains power and claims Gradually, the thought to be the basis to have the Mandate of dynasty declines and of royal authority power grows weak. Heaven. Dynastic Cycle New dynasty Disasters occur and emerges as old the dynasty grows dynasty is Dynastic Cycle - the weaker. overthrown. Old dynasty is seen as having lost the historical pattern of the Mandate of Heaven rise, decline, and and rebellions break out. replacement of dynasties Important Question How did the Zhou Dynasty rule their territory? Discuss: How could a Zhou ruler keep all the independent states united? Develop at least two ways. Potentially, why might this be unstable?  Zhou Dynasty Used feudalism to create alliances – Rulers gave land to family members, other noble families, and regional princes – In exchange, tax revenues and military troops were provided – Feudalism is unstable; depends on loyalties and obligations – Zhou never established a powerful government and declined because of weak political infrastructure and nomadic invasions Let’s explore Activity 2 to determine if feudalism was practical: Source: Sun Tzu, Chinese military philosopher and the writer of the Art of War, 5th century BCE 1. How does this system provide stability in the Zhou Dynasty? 2. How might this cause future problems for China?  Feudal System King allocates a region or piece of land to an individual, establishing him as the ruler of that region in exchange for his loyalty The nobles were required to pay regular homage (an oath of submission & loyalty) to the king and to provide him with soldiers at the time of war. Peasants do all the work in exchange for shelter & protection Created stability & loyalty→ Not forever though!  Contributions of Zhou Dynasty Calendar with 365 days Process of making silk discovered: will have profound economic impacts on China’s history First books are made:bound thin strips of wood or bamboo together Money is used for the first time  Decline of Zhou Dynasty 1100 B.C. Zhou family overthrew the Shang dynasty, saying that they now have the Mandate of Heaven Feudal lords helped the Zhou empire rule (They get to rule segments of land but had to remain loyal) Loyalties broke down overtime Chinese rulers/nobles looked for systems that would allow them to expand political power Birth of new philosophies!: Confucianism, Legalism, Daoism (Taoism)