Geography
Ancient China was clustered along some rivers that empty into the Pacific Ocean and some that empty into the Yellow Sea. In the north was the Hwang Ho and its valley. In the central region the dominant river was the Yangtze. To the south were several short river valleys in the area where modern Canton is located. These rivers served as sources of irrigation and a means of transportation. Like Egypt, China's need for cooperation in agriculture, especially in harnessing the rivers for irrigation, led to organized society and civilization.
History
Compared to the Near East, little is known about ancient China. Its recorded history does not begin until about 1500 B.C. Chinese history is divided into several major dynasties. From 1500 to 1027 B.C. are the approximate years of the Shang dynasty. That dynasty ruled over a civilization that developed in the north along the Hwang Ho. The ruling dynasty was a sort of priesthood, and political power was diffused among several nobles. Their civilization developed farming, a written script, metallurgy, the growing of silk worms, and several schools of artistic achievement. The most outstanding pieces of art were bronzes; others included hand-made goods and some pottery. The writing found on art objects of the period was partially pictorial and partially ideographic.
The Shang dynasty was overthrown by the Zhou (pronounced "joe"), who ruled from 1027 to 256 B.C. The Zhou (or Chou) dynasty awarded sections of land, called fiefs, to its supporters and then created feudal states ruled by nobles throughout their lands. This practice resulted in conflict, causing the Chou period to be called the "Era of Contending States." The Chou dynasty was finally overthrown by the Chin dynasty (256-202 B.C.) whose administration was that of a centralized, strong monarch. Shih Huang Ti, the first emperor, was an autocratic ruler who destroyed much ancient Chinese scholarship, especially the Confucianist philosophers. He ordered the construction of the Great Wall of China to protect his empire from northern Asian tribes (known as Huns).
The Chin dynasty was overthrown in 200 B.C. by a general who began the Han dynasty. The Hans ruled until A.D. 220. Perhaps the most significant Han emperor was Wu Ti, the Warrior Emperor (140-87 B.C.). He defeated the Huns and made cultural contact with the West. He was responsible for the Pax Sinica, the Chinese equivalent of the Pax Romana of Augustus Caesar, a 200-year period of peace.
Beliefs
Chinese religion has always been closely allied with philosophy. Indian and Greek philosophers were metaphysicians (metaphysical philosophers) who tried to answer the "big questions" of life, such as "Why are we here?" Unlike their Indian and Greek counterparts, Chinese thinkers were not metaphysicians. Rather, they were social philosophers; they were concerned with society and morals -- with how men should live together. One exception to this distinction is the Taoists.
The most influential ancient Chinese philosopher was Confucius (551-479 B.C.), who lived during the Zhou dynasty. Originally a feudal official, the scholarly Confucius resigned because of a disagreement with the nobleman who ruled his state. He began a school where he taught ethics and politics to young men. He believed that the principle of li, or the polite manner that was observed among the members of the aristocracy, should be applied to the common people.
Confucius was an advocate of paternalistic government with the ruler considering himself responsible for his people's welfare. He stated that what heaven is to the universe and what a father is to his family is what the ruler should be to his people. He advocated strong families in which the head of the family was obeyed and ancestors were venerated. He believed that education is an instrument to further moral development and that one should strive for a high ethical code. Three hundred years after his death, Confucius was worshipped by many Chinese. He would not have personally advocated this development. His ideas of tradition, order, and family have been hallmarks of Chinese society.
One of Confucius's early scholarly followers, Mencius (about 322-289 B.C.) is noted for his belief in democracy. He believed in government by the consent of the governed. The way to exercise this freedom, he said, was to rebel against a bad ruler.
Unlike most other Chinese philosophers, a more metaphysical approach was taken by the Taoists. Tao literally means road or way, but it was used by philosophers to designate the absolute. The most outstanding philosopher of this school was Lao-Tse, who may have been contemporary with Confucius or may have lived in the fourth century B.C., or even later. His beliefs are in the Tao Te Ching, "The Canon of the Way and of Virtue." The following statement is how Lao-Tse defined the Tao: "There is a thing, formless yet complete. Before Heaven and Earth it existed. Without sound, without substance, it is all pervading and unfailing. One may think of it as the mother of all beneath Heaven. We do not know its name, but we term it Tao."
Taoists desired men to be harmonious with the laws of nature. Their thought is somewhat like that of the later English Romanticists.
Pure scholarship developed during the Han dynasty. In A.D. 100 the world's first dictionary was published. Ssu-ma Chi'en wrote the first significant Chinese history. In science, a solar calendar of "365-and a-fraction" days was developed, as well as scientific knowledge about lunar and solar eclipses.
The late Han dynasty witnessed the entrance and spread of Buddhism. This religion would have a long and meaningful existence in China.
To be successful at the following game, you should review the lessons in this unit on the Far East: India and China.
