Classical
(500 B.C.E.-500 C.E.)
Persian Chart (East Asia)
P: The Zhou Dynasty was characterized by a feudalistic society with the main power being held by large landlords who solidified their power in their region. Power was supposed to be differed to the emperor but was often ignored. The Qin dynasty was characterized by legalism and the Han dynasty continued to emphasize the strong head of state the Qin established. Throughout the Qin and Han periods, the Chinese state bureaucracy expanded its powers significantly. By the end of the Han dynasty, China had roughly 130,000 bureaucrats all trained by the government to carry out the emperor’s policies. Tax collections and annual mandatory labor services ensured the central government held some power over almost every person in the Middle Kingdom, something no other large government accomplished until the twentieth century.
E: As in many societies, there were large gaps between China’s upper class (about 2 percent of the population) and the peasant farmers. Officially there were three main social groups in classical China. The landowning aristocracy and the bureaucrats formed the top group. Far below them were the laboring peasants and urban artisans. At the bottom of society were the “mean people,” those who performed unskilled labor. Trade became increasingly important, particularly in the Han period. Technology is where the classical Chinese clearly excelled. Many developments of this era were centuries ahead of the rest of the world.
R: China did not produce a unitary belief system. Confucianism and Daoism were two of the major systems that competed for the loyalties of various Chinese communities during the years of the classical period. Kung Fuzi (Confucius) lived from roughly 551 to 478 B.C.E. He was not a religious leader but rather saw himself as a defender of Chinese tradition and espoused a secular system of ethics. Personal virtue, he believed, would lead to solid political institutions. Both rulers and the ruled should act with respect, humility, and self-control. Classical China also produced a more religious philosophy called Daoism, which embraced harmony in nature. According to this movement, politics, learning, and the general conditions in this world were of little importance. Over time, individuals embraced aspects of both philosophies.
S: Tight-knit family structures were similar to those in other civilizations, except that parents wielded much higher levels of authority over their children. Women were subordinate to men but had clearly defined roles in the family and in larger society. The “mean” people previously mentioned were those who did what society viewed as unskilled labor. This generally referred to merchants. This was rather ironic, however, due to the fact that trade became an increasingly fundamental facet of the Chinese economy. Confucianism created a very ordered patriarchal society with high regard given to governmental participation and provided a strict set of ethics.
I: The Classical Chinese were among the most technological advanced society known to the world. They had many innovations such as: developed standardized scripts, coinage, weights, and measures, advanced military technology, civil service exams were established at the first century B.C.E., brush pen and paper, water mills, rudders, compasses, porcelain ceramics, silk making, and new mining techniques.
A: Chinese art then was largely decorative, stressing detail and craftsmanship. Artistic styles often reflected the geometric qualities of the symbols of Chinese writing. The practical application of science superseded learning for learning’s sake. Chinese astronomers developed accurate calendars. Scholars studied the mathematics of music. This practical focus contrasted with the more abstract approach to science applied by the Greeks. Additionally, the Chinese in the Qin dynasty embarked on one of the Seven Wonders of the World: The Great Wall of China. This in and of itself is something to be revered, but coupled with the impressive construction of the canal system, there is no doubt that the Chinese were expert architects.
N: China was located in East Asia. To the North was the Gobi Desert, to the East was the Pacific Ocean, to the Southeast were thick jungles (Vietnam, Southeast Asia), and to the West were the Himalayan Mountains and more deserts. The middle kingdom was bordered by the Yellow River in the north and the Yangzi in the south. That region was very fertile, but a majority of it was prone to flooding. Vast networks of irrigation and canals were established to ease that burden. Shi Huangdi expanded China’s borders to Hong Kong in the north and Vietnam in the south.
Persian Chart (East Asia)
P: The Zhou Dynasty was characterized by a feudalistic society with the main power being held by large landlords who solidified their power in their region. Power was supposed to be differed to the emperor but was often ignored. The Qin dynasty was characterized by legalism and the Han dynasty continued to emphasize the strong head of state the Qin established. Throughout the Qin and Han periods, the Chinese state bureaucracy expanded its powers significantly. By the end of the Han dynasty, China had roughly 130,000 bureaucrats all trained by the government to carry out the emperor’s policies. Tax collections and annual mandatory labor services ensured the central government held some power over almost every person in the Middle Kingdom, something no other large government accomplished until the twentieth century.
E: As in many societies, there were large gaps between China’s upper class (about 2 percent of the population) and the peasant farmers. Officially there were three main social groups in classical China. The landowning aristocracy and the bureaucrats formed the top group. Far below them were the laboring peasants and urban artisans. At the bottom of society were the “mean people,” those who performed unskilled labor. Trade became increasingly important, particularly in the Han period. Technology is where the classical Chinese clearly excelled. Many developments of this era were centuries ahead of the rest of the world.
R: China did not produce a unitary belief system. Confucianism and Daoism were two of the major systems that competed for the loyalties of various Chinese communities during the years of the classical period. Kung Fuzi (Confucius) lived from roughly 551 to 478 B.C.E. He was not a religious leader but rather saw himself as a defender of Chinese tradition and espoused a secular system of ethics. Personal virtue, he believed, would lead to solid political institutions. Both rulers and the ruled should act with respect, humility, and self-control. Classical China also produced a more religious philosophy called Daoism, which embraced harmony in nature. According to this movement, politics, learning, and the general conditions in this world were of little importance. Over time, individuals embraced aspects of both philosophies.
S: Tight-knit family structures were similar to those in other civilizations, except that parents wielded much higher levels of authority over their children. Women were subordinate to men but had clearly defined roles in the family and in larger society. The “mean” people previously mentioned were those who did what society viewed as unskilled labor. This generally referred to merchants. This was rather ironic, however, due to the fact that trade became an increasingly fundamental facet of the Chinese economy. Confucianism created a very ordered patriarchal society with high regard given to governmental participation and provided a strict set of ethics.
I: The Classical Chinese were among the most technological advanced society known to the world. They had many innovations such as: developed standardized scripts, coinage, weights, and measures, advanced military technology, civil service exams were established at the first century B.C.E., brush pen and paper, water mills, rudders, compasses, porcelain ceramics, silk making, and new mining techniques.
A: Chinese art then was largely decorative, stressing detail and craftsmanship. Artistic styles often reflected the geometric qualities of the symbols of Chinese writing. The practical application of science superseded learning for learning’s sake. Chinese astronomers developed accurate calendars. Scholars studied the mathematics of music. This practical focus contrasted with the more abstract approach to science applied by the Greeks. Additionally, the Chinese in the Qin dynasty embarked on one of the Seven Wonders of the World: The Great Wall of China. This in and of itself is something to be revered, but coupled with the impressive construction of the canal system, there is no doubt that the Chinese were expert architects.
N: China was located in East Asia. To the North was the Gobi Desert, to the East was the Pacific Ocean, to the Southeast were thick jungles (Vietnam, Southeast Asia), and to the West were the Himalayan Mountains and more deserts. The middle kingdom was bordered by the Yellow River in the north and the Yangzi in the south. That region was very fertile, but a majority of it was prone to flooding. Vast networks of irrigation and canals were established to ease that burden. Shi Huangdi expanded China’s borders to Hong Kong in the north and Vietnam in the south.