Chinese Civilization
Chinese Civilization
Chinese Civilization
Chinese civilization extends backwards in history in an unbroken chain for nearly four
thousand years.
Throughout this time, the Chinese people have been instrumental in developing new
technologies and advancing human knowledge.
The Chinese have been ruled by a succession of dynasties (families that pass the right
to rule the nation from one generation to the next).
Before China developed the ability to write down their history, stories were passed
down orally from one generation to the next.
The story of the Xia Dynasty is such a case.
For decades historians have believed that the Xia Dynasty was just legend.
Then in 1959 evidence was found that showed that this dynasty may not have just
been legend, but may have really existed.
The truth about whether or not the Xia Dynasty really existed is still being debated.
Geography
China’s varied geography has affected its historical development.
The Himalayas close off China to the southwest and on the western border rise the
Kunlun Shan and Tian shan lies to the west desert waters o the Gobi.
These Rugged physical features hindered cultural diffusion both into and out of China
for many centuries.
On the East, China’s coastline touches the Pacific Ocean.
Although some Chinese became devoted seafarers, they mostly focused on developing
the agriculture of eastern China’s fertile river valleys and plains. Unlike the land to the
West with its terrain, the east welcomed life.
For centuries large numbers of Chinese have farmed in the region’s North China Plain.
Three major rivers drain Eastern China: the Haung He, the Chng Jiang also known as
Yangtze, and the Xi Jiang also called the west river.
The Haung He flows more than 2900 miles from the northen highlands eastward to
the yellow sea. On its way it cuts through thick layers of loess, a rich yellow soil.
The river carries away large amount of loess (deposit by wind) which it deposits
downstream.
The abundance of yellow soil in the Huang’s waters gives its name Yellow River.
The Chinese some time call the Huang He “the great sorrow” because of its tragedy
The religious history of China is complex, and has evolved over the centuries. Deeply
interwoven into their beliefs is the worship of their ancestors. The Chinese believed that the
spirits of their ancestors were watching over them, and that they could be called upon during
difficult times.
Early Religion
Though the Shang kings were political leaders, they also performed religious duties.
As high priests, they could communicate with nature on the behalf of the people.
They prayed, made offerings and performed sacrifices to gain good harvest, a change
in the weather, or victory in the battle.
Kings also had special powers to call their ancestors.
In order to do so, they had s priest scratch question on a bone or tortoise shell. The
priest then applied intense heat to the bone.
The bone would crack and priest would interpret the splintered patterns of crack as an
answer to king.
These bones helped the king to predict future.
Scratching on bones also called the earliest writings in China.
Confucianism
In 551 B.C.E. a man by the name of Kongzi was born to a poor family in the province of
Shandong. Kongzi is known in the western world as Confucius.
Confucius saw many problems in the world and wanted to correct them. When his
attempts to become an advisor to a number of different government officials failed, he
became a teacher.
The most important things to Confucius were peace, and order. He felt that everyone
had a proper role in society, and that if people were willing to accept their role, and
fulfill it, that peace and harmony would abound.
In order to help people accept their roles in society, and establish order, Confucius
outlined how individuals should treat one another. The most important of these ethics
outlined the responsibilities of children to respect and listen to their parents, and other
elders.
He also laid out ethics for how subjects should follow rulers, for how rulers should
treat subjects, how husbands and wives should treat one another, and how friends
should treat each other.
During his own lifetime Confucius’ teachings were not widely accepted. However,
within a hundred years, they were being used by the emperor to help him rule, and
eventually became a widely followed religion. Confucianism would remain a powerful
force in Chinese history.
Daoism
A contemporary of Confucius was a teacher named Laozi. Most of what we know
about Laozi is so heavily mixed with legend, that it is difficult to know what is true,
and what is myth.
Laozi taught that a force known as the Dao permeated all living things. He told his
followers that the most important thing an individual could do is to reject the world,
and their desires for worldly possessions and power, and commune with nature,
bringing one’s self into a state of oneness with the Dao.
Many individuals in China practices both Confucianism and Daoism. Confucianism
taught them how to behave towards one another, while Daoism taught them how to
behave towards the natural world and with themselves personally.
Buddhism Arrives in China
Buddhism was founded by an Indian prince, who called himself the Buddha. Buddha
or “Enlightened One” taught his people about Four Noble Truths, and an Eightfold
Path. He also taught the people to use meditation.
Suffering is part of human life.
Suffering is caused by people’s desires for pleasure and material things. (This results
in an endless cycle of rebirths or reincarnation.)
Overcoming desires during lifetime eventually brings end to this cycle and suffering.
Desires can be overcome by following the Eightfold Path.
In order to eliminate their desires for worldly things, and thus end the cycle of rebirths,
the Buddha taught his people to follow eight principals:
Know the truth
Resist evil
Say nothing hurtful
Respect life
Free the mind from evil
Work in service to others
Resist evil
Practice meditation
By following the eightfold path, and avoiding evil extremes, the Buddha taught that an
individual could achieve nirvana. He taught that nirvana, which in their language meant to
blow out a candle, was a state of non-existence.
Nirvana was not a place, like heaven, but rather an actual state of non-existence. When
someone reached nirvana, their soul was in harmony with the universe, and they
would cease to exist.
Inventions
Scratching on bones also called the earliest writings in China.
This script was used in many characters and these characters represented objects, ideas
or sounds were written in vertical columns.
To use the script with ease a writer has to memorize each character because only a
small numbers of population could memorize all characters.
Few people could read and write in ancient China.
Not only they develop script they perfected their metal-casting skills and produced
some of the finest bronze objects ever made. These included the bronze daggers,
figures, ritual urns, hunting chariots, warriors charring bronze daggers.
Artisans also wove carved beautiful ivory and jade statues.
Chinese built their first cities under shang dynasty.
Archaeologists discovered seven capital cities.
Silk
Paper
Gunpowder
Wheelbarrow
Printed books
Compass