History of Chinese Society and Culture

HistoryofChineseSocietyandCultureLecture1PresentedByWuHaipingTheFirstWeek’sLectureCovers:China’sHistoryAgeneraloutlineofChina’shistory(21B.C.—2009A.D.)fromXiaDynastytopresent.Focusingonthefollowingdynasties:Qin,TangandQing.Abriefintroductiontotherepresentativefiguresindifferenthistoricalstages.ChinaOneofthecradlesofcivilization.ArichculturalheritageA4,000yearsofrecordedhistory(Xiadynasty21B.C.–People’sRepublicofChinapresent)China’sAncientFourInventions.pptBejingOlympicGames(MovableType)奥运会（活字印刷）.rmvbABriefChineseChronologySomeImportantDynastiesInChina’sHistoryQinDynasty(221-206B.C.)HanDynasty(206B.C.-24A.D.)TangDynasty(618-907)MingDynasty(1368-1644)QingDynasty(1644-1911)Questiontoponder:Howmuchdoyouknowabouteachdynasty?TheXiaDynasty(21st-16thcenturyB.C.)Itisthefirstdynastytobedescribedinancienthistoricalrecords.ItwasestablishedbyYutheGreatandheisbestrememberedforteachingthepeoplefloodcontroltechniquestotameChina'sriversandlakes.TheShangDynasty(16th-11thcenturyB.C.)DirectinformationabouttheShangDynastycomesmainlyfromoraclebones.Oraclebones(甲骨)arepiecesofboneorturtleplastron(thatis,theundersideoftheshell,nottheharder,thickershellontop)bearingtheanswerstodivination.TheoraclebonesaretheearliestknownsignificantcorpusofancientChinesewriting,andcontainimportanthistoricalinformation.TheWesternZhou(11thcenturyB.C.-770B.C.)ThewesternZhouistheheydayoftheBronzeAgeInChina.InscriptionsonZhoubronzesfrequentlyendwiththewords“foreternalpreservationbyouedescendants”。Thisisanexampleofhopeforthehandingdownoftheinscribedbronzesfromgenerationtogeneration.TheEasternZhouSpringandAutumnPeriod(770-476B.C.)&WarringStatesPeriod(476-221B.C.)Itwasatimeaturmoilwithincessantwarsamongnumerous,small-semi-states.TheEasternZhouperiodisalsodesignatedasaperiodofahundredschools.SomeofthegreatestphilosophersinChinesehistorylived:Confucius,Mencius,MoZi,LaoZi,ZhuangZi,etc..Sevenlargerkingdomsaroseinthe4thcenturyB.C.(Yan,Zhao,Qi,Wei,Han,Chu,andQin)Thedynastywasendedin256BC,beforeQinShiHuang'sunificationofChinain221B.C..TheQinDynasty(221-206B.C.)TheFirstQinEmperor,QinShihuang,hadannexedthesixrivalstatesandestablishedQin–thefirstfeudalempireinChinesehistory.TheGovernmentwashighlycentralized.Chinesewrittenlanguage,weightsandmeasureswerestandardised.TheQinDynastyenjoyedincreasedtrade,agriculture,andmilitarysecurity.TheQinDynasty(221-206B.C.)TheGreatWallwasbuiltbyprisonersofwarandpeasants.(..\TheSecondLecture\MengJiangnu'sBitterWeeping.ppt)Theinventionofpaperwasalsoaproductofthisperiod.WhenQinShihuangdied,arebellionbrokeoutandthecapitalXanYangwascapturedbyanarmyledbyLiuBangwhoestablishedtheHanDynasty.(..\TheSecondLecture\TheEmperorQin'sTerra-cottaMuseum.ppt)TheHanDynasty(206BC–220AD)WesternHanDynasty206B.C.-24A.D.&EasternHandynasty24-220ItisconsideredagoldenageinChinesehistory.Tothisday,China'smajorityethnicgroupreferstoitselfastheHanpeople.TheChineseempirereachedahighpointofdevelopment,rivalingthecontemporaryRomanEmpire.EmperorWuDi,the5thHanemperordecreedthattheknowledgeofConfuciantextsandteachingstobeaprerequisiteforappontmenttogovernmentposition.Afemaleservantandmaleadvisordressedinsilkrobes,AHanpotteryfemaledancerinsilkrobesThreeKingdoms(Wei,Shu,Wu)220-280WesternJinDynasty265-317EasternJinDynasty317-420SouthernandNorthernDynasties420-589SuiDynasty581-618TheTangDynasty(618A.D.–907A.D.)TheTangDynasty(618A.D.–907A.D.)CapitalChang'an(618–904)—(present-dayXi’an)Luoyang(904-907)奥运会（丝绸之路）.rmvbTheTangDynasty(618A.D.–907A.D.)HistoryFoundedbyLiYuan,whoseizedpowerduringthedeclineandcollapseoftheSuiEmpire.InterruptedbrieflybytheSecondZhouDynasty(690-705)whenEmpressWuZetianseizedthethrone,becomingthefirstandonlyChineseempressregnant,rulinginherownright.Government：monarchy(22emperors)EmperorsoftheTangDynastydocLiYuanWuZetianSomeImportantEmperorsofTheTangDynastyTangTaizong(627–649)(LiShimin)ThesecondsonofLiYuan.AboldandpowerfulemperorgoodatbothmilitarystrategyandChinesecalligraphy.HisreignwascalledtheZhenguanReign,whichstartedthegloriousperiodofTang.ConsideredasthesecondgreatmenafterConfucious.TangTaizongTangTaizong’scalligraphySomeImportantEmperorsofTheTangDynastyTangXuanzong(712–756)(LiLongji)HisreignwasthelongestintheTangDynastyandwasknownastheHeydayofKaiyuanbecauseoftheunprecedentedprosperity.Hisinfatuationwithhisconsort,YanGuifeicausedneglectofdutyinhislateryears.TheTVSeriesTheTangParadise电视剧：大唐芙蓉园.rmvbAPlaceofInterestYouCanVisit:TheHuaqingPool.pptTangXuanzongYanGuifeiEmpressWuZetianWuZetianAtfirst,shewasaconcubineofTaizong.Later,shebecameGaozong'sconcubineafterTaizongdied.Finally,shewonthepowerstruggleandbecametheonlywomanemperorinChinesehistory.APlaceofInterestYouCanVisit:TheQianlingMausoleum.pptWuZetianTheTangDynasty(618A.D.–907A.D.)ReligionBuddhism,Daoism,Confucianism,ChinesefolkreligionPlacesofInterestYouCanVisit:THEFAMENTEMPLE.pptTHEBIGWILDGOOSEPAGODA.pptXuanZangTheTangDynasty(618A.D.–907A.D.)ImperialExaminationsEnabledpeoplefromallclasses,richorpoor,toserveinthegovernmentbureaucracy.lasted