chinese history

CourseDescription•ThiscourseintroducesstudentstoananthropologicalperspectivetoChinesecultureandsociety.ItprovidesageneralpictureofChineseculturealongwiththehistoricalfactsthatarenecessaryforunderstandingit.Itadoptsamodeofstudyingculturewhichtakes“culturalspirit”asthecoreofeachculturalsystem,representingitselfasideasandphilosophyinthevariousspheresofreligion,morality,politicsandart.ThereforethecoursewillfocusonthekeyelementsofChinesephilosophy,politicalthoughtsandaestheticideasetc.StudentswillalsostudythedistinctivefeaturesofChinesepoliticalandsocialstructures,artandliterature,andtheChinese“modesofthinking”asembodiedinconcretemanifestations.CourseDescription•Inaddition,thiscoursewillexaminerecentevaluationsmadebyintellectualsoftraditionalChineseculture;itwillalsoexplorethewaysinwhichtraditioncancontributetoculturaltransformation.Wewillexamineculturalandsocialinstitutionssuchasfamilyandmarriage,thestateandlocalpowerrelations,religionandvalues,andlookattheinteractionamongactorsondifferentlevels.Throughdiscussionsofthetraditionalandthecontemporary,theintellectualandthepopular,andtheruralandtheurban,studentsareencouragedtocriticallythinkabouttaken-for-grantedconceptsofChina,ChinesevaluesandChinesepeople.Attheendofthecourse,studentsareexpectedtogainanunderstandingaswellasaninterestinsearchingfortheidentityoftheirownculture.TwoperiodsofChineseHistory•Theancientperiod(ancienttimes--1840)•Themodernperiod(1840--present)Howwasthenameofthecountrygiven?•Peopleatthattimebelievedthatthelandtheylivedonwasthecentreoftheworld,andcalledtheirstatethe“MiddleKingdom”ThestoryofYaoandShunpassedthethronetotheworthyandthecapable(尧舜禅让)•Yao,thesageKing,afteralongandprosperousreign,begantofeeltheonsetofoldage.Heassembledhisministersandaskedthemforadviceonaworthysuccessor.Oneministersaid,Yoursonandheir,Zhu,iswise,towhichYouresponded,Alas!Heisdeceitfulandquarrelsome.Howcouldhebeacceptable?Yao,inotherwords,regardedhisownsonasmorallyunfittorule.Shunpassedthethronetotheworthyandthecapable(尧舜禅让)•Afterconsideringandrejectingseveralotherpossiblesuccessors,Yaoaskedhisministerstorecommendaworthy,virtuouspersonofhumblestatus.Theministersallagreedonthebestcandidate:afarmerandswineherdnamed*Shun.*OneministerdescribedShunasthesonofablindman.Hisfatherisstupid,hismotherdeceitful,andhishalf-brotherXianisarrogant.Nevertheless,bymeansoffilialpietyhehasbeenabletolivewiththeminharmony.Shun,inotherwordswasanexemplaroffilialpiety.YaorespondedwithawillingnesstoputShuntotheultimatetestofhisfitnesstorule.HowYu,theGreat,ConqueredtheFlood(大禹治水)•WhatwasthemethodusedbyYU’sfather,Gun?•Gunledpeopletobuilddamstoblocktheflood,butfailed(堵).•HowdidYuconqueredthefloodsuccessfully?•Yuledpeopletodigditchestoleadthewateraway(疏).WhatistheShangDynastyrenownedfor?•theShangDynastyisrenownedforitshighdevelopmentofbronzetechniques,whichbroughtabouttheseparationofChinesesocietyintotownandcountrydwellers.TheZhouDynasty•AsignificantperiodinChinesehistorywhichexperiencedtheevolutionoftheChinesesocietyfromaslaveonetoafeudalone.The“ContentionofOneHundredSchoolsofThought”()•Confucius:throughtherestorationoftheearlyZhou’sritualandself-cultivation,aman’sconductwouldbecomenoble,unselfish,justandbenevolent.•Mencius:Man’snaturewasbasicallygood.•Xunzi:Man’snaturewasbasicallyevil.•Mozi:preachedadoctrineofuniversalloveasthebasisforpeaceandorder.Taoist•Tofavornotstronggovernment,butnogovernmentatall.humaninstitutions,ambitionandstrivingwererejectedinfavorofsimplicity,humanityandareturntonature.Legalists()•Humannaturewasessentiallyevil,andonlyasystemofrewardandpunishmentcouldensurethesurvivalofthestateanditssupremacyoverallothers.ThesignificanceofTheQinDynasty•EstablishedthefirstcentralizedmonarchyinChinesehistory•Unityofthecountry•Thecountrywasdividedintoprovincesanddistricts,allplacedunderthecontrolofthecentralgovernment•Thewrittenlanguagewassimplifiedandmadeuniformed•Standardizationoftheweights,measuresandcoinage•Buildingupoftheroadnetwork•TheGreatWall•TheAchievementsoftheHanDynasty•Policyofrehabilitation(休养生息)•Simaqian(司马迁)TheRecordoftheHistorians(史记)•ZhangHeng(张衡)inventionoftheseismograph(地动仪)•Theinventionofpaper•Confucianclassicswererecovered,re-editedandcommented•Setupthecivilserviceexamination(科举制度)•Zhangqian(张骞)friendlyexpeditiontotheWesternRegions•OpeningupoftheSilkRoad(丝绸之路)TheTangDynasty•AprimetimeinancientChinesehistory,knownforitsprosperityofeconomy,flourishingofculture,highdevelopmentofagriculture,commerceandhandicrafts,andcloserelationswiththeneighboringcountries.TheMingDynasty•Theremarkabledevelopmentofnavy:ChineseseapowerreachedsoutheastAsiaandeastAfricaHistoricalClassics•BookofHistory(尚书):openedupapathforthecreationclassicalessays.•SpringandAutumnAnnals(春秋):thefirstchroniccleinChina•ZuoZhuan(左传):Writtenintheformofoutlineswithbriefandobscuretextsthatdonotpresentthecourseofanevent.HistoricalClassics•HistoricalRecords(史记):China’sfirstcomprehensivehistorybookintheformatofbiographies•BookofHan(汉书):thefirstchroniclepresentedinaseriesofbiographiesinChina.Theonlyexistingbookthatpreserve