Ancient and Medieval China Lecture Notes

Overview of the Lecture Series

• Part of an eight-part world history series.
• Focus on ancient and medieval China, following previous discussions on Europe, the Middle East, and India.
• Next topics: Age of Exploration, imperialism, World Wars, conflict between West and East, and modern era.

Introduction to China

• China's history is richer and denser than India's.
• Importance of studying China as it’s the closest major power to Japan.

Ancient Civilizations

• Key ancient civilizations: Mesopotamia, Indus Valley, Egypt, and China.
• China had two main civilizations:
  • Yangtze River Civilization (southern China)
  • Yellow River Civilization (northern China)
• Climate change encouraged settling near rivers for agriculture leading to state formation.

Writing Systems

• Each civilization developed its own writing system:
  • Mesopotamia: Cuneiform (Code of Hammurabi)
  • Indus Valley: Undeciphered script
  • China: Oracle bone script (used for divination)
• Importance of writing in recording history and passing down knowledge.

Dynastic History

• Shang Dynasty: First dynasty; noted for wealth and indulgence.
  • King Zhou’s obsession with beauty (Daji) led to rebellion and downfall.
• Zhou Dynasty: Followed the Shang, faced similar issues with rulers being distracted by beauty.
• Concept of "beauty that topples a nation" introduced.

Era of Warring States

• After the collapse of dynasties, the Warring States Period led to the unification under Qin Shi Huang.
• Confucius emerged as a philosopher during this time, teaching virtue and moral leadership.
• Other philosophies included:
  • Legalism: Emphasized laws and rules over morality.
  • Mohism: Advocated for universal love and equality.
  • Sun Tzu: Military strategies in "The Art of War."

Qin Dynasty and Legalism

• Qin Shi Huang: First emperor, unified China, introduced strict Legalism.
• Innovations introduced:
  • Use of iron tools and round coins.
  • Great Wall of China: Built for defense, connected existing walls.
• Harsh laws led to rebellion after Qin Shi Huang’s death.

The Han Dynasty

• Liu Bang established the Han Dynasty after Qin collapse.
• Emphasized trust and delegation of power unlike Qin.
• Emperor Wu officially adopted Confucianism as state philosophy.
• Han Dynasty marked as a golden age in Chinese history.

Eunuch System

• Rise of eunuchs in power dynamics during the Han Dynasty.
• Eunuchs gained influence when emperors were too young or incompetent.

Tang Dynasty

• Established after the short-lived Sui Dynasty.
• Emperor Taizong (Li Shimin): Notable for effective governance and listening to advisors.
• Creation of the Three Departments and Six Ministries system.

Decline of the Tang Dynasty

• Rise of local powers due to delegation of defense.
• Emperor Xuanzong: Obsessed with Yang Guifei, leading to neglect of governance.

The Song Dynasty

• Zhao Kuangyin founded the Song Dynasty, focusing on peace and governance.
• Paid off invaders to avoid war, which led to financial challenges.

Mongol Invasion and Yuan Dynasty

• Genghis Khan and Kublai Khan established the Yuan Dynasty.
• They created a nomadic military state, resulting in extensive conquests.

Ming Dynasty

• Founded by Zhu Yuanzhang (Hongwu): Focused on strong governance and central control.
• Established systems to manage population and land.

Qing Dynasty

• Established by the Manchus, notable emperors included Kangxi Emperor and Qianlong Emperor.
• Qianlong expanded empire but overstretched resources leading to eventual decline.

Conclusion of the Lecture

• The Qing dynasty was the last major dynasty of medieval China.
• Discussed how innovations led to disparities, foreshadowing the impact of European exploration and eventual shifts in global power dynamics.