China is in the eastern part of the Asian continent and since it can be traced back to over 4000 years, it is one of the world's oldest and longest-lasting civilizations.
Geography Shapes Life in Ancient China
The geography of Ancient China shaped the way civilization and culture developed. Unlike the other civilizations, China was geographically isolated by natural barriers - Yellow Sea, East China Sea, and the Pacific Ocean border on the east; deserts edge the northern and western lands, to the north lies the Gobi Desert and to the west lies the Taklimakan Desert; on the western border, the Pamir, Tian Shan, and Himalayan mountain ranges form a tight curve. This isolation from much of the world enabled the Chinese to develop independently from other world civilizations.
The two most important geographical features of Ancient China were the two major rivers that flowed through central China: the Yellow River to the north and the Yangtze River to the south. These major rivers were a great source of freshwater, food, fertile soil, and transportation. The floodwaters of both these rivers deposited yellowish silt that made fertile soil and farming started in the very rich land between these two rivers. The Yellow River is often called the "cradle of Chinese civilization". It was along the banks of the Yellow River where the Chinese civilization first formed in 2000 BC.
For many years in its history, China was made up of smaller regions, each one ruled by its own lord. When Qin Shi Huang became ruler, he united all of the kingdoms in 221 B.C. under his domain and established the first of many family-run “dynasties”. The dynasties were rulers for over 2,000 years; each ruler was known as an emperor. There were over 13 different dynasties that ruled ancient China: Xia, Shang, Zhou, Qin, Han, Six Dynasties, Sui, Tang, Five Dynasties, Song, Yuan, and Ming.
* Six Dynasties and Five Dynasties are periods of time in ancient China when the region was not united under a single leader.
The Han dynasty lasted until 220 CE when it broke up into several successor states. Thus, began a period of weakness for China, when no single dynasty was able to establish its rule over the whole country for several centuries. This opened the way for non-Chinese peoples from surrounding regions to establish their own states within China. This was a dark period in Chinese history. Society was disrupted, trade declined and many cities shrank, but even in barbarian-occupied areas, administrators staffed by Confucian-educated officials continued to govern. Chinese civilization was preserved intact until, a few centuries later, new dynasties would once again rule the whole of China.
Mandate of Heaven (Tianming)
Under the Zhou Dynastry, China moved away from worship of Shangdi ("Celestial Lord") in favor of the worship of Tian ("heaven"), and they created the Mandate of Heaven. The Mandate of Heaven was what gave their rulers the right to be king or emperor. According to the Mandate of Heaven, the ancient god or divine force had blessed that person with the right to rule. The ruler had a moral obligation to use the power for the good of his people. If a king ruled unfairly he could lose this approval, which would result in his downfall. Overthrow, natural disasters, and famine were taken as a sign that the ruler had lost the Mandate of Heaven.
Religion
There were three main religions or philosophies including Taoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism. These ideas, called "the three ways" had a large impact on the way people lived.
Founded during the Zhou dynasty, Taoism was proposed by Lao-Tzu. It believes in nature's balance of forces called Yin and Yang. They believe that people should be one with nature and that all living things have a universal force flowing through them. Following Lao Tzu was another thinker, Confucius, who believed that honoring the family is a vital virtue of every society. Moreover, he also taught that the government should be strong and organized. Ever heard of the phrase 'treat others the way you want to be treated' this idea is rooted in Confucian principles. Confucius' teachings focus on treating others with respect, politeness, and fairness. Buddhism, based on the teachings of Buddha, flourished in Nepal, just south of China in 563BC. Buddhism spread throughout India and China. This belief is based on the teachings of Buddha and the idea of enlightenment. An important belief in Buddhism is karma, the idea that if you are a good person and live a life making positive choices you will have a fortunate future, whereas if you commit evil deeds and engage in negative actions you will have a future of suffering.
Defense
Feudal forces based around aristocratic warriors in Shang and early Zhou times transformed to mass armies composed of infantry troops in the late Zhou, Qin, and Han periods. The mass armies were made up of different kinds of recruits: long-service, professional soldiers, peasant conscripts, and non-Chinese tribesmen. However, the defenses of China never relied solely on military manpower. In the 5th and 4th centuries BCE, the raid by steppe nomads (Mongols) increased in the northern and western border states. These states had begun to build long walls made of beaten earth to help keep these raids out. After the unification of China under the Qin dynasty, the new imperial regime merged these walls into a single system of defense. These walls were later refurbished into its present form, the famous Great Wall of China, under the Ming dynasty, in the 15th century CE.
Silk Road
Silk Road, also called Silk Route, was a trade route that went from China to Eastern Europe. It went along the northern borders of China, India, and Persia and ended up in Eastern Europe. The Silk Road helped to generate trade and commerce between a number of different kingdoms and empires. This enabled ideas, culture, inventions, and unique products to spread across much of the settled world. Chinese exported silk and brought back cotton, wool, ivory, gold, and silver. People throughout Asia and Europe prized Chinese silk for its softness and luxury. Besides silk, the Chinese also exported teas, salt, sugar, porcelain, and spices. Not all that was traded along the Silk Road was good. It is thought that the bubonic plague or Black Death traveled to Europe from the Silk Road.
Daily life
The majority of the people in Ancient China were peasant farmers. Although they were respected for the food they provided for the rest of the Chinese, they lived tough and difficult lives. The typical farmer lived in a small village of around 100 families. They worked in small family farms. Farmers had to work for the government for about one month each year. They served in the military or worked construction projects like building canals, palaces, and city walls. Farmers also had to pay a tax by giving the government a percentage of their crops.
The type of food that people ate depended on where they were living. In the north, the main crop was a grain called millet and in the south the main crop was rice. Farmers also kept animals such as goats, pigs, and chickens. People that lived close to the rivers ate fish as well.
Life was much different for those living in the city. People in the cities worked a variety of jobs including merchants, craftsmen, government officials, and scholars. Merchants were considered the lowest class of workers. They were not allowed to wear silk or ride in carriages.
The Chinese family was ruled by the father of the house. His wife and children were required to obey him in all things. Women generally took care of the home and raised the children.
Inventions and Innovations
Gunpowder, paper, printing, and the compass are sometimes called the Four Great Inventions of Ancient China. These four great inventions greatly promoted the development of China's economy, politics, and culture. When these technologies were introduced to the Western countries through various channels, they substantially revolutionized world civilization.
