Chinese History the Shang Dynasty Marked One

Chinese History

The Shang dynasty marked one of the earliest recorded periods of history in ancient China, for which substantial archeological evidence exists. Although Chinese culture did not necessarily flourish during the Shang, a system of writing was first developed, its characters etched on the so-called oracle bones. The Shang dynasty was a bronze-based society that extended from 1700 to 1027 BCE. The form of government practiced during the Shang was largely based on an alliance of numerous city-states, which would pledge their allegiance to the rulers in power. However, although there were ruling parties, there was no established capital city. Fluctuating political power meant that the capital city shifted continuously, depending on intergenerational or political need. Familial ties and hereditary decent were the main means of establishing succession; often male rulers would pass on their lineage to their younger brothers. Although life was by no means easy during the Shang period, a decentralized government meant a relatively high degree of autonomy and freedom for individual families and communities.

The next successive period in early Chinese history, the Zhou dynasty, marked the creation of a fundamentally feudal system. Overall power still remained largely decentralized and alliance-based during much of the Zhou period. However, landowners served more formally as vassals for the dynastic rulers. One of the main disadvantages of living under Zhou rule was that farmers and other agricultural workers would have been forced to submit to the government under the feudal system. Moreover, the concept of divine right to rule added a cultural legitimacy to the ruling mandate and permitted the government during the later years of the Zhou dynasty to become increasingly more centralized.

Eventually, the Zhou dynasty gave way to the period of Chinese history known as the Warring States period, when Chinese culture and the arts flourished. City-states, having grown larger, richer, and more powerful, engaged each other in power struggles, thereby diminishing the mandate of any centralized authority. The Warring States period saw the rise of the three great Chinese philosophies: Confucianism, Taoism, and Legalism. The arts: from painting to poetry, blossomed, as did the Chinese economy, literature, and political systems. Agriculture was still a central feature of the Chinese economy during this time; however, the discovery of iron led to more robust farming methods and increased material prosperity. Because of its cultural and intellectual flowering, increased material prosperity, and decentralized government based more and more on the rule of law, the Warring States period would have been the most hospitable time in which to live among any of the other ancient Chinese historical periods, for artisan, peasant, or king. The Warring States Period is sometimes referred to as the One Hundred Schools Period because of the great intellectual and philosophical developments that occurred during this time.

During the Warring states period, political laws became encoded and written down for perhaps the first time in Chinese history. When the Qin dynasty gained control over the entire region and ended the period of the Warring States, legalism became the primary philosophy underlying China's government. Strict adherence to the law, punishable by death, characterized the Qin dynasty. The disadvantages of living under the Qin system werw obvious, as any political dissenters, including Confucians, were harshly punished by the Qin government. The Qin government was centralized, authoritarian, and highly bureaucratic, based no longer on the hereditary system of kings. Ascription to the philosophy of legalization meant strict standardization of legal codes. In defense against encroaching barbarian tribes, the government erected a series of massive barrier walls, several of which formed what is now known as the Great Wall of China.

Confucianism, Taoism, and Legalism were the three major philosophical schools that dominated Chinese thought throughout its long history. Since the period of the Warring States, these three schools influenced the character and development of Chinese government, culture, and society. Confucianism proscribed a moral code and an established a set of guidelines by which a person could live within a hierarchical, structured, organized society. Confucianism stressed honor and virtue over material gain and also promoted learning and education. The Confucian Analects contain some of the major tenets of Confucian philosophy: "There were four things that Confucius was determined to eradicate: a biased mind, arbitrary judgments, obstinacy, and egotism," (IX: 4). Confucianism still influences Chinese civilization, government, and culture today; while not completely egalitarian and certainly patriarchal, the Confucian system has advantages in creating social cohesion and order as well as a culture based on respect and honor.