Early China - Chapter 2

     East Asia has different weather conditions in different areas, making agriculture possible only by the combined efforts of many people.
     During the Shang Period (1750 - 1045 BCE), the Chinese grew millet, raised pigs and chickens, perfected stone tools, made pottery, and started to make silk. The Shang dynasty pioneered writing in Asia, so we see it as the first real ruling dynasty of China.
     The Shang writing system was an ancestor of modern Chinese. All court records were kept in Shang on cattle bones (called "oracle bones" by historians). Many parts of the Shang religion were recorded, such as the sky god Di (who people joined when they died). Like the Egyptians, the Shang saw their ruler as a link with the gods.
     The Shang elite were warriors who reveled in drinking and battle. Their cities were not well preserved, due to climate and conquest, but records show that the capital moved around a lot.
     In the mid-11th century BCE, the Zhou took over, led by Wen and his son Wu. Wu saw himself as "the son of Heaven" and declared that Heaven could take away power from rulers who were not being just towards their people (this was known as the Mandate of Heaven, and was very useful for keeping Wu on the throne). Much more is known about his period because of the written records. It was during the Zhou period that Feng Shui, the art of setting things on a harmonious order, began.
     The Zhou perfected warfare by putting warriors on horseback. During the Spring and Autumn Period (the first part of the Zhou reign), the different Chinese states were frequently at odds with each other.
     Confucianism, which focused on its founder's teachings, spread wildly during this period. Confucius supported respect for rituals, ancestors, and gods, and felt that the supernatural was unknowable. Confucianism's main rival, Daoism (or Taoism), founded by Lao Zi, focused on tranquility and nature. During this time, clans moved to a three-family structure (grandparents, parents and grandchildren).
     The second half of the period, called the Warring States Period (481 - 221 BCE) got its name from frequent power struggles. The Qin state maintained that the Confucians were wrong and that rulers should disregard subjects' opinions. Rather, they believed that total control was necessary. The Qin government broke up estates and took away nobles' privileges to keep control over the people.