ANTH 205 Lecture 27

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Dinner at Taz Indian Restaurant 6:30pm next Wednesday

China: History and Culture

"People's Republic of China"

• 1.3 billion people
• Single party government: Communist party of China (80 million members)
• People's Liberation Army (military) has 2.3 million active troops

Diverse Landscape

• Some of highest high points
• Some of lowest low points
• Gobi Desert
• Tibetan Plateau
• Himalayas
• Subtropical Forests
• Yangtze and Yellow Rivers
• Substantial coastline

Early China

• Earliest use of fire by H. erectus 1.27 Mya found in China
• Agriculture around 7000 BC (Yangtze and Yellow Rivers)

Earliest Writings

• Bones with inscriptions on them
• Started around 1200 BC
• Earliest writing of history (but not oldest writings)

Dynasties of China

• Xia Dynasty (2100–1600 BC)
• Shang (1600–1406 BC)
• Zhou (1046–256 BC)
  • Spring and Autumn Period (722–476 BC)
  • Confuscianism born
• Warring States Period (480–222 BC)
• Qin (221–206 BC)
• Han (206 BC – 220 AD)
• Three Kingdoms (265–420)
• Jin (265–420)
• Southern and Northern Dynasties (420–589)
• Sui (581–618)
• Tang (619–907)
  • Golden Age
• "Five Dynasties" (907–979)
• Song (960–1279)
• Yuan (1279–1368)
• Ming (1368–1644)
  • Built Great Wall as we know it
• Qing (1644–1911)
  • Set current borders
• Republic of China (1912–Present)
• People's Republic of China (1949–Present)

Continuity

Emphasis on continuity with the past

For example, writing looks the same now as it did thousands of years ago.

• Basis formed in Shang Dynasty
• Formalized under Qin Dynasty with around 10,000 characters

Mandate of Heaven

Tian = (sky, heaven) Idea that ruler's power is divinely granted. Gave rulers legitimacy

Rules:

1. The right to rule China is granted by Heaven
2. There can be only one legitimate ruler of China
3. The right to rule is based on virtue
4. The right to rule may be passed from father to son

Cycle:

1. New Dynasty
2. Golden Age
3. Population Increase
4. Corruption
5. Instability/Decline
6. Natural Disaster
7. Civil War
8. Ruler loses Mandate of Heaven
9. Population Shrinks
10. One state gains power
11. Victorious State starts new empire
12. repeat

Confucianism

A set of philosophy and conduct, not so much a religion

Founded by Confucius (551–479 BC)

• Core tenant: humanism
  • humans can be improved through personal and communal effort
  • self-cultivation

Two

• Ren (仁) = humaneness (don't be a jerk and treat people with respect)
• Li (禮) = propriety (understand place in society and act accordingly)
• Junzi (君子 = "lord's son") = Ideal man

Emphasized relationships:

1. ruler / ruled
2. father / son
3. husband / wife
4. older brother / younger brother
5. friend / friend

18th and 19th Centuries

Chinese vs. British Industrial Revolution

• Britain's worked, China's didn't
• Failure by government to adapt
• Dynastic failure

Taiping War

• Started by Hong Qiuquan
• Vision: he was younger brother of Jesus Christ (what‽)
• Captured large part of eastern China for about 8 years
  • Taiping Tianguo: Heavenly kingdom of Great Peace
  • Capital: Nanjing
• Qing eventually recaptured Nanjing
• About 20 million lives lost (more than WWI)
  • Demonstrated how weak Qing government was
• Redistribution of wealth; early form of communism

Religion in China

Always a Mix:

• Folk religion (ancestor worship, animism, natural forces)
• Buddhism and Taoism: more than "religion"

Numbers of people who consider themselves religious is lowest in the world... due to communism

Taoism

• Tao = the way
• Emphasis on nature and harmony (action through non-action
  • Natural order in universe
• 3 Jewels:
  1. compassion
  2. moderation
  3. humility
• Fundamental Text Tao Te Ching, by Lao Tzu in 6^th century BC

Not theistic, but there are "god-like" statuses

• Spiritual immortality
• Death is natural part of existence
• Focus is on conduct in life

Yin-Yang symbolizes harmony and balance

Parable of Vinegar Tasters: 3 men taste vat of vinegar and reflect on attitudes:

1. sour expression: saw life is sour and needs rules to save it (Confucius = Confucianism)
2. bitter expression: saw life is dominated by suffering (Buddha = Buddhism)
3. sweet expression: saw life is fundamentally good in natural state (Lao Tzu = Taoism)

Republic of China

Qing lose power in late 19^th century (after Taiping war)

Revolution of 1911 (a.k.a. Sinhai revolution)

Group of people formed the nationalist party (Kuomintang)

• Revolts and uprising began in 1911
• 1912 - end of dynastic rule in China after last emperor dies (only 6 years old)

Rise of Communism

• Political turmoil and warlord era (1915)
• Reunification under Communist Party of China (1920), backed by Soviet Union

Grew during WWII

Communist party wins civil war with Kuomintang, who retreated to Taiwan

October 1, 1949 Mao Zedong declares institution of People's Republic of China

Communist Ideals:

• Redistribution of wealth (land)
• Universal housing
• Healthcare access
• Eliminated unemployment

Cultural Revolution

1966–1976

• Impose socialism on population
• Eradicate traditional Chinese culture
• Wanted working class to be dominant group
• Opposed to:
  • Religion, so he imposed atheism
  • History
  • Tradition
• Encouraged:
  • Education
  • Art that fed communist propaganda