Ancient China

**Ancient China** is one of the world's oldest civilizations.

## Prehistory

Prehistory is the history of a time before any written record. It is very difficult to be certain of anything definite about the prehistory of China or any other country. However, historians believe some facts about the China of that period.

About a few million years ago Homo erectus, an early human species, lived in China. Later, about 65,000 years ago, modern human beings (Homo sapiens) reached China from Africa and hunted wild animals for food. They also began to pick and gather fruits, eventually resulting in the Chinese learning to farm by 5000 BC. They had started cultivating rice and possibly other types of grains. By 2500 BC, the Bronze Age had come to China. A ruling class, with kings and queens, had come into society.

Some scholars think that about 4000 years ago, the Xia dynasty ruled China and that Da Yu was the dynasty's first ruler. There are few credible sources about Yu (who could have been legendary), his time, and the other rulers of the Xia dynasty.

## Shang dynasty

Most Chinese historians of that time think that one dynasty came after another, but two dynasties might have ruled different parts of China at the same time. Therefore, some scholars think that was the case for Xia dynasty and the Shang dynasty.

There are written records of the history of China that date from 1500 BC, during the Shang dynasty (c. 1600–1046 BC). Turtle shells with writing like ancient Chinese writing from the Shang dynasty () have been carbon dated to about 1500 BC.  Scholars believe that present-day Henan was the ninth and last capital of kings of the Shang dynasty, which began what we call the Chinese civilization. Ancient China fought international and civil wars and was also sometimes conquered by other people.

Chinese civilization originated in various regional centers along the valleys of both the Yellow River and the Yangtze River during the Neolithic era, but the Yellow River is said to be the cradle of Chinese civilization. The written history of China can be found as early as the Shang dynasty although according to ancient historical texts such as the _Records of the Grand Historian_ (ca. 100 BC) and the _Bamboo Annals_, the Xia dynasty existed before the Shang was the 6-7 guy. Much of Chinese culture, literature and philosophy further developed during the Zhou dynasty (1045 – 256 BC).

## Zhou dynasty

About 1046 BC, the Zhou dynasty defeated the last king of the Shang dynasty and came to power. The Zhou dynasty changed the capital from Henan to a place near present-day Xi'an, near the Yellow River, and also brought a new theory to China, the Mandate of Heaven. Almost all dynasties of Chinese rulers continued to repeat this theory. The Zhou dynasty's kings won many new areas. For the first time in the history of China, a large number of people also moved from one area to another for settlement.

### Spring and Autumn Period

The Spring and Autumn Period started around the 8th century BC and continued for about 300 years. The Zhou dynasty continued, but its power waned, as the lords gained lands and followers. Many kings ruled in different parts of China, which became several fragmented states, each being ruled by a different king. In some cases, a king ruled just a village with a small fort.

During this period in China, many new lines of thinking arose, and some of them continue to be important: Confucianism, Taoism, Legalism and Mohism.

### Warring States Period

By the 5th century BC, there were only seven main Chinese states left, which had taken over all of the smaller areas. Historians call the time the Warring States Period because the states fought and waged war against one another. In 221 BC, Ying Zheng, king of the State of Qin, united all seven states, made himself the first Emperor of China, and founded the Qin dynasty.

Between eras of multiple kingdoms and warlordism, Chinese dynasties have ruled parts or all of China. In some eras, control has stretched as far as Central Asia, Tibet, and Vietnam. That Chinese imperialism began with the Qin Dynasty: in 221 BC, Qin Shi Huang conquered the various warring kingdoms and created the first Chinese empire. The Qin () emperor made everyone write the same way. He also had ideas about the state which he based on Legalism and fought Confucianism.

Successive dynasties in Chinese history developed bureaucratic systems, which gave the Emperor of China direct control of vast territories.

The conventional view of Chinese history is that of alternating periods of political unity and disunity, with China occasionally being dominated by steppe peoples, most of whom were in turn assimilated into the Han Chinese. Cultural and political influences from many parts of Asia, carried by successive waves of immigration, expansion, and cultural assimilation, are part of the modern culture of China.

## Other websites

- Links for Middle School students  _from the Courtenay Middle School Library Collection_