CHAPTER 5ANCIENT CHINA

FIRST LIFE

Homo sapiens◦100,000 years – Africa◦50,000 – China◦Fire◦Small populations

NEW STONE AGEAgriculture

◦6000-7000 years◦Yellow River◦Crops

◦ Millet

Animals

Beginnings◦Longshan (2000-1500 B.C.E.)

Agriculture, villages

BEGINNINGS

China in the Shang and Zhou

Farming◦Small groups

Shang Society

Ruling class◦Extended families

Commoners

Slaves

Shang Society

Religion◦Fertility◦Sacrifice◦Shamans

Shang Culture

SHANG City-state

King: controlled all

Warfare

SHANG

Writing◦Scribes

Powerful

◦Pictures

SHANGBronze

◦2000 b.c.◦Later, but better than Mesopotamia◦Weapons, vessels

SHANG THOUGHTYang

◦Sun=male

Yin◦Moon=female

Significant later periods

Zhou◦Vassal state of Shang◦1100 B.C.E.

ZHOU

Weaken city-state system ◦Mandate of Heaven

Ruling legitimacy Tian (heaven)

◦Bureaucracy Shi

ZHOU SOCIAL ORDER

ZHOU SOCIETYAgricultureTrade +Public worksBook of Songs

◦Poems, song◦Love, marriage, life

Philosophy

WARRING STATES PERIODLater Zhou period401-256 B.C.

Many states, then a few

Why?◦Land◦Trade/economy

WARFARESun Tzu

◦Art of War◦Military strategy

Popular: 19th & 20th cent.

ART OF WAR I. LAYING PLANS

1. Sun Tzu said: The art of war is of vital importance to the State.

2. It is a matter of life and death, a road either to safety or to ruin. Hence it is a subject of inquiry which can on no account be neglected.

3. The art of war, then, is governed by five constant factors, to be taken into account in one’s deliberations, when seeking to determine the conditions obtaining in the field.

4. These factors are: 1) The Moral Law; 2) Heaven; 3) Earth; 4) The Commander; 5) Method and Discipline.

9. The COMMANDER stands for the virtues of wisdom, sincerity, benevolence, courage and strictness.

ART OF WAR III. ATTACK BY STRATAGEM

1. Sun Tzu said: In the practical art of war, the best thing of all is to take the enemy's country whole and intact; to shatter and destroy it is not so good. So, too, it is better to recapture an army entire than to destroy it, to capture a regiment, a detachment or a company entire than to destroy them.

2. Hence to fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting.

3. Thus the highest form of generalship is to balk the enemy's plans; the next best is to prevent the junction of the enemy's forces; the next in order is to attack the enemy's army in the field; and the worst policy of all is to besiege walled cities.