Yellow River Civilisation

China
Geographical condition
• The Chinese came from S.E. of Caspian sea having crossed the Oxus
and settled on the bank of Yellow River.
• The country is mountainous with vast fertile valleys in the centre of
south-east and great plains in north.
• The Central plain lies between the two rivers Hwang Ho and Yangtze,
hence a thick deposit of soil called loess was found abundantly which
helped for agriculture to a great extent.
• It has many natural harbours , which promoted trade and commerce
as well as art and culture
Geological condition
• Coal is abundant, Red sand stone, lime stone are available.
• Mulberry tree produced silk industry.
• Timber was used for roof and columns. Roofs are usually covered with
coloured clay tiles.
• Silk making was known at least 1000 years B.C. and reached in its
peak at during Tang Dynasty.
• Soon a ‘Silk Road' became a thoroughfare exporting the luxury thread
to all the parts of the world.
• Silk manufacturer remained a Chinese monopoly until 5thcentury A.D.
Climatic condition
• The climate varies
• cold in winter but hot in summer.
• Rainfall is heavy.
• Therefore climatic conditions have partially affected the Chinese
character of architecture.
• Houses and Temples have characteristic Ting roof and Irimoya gable
which slightly bends upward.
Religious condition
• the three religions followed
• Taoism (by Leo-su),
• Confucianism (by Confucius (551 B.C.- 479B.C.))
• Buddhism (by Buddha)
• Confucianism based on ancestors worship (not religion) has declined. There are no churches,
clergy (Priesthood) Or creeds(beliefs/principles) in and Confucianism.
• Taoism is based on Mysticism and superstition and was readily combined with Buddhism from
India in 2nd century A.D. It developed very rapidly and had great influence on Architecture.
• Taoism preaches, goodness, simplicity, gentleness and purity in everyday life .
• The three main parts of Taoism are humanity, moderation and compassion.
• Sacred text is Tao-te Ching.
• It developed beliefs of afterlife and also a cosmology which divided all reality into male and
female principles Or YANG and YIN.
Social condition.
• The country had settled during the period of Emperor Fuhsi (2852B.C.).
• He brought social order and during the period of Shen Nung, it made
progress in agriculture and medicine.
• Further the Emperor Huang Ti extended the empire, built many palaces,
the Great China Wall roads, canals etc.
• Ritual practice of divination (foretelling the future) was carried out by
burning bones. The cracks appeared in bones were considered as the
message from the gods. To interpret these messages, they asked simple
questions. Figures representing the subject of the question were carved
onto the bones. Chinese characters evolved from these figures and Chinese
retained these characters in their writing.
Social condition
• Change in attitude came in religion after the introduction of Buddhism.
• The capital Changan was shifted to Loyang.
• The country became more powerful during the reign of Emperor Tai Tsung Trade,
commerce increased far west.
• Printing was introduced in 593 A.D. and thereby Chinese influence spread further.
• The characteristic aspect of Chinese life is to celebrate the public holidays and festivals.
• The fifth day of the fifth moon is a traditional day to offer presents amongst friends and
relatives.
• The seventh day of the seventh moon is a festival of love.
• On the 15th day it is a Ghost-day and people offer sacrifice.
• The full moon day falling in the mid-autumn is the greatest festival with all night feasting
and drinking.
Social condition
• Cock fighting was first popularized in China.
• Every Chinese family bred silk worms and spun silk, and is considered as
respectable activity.
• Tea drinking became a craze in Gaozong's reign and grew to be a national pastime
• Dramas foreign plays and ballets were encouraged.
• Ladies applied stark white face powder, and with little rouge on the cheeks, and
lipsticks. They put a golden flower on the forehead as a facial adornment.
• The style of dress was an indication of social status. Women used red dresses at
home but white on the farms.
• Govt. official of fifth ranks and above could wear purple robes and those of other
ranks wore red, blue and green depending on their seniority.
Historical condition
• The Chinese history is divided into dynasties.
• The country flourished under the reign of able emperors who were
supposed to be blessed by heaven.
• It made a humble start with five original emperors Fuhsi, Shen Nung,
Huang Ti, Tai Tsung under whose rule China made rapid progress.
• It was further followed by three more emperors who brought stable
and orderly administration.
Historical condition
• Then a series of dynasties followed as given below
1. Xia Dynasty (2070-1600 BCE)
2. Shang dynasty (1450-1050 B.C.)
3. Chou/ Zhou dynasty (1050-249 B.C.)
4. Chin/ Qin dynasty (221-206 B.C.)
5. Han dynasty (206 B.C.-220 A.D.)
6. Jin dynasty (265-419 A.D.)
7. Tang dynasty (618-906 A.D.)
8. Sung dynasty (960-1279 A.D.)
9. Yuan dynasty (1280-1367 A.D.)
10. Ming dynasty (1368-1644 A.D.)
11. Ching dynasty (1644-1911 A.D.)
Historical Condition
• The most Important were the Han and Tang dynasties.
• Shang dynasty played a major role in rolling China on the road of self-improvement,
Science and astronomy developed rapidly, with invention of calendar based on lunar
months.
• Many important buildings were erected. The Shang method of planning towns in
squares was used which is still prevalent in Peking.
• Shang traded in bronze tools and introduced money in the form of cowrie shells.
• During the Chou period Bronze Age came to an end. Iron was known and China made
rapid progress.
• Confucius’ (Chinese philosopher) thoughts inaugurated the twilight of old feudalism.
• Qin Dynasty - Liu Ving burnt all books of history, philosophy and poetry and scholars
alive.
Historical Condition
• The soldiers rebelled against the dictatorship and the empire fell to soldiers
led by Liu Pang. He became the first emperor of the Han dynasty.
• Han dynasty- Rapid progress in food science and technology
• An Imperial University was set up for Confician classics.
• Paper ink and brushes Invented
• The old Silk Road was opened.
• On the other hand, condition of the peasants deteriorated. Their revolt finally
brought the end of Han dynasty in 220 A.D.
• The country was united for a short period in Jin dynasty but the last ruler was
assassinated in 618 A.D. by his officer Li Shin-Min who later became the king
and started a new dynasty-the Tang dynasty.
Characteristic Features
• The characteristics largely depend upon Buddhist architecture.
• The temple, tomb buildings followed the same plan similarly to those
of India.
• The temple is approached by a gate-way, then a courtyard and a
portico, covered with timber roofs.
• Usually the temples face to south. Walls are built in timber and brick
and often constructed hollow.
• Openings are square headed.
Characteristic Features
• Pai Lous' the ceremonial gateways are the characteristic features of
this style.
• Windows are rectangular in shape and are lined with oyster cell to
prevent the of glare the sun.
• Rice-papers were used for windows. Use of glass is mostly rare.
• The roofs are steep and carved eaves are enriched with crestal
ornamentation such as fantastic dragon and grotesque ornament.
• The roofs are placed one over the other (a sign of dignity) which
made the lower storeys cool. Roofs are of concave shape and are
covered with enameled pan tiles of S-shape set in mortar.
Characteristic Features
• The method of construction of column was quite reverse of that commonly used
for instead of constructing columns first, and then placing the roof above it, they
first prepare the frame-work of the roof that determined the position of the
columns and the stability of the framework was relied on to keep the columns in
position resting on the stone foundation.
• In short they put the columns under the roof instead of putting the roof on the
columns .
• The columns are without capitals.
• Simple mouldings are provided in brackets supporting the roofs. But mouldings are
restrained as a part of decoration.
• Rainfall is heavy so houses and temples are provided with Irimoya Style of gabbled
roofs bent slightly upward and are covered with coloured tiles.
Characteristic Features
• Ridges and eaves of roofs are enriched with coloured dragons, fishes,
grotesque figures, terra-cotta etc.
• Chinese excel in the art of porcelain ware, ivory and wood carvings.
The surfaces are painted with scenes, flowers and birds.
Important Buildings
1. Pagodas (tai).
1. Great Goose Pagoda. It is 60 m. high.
https://education.asianart.org/resources/great-wild-goose-pagoda/
2. Small Goose Pagoda. It consists of 15 storeys.
http://www.china.org.cn/travel/cultural_relics/2011-11/11/content_25996740.htm

2. Pai-Lous.
1. Pai Lou at Temple of Sleeping Buddha
2. Pai Lou at Altar of Heaven, Peking
3. The great wall of China
4. Temple
1. Temple at Ningpo
2. Dragon Temple Peking
Important Buildings
• (1) Pagodas (tai). These form the important structures in temple enclosures.
They contain three to fifteen storeys, the number being always odd, with a stair-
case to each of the storey. They are constructed in timber and bricks, see Fig.
10.3.The Pagodas are often polygonal in plan and have repeated roofs with
curved eaves which are elaborately ornamented.(i) Pagoda, Sung Yueh Ssu,
Honam (523 A.D.). It is octagonal in plan, and built in brick and mud. It has
fifteen blind storeys and rises to a height of 27.4 m.(ii) Great Goose Pagoda. It is
60 m. high.(ii) Small Goose Pagoda. It consists of 15 storeys.(2) Pai-Lous. These
look like 'Toranas' of Buddhist style. These are erected as memorials of
distinguished persons. These are built either in wood or stone with one or three
openings The horizontal rails, supported on vertical posts bear inscriptions. The
projecting roofs are covered with coloured tiles, whose angles are turned
upwards
• (i) Pai Lou at Temple of Sleeping Buddha, near Peking (Beijing). It has
three arches in sculptured marble. Walls are covered with bright red
stucco.(i) Pai Lou at Altar of Heaven, Peking (Beijing). It is enriched
with lavish decoration.
• Hsuang Ti, extended from northern part to Gulf 9 m. high and 7.6 m. thick at base
and 4.6 m. atoftop. The wall runs along mountain's tops, deep gorges, spans over
rivers The towers builtborder of Turkestan. It is 2250 km. long, 6 m intervals on the
wall are 9 m. high 6 m. wide. It appears like sleeping serpent from top (Fig
at10.4(a)]nd the peasants of the countryside during timeThe wall offered
protection to the citizens, and the peasants of the(4) Temple at Ningpo. The
temple contains large-sized figures of Buddha and other monksof war.placed on
raised pedestal for worshipping purposesWORLD ARCHITECTURETHE GREAT AGES
OF210EThe Temple of Heaven at Peking (Beijing).Fig. 10.5.(5) Temple of Heaven or
Great Dragon at Peking (Beijing) (A.D. 1420). The temple sbuilt on circular platform
in three concentric terraces. Each terrace is constructed withcharacteristic sloping
concave roofing, and provided with llights of steps to ascend on four sides,see Fig,
10.5. The shrine in it is gold capped. The emperor here acted as a priest.
• Prehistoric
• Xia dynasty
• Shang dynasty
• Zhou dynasty
Prehistoric China
• Mainly Residential
silkroute
• The Silk Road is neither an actual road nor a single route. The term instead refers to a network of routes used by traders for more than 1,500 years,
from when the Han dynasty of China opened trade in 130 B.C.E. until 1453 C.E., when the Ottoman Empire closed off trade with the West. German
geographer and traveler Ferdinand von Richthofen first used the term “silk road” in 1877 C.E. to describe the well-traveled pathway of goods
between Europe and East Asia. The term also serves as a metaphor for the exchange of goods and ideas between diverse cultures. Although the trade
network is commonly referred to as the Silk Road, some historians favor the term Silk Routes because it better reflects the many paths taken by
traders.
• The Silk Road extended approximately 6,437 kilometers (4,000 miles) across some of the world’s most formidable landscapes, including the Gobi
Desert and the Pamir Mountains. With no one government to provide upkeep, the roads were typically in poor condition. Robbers were common. To
protect themselves, traders joined together in caravans with camels or other pack animals. Over time, large inns called caravanseraiscropped up to
house travelling merchants. Few people traveled the entire route, giving rise to a host of middlemen and trading posts along the way.
• An abundance of goods traveled along the Silk Road. Merchants carried silk from China to Europe, where it dressed royalty and wealthy patrons.
Other favorite commodities from Asia included jade and other precious stones, porcelain, tea, and spices. In exchange, horses, glassware, textiles,
and manufactured goods traveled eastward.
• One of the most famous travelers of the Silk Road was Marco Polo (1254 C.E. –1324 C.E.). Born into a family of wealthy merchants in Venice, Italy,
Marco traveled with his father to China (then Cathay) when he was just 17 years of age. They traveled for over three years before arriving at Kublai
Khan’s palace at Xanadu in 1275 C.E. Marco stayed on at Khan’s court and was sent on missions to parts of Asia never before visited by Europeans.
Upon his return, Marco Polo wrote about his adventures, making him—and the routes he traveled—famous.
• It is hard to overstate the importance of the Silk Road on history. Religion and ideas spread along the Silk Road just as fluidly as goods. Towns along
the route grew into multicultural cities. The exchange of information gave rise to new technologies and innovations that would change the world. The
horses introduced to China contributed to the might of the Mongol Empire, while gunpowder from China changed the very nature of war in Europe
and beyond. Diseases also traveled along the Silk Road. Some research suggests that the Black Death, which devastated Europe in the late 1340s
C.E., likely spread from Asia along the Silk Road. The Age of Exploration gave rise to faster routes between the East and West, but parts of
the Silk Road continued to be critical pathways among varied cultures. Today, parts of the Silk Road are listed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List.
he method having been learned, as I have said, they changed them by
ms which feed on the leaves of mulberry.
king silk from that time on in the Roman Empire."
silkroute
routes and cargos
ver time according to shifting geopolitical contexts throughout history.
from the Roman Empire would try to avoid crossing the territory of the
es, and therefore took routes to the north instead, across the Caucasus
ian Sea. Similarly, whilst extensive trade took place over the network of
entral Asian steppes in the early Middle Ages, their water levels rose and
s dried up altogether, and trade routes shifted accordingly.
outes can be traced back thousands of years, to links between the
potamia and the Indus Valley Civilization. The early Middle Ages saw
ork, as sailors from the Arabian Peninsula forged new trading routes
d into the Indian Ocean. Indeed, maritime trading links were established
a from as early as the 8th century CE. Technological advances in the
stronomy, and also in the techniques of ship building, combined to make
ncreasingly practical. Lively coastal cities grew up around the most
• Confucianism believes in ancestor worship and human-centered
virtues for living a peaceful life. The golden rule of Confucianism is
“Do not do unto others what you would not want others to do unto
you.” There is debate over if Confucianism is a religion.
Banpo
Yangshao culture, (5000–3000 BCE) prehistoric culture of China’s Huang He (Yellow
River) basin, represented by several sites at which painted pottery has been uncovered. In
Yangshao culture, millet was cultivated, some animals were domesticated, chipped and
polished stone tools were used, silk was produced, and pottery was fired in kilns dug into
the ground.
• The large Neolithic settlement was situated on a low
river terrace and contained multishaped clay huts, with floor
levels often below the ground. Each hut had one to six pillars to
support a thatched roof, which was reinforced with clay. All
dwellings contained several fireplaces and a number of storage
areas. Several kilns were found on the site, as well as a number
of fine specimens of coloured red and gray bowls and jars. Some
coarse sandy ware decorated with black geometric figures has
also been found.
• Most of the Banpo people’s tools were stone and bone
implements. The people were agriculturalists whose primary
grain was millet. Bones of pigs, dogs, and sheep have been
found around the village, indicating the presence of domestic
animals. Children were buried in small urns, adults in
rectangular pits.
• Banpo Village is a Neolithic site in the Yellow River Valley, east of
Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, in the People's Republic of China. The site
was occupied from c. 4500-3750 BCE and covers almost 20 acres. Over
10,000 stone tools and artifacts, 250 tombs, six large kilns, storage pits,
and almost 100 foundations of buildings have been excavated at the site.
• Banpo is also referenced as Pan Po, especially by writers in the late
1950's CE. It was discovered in 1953 CE by workers hired to dig up the
ground to build a factory. It was the first large-scale archaeological
operation of the People's Republic of China and is one of the most
significant Neolithic sites in the world. In the present day, it is one of
China's best-known and most often visited tourist attractions.
• Discovery & Name
• In 1953 CE local workers were hired to dig the foundation for a factory that was
to be built at the site. The name means `half slope' and comes from the area near
the site. Historian Marilyn Shea writes that the village gets it name from the
Banpo work group who uncovered it and how, "once the find was identified, the
work group changed occupations and became diggers for the archaeologists.
Eventually the dig was turned over to the Institute for Archaeological Research
at the Chinese Academy of Science" (1). The original name of the village is not
known. Excavations continued from 1953-1957 CE, and the Banpo Museum,
located near the site, was opened in 1958 CE, displaying artifacts from the site
and reconstructions of the homes and buildings. The Banpo Museum is the first
of its kind in China featuring artifacts from a dig at the site of the excavations.
• The Neolithic Village
• Archaeologists have designated Banpo a type site, which means a representative model of a particular culture, in this case
the Yangshao Culture, which flourished in the Yellow River Valley between 5000-3000 BCE. Banpo is a ditch-enclosed
settlement that was surrounded by a moat. The homes were dug to three feet (1 meter) below ground level and the soil then
used to fashion the foundations for the walls.
• Walls were made of wood and topped by a thatch roof. Clay and wattle was then used to daub the walls for insulation, and
the walls reinforced with fire-baked clay. Every building in the village was circular, and the village itself oval-shaped. The
houses had hard-baked clay floors and front porches, which were shaded by the over-hanging roof of thatch. The cemetery
was located outside of the village, beyond the moat, and so was the ceramics factory. The six kilns for firing ceramics at
Banpo have all been found in one location outside the village, suggesting a kind of industrial complex there where
communal pottery was shaped and fired. The inhabitants of Banpo did not use a potter's wheel but shaped every ceramic by
hand.
• The Culture
• The Yangshao Culture was matrilineal, meaning that women were in charge and one's ancestry was traced through the
mother's line, not the father's. Although western scholars have disputed this claim as some "Marxist invention," the physical
evidence from Banpo speaks for itself: every female's grave that has been opened has more grave goods than the males; and
no grave of the 250 discovered and excavated show any indication of a male chieftain but plenty of evidence for female
leaders (based on the number of grave goods and the type). This points toward a matrilineal society in the strictest sense of
women being in power and men subordinate.
Bnapo village tomb
• Farming, Ceramics, & Clothing
• The people of Banpo were hunter-gatherers who then shifted to an agrarian culture (farming). Farm
implements like sickles and plows have been found on site. They ate primarily millet (cereals) and kept
domesticated dogs and pigs. They were primarily vegetarian (like most Neolithic cultures) although there is
evidence of occasional meat-eating from fishing and hunting.
• Their ceramics were highly developed, and one of the most interesting designs is the pointed amphora (also
known as the "sharp-bottom water bottle"), which is an oval-shaped ceramic jug with a handle on each side, a
thin, short, neck and a pointed bottom. The point at the bottom would seem impractical because the jug would
tip over, but archaeologists believe the jugs were placed firmly in earth or soft clay and were more stable than
flat-bottomed jugs, which could fall over more easily. The pottery was decorated with animal motifs,
geometric designs, human faces (possibly deities) and dragons. The image of the Pig-Dragon (a figure with
the face of a pig and body of a serpent), precursor to the now-famous Chinese dragon, appears on the
ceramics excavated from Banpo.
• There is evidence that the people of Banpo wore woven cloth garments. Such cloth has been found on human
remains in graves and attached to artifacts. No evidence of ancient looms has been discovered, however.
What these clothes may have looked like is unknown because of the state of decomposition of the cloth
fragments.
• Marriage & Childrearing
• Women and men wore ornaments and jewelry but the females more than the males.
Their marriages were arranged quite differently from the pattern most people
recognize today. Archaeological evidence strongly suggests they practiced what the
Chinese call zouhun - "free love" - which is sexual relations without commitment.
Men would visit women's homes at night and sleep with them and then leave in the
morning to return to their mother's house and work their mother's land.
• Children were raised by the mother in her mother's house. This type of marital
relationship is still practiced in China today by the Mosuo people (known as the Na to
themselves) of the Yunnan and Sichuan provinces near Tibet. The Ah mi (elder female)
is the head of the household and makes all of the important decisions. The evidence
found in the homes at Banpo suggest the children were raised by their mothers in the
same way the Mosuo people do today.
• Writing
• Banpo may have developed a system of writing long before the traditional date of the rise of
literacy in China during the Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 BCE). Scratch marks on ceramic
shards have been classified into 27 distinct categories, which suggest a form of
communication and are not at all random. What the scratch marks may mean is unknown,
and archaeologists do not even all agree that they are a form of written language.
• Conclusion
• Banpo Village was abandoned at some point c. 3750 BCE. No satisfactory reason has been
found for the people leaving their homes. Evidence of ancient flood damage at the site is
inconclusive because there is no way of knowing whether it happened before or after the
people left. The village was abandoned quickly, however, and so a flood may have been the
cause. Today the ancient village is one of the most visited sites in China after The Great
Wall. Thousands of people every year - as many as 50,000 - make the trip and take the time
to walk the ancient pathways of Banpo Village.
• https://www.worldhistory.org/Banpo_Village/
• http://chinesearchaeology.net.cn/en/News/Academic_activities/2015
/0906/51323.html
• https://www.chinadiscovery.com/shaanxi/xian/xian-banpo-village.ht
ml
• https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000043930
• https://www.upi.com/Archives/1982/02/23/Cradle-of-Chinese-civiliza
tion-women-once-called-the-shots/1335383288400/
• https://academic-accelerator.com/encyclopedia/banpo