This booklet determines reading ability based on actual assessments, rather than generalized age or grade levels. Religion and Philosophy, Trading and Gender roles of the two dynasties.
1. Zhou and Qin Dynasty: China By Dennis RM Campbell From religion and philosophy to trading and gender roles, the Zhou and Qin dynasties were vastly different. But each left their mark on Chinese history.
2. Zhou and Qin Dynasty: China Dennis RM Campbell Background—from dynasty to empire The Zhou and Qin dynasties came after the Shang Dynasty. The Shang ruled from about 1600 to 1050 BCE. The Shang loosely controlled their territory. Each local region had its own rulers. In 1050, the Zhou took over the Shang. Later, the Zhou were taken over by the Qin Dynasty. The Zhou had local leaders like the Shang. This made it easier for the Qin to take over. The Qin conquered most of what is now China and created the first Chinese empire. Formation—Heaven said we could In 1046 BCE, the Zhou King Wu overthrew the Shang. He justified his actions through the Mandate of Heaven. The Mandate of Heaven was about being fair. A ruler lost the Mandate of Heaven if he became immoral or cruel. Map of the Warring States Period of the Eastern Zhou. By SY, CC BY-SA 4.0. The Zhou Dynasty ruled for over 700 years. Over time, kings found it harder to control the states. By 771 BCE, most Zhou states had become independent. One of these states was ruled by the Qin. The Qin took over the Zhou and conquered all of China. By 334 BCE, Zhou rulers had lost all power in China. 2
3. Zhou and Qin Dynasty: China Dennis RM Campbell Map of the Qin Empire. By SY, CC BY-SA 4.0. The Qin only ruled for 15 years. However, they were very important. King Zheng of Qin called himself Qin Shihuangdi. It means “August Emperor”. He ruled over his empire with an iron fist. This earned him many enemies. After Qin Shihuangdi died, his son Qin Ershi took over. When Qin Ershi died in 206 BCE, the Qin Dynasty ended. Stone rubbing of Qin era depiction of one of the three assassination attempts against Qin Shihuangdi. The would-be assassin Jin Ke is on the left, being restrained by a physician. Qin Shihuangdi is center right fleeing the scene while holding a jade disc. The assassin’s blade is stuck in the pillar in the center. Public domain. 3
4. Zhou and Qin Dynasty: China Dennis RM Campbell Zhou kings ruled as many as 200 states. However, these states were mostly run by family members of the Zhou king. This type of rule is called kinship. Kinship ties weakened over time. The states felt less loyalty to the king. This made it harder for the king to control the states. The Qin ruled China differently than the Zhou. The Qin followed the system of legalism. Legalism required people to follow the laws. Even breaking less important laws could be punished by death. Qin Shihuangdi also began a number of projects. One was the Great Wall of China. Drawing of Qin Shihuangdi by unknown artist (c. 1850 CE). Public domain. The Great Wall of China at Jinshanling. By Severin.Stadler, CC BY-SA 3.0. 4
5. Zhou and Qin Dynasty: China Dennis RM Campbell Religion and philosophy At that time, Chinese religion worshipped many gods. The Zhou worshipped a god named tian. Tian means “Heaven.” The Zhou claimed that Heaven gave the king the right to rule. Some Zhou states began worshipping other gods. They wanted to challenge the Zhou’s power. Several important thinkers existed in the Zhou era. Confucius developed a philosophy called Confucianism. Laozi created a belief system called Daoism. Sun Tzu wrote an important book called The Art of War. In 361 BCE, Lord Shang brought legalism to Qin. Shang said power came from the law. The ruler had total power. The laws also had to be applied equally to all people. Shang was killed for his beliefs. However, legalism continued in the Qin empire. Portrait of Confucius by the Tang Dynasty artist Wu Daozi (685-758 CE). Public domain. 5
6. Zhou and Qin Dynasty: China Dennis RM Campbell Trade—No merchants, please Trade appeared during the Zhou Dynasty. The Zhou had a system of roads. This made it easier for traders to transport goods and ideas. Still, Confucianists and legalists did not like the traders. They thought traders could cause conflict in society. Many traders were sent away during Qin rule. As a result, trade didn’t grow much under Qin rule. Women and society The Zhou and Qin separated women and men, especially in work. Men farmed, and women spun cloth. Later, this separation became tied to Confucian values. One Chinese text tells of a woman who was in a fire. She had to choose between burning or breaking the moral code. She chose death. Example of a spade coin (as in money) dating to the Eastern Zhou period (650-200 BCE). By Davidhartill, CC BY-SA 3.0. 6
7. Zhou and Qin Dynasty: China Dennis RM Campbell Decline and fall—A sinking (kin)ship The Zhou system was bound to fall apart. Kinship ties to the king weakened. Eventually, these powerful states pushed out the Zhou rulers. It’s hard to say what caused the Qin to fail. Traditional Chinese historians say it was an abusive ruler. The people also stopped honoring traditional values. Historians outside of China have other explanations. For example, the were many peasant revolts against the king. Whatever the cause, the Qin left a major mark on China. In fact the name “China” likely comes from “Qin”! Photograph close up of the head of a terracotta archer from Qin Shihuangdi’s tomb complex. By Charlie, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph of one (small) section of the terracotta army (pit 1) buried along with Qin Shihuangdi at his tomb complex (Xi’an, China). By Maros M r a z (Maros), CC BY-SA 3.0. 7
9. Zhou and Qin Dynasty: China Dennis RM Campbell The Lexile® Framework for Reading Articles leveled by Newsela have been adjusted along several The Lexile® Framework for Reading evaluates reading ability and dimensions of text complexity including sentence structure, text complexity on the same developmental scale. Unlike other vocabulary and organization. The number followed by L indicates measurement systems, the Lexile Framework determines reading the Lexile measure of the article. For more information on Lexile ability based on actual assessments, rather than generalized measures and how they correspond to grade levels: www.lexile. age or grade levels. Recognized as the standard for matching com/educators/understanding-lexile-measures/ readers with texts, tens of millions of students worldwide receive a Lexile measure that helps them find targeted readings from To learn more about Newsela, visit www.newsela.com/about. the more than 100 million articles, books and websites that have been measured. Lexile measures connect learners of all ages with resources at the right level of challenge and monitors their progress toward state and national proficiency standards. More information about the Lexile® Framework can be found at www.Lexile.com. 9
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