What is a Dynasty?
Most of recorded Chinese history is organized by a “dynastic development” system. It sounds like a hard concept, but it isn’t. Each time period is called a dynasty. Each dynasty refers to the years when China was under the rule of one royal family. For example, the Shang dynasty is the period when the Shang family was in power. When the ruling family changed, a new dynasty would begin and that time period would be named for the new ruling family.
The Mandate of Heaven
When a family came to power, it was because people thought they had a “Mandate of Heaven,” which was like the “blessing of heaven” to rule. This is why the king was also called the Son of Heaven. Whether a family could keep the Mandate or not depended on whether the family was concerned with the welfare of the people. The people felt that their feelings about the ruler were a result of the feelings of Heaven, so they would know when a ruler should be replaced. A dynasty lost power to rule when people thought the ruler had lost the Mandate of Heaven. The people might choose to support a new family and help them overthrow the old dynasty.
What was the First Dynasty of China?
Which Chinese dynasty was the “first” one? People disagree about the answer to that question. Some people think that a dynasty needs to leave a written record of themselves to be considered a “real” dynasty. Others think that it is enough if a culture is described in written records from a later time. Most agree that the “first” dynasty was either the Xia or the Shang. The Xia did not leave a written record of themselves. A writer from a later time wrote about them and the time when they ruled. The Shang people did keep a written record of their own culture. Since they were the first Chinese to do so, many think they should be considered the first dynasty.
Which is the right way to measure the beginning of Chinese Dynasties? There is no right or wrong answer. Since most Chinese feel that the Xia were the first and it is their history being studied, the materials here are written with that viewpoint. Understanding both viewpoints will help you to understand differences you may see if you read another history book that says the Shang Dynasty began China’s dynastic period. Whichever titles we give the times, they are both an ancient and important of world history!
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* About These Documents
This collection of documents was developed in collaboration with MCPS and ___. They provide additional information and explanation of the political, economic, and social systems of each dynasty. Students and teachers may find them helpful when completing the Dynasty Project in the sixth grade Unit 3 guide The Impact of Economics in Ancient and Modern China. The additional readings are provided to also supplement student understand of the achievements of ancient China and their influence on other civilizations.
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