Early Chinese Civilizations: From the Xia Dynasty to the Zhou State

Agriculture in early Chinese society began about 7000 B.C.E. in inland river valleys. It would be along the Yellow River in the north that the first settled agriculture would occur. By 5000 B.C.E., agriculture would move to along the Yangtze River towards the south with the primary crop being rice. The Chinese would make efficient use of the land and through the crops maintain a sufficient diet over thousands of years. Neolithic China would adopt many social traditions unique to their regions.

Just one example of the varied cultures developed was the Yangshao culture of painted pottery which commenced around 5000 B.C.E. in the middle region of Yellow River.

The first Chinese state was the Xia civilization (2183-1752 B.C.E.); a true milestone in the tale of Chinese civilization, it brought about the conclusion of the Primitive society and marked the commencement of the Class society. The dynasty of the Xia was the first governmental entity to follow dynastic succession; it hosted the reigns of seventeen emperors.

The Xia establishment was overthrown by the Shang dynasty by 1752 or 1766 B.C.E. The Shang originated from the western fringe of China to conquer the territory of the eastern Yellow River valley.

The Shang was ruled by a king; an authoritative figure who took an almost patriarchal role in presiding over his people. The Shang had a well-equipped army and was always willing to fight in times when it was needed. The class-based society of the Shang elevated nobles who owned land far above the farmers and laborers who worked the nobles, and the slaves (criminals or captured prisoners of war from rival armies).

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With the fading of the Shang dynasty, the Zhou state was born from the western fringe of China.

The Zhou came into power around 1122 B.C.E., conquering the land and the people. Consequently, by this time China had grown so overwhelmingly large that the Zhou found difficulty in the administration of their power; thus, in conjunction with their central government (which was terribly weak) they established regional leaders with considerable autonomy. The Zhou possessed control as far south as the Yangtze River; in their dynasty, the royal family ruled only the capital and surrounding areas, but nobles had control of private armies and each governed their own regions.

The Zhou justified their defeat of the Shang Dynasty with a theory they invented all their own called the “Mandate of Heaven.” Under this theory, they opined that rulers were supported by the gods when conditions were good, and that decaying kingdoms or failed kingdoms meant that the gods had withheld their power from the rulers. Thus, their victory over the Shang denoted that the gods were also against the Shang.