The Story of Chinese Civilization Roots

A river basin nurtured the early Chinese. Between 3000 and 1600 BC, the Huang He (Yellow River) plain sustained large communities of farmers who raised silkworms and spun silk thread and cloth, which they sent across the camel trails of Central Asia. They had and advanced society, but written records did not appear until the 16th century BC under the Shang dynasty. The Shang ruled over a number of kings of walled city-states. They co-operated to repulse the raiding northern nomads, who then dislodged other tribes, setting off a chain of migrations such as that of the Aryans into India.

The Chou, who displaced the Shang, continued the feudal organization. Under the Eastern Chou (770-256 BC), China advanced in political, economic, and social life. Chinese territory more than doubled to include south Manchuria and the Yangtze River Basin, with probably the highest population concentration in the world. The Chou used iron weapons, expanded irrigation, and built roads and canals to improved communication and commerce. An educated civil service replaced hereditary officials. The major strands of Chinese thought crystallized: Confucianism, Taoism, and Legalism.

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