The cultures shifted from a primarily agrarian economic base to one that used metal as a means to craft practical and ritual objects. In addition to the ritual cauldrons that were emblematic of the Xia dynasty, other uses of advanced metallurgical techniques include the manufacturing of "jue," vessels used to hold a grain alcohol beverage commonly translated as "wine," (Class unit: 12). In fact, bronze objects were cast en masse during the Xia and Shang dynasties (Class unit: 12). Warfare over metals, especially tin and copper, transformed the balance of power in the region (Class unit: 12). Commoners were frequently conscripted for military service during the Shang dynasty ("The Evolution of Complex Societies in China,": 446). Bronze casting allowed Shang rulers to have access to advanced weaponry. Their bronze weapons, their centralized leadership, and their control over a large number of peasant soldiers enabled the Shang to become the…...

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References

Class Unit.

The Evolution of Complex Societies in China,"

Soon after, the Banker died as well, and the entire family fortune and responsibility fell on the Son.
With the passage of her husband, Mother was now no longer the head of the household, but she was confident nothing would change, after all her son loved her. When she came back from a vacation trip after a hot summer, she went into her room only to find that all of her possessions were missing. In a panic she ran to her Son's room and found him sitting on his desk.

Where are my things my beautiful son, where did you move them to?," she cried.

Why to grandmother's room of course," he diffidently stated.

What? To that dirty little shack, you cannot expect your mother to live their?!," she screamed.

Her son looked up at her and blinked his eyes. "Why are you so angry, I am treating you no better and no worse…...

Women Live in Ancient China
China is one of the world's oldest nations, being more than 4000 years old it shows no signs of decline. China has a rich history. It was ruled by several men and by various dynasties. Each ruler set standards for how the Chinese civilization was to be governed and every emperor and dynasty makes the history of China only more interesting.

The ancient Chinese society was predominantly male oriented. Women were considered to be unequal and inferior to men. Most women lived an oppressed life. Even women who belonged to rich and noble families could not always escape from the oppression; however, to an extent their lives were easier than the majority of the other females. (Waley)

The role of women in ancient China was defined by Confucius who was a philosopher, teacher and politician. He believed that women should spend most of their lives serving the men…...

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References:

Brown, M. A brief history of Chinese civilization. Cengage Learning.

Buckley, P. Chinese civilization: A sourcebook . Simon and Schuster.

Falkenhausen, L. Chinese society in the age of confucius. Cotsen Institute of Archaeology, University of California.

Harold, T. (2009). China: A history. Hackett Publishing.

Essay Topic Examples 1. The olitical Structure of Ancient Chinese Dynasties:
    This essay topic explores the intricacies of the political systems that were established during ancient China's dynastic periods. It analyzes the evolution of governance from the Shang Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty, focusing on the concepts of imperial authority, bureaucracy, the Mandate of Heaven, and civil service examinations.

2. hilosophies and Religions of Ancient China:
    This essay investigates the influence of Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism on ancient Chinese society. It examines how these belief systems shaped social norms, political ideologies, and cultural practices, as well as their lasting impact on contemporary China.

3. Innovations and Inventions of Ancient China:
    This essay delves into the groundbreaking contributions of ancient Chinese inventors and scientists. It discusses inventions such as the compass, gunpowder, papermaking, and printing technology, revealing how these innovations have shaped global development.

4. Art and Architecture in Ancient China:
    The essay explores the…...

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Primary Sources

\"The I Ching or Book of Changes.\" Translated by Richard Wilhelm, Princeton University Press, 1967.

\"Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji).\" By Sima Qian, Translated by Burton Watson, Columbia University Press, 1993.

\"The Art of War.\" By Sun Tzu, Translated by Samuel B. Griffith, Oxford University Press, 1963.

\"The Analects of Confucius.\" Translated by Arthur Waley, Vintage Books, 1989.

\"Tao Te Ching.\" By Laozi, Translated by D.C. Lau, Penguin Books, 1963.

We also know that they engaged in robust trade, both domestic and foreign and even over the Hindu Kush and into the Persian Gulf areas. Between 1800-1700 BC, though, most of the cities were abandoned, perhaps from environmental reasons (deforestation, etc.) and perhaps from invasion from Central Asia (Bentley, et.al., pp. 49-50).
By 3000 BCE, Ancient China had developed larger regional states and political/social units called dynasties. Each succeding dynasty took over more and more territory, which allowed for a similar development in Chinese culture. Chinese political orgaqnizations were complex, and based on both the family and socio-cultural unit. Because of the abundance of population working in agriculture, though, they also turned to technological innovations that increased their own power, but also tended to shield them from outside influences. Some of these inventions include: iron casting, the compass, gunpowder, geological mining techniques, mechanical clocks, row farming in agriculture, silk farming…...

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REFERENCES

Bently, J., et.al. Traditions and Encounters -- a Brief Global History. New York: McGraw Hill, 2010, Electronic.

The Sumerians of Mesopotamia were also the first to use iron, They recovered the metal from meteorites and used it for spear tips and ornaments. Later smelting techniques developed in the area to purify the iron, and these spread to Europe via trade routes. By the Middle Ages, large foundries existed for smelting and forging iron into the many things it was used for. Basic trade rules and organization also passed from the Sumerians to Europe; methods of keeping accounts and even early guilds and merchant groups were part of Sumer, and passed est with trade (Airmet).

orks Cited

Airmet. "The History of Iron orking." Accessed 26 July 2009. http://www.airmetmetalworks.com/iron-working-history.html

Hooker, Richard. "Ancient China: The Shang." Accessed 26 July 2009. http://www.wsu.edu/~dee/ANCCHINA/SHANG.htm

O'Connor, J.J. And E.F. Robertson. "Egyptian Numerals." Accessed 26 July 2009. http://www.gap-system.org/~history/HistTopics/Egyptian_numerals.html...

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Works Cited

Airmet. "The History of Iron Working." Accessed 26 July 2009.  http://www.airmetmetalworks.com/iron-working-history.html 

Hooker, Richard. "Ancient China: The Shang." Accessed 26 July 2009.  http://www.wsu.edu/~dee/ANCCHINA/SHANG.htm 

O'Connor, J.J. And E.F. Robertson. "Egyptian Numerals." Accessed 26 July 2009.  http://www.gap-system.org/~history/HistTopics/Egyptian_numerals.html

Fundamental and inherently subjective (and thus at least partially false) systems of though cannot be avoided, and in Western thought this basic system consists of these ultimately false binary oppositions. This makes an understanding of a science that could incorporate objective and subjective elements a logical contradiction to Western minds.

Sivin concedes that Chinese science is not exactly the same as Western science (though this is arguably not really true in the present era), but he doesn't really put this in terms of a concession. Advances in Chinese astronomy and mathematics were made at approximately the same time they were being made in Europe, he contends, but due to a long and unbroken working understanding of how the observable world and universe worked -- even if it was more flawed than Ptolemy had achieved -- these advances did not cause or warrant the type of Scientific Revolution experienced in the West.

Other…...

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Jacques Derrida (Alan Bass, trans.). Writing and Difference. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1980.

Sivin. (p. 102).

Fang Lizhi & Zhou Youyuan. Concepts of Space and Time in Ancient China and in Modern Cosmology. In Chinese studies in the history and philosophy of science and technology, F. Dainian & R. Cohen, eds. Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Kluwer Acaemic Publishers, 1996.

The holistic theory of health, "Therefore... looks for the signs of disharmony in the external and internal environment of a person in order to understand, treat and prevent illness and disease." (Traditional Chinese Medicine: NHS)
It is also important to note that the Chinese medical theory is closely linked to their ways of thinking or philosophy. This includes the theory of complementary opposites such Yin-yang, the Five Elements, the human body Meridian system and others. (Traditional Chinese medicine) the following quotation clearly shows the way in which Chinese medicine attempts cures and better health by looking at the overall situation of the individual. This is a very different approach to the conventional estern method focusing only on the central area of illness or concern.

Traditional Chinese medicine has a "macro" or holistic view of disease. For example, one modern interpretation is that well-balanced human bodies can resist most everyday bacteria and…...

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Works Cited

China. July 12, 2006.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China 

Chinese Art. July 13, 2006. http://library.thinkquest.org/26469/contributions/artintro.html

Chinese cuisine. July 13, 2006.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_cuisine 

Chinese Herbal Medicine. July 13, 2006. http://library.thinkquest.org/26469/contributions/harbalmedicine.html

(Kumar, 2004)
Colors were essential as a means of expression in art as well.

Explanation of laughter

Laughter is rarely allowed in public, a cordial smile being always preferable. This limitation is yet again a proof of the influence Buddhism had on the aesthetic values of the world. (Clasquin, 2001)

Conclusion

Buddhist religion, as one of the oldest in the world, represents the expression of the constant quest for the meaning of life and the overcoming of suffering.

The philosophical system it set in place, the artistic standards it established, along with the moral percepts it promoted, Buddhism is an important influence on the aesthetic values of modern civilizations.

eferences

Clasquin, M. (2001) eal Buddhas don't laugh: attitudes towards humor and laughter in ancient India and China. [electronic version] Social Identities, vol. 7, no. 1. University of South Africa. etrieved, March 28, 2007, at http://www.thezensite.com/ZenEssays/Philosophical/Buddhas_Dont_Laugh.pdf

Indianchild. (2000) Buddhism in India, ancient Buddhism in India, India and Buddhism. etrieved…...

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References

Clasquin, M. (2001) Real Buddhas don't laugh: attitudes towards humor and laughter in ancient India and China. [electronic version] Social Identities, vol. 7, no. 1. University of South Africa. Retrieved, March 28, 2007, at  http://www.thezensite.com/ZenEssays/Philosophical/Buddhas_Dont_Laugh.pdf 

Indianchild. (2000) Buddhism in India, ancient Buddhism in India, India and Buddhism. Retrieved March 28, 2007, at  http://www.indianchild.com/buddhism_in_india.htm 

Kumar, N. (2004) Love and Passion in Tantric Buddhist Art. Retrieved, March 28, 2007, at http://www.kheper.net/topics/Buddhism/tantra.html

Lefebure, L. (2001) Ultimate journey: retracing the path of an ancient buddhist munk who crossed asia in search of Enlightment- book review. Retrieved, March 28, 2007, at  http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1058/is_17_118/ai_75496693

Ancient Text ith Modern Text
Because written literature is capable of being transmitted from the person who wrote it across generations, it acquires the status of communal wisdom simply by being recorded. Yet there are limitations to the applicability of such stories, and to a certain degree wisdom consists in knowing that there are limitations to the theoretical knowledge one can acquire in this way, or human error can misinterpret the text. I would like to look at the way in which three texts -- one ancient (by Rumi) and two modern (by Siije and Soyinka) -- offer wisdom at the same time that they suggest limits to our own knowledge, and limits to the applicability of any such wisdom.

The poems of Rumi, by virtue of their age, seem almost to define the way by which wisdom can be transmitted in literature, but also can acknowledge its own limits. One particular…...

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Works Cited

Rumi, Jalal al-Din. The Essential Rumi: New Expanded Edition. Translated by Coleman Barks. New York: Harper-Collins, 2004.

Siije, Dai. Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress. New York: Anchor Books, 2001.

Soyinka, Wole. Death and the King's Horseman. New York: Norton, 2002.

power of China from the Shang Dynasty to the estern Han. There are eight references used for this paper.
China has seen a number of changes in terms of history and power over the years. It is interesting to examine the changing nature of the association as well as explore the relationship between history and political authority from the Shang Dynasty to the estern Han.

Political Power

China's history has been documented in a number of ancient writings.

Centuries of migration, amalgamation, and development brought about a distinctive system of writing, philosophy, art, and political organization that came to be recognized as Chinese civilization (Shinn, 1991)."

The fact that this civilization has continued over 4,000 years provides it with a unique position in world history.

Until the twentieth century, members of the ruling scholar-official class were responsible for documenting the history of China, which was "meant to provide the ruler with precedents to guide or…...

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Works Cited

Ancient Dynasties. (accessed 06 October, 2003) ).

Birdwhistell, Anne D. 1995. Medicine and history as theoretical tools in a Confucian

Pragmatism. Vol. 45, Philosophy East and West. 01 January. Pp. 1 (28).

HIGHLIGHTS OF CHINESE CULTURE AND HISTORY. (accessed 06 October, 2003) www.chinatown-online.com/cultureeye/highlights/bronze.htm).

hen the old Manchu dynasty failed to come up with ways to thwart the invading foreigners, a new nationalism was born in China. The old pastimes and rituals (p. 214) had allowed China to become soft. This awakening nationalism - partly a rejection of "foot binding, servant-girl bondage, prostitution, gambling," and opium smoking - was stoked not just by the colonial aggression, but by a spreading literacy (educational institutions were being built, the telegraph, newspapers, magazines and railway travel) and emerging awareness of their endangered culture. The last Manchu Emperor was put out of office on February 12, 1912, and hence a political system that had endured for 2,133 years, was out of commission.
Fairbank takes great pains to cover myriad events in China that led the country from ancient dynasties to new ideas and new leadership. The new order - the Kuomintang political party - came into power in…...

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Works Cited

Fairbank, John King. The United States and China. Cambridge, MASS: Harvard University Press, 1983.

Both Spartan men and women exercised together in the nude, and both were "encouraged to improve their intellectual skills" ("omen in Ancient Greece"). Being a woman in Sparta certainly ensured a greater sense of gender equality -- but that does not necessarily mean Sparta was the preferred residence of women in Greece. After all, Sparta did without a lot of the creature comforts that other city-states like Athens took for granted as essential to civilization. There is a reason the phrase "Spartan living" has come to be synonymous with the bare necessities.
As for variance in the social structure of the various states, democracy prevailed in Athens for a time (but so did tyranny and corruption as well). Thebes also had its monarchy and later on its heroic warrior citizens. Sparta had two kings who ruled simultaneously. But its social structure was also more slave-based than anywhere else. In fact,…...

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Works Cited

Haaren, John. Famous Men of Rome. NY: American Book Company, 1904.

Johnston, Sarah. Religions of the Ancient World. Harvard University Press, 2004.

Kyziridis, Theocharis. "Notes on the History of Schizophrenia." German Journal of Psychiatry, vol 8, 42-48, 2005.

Sikora, Jack. Religions of India. Lincoln, NE: Writer's Club Press, 2002.

The State has also established a string of both general and specific policies for improving and developing special education and set aside special funds for this purpose. Consequently, just like regular education, special education has also developed rapidly. Although local governments are encouraged to provide compulsory education to children with and without disabilities, the enacted policies do not necessitate that education be provided to all students.
Despite the fact that students with disabilities were earlier educated in special schools, China has adopted new channels of special education including the integration of disabled children into general education classes. Currently, the number of disabled children enrolled in schools has continued to experience a big increase since 1987. Although many articles in the laws formulated by the Chinese government call for the overall education of handicapped children, special education for children with autism or severe disabilities is not directly mentioned in these policies…...

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References:

Baker, M. (2007, November 17). China's Bid for World Domination. Retrieved April 11, 2010,

from  http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/7098561.stm 

Mu K, Yang H & Armfield A (n.d.). China's Special Education: A Comparative Analysis.

Retrieved April 11, 2010, from  http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICDocs/data/ericdocs2sql/content_storage_01/0000019b/80/13/16/25.pdf

This paradigm shift can best be understood by looking at a Chinese tradition dating back centuries. However, to understand modern China, we must also understand the basis for Chinese culture -- Confucianism. It was Confucianism, though, that dominated ancient Chinese history as a socio-religious philosophy. The trend towards philosophical underpinnings, too, was part of Ancient China's view of law, order, and state control. Confucianism is a Chinese ethical and philosophical system based on the teachings of Confucius. It is a system that focuses on social, moral, political, and philosophical through, and stresses the important of education and the actualization of the individual. In combination, individuals then are able to govern the state by morality and virtue, rather than extreme coercion or violence (Sprunger). Unlike many religions, Confucianism expects to be part of the political/legal process and governance is part of the expectations of service by the populace. A basic sense…...

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REFERENCES & WORKS CONSULTED

"1972 in Review." (January 1973). UPI.Com. Cited in:

 http://www.upi.com/Audio/Year_in_Review/Events-of-1972/1972-Election/12305688736666-2/#title 

China Country Profile. (October 2010). BBC News. Cited in:

 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/country_profiles/1287798.stm