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=== Traditional Chinese historiography===
=== Traditional Chinese historiography===
Traditional Chinese historiography has been studied by its people since ancient times. It begins in prehistory with the sage kings, and was used until the Republic of China period. Dr. Ken Hammond notes that in many places, this historiography has been proven correct thanks to archeological records found after the fact.<ref name=":0" />
Chinese history has been studied by its people since Ancient times, and forms the basis of the traditional Chinese historiography. Their history begins around the time of the sage kings, or sage emperors, figures of antiquity and prehistory (i.e. that predate writing). Thus historiography, which is the writing of history itself, has been going on in China for millennia. Dr. Ken Hammond notes that in many places, this historiography has been proven correct thanks to archeological records found after the fact.<ref name=":0" />


==== The ancient tribes====
==== Sage kings Yao and Shun====
According to traditional Chinese historiography, there were two important tribes in the Huanghe river valley. The first was Ji, which was led by the Yellow Emperor (Huang Di), and the second was Jiang, led by Yan Di. These two tribes formed an alliance.<ref name=":2">{{Citation|author=Bai Shouyi|year=2008|title=An Outline History of China|chapter=Chapter III: Myth and Legend|publisher=Foreign Languages Press|isbn=978-7-119-05296-0}}</ref>  
One of the first and notable king in traditional Chinese historiography is Yao (尧), who was the first to pass the throne down to a successor. Yao's own son was considered to be weak and decadent, and so Yao scoured his kingdom until he found Shun (帝舜) who had strong moral virtues and picked him as his successor.<ref name=":0" />


One of the Yellow Emperor's descendents and leaders of this alliance was Yao (尧). Yao's own son was considered to be weak and decadent, and so Yao scoured his kingdom until he found Shun (帝舜) who had strong moral virtues and picked him as his successor.<ref name=":0" />
The story of king Yao is an interesting contrast to the practices of succession in later ruling dynasties in China, where succession was kept to a single family. According to Dr. Ken Hammond, this story is important in Chinese historiography because it highlights a quality, that of having a strong moral character, that was considered important throughout Chinese history.<ref name=":0" />


The story of king Yao is an interesting contrast to the practices of succession in later ruling dynasties in China, where succession was kept to a single family. According to Dr. Ken Hammond, this story is important in Chinese historiography because it highlights a quality, that of having a strong moral character, that was considered important throughout Chinese history.<ref name=":0" /> This story would also found the premises for the [[Mandate of Heaven|mandate of heaven]] (''Tiānmìng'', 天命, literally Heaven's command).<ref name=":0" />
This story, as well as the virtue of morals, would later found the premises for the [[Mandate of Heaven]] (''Tiānmìng'', 天命, literally Heaven's command) in China.<ref name=":0" />


===Early societies===
===Early societies===
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===Writing===
===Writing===
One key element that made this first Chinese society influential was through a system of writing, which their neighbors did not possess. Archeological evidence shows that writing developed fairly quickly.<ref name=":0" />
One key element that made this first Chinese society define themselves as civilized (as opposed to what they defined as their barbarian neighbors) was a system of writing, which their neighbors did not possess. There is not much transitional evidence to the emergence of writing in China. That is to say, archeological evidence shows that once writing appears in China, it showed up as a fairly fully developed system, suggesting that writing appeared fairly quickly.<ref name=":0" />


===Mass migration===
===Mass migration===
Around 2500 to 2000 years ago, expansion of Chinese civilisation caused neighboring peoples, particularly in the South, to be either displaced or assimilated. The Vietnamese and Thai people, for example, formerly lived in southern China and were displaced as part of this expansion to the South.<ref name=":1" />
As Chinese civilisation expanded, neighboring peoples, particularly in the South, were either displaced or assimilated. The Vietnamese and Thai people, for example, formerly lived in southern China and were displaced as part of this expansion to the South.<ref name=":1" />


What are today called the "hill tribe communities" are descendents of those forced west on higher elevation. Today, they constitute around 5% of the population of China. <ref name=":1" />
Some of these populations were forced further west, on higher elevation, and have remained there since then. Today, they are generally called hill tribe communities, and many of these groups retain distinctive identities in China: they retain their own language, their own cultural practice, and their own religion. Today, they constitute around 5% of the population of China. There are 54 officially recognized ethnic minorities in China.<ref name=":1" />


There are 55 officially recognized ethnic minorities in China.<ref name=":1" />
This process happened around 2500 to 2000 years ago.<ref name=":1" />


== The first slave states==
== The first slave states==
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===The Xia dynasty===
===The Xia dynasty===
Traditional Chinese historiography considers the Xia (''Xià Cháo,'' 夏朝) to be the first dynasty in Chinese history, however they did not leave any written records.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":1">{{Citation|author=Dr. Ken Hammond|year=2004|title=From Yao to Mao: 5000 years of Chinese history|chapter=Lecture 2: The first dynasties|publisher=The Teaching Company}}</ref> Most of their records came from the subsequent Shang dynasty, who shared many consistent features with the Xia.<ref name=":1" /> Some scholars believe that the Erlitou civilization along the Yellow River was the site of the original Xia dynasty.<ref>Allan, Sarah (2007). "Erlitou and the Formation of Chinese Civilization: Toward a New Paradigm". ''The Journal of Asian Studies''. '''66''' (2): 461–496. doi:10.1017/S002191180700054X. S2CID 162264919.  
According to Dr. Hammond, traditional Chinese historiography considers the Xia (''Xià Cháo,'' 夏朝) to be the first dynasty in Chinese history. The Xia however did not leave any written records, but did leave a clear demarcation to prior forms of societies before them.<ref name=":1">{{Citation|author=Dr. Ken Hammond|year=2004|title=From Yao to Mao: 5000 years of Chinese history|chapter=Lecture 2: The first dynasties|publisher=The Teaching Company}}</ref> Interestingly enough, some scholars believe that the Erlitou civilization along the Yellow River was the site of the original Xia dynasty.<ref>Allan, Sarah (2007). "Erlitou and the Formation of Chinese Civilization: Toward a New Paradigm". ''The Journal of Asian Studies''. '''66''' (2): 461–496. doi:10.1017/S002191180700054X. S2CID 162264919.  


pp 489 - 490</ref>
pp 489 - 490</ref>
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Dr. Hammond theorizes that this emergent class of leaders solidified their power by performing rituals for the populace. The Xia's ancestors performed [[totemism]], a practice in which animal spirits are associated with particular tribal or clan families. In the Xia dynasty, the worship of totems of one particular family was transformed into a royal ancestral cult. In other words, not only the spirits of animals, but the spirits of the ancestors of the present day rulers came to be seen as divine powers. This further solidified the power of the royal family and laid the foundation for [[Monarchism|monarchy]] in Chinese society.<ref name=":1" />
Dr. Hammond theorizes that this emergent class of leaders solidified their power by performing rituals for the populace. The Xia's ancestors performed [[totemism]], a practice in which animal spirits are associated with particular tribal or clan families. In the Xia dynasty, the worship of totems of one particular family was transformed into a royal ancestral cult. In other words, not only the spirits of animals, but the spirits of the ancestors of the present day rulers came to be seen as divine powers. This further solidified the power of the royal family and laid the foundation for [[Monarchism|monarchy]] in Chinese society.<ref name=":1" />
The Xia civilisation ultimately did not leave many details as to their way of life, and most of their records came from the subsequent Shang dynasty, who shared many consistent features with the Xia.<ref name=":1" />


===The Shang dynasty===
===The Shang dynasty===
The Shang dynasty (''Shāng Cháo,'' 商朝), named after the royal family, begins around 1500 BCE. Traditional Chinese historiography places the Shang dynasty at 1766 BC, but modern archeological investigations cannot confirm this date.<ref name=":1" />
The Shang dynasty (''Shāng Cháo,'' 商朝), named after the royal family, begins around 1500 BCE. Dr. Hammond notes that traditional Chinese historiography uses a very elaborate and precise chronology which would place the Shang dynasty at 1766 BC, but that modern archeological investigations cannot confirm this date, and so the actual date of their foundation remains vague.<ref name=":1" />


==== Oracle bones divination ====
==== Oracle bones divination ====
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