Download The Han Dynasty

China’s Qin and Han Dynasties
Key terms
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Mandate of Heaven
Central Government
The Han Dynasty
Civil Service Examination
Silk Road
Cultural Diffusion
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Mandate of Heaven
• The Mandate of Heaven was the Chinese
belief that the gods picked the emperor to
rule but the gods could also remove a bad
emperor from power.
• The Mandate of Heaven can be viewed as
the right to rule.
• The ruler kept the Mandate of Heaven for
as long as he ruled effectively.
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The Qin Dynasty
• Using the Mandate of Heaven, in 221
B.C., the Qin dynasty emerged.
• The Qin dynasty established a strong
central government or a strong
government that controlled all of China’s
local rulers.
• The Qin ruler was the first Chinese ruler to
call himself emperor.
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Shi Huang-Ti was the first Chinese
emperor. He united China under one
ruler.
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Centralization and Legalism
• Shi Huang-Ti was a harsh but strong ruler.
• He introduced a uniform system of writing.
• He introduced and followed Legalism- the philosophy
that only a powerful and efficient government could
maintain control over an empire- this philosophy rejects
Confucianism
• He ordered the execution of people who disagreed with
him.
• The Chinese were forced to obey his rules.
During Qin China,
the Chinese began
building the Great
Wall of China.
The Great Wall of
China was built to
protect China from
nomadic invaders.
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Questions for Reflection:
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Define the Mandate of Heaven.
Who was Shi Huang-Ti?
What is legalism?
Why did the Chinese build the Great Wall
of China?
• What are characteristics of a strong
central government?
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The Han Dynasty
• The Han dynasty started by Lui Bang
unified China for over four hundred years.
• Han emperors ruled China from 206 B.C.
to 220 A.D.
• The Han dynasty is frequently compared
to the Roman Empire because of its length
and relative peace- Pax Sinica and Pax
Romana
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Han emperors expanded China’s borders
and increased trade.
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Confucianism
• During the Han dynasty, Confucianism
became the official philosophy of China.
• Confucianism stressed the importance of
individuals knowing and doing what was
expected of them.
• Confucius taught that social order led to
peace and harmony in society.
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Civil Service Examination
• During the Han dynasty, a civil service
examination based on Confucianism was
established.
• In order to work in the Chinese government, a
man had to pass an examination on Chinese
history and Confucianism.
• Only scholars could work in the government.
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To work for the
government, a
Chinese man had
to pass a difficult
examination. By
establishing a
civil service
examination,
education was
emphasized.
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Overland Trade
• During the Han dynasty, merchants
established overland trade routes to other
centers of civilization.
• The Silk Road went through Central Asia
to the Middle East.
• The Silk Road was a famous Chinese
trading route.
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The Silk Road
Cultural Diffusion
• Cultural diffusion is the exchange of
cultural ideas and/or objects.
• The Silk Road encouraged cultural
diffusion.
• Chinese ideas and objects were
introduced to other cultures.
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The Chinese invented the compass and
many other wonderful objects.
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Chinese contact
with India led to
the introduction
of Buddhism in
China.
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Questions for Reflection:
• Why is the Han dynasty frequently
compared to the Roman Empire?
• Why did Han emperors establish a civil
service examination?
• What philosophy became the official
philosophy of China during the Han
dynasty?
• Why did the Silk Road increase cultural
diffusion?
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