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Empires of China and India
Section 1
MAIN IDEA
The Qin and Han dynasties created strong centralized governments that unified
China and shaped Chinese civilization for thousands of years to follow.
Key Terms and People
Shi Huangdi “first emperor,” title the Qin ruler gave himself when he unified China
Legalism a political philosophy that taught that a powerful and efficient state was the
key to control and order
Liu Bang founder of the Han dynasty who defeated Qin forces in 206 BC
Wudi greatest Han ruler, brought the dynasty to new heights from 141 to 187 BC
civil service a system in which passing an exam is required to obtain government jobs
Xiongnu nomads who lived in the steppe, or grasslands, north of China and posed the
biggest military threat to the Han dynasty under Emperor Wudi
Taking Notes
As you read the summary, take notes in the graphic organizer like the one
below. Record the key people, events, and policies of each dynasty.
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Empires of China and India
Section 1
Section Summary
THE QIN DYNASTY
After the decline of the Zhou dynasty in the 300s BC,
local warlords battled for control of China. This was
known as the Warring States period. It ended in 221
BC when the state of Qin (CHIN) on China’s western
frontier defeated the other states and unified China.
The first ruler of the new Chinese empire took the
title Shi Huangdi (SHEE hwahng-dee), which means
“first emperor.” He boasted that the Qin dynasty
would last a very long time. He made some changes to
ensure that his predictions would come true. First, he
instituted a system of Legalism. This political
philosophy taught that a powerful and efficient state
was the key to control and order. Shi Huangdi led by
force, not virtuous example, as previous emperors
had. He believed people were bad by nature, and so
punishment for even minor crimes was severe. He also
made the government stronger by taking land from
powerful nobles and making them move to the capital,
where he could watch them. He seized and destroyed
the people’s weapons and split China into 36 districts.
These were controlled by officials who were loyal to
the emperor, not the noble families.
The Qin dynasty’s rule unified China. Shi Huangdi
standardized China’s laws, writing, coins, weights and
measures, and even the width of axles on carts
traveling its roads. He made improvements in
building, crop irrigation, transportation, and trade.
Peasants had to pay heavy taxes to fund these projects
and often were forced to work on them.
Shi Huangdi protected the new empire from
invaders, especially the fierce nomads who came from
the north to raid the frontier. The Qin army pushed out
these tribes along with others to the south. Then Shi
Huangdi had peasants work hard, for years, to connect
defensive walls already in place in the north. They
formed one Great Wall, which was later rebuilt and
extended to form the structure still found there today.
In the end, Shi Huangdi’s harsh policies were the
Qin dynasty’s downfall. After Shi Huangdi died in
210 BC, his dynasty quickly fell apart. In 206 BC a
Underline the ways in
which the Qin dynasty
united China.
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Empires of China and India
Section 1
rebel leader named Liu Bang (lee-OO-bang) defeated
the Qin forces and founded the Han dynasty.
THE HAN DYNASTY
The Han dynasty is one of the greatest in Chinese
history, ruling China for more than 400 years. Liu
Bang gained the support of the people by softening
many of Qin’s harsh Legalist policies and lowering
taxes. He gave large blocks of land to his supporters.
The government became more stable with the addition
of a large bureaucracy, or ranked body of officials.
After Liu Bang’s death in 195 BC, his young son
became king but his mother, Empress Lü, ruled in his
place until he was older. She worked to keep her
family’s power until her death, when a group of
officials and princes seized the throne and had the
whole Lü family killed. Such power struggles were a
common part of many later Chinese dynasties.
The greatest of the Han rulers was Wudi (WOOdee), who ruled from 141 to 187 BC. He promoted
economic growth by building new roads and canals to
make trade easier. To raise money, Wudi controlled
the nation’s salt, iron, and alcohol trades. To limit
threats to his rule, he took power and land from large
landowners, and placed limits on merchants so they
could not become too wealthy.
Wudi ran the government based on Confucian
values such as loyalty to the emperor. He established a
civil service system which made people pass a test in
order to get government jobs. This system was used
until 1912.
Because of his military successes, Wudi was called
the Martial Emperor. He defeated the Xiongnu (sheeUNG-noo), nomadic raiders who lived in the grasslands
north of China. Wudi expanded the Chinese empire to
the northeast, south, and west, and opened up
important trading routes with other civilizations.
Battles for power, weak rulers, instability, and high
taxes that caused debt and poverty for many peasants
eventually weakened the Han dynasty. In 184 a Daoist
sect called the Yellow Turbans rebelled. The central
government lost power to local warlords and nomads
destroyed the cities. The 350 years that followed are
called the Period of Division.
What strategies did Liu
Bang use to gain support
for his rule?
_______________________
_______________________
_______________________
How did Empress Lü gain
control of China?
_______________________
_______________________
Which of the Han dynasty
rulers established the civil
service system in China?
How long was the system
used?
_______________________
_______________________
Original content Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. Additions and changes to the original content are the responsibility of the instructor.
Full Survey Chapter 8
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