Download Han Emperors in China

202 BCE – CE 220
 China
is unified under Shi Huangdi
 He died in 210 BCE
 Son = weak ruler
 Government fell apart

Liu Bang
Destroys rival king’s
power
 Centralized government



Central authority controls
the running of the state
Hundreds of local officials
of provinces reported back
to the central government

Commanderies
Departs from Legalism
 Lowered taxes
 Softened harsh
punishments
 Brought peace and
stability to China

 Wife
of Liu Bang
 Liu Bang died in
195 BCE
 Empress Lu ruled

Young son had the
actual title of
“emperor”
 Died
in 180 BCE



Liu Bang’s great-grandson
Turned to Confucianism
Expanded empire to nearly
present-day China boundaries

Government encouraged
assimilation




Process of making these
conquered peoples part of Chinese
culture
Through farmers, schools, &
intermarriages
Upper class women gained an
education
60 million people to feed

Confucian scholars considered
agriculture & farmers the most
important & honored occupation
Complex Bureaucracy




Bureaucracy = strong administrative organization
Farmers owed part of their yearly crops to the government
Merchants paid taxes
Owed government a month’s worth of labor/military
service every year
Built roads, canals, & irrigation ditches
 Expanded the Great Wall


Civil service jobs


Government jobs that civilians obtained by taking exams
Set up schools & colleges to study Confucianism



Learn reverence, generosity, truthfulness, diligence, &
kindness
Took exams in history, law, literature, & Confucianism
Any male could take these exams & attend school

Wealthy landowners could afford to send their sons
 Paper

Could print books cheaper


Spreads education
Bureaucracy expands
 Collar

harness
Horses could pull heavy loads
 Two
bladed plow
 Wheelbarrow
 Watermills

Grinds grain
 China
to Rome
 Silk


Leading export of China
so valuable that China kept it a secret on how to
make silk

Monopoly
 Exclusive control over the production and
distribution of certain goods
 Gap

increased between rich & poor
Only lower classes had to pay taxes
 Political
& economic instability grew
 Confucian
scholar
 Takes control of Han
Dynasty

Ends the first half of
the Han Dynasty

Known as the Former
Han
 Minted
new money
to cover treasury
shortages
 Opened public
granaries to help
feed the poor
 CE
11
 Thousands dead
 Millions homeless
 Not enough food in the granaries to feed
millions
 Led to rebellions
 Han
Dynasty is re-established
 Sent soldiers & merchants to regain control
of posts along the Silk Road