Download Sec. 4

Ch. ,
7 Section 4 - The Han Dynasty, p. 200
Main Ideas
1. Han dynasty government was based on the ideas of Confucius.
2. Family life was supported and strengthened in Han China
3. The Han made many achievements in art, literature, and learning.
Key Terms
sundial, p. 204 - an instrument that uses the position of shadows cast by the sun to tell
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the time of day.
seismograph, p. 204 - a device that measures the strength of an earthquake.
acupuncture, p. 205 - the practice of inserting fine needles through the skin at specific
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points to cure disease or relieve pain.
Han Dynasty Government p. 200
When did the Han Dynasty take over, - the Qin dynasty fell in 207 BC, and the Han
and how long did it last?
dynasty began a few years later, when the
leader of the Han army, Liu Bang, took control.
- dynasty lasted more than 400 years.
Who was Liu Bang?
- Liu Bang was the first commoner to become
emperor.
- he was well liked by both peasants and
soldiers, which helped him maintain control.
- He freed the people from Legalism.
- He lowered taxes, made punishments less
harsh, and gave out land to his supporters.
- relied on educated officials to help rule the
country.
Who was Emperor Wudi, and how
did he change China’s government?
- Emperor Wudi took the throne in 140 BC.
- He seized land from the nobles, raised taxes,
and placed the grain supply under government
control.
- Wudi made Confucianism the official
goverment philosophy.
- set up a university to teach Confucianism.
- People recommended for government service
could get good jobs if they passed an exam
based on Confucianism.
Family Life p. 202
Describe the social hierarchy under
the Han dynasty.
- society was divided into 4 classes
- upper class - the emperor, court and
scholars in gov’t.
- second class - peasants
- third class - artisans
- fourth class - merchants. They were the
lowest because they didn’t produce
anything.
- military was not a part of any class, but still
prestigious, and sort of a part of the gov’t.
How did wealth affect Han life?
- even though peasants were high up in the
social hierarchy, they were still poor.
- about 60 million people living in China during
the Han dynasty
- 90% were poor peasants who lived in
the country.
- Peasants worked hard, growing either
millet and wheat in the north, or rice in
the south.
- during the winter they worked on gov’t.
projects.
- rich people and important gov’t. officials lived in
multi-level houses, and big estates. They had
expensive lifestyles and lots of stuff. Some
even had private armies.
How did Confucianism affect life in
Han China?
- Confucianism was the official philosophy under
the Han government.
- the father was the absolute authority in each
family.
- gov’t. believed that if families were strong, and
people obeyed their fathers, they’d obey the
emperor.
- children were supposed to serve their parents
- people honored dead parents, and ancestors
with ceremonies and offerings.
- boys were valued more than girls, because
boys carried on the family line.
- girls became a part of their husbands’ families
- some women gained power, and sometimes
had influence over their families.
Han Achievements p. 204
What kinds of art and literature did
the Han develop?
- they became experts at figure painting, and
portraits of people.
- they also painted realistic scenes of everyday
life.
- Han China is known for its poetry.
- Developed two styles of poetry:
- Fu style used prose (regular writing)
and poetry to create long works
- Shi style used short lines of verse that
could be sung.
- Han writers also wrote books on history,
including a full history of the dynasties of
China.
What were the major inventions of
the Han dynasty?
- the Han invented paper. They ground plant
fibers into a paste, then dried them in sheets.
- books were many sheets pasted together,
then rolled into scrolls.
- they also invented the sundial, which was
used to tell time
- and the seismograph, which was used to
measure earthquakes.
- they developed the art of acupuncture,
which uses needles placed at pressure points
in the body to relieve pain.