Download Growth of the Chinese Empire

Growth of the
Chinese Empire
Social Studies Chapter 12
Section 2
Expansion Under the Han Dynasty
Anticipatory Set
What would you do if you were the next
emperor to ruler China after the Qin
Dynasty was overthrown…
Which policies of the Qin Dynasty would
you keep? Which would you change?
Standards
H-SS 6.6.6 –
Detail the political contributions of the Han
Dynasty to the development of the imperial
bureaucratic state and the expansion of the
empire
H-SS 6.6.7 –
Cite the significance of the trans-Eurasian “silk
roads” in the period of the Han Dynasty and
Roman Empire and their locations
The Big Idea
The Han Dynasty built on
Shi Huangdi’s success to
create one of the most
successful dynasties in
Chinese history.
Key Terms
Liu Bang
(lee oo bahng)
Wudi
(woo dee)
Zhang Qian
(jahng chi ehn)
The Rise of the Han
 The
fighting that toppled the Qin
Dynasty lasted for several years
 In
206 B.C. a rebel named Liu Bang
gained control of China and
founded the Han Dynasty
The First Han Emperor

Unlike most Chinese rulers, the first Han
emperor came from a poor family

Liu Bang studied with Confucian scholars to
learn how to govern

The result was a government that continued
its efforts to standardize Chinese life, but also
followed Confucian teachings
The Emperor Wudi
 In
140 B.C. a 16 year old boy named Liu
Che became the sixth Han Emperor (later
known as Wudi)
 Ruled
for more than 50 years
 During
his reign he sent armies into
Vietnam, Manchuria, Korean
The Rise of the Han
Read The Rise of the Han on
pages 333 – 334 of your textbook
War Against the Xiongnu
 Wudi’s
most important military goal
was to destroy the nomads known
as the Xiongnu (or Huns)
 The
Great Wall was built to stop
Xiongnu’s raids, but it failed to keep
the nomadic warriors from the
region
War Against the Xiongnu
 Liu
Bang tried to end the Xiongnu threat
through diplomacy (the art of reaching
agreements between peoples and
nations)
 Wudi
declared war against the Xiongnu,
but fighting them was not easy
Zhang Qian’s Long Journey

During the conflict, the emperor questioned
captured nomads

Wudi sent an official named Zhang Qian to
see out the Yuezhi people

During his journey he learned that the enemy
Xiongnu troops had great war horses

Also learned about new lands: India, Persia,
and Mesopotamia
The “Silk Road”
 Zhang’s
travels into Central Asia took him
as far as present day Kazakhstan and
Afghanistan
 His
report led to the establishment of
China’s first trade route to the West
View the map of the Silk Road on page 339
of your textbook
War Against Xiongnu
Read the War Against Xiongnu
on pages 335 – 336 of your
textbook
The Imperial Bureaucratic State
Wudi
did more than expand
the Chinese Empire
He
helped build an imperial
bureaucracy to govern the
vast lands of China
The Structure of Government
Han
government
was organized
like a pyramid
Emperor and
chief advisors
Counties and
Provinces
Districts
Small towns and villages
Civil Service
 The
strength of the Han government lay in
its educated civil service

People who work for the government
 Included
 Wudi
more than 130,000 officials
created exams to find the best
people for the jobs
Civil Service

Officials had great power





Collected taxes
Organized labor
Enforced laws
Could force people to move
Were not allowed to serve in their home
districts

Helped keep them from favoring their family
and friends
The Imperial Bureaucratic State
Read The Imperial Bureaucratic
State on pages 336 – 337 of your
textbook
Check for Understanding
Which Dynasty came to power
after the Qin?
What was the significance of
Emperor Wudi sending Zhang
Qian on his journey?
Check for Understanding
Which Dynasty came to power after the Qin?
The Han Dynasty came to power after the Qin
Dynasty.
What was the significance of Emperor Wudi
sending Zhang Qian on his journey?
Zhang Qian’s journey gave him information
about Central Asia that led to the creation of
the trade route known as the “Silk Road.”
Modeling/Guided/Independent
Complete the Modeling, Guided
Practice, and Independent
Practice Sections of your China
12-2 Worksheet.