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6th Grade UBD - Unit 7 - China's Reunification and Development

What were the
greatest
achievements of
the Tang and Song
dynasties?

Fall of the Han Dynasty- The lack of a strong emperor allowed
internal fighting to weaken the central government, making it
vulnerable.

A New Era of Imperial China- China was reunified under the Sui
and Tang dynasties. The achievements of that era were carried
into the Song dynasty.

The Return of Confucianism- Confucianism was restored to
official government use during the Sui, Tang, and Song dynasties.

Trade was an important
part of life during China’s
reunification and in
today’s modern world.
What are some things
that we get from China
today? (5 minutes)

Work with a neighbor
and compare your
answer with theirs.
What things are the
same and what things
are different?
(3 minutes)
Key Term
China- China is the
world’s most
populated nation. It
holds one-fifth of
Earth’s people. In total
area it is the fourth
largest nation, slightly
smaller than the
United States.


Larger than the United States
Climate varies
 North
▪ Temperate and cold
 South
▪ Subtropical
▪ Erosion
▪ Floods and droughts

Important rivers
 Hwang ho (Yellow River) – north
 Yangtze River – central China

Enclosed by high mountains, hot deserts, wide
oceans

The weakness of Emperor Xian allowed greedy court officials to take
power for themselves.

Power struggles between the officials, clans of the empress, and court
servants weakened China.

The ideals of Daoism spread throughout the Chinese peasants, inspiring
them to revolt.

Powerful warlords took control and divided China into the Three
Kingdoms.

The Wei and Jin dynasties attempted to reunify China, but they both
failed.

The Han Dynasty ruled China
from approximately 206 BCE–
220 CE.

Many historians view this era as
an important and prosperous
period in Chinese culture and
history.

Even today, the Chinese people
refer to themselves as “the
people of Han.”
Key Term
Han- China’s
predominant
ethnic group.
More than 90
percent of
Chinese today
are Han.

The last ruler of the Han Dynasty was
Emperor Xiandi, who reigned until 220
he had to give up the throne.

Under his reign, court officials became
corrupt and worked for their own gain
instead of the good of China.
Key Term
Dynasty- A
family of rulers
who rule over a
country for a
long period of
time.

Local military leaders
controlled small
regions of the Han
empire and civil wars
between regions were
common.
Key Term
Civil War- A
war between
citizens of the
same country.

With the central government
weakened, ambitious generals
and warlords took advantage of
the power vacuum to try to seize
control of China.

The result was constant, brutal
war that cost many thousands of
lives.

Over the next three centuries, three
kingdoms emerged as the most
powerful: the Wei, Wu, and Shu-Han.

These kingdoms competed for
dominance until the rise of the Jin
Dynasty in 265.

Painting, ceramic sculpture, and literature
reached a golden age in the Tang and Song
dynasties.

The Grand Canal made trade and travel easier
within China.

The Silk Road, which allowed trade with the
West, reached its peak during the Tang Dynasty.

Yet even under the Jin
Dynasty, China remained
unstable; it would not be
until the rise of the Sui
Dynasty in the 580s that
China would be unified at
last.

Emperor Wendi, the man who
would finally reunite China,
was not entirely Chinese.

He was also partly Mongolian,
the country to the north of
China.

Under the Sui Dynasty, the
government:
 repaired the Great Wall
 began construction on the Great
Canal
 stabilized the nation
 made social and economic
reforms

Confucian rituals were once
again used in government.

Laws, land distribution
systems, and taxes were
simplified and made more
fair.

A careful census, or counting of the
population, was taken to learn how
many people were living in China.

Networks of administrators who
would make local laws consistent
and fair were established.
Key Term
Census- The
procedure of
systematically
acquiring and
recording
information about
the members of a
given population.

The Sui Dynasty was also the
beginning of a golden age of art
and culture.

Many large and beautiful stone
Buddha statues throughout China
were constructed during the Sui
era.

The Sui Dynasty did
not last long.

In the year 618 the
Tang Dynasty arose
to take its place.

The Tang Dynasty established a
long-lasting stable central
government.

The government encouraged:
 economic growth and trade
 completing the Great Canal
 adopting foreign influences.
The Grand Canal, shown here in a photograph taken around 1904,
made transportation through China much easier.
Reading Handout- The Grand Canal

The Chinese made
important advances in
military technology.

Gunpowder was
discovered during the
Song Dynasty.

The Chinese were the first
to create/use fireworks.

The crossbow was another
important invention of the
Chinese.

A bow and arrow depended on
the strength of the bowman.

However, the crossbow could be
fired by using a trigger. This
made the weapon easier to use.
Video- The Crossbow

The Song Dynasty was a
time of inventions and
ideas.

During the Song Dynasty,
they began to make paper
money.

The money helped to make
currency, or money, the
same across the empire.

The arts during the Song Dynasty became less stiff and formal, and more
natural. Natural scenes, especially mountains, rivers, and flowers, were very
popular paintings during this time.

Huge statues of the Buddha were carved in China, Japan, and Korea.
Architectural styles, such as the famous curved pavilion roof, also date from
this period.

Porcelain, commonly called “china” in the West, and other ceramics were used
for everything from cookware and plates to decorative vases and detailed
figurines. Then, of course, there was silk. Luxurious silk fabric was one of
China’s most valuable products, and one of its most closely guarded secrets.
Architectural styles, such as the famous curved pavilion roof, also
date from the Song Dynasty.

There were also great new
scientific ideas during the
Song Dynasty.

One of the most important
was the first mechanical
clock. It was driven by water.

It would serve as the base for
future mechanical clocks.
Reading Handout- The Silk Road
Video- Story of the Silk Road
Key Term
Silk Road- A
system of
caravan tracts
that connected
ancient China
to civilizations
to the west.

Silk was China’s most
important export during the
Song Dynasty. It is strong,
soft, lightweight, and
radiant.

Silk has been thought of as
a luxury for centuries.

Silk was mainly used by
royalty.

The Silk Road
connected people and
cultures, allowing for
the exchange of goods
and ideas among many
civilizations of the
ancient world.

The Silk Road was not one
continuous road; rather, it
was a series of trade routes
that connected China both
directly and indirectly to
trade markets in South and
East Asia, the Middle East,
North Africa, and Europe.

For hundreds of years China
was the only country that
produced silk because the
process of making silk was a
carefully guarded secret.

Exporting silkworm eggs
was a crime.

After a while, silk
production spread
throughout Europe and the
Middle East.

China was no longer the
only country producing silk.

However, the high quality
and beauty of Chinese silk
still made it very popular.

Travelers along the Silk
Road were protected by the
Great Wall of China. It was
first built to keep out
invaders from the north.

Open trade with the west
brought great wealth and
new ideas to both regions.
Reading Handout-The Great Wall
Video- The Great Wall of China

In the 1200s, Italian explorer
Marco Polo visited China.

He brought Chinese culture
back to Europe.

Chinese ideas spread to the
West. This increased the
wealth and mixture of ideas
in Chinese culture.
Key Term
Marco Polo- An
Italian explorer who
visited China and
brought Chinese
culture back to
Europe.
Video- Marco Polo

Confucianism may be considered a religion, a
philosophy, an ethical way of life, or even a
tradition of learning. For more than 2,000 years,
it has permeated Chinese culture and thinking,
and it continues to do so today.

Neo-Confucianism helped to strengthen and
organize the government.

Among Confucianism
most basic teachings are
deep respect for
ancestors, parents, and
elders; the importance
of polite behavior; and
concern for other
humans.
Key Term
Confucianism- An
ethical and
philosophical
system developed
from the teachings
of the Chinese
philosopher
Confucius.

During the Han
Dynasty, the
Emperor Wudi
made Confucianism
the state philosophy
of China.

The Song Dynasty also
established NeoConfucianism, which
developed from a blend
of Confucian, Buddhist,
and Daoist influences, as
the state religion.

Under the Song Dynasty,
government positions
went to the qualified
individuals who passed a
civil service exam rather
than being passed down
through family lines.

In order to become a civil
servant, people had to take
tests.

The better they did on the
tests, the higher position
they could get in the
goverment.

The examinations were
very difficult.

Many people would study at the imperial university
or under tutors for years in order to pass the tests.

A lot of the tests covered the philosophy of
Confucius and required lots of memorization.

Other subjects included the military, mathematics,
geography, and calligraphy.