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Ancient China
A Time of Achievement – Lesson 4
The Han
Dynasty
206 BC Qin fell – civil war followed
Peasants, nobles, generals, officials
all fought for power
In Han state, Liu Bang claimed title
King of Han
202 BC -Liu Bang’s army gained
control of Qin lands
Liu Bang declared himself emperor –
named Han Gaozu = “High Ancestor”
The Han
Dynasty
Gaozu’s rule begins Han Dynasty
Lasted more than 400 years
(202 BC -AD 220)
Capital city – Chang’an (Xian)
Peasants liked Gaozu because came
from family of poor farmers – he
understood
G gave land and reduced taxes
The Han
Dynasty
Han emperors continued to unite China
Believed in strong government and allpowerful leader; HOWEVER, followed
some teaching of Confucius
(mixed Legalism and Confucianism)
Less rules that Shi Huangdi – depended
on people to obey rulers (filial piety
concept of Confucius)
Developed imperial bureaucratic state –
lasted 2000 years
Wu Di and
Civil
Service
141 BC – Wu Di was emperor “Warlike
Emperor”
Formed large armies to protect and
expand empire
Troops sent north to drive back invaders
By 101 BC, empire included western
China, Korea ancient Korea and
Vietnam
To pay for armies, new taxes set
Wu Di and
Civil
Service
Wu Di respected ideas of Confucius
Started university to teach Confucian
ideas
Made Confucianism official religion
Founded civil service = part of
bureaucracy that does day-to-day
running of government
Civil servants picked based on ability –
had to pass written test.
Wu Di and
Civil
Service
Civil Service benefits –
• educated people in government jobs
• those who did well raised their social
status
• Education became important in
China
Cultural
Achievements
200 BC – begins
• Success in war
• Economic success
• Education
Art flourished
• Major stone sculptures
• Skilled – painting land and people
• Silk weaving
• Pottery
Cultural
Achievements
Science
• Improved paper making
• First seismograph (to show location
and strength of earthquakes)
• Sundials and water clocks
Literature
• Poetry – still read today
• Sima Qian – wrote 1st history of
China
Silk Road and
Trade
139 BC Wu Di sent ambassador
(government representative) to western
Asia to find people to help fight
invaders
Learned about western Asia – eventually
Wu Di controlled lands and trade routes
Most-traveled trade routes became
known as Silk Road
• 4000 miles from Han capital to
Mediterranean Sea
• (now China connected to Europe)
Silk Road and
Trade
Chinese traders
• West with silk – traded for horses,
glass, spices, fruits, musical
instruments
• Those who got Chinese items traded
those for other things, SO items
traveled even farther
Ideas also spread (cultural diffusion)
• Buddhism came north to China from
India
Big Ideas
1. Han Dynasty
combined Legalism
and Confucianism.
2. Civil Service developed and education
gained importance.
3. With trade, China became less
isolated from the rest of the world.