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Classical China
What should we know about Classical China?
Ruled by the Qin & Han Dynasties
What should we already know about China?
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Lack of fertile land
Loess
Mandate of Heaven
Dynastic Cycle
Oracle Bones
Fireworks / explosives
Think: Mulan
Feudalism
 Chinese Dynasties:
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Shang
Zhou
Qin
Han
Tang
Song
Yuan
Ming
Qin Dynasty
 Qin family ruled China
from 221-206 BC
 Emperor Shi Huang-di
was the first emperor of
China.
 Used Legalism to Rule:
– Philosophy used by Shi
Huang-di to rule China
– Strict laws and harsh
punishments
– Executed opposition and
burned books to prevent
new ideas
Shi Huang-di (259-210 BC)
was a cruel ruler who readily
killed or banished those who
opposed him or his ideas.
Qin Dynasty
 Shi Huang-di standardized
Chinese writing, law,
currency, weights and
measures.
 He expanded the Chinese
empire, built a system of
roads and massive
fortifications and palaces.
 Shi Huangdi buried himself
with a life size, clay army.
This army was dubbed the
Terra Cotta Soldiers.
Great Wall: The emperor connected
and extended the old walls along the
north of China to prevent nomadic
invasions.
Han Dynasty
Founded by a peasant,
Liu Bang
Important Political Facts:
 Han family ruled 202 BC until
A.D. 220
 Adopted Confucian
principles, rather than
Legalism, to rule China.
 Civil Service System:
selected government officials
based on merit; schools were
set up to train government
officials;
Emperor Han Wudi expanded the
territories ruled by China.
The Chinese population increased to over
60 million under the reign of Han rulers.
This huge population required a strong
bureaucracy to meet the needs of the
people. Many farmers suffered because of
the lack of available farmland.
Han Dynasty–
Golden Age
 Contributions:
– Textile manufacturing
– Water mills = grain
– Iron casting
– Paper
– Rudders improved
shipping
– Confucian schools
– Architecture
– Silk Road = Cultural
Diffusion
– Silk
New technology added to the economic
prosperity of the Han era. Contributions
made during this time improved trade,
farming, and manufacturing.
Decline of the Han Dynasty
 Weak rulers
 Centralized
Government began to
decline
 Nobles controlled most
of land, limiting the
opportunities for small
farmers.
 Nomadic invasions
 Peasant Uprisings
 Corruption
 Civil Wars
Qin Dynasty vs. Han Dynasty
Venn
Diagram