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AP World History:
Han Dynasty notes-
Berit Johnson, Ahona Ghani
Cecilia Prussa and Halle Swann
Han Dynasty 206 BC- AD 220
- Western or Former Han 206 BC- AD 9
- Eastern or Later Han AD 25- 220
- AD 9- 25 a usurper Wang Mang occupied the throne for a brief period
called the Hsin Dynasty.
 Emerged after the civil war that resulted from the death of the Qin Dynasty
emperor Shi Huangdi in 210 BC.
- Maintained borders that had been established by the Qin Dynasty and expanded
China’s territory too much of what is modern China.
- The capital of the Western Han dynasty was Charigan, rivaled Rome as
one of the most powerful cities of the time.
- Expanded its power through a large part of Asia, including Vietnam,
Korea, and some of Central Asia.
 The founder of the Han Dynasty was Liu Bang, later called Gao Zu, reigned during
202- 195 BC.
- Allowed regional parts of the empire to be run by various feudral lords
who reported to the central government
- Population and economy grew
 Successor to Gao Zu was Wudi, who reigned 141- 87 BC.
- Centralized the government of the entire kingdom.
- Expanded territory into Korea and Vietnam.
- Instituted the Chinese civil service bureaucracy, creating a national
university system to train public officials
- His government placed tight controls on the merchant class, controlling
food prices and trade.
 During the Later Han dynasty restored the government of the earlier rulers but with
less success.
- Great families cam to control the government and much of the society;
powerful families who controlled peasant villages and kept the wealth within
their families.
- Ample contact with the outside world.
- Inventions from that time include paper, astronomical instruments, and an
early form of the seismograph.
- Rise of Taoism and Buddhism
- Taoism’s popularity contributed to rebellions; such as the
Yellow Turbans in eastern China and the Five Pecks of Rick
Band in Sichuan.
- Army generals who were sent to put down these rebellions,
some set themselves up as warlords of their own territories.
AP World History:
Han Dynasty notes-
Berit Johnson, Ahona Ghani
Cecilia Prussa and Halle Swann
 The Royal- Court fell apart as various factions vied for power and schemed against
one another.
- By AD 220 the Han Dynasty had fallen apart.
Impact of Technology and Dem.:
 Schools were founded and academic pursuits were encouraged.
 The most important inventions created were paper, water clocks, and an earthquake
detection device.
 Other technology includes roads, bridges, canals, and dikes.
 They also improved painting, bronze work, silk weaving, and ceramics.
Qin Dynasty:
 First unified Chinese Empire.
 They were advanced in the military and used technologies to defeat opponents in
battle.
 Qin leader, Shi Huangdi, appointed himself as emperor of China.
 Formed legalist form of government in China. Took away powers of nobles and
they had all power over people. Burning of books because they were forbidden.
 Was replaced by the Han Dynasty.
Shi Huangdi:
 First Qin emperor in the third century BC.
 Building program helped in the Great Wall of China. He built fine tombs of terra
cotta statues.
 Died in 207 BC and his tomb was constructed by 700 workers.
Lui Bang/ Emperor Gaozu:
 Bang was a persistent and methodical commander. Head of a new dynasty, Han,
which he named after his native land.
 Divided empire into administrative districts governed by officials.
 Xiongnu warriors besieged him. He managed to escape and then they followed a
policy of centralization. They absorbed land and received a legacy of tradition of
centralized imperial rule.
Social and Gender structure:
 Women were loyal and obedient
 Empress had no official status, only the mother of the heir to the throne
 Emperor could dismiss her and her children or divorce her.
-Upper Class:
-Emperor’s bodyguard, top- level administrator and imperial inspectors
AP World History:
Han Dynasty notes-
Berit Johnson, Ahona Ghani
Cecilia Prussa and Halle Swann
- Teachers, scholars, poets, historians, and large landowners were high in
status.
-Second Class:
-Farmers; an honorable profession, because of them, the entire society was
well fed.
-Craftspeople and artists- respected as productive members of society.
Artisans were able to move up in society by taking positions in the
bureaucracy (and administrative system based on standardized procedures, a
hierarchy of offices, and specialization of functions among experts)
-Traders, merchants, shopkeepers, bankers, and manufactures- not very high
esteem because they made their living not from their own labor, but from
that of others.
-Convicts- bottom class, worked in government owned industries, iron
factories.
-Small percentages of slaves- children of farmers were often sold into
slavery to pay debts, prisoners of war and border peoples.
Boys:
 Carried on responsibility after a father’s death.
 Taught value of education, completing school was a sign that a boy had reached
adulthood.
 Outward symbol of change- new name and switch to an adult hairstyle.
 If you were born into the upper class, your responsibilities were to serve in the
military, worship their families ancestors, become a husband, and obtain an official
position in the government.
Girls:
 Were not entitled to an education
 Were suppose to raise a family and serve husband quietly and obediently
 Considered an adult when they were ready to become a wife, usually around the
age of 13.
 Received new hairstyle, new name, and a dowry- a gift bestowed on a groom by
bride’s family, they could not inherit any property.
 Parents would arrange marriage- bride was expected to cry on her wedding day,
also tears of joy to join husband’s extended family.
 First responsibility was to worship husband’s ancestors the day after their wedding
day.
 Husband could send bride back to family if he was displeased.
Divorce:
 Men could divorce wife because of disobedience to his parents, infertility,
adultery, theft, disease, jealousy, or talking too much.
AP World History:
Han Dynasty notes-
Berit Johnson, Ahona Ghani
Cecilia Prussa and Halle Swann
 Women had no grounds for divorce.
 Husband could not abandon a woman if she had no family to return to.
Children:
 Honored parents, especially their father.
 It was disrespectful for a child to lean, rest, or blow his nose while in the same
room with their father.
 This remained true even when the child was an adult.
The philosophy states the three preeminent values are love, respect and obligation to
parents.
Honor is found in the duty, which together, with a strong education, results in moral
behavior.