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Ancient China
The Han Dynasty
Han Dynasty Government
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After the collapse of the Qin
Dynasty in 207 BC, there was a
period where several groups
battled for power. An army led by
Liu Bang would gain control and
begin the Han Dynasty. The Han
Dynasty would last for over 400
years.
The Rise of a New Dynasty
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The Mandate of Heaven made it
possible for Liu Bang to become
Emperor. A peasant, he was the
first common man to become
emperor. He earned the people’s
loyalty and trust and was well
liked by both soldiers and
peasants, which helped him keep
control.
The Rise of a New Dynasty
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Liu Bang’s rule was different than
that of the Qin and Legalism – he
wished to free people of harsh
government and lowered taxes for
farmers and made punishments
less severe. He gave large tracts of
land to his supporters.
The Rise of a New Dynasty
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He also changed the way
government worked. He set up a
structure that built upon the
foundation of the Qin. He also
relied on educated officials to help
him rule.
In 140 BC, Wudi became ruler and
wanted to make a strong central
government.
Wudi Creates a New Government
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He took land from the lords, raised
taxes and placed a supply of grain
under government control.
Confucianism became China’s
official philosophy. Government
officials were expected to conform
to Confucian ideas and Wudi
started a university to teach
Confucian ideas.
Wudi Creates a New Government
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Wudi started civil service exams to
fill government jobs. If you passed
the exam you could fill a position,
However, not everyone was
eligible to take the test. Only those
recommended could take the
exam and they came from wealthy
and influential families –
maintaining the elites control of
China.
Family Life
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Based on the Confucian system, people
were placed into four social classes. The
upper class was made up of the emperor
and his court. The second class, the
largest, was made up of the peasants.
Next were artisans or craftsmen and the
merchants made up the lowest class
because they did not produce anything,
just sold the goods others produced. The
military had no class, but was still
considered part of the government,
servants or slaves were the very bottom.
Lives of the Rich and Poor
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Classes only separated people into social
rank, it did not deal with wealth.
Example – peasants made up the second
class but were poor and on the lower
end, many merchants were rich.
People’s lifestyles mirrored their wealth.
The Emperor and his court lived in a
palace and less important officials had
multilevel houses. Many wealthy
families had estates with workers and
private armies to defend.
Lives of the Rich and Poor
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The wealthy filled their homes
with expensive paintings, pottery,
bronze lamps, and jade figures.
The rich would hire musicians to
play for entertainment. The tombs
of the wealthy were even filled
with expensive stuff. Their lives
were far different than the
majority of Han.
Lives of the Rich and Poor
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90% of the 60 million people that lived in Han China were peasants living in the
countryside. Peasants put in long, hard days in the millet fields or rice paddies. In winter,
they would work on building projects for the government. Heavy taxes and bad weather
forced many peasants to sell their lands and work for wealthy landowners. By the end of
the Hand Dynasty, only a few farmers were independent.
Lives of Rich and Poor
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Peasants lived simple lives. They
wore clothing made from local
fibers, and the main food they ate
was cooked grains such as barley.
Most lived in small villages. Their
small houses were wood framed
with walls made of mud or
stamped earth. All of their time
was devoted to work.
The Revival of the Family
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Confucian ideas on the family
were also at the forefront.
Children were taught from birth to
obey their elders – disobeying
them was a crime. Even emperors
were expected to respect their
parents. The father is the head of
the family and is to be obeyed by
wife and children.
The Revival of the Family
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Han officials believed that when
family was strong and obeyed the
father would in turn obey the
emperor. Strong family ties and
respect for elders made it possible
for some to gain government jobs
based on the respect they showed
their parents.
The Revival of the Family
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Children were encouraged to serve
their parents. They were expected
to honor dead parents with
ceremonies and all family
members were expected to take
care of family burial sites. Boys
were viewed much more highly
than girls – boys took the family
line and took care of parents,
Girls
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Girls would become part of a
husbands family. They could be
seen as another burden, just like
raising children monetarily and
functionally. Some women could
get a degree of power as they
could influence a sons family or
older widows could actually
become the head of the family.
Han Achievements: Art and Literature
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Han artists became experts in
figure painting. Portraits often
showed religious themes or
realistic scenes of everyday life.
The creations covered walls and
tombs. Han poets were also
popular. Fu style combined prose
and poetry to create long works.
Shi featured short lines of verse
that could be sung.
Han Achievements: Inventions and Advances
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The Han invented paper by grinding plant fibers to paste and then
drying in sheets. They would connect sheets and roll into scrolls.
The Han also came up with a sundial to track the motion of the
sun and time and seismograph which measures the strength of
earthquakes. They believed earthquakes were signs of future evil
events.
The Han also developed accupuncture, a practice of inserting
needles into the skin relieving pain or curing diseases.
And so …
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Exit: What was the greatest of Han achievements?
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Stay tuned next time for Han Contacts With Other Cultures