Download The Qin and Han Dynasty - Levittown School District

Chinese
Philosophies
Confucianism
Daoism
Legalism
The Qin and Han Dynasty
Reference pages 240-248
Who was Qin Shihuangdi?
“The First Qin Emperor”
The rulers of
powerful local
states fought one
another and ignored
Zhou kings.
One of these states was
called Qin. Its ruler took
over states one by one
and declared himself Qin
Shihuangdi
A Powerful Ruler
• Qin based his rule on the ideas of
Legalism started by Hanfeizi.
• Consequences of disobedience~ Killed,
harshly punished, & books were burned if
they contained opposing views.
Hanfeizi: Legalism
How was China Unified?
Shihuangdi
unified China
Single system
of writing
Single system
of money
(currency)
Roads and Canals
were built
to connect the
empire
The Great Wall of China
• Northern China was bordered by the vast Gobi
desert.
• Nomads lived in the Gobi.
• The nomads were known as the Xiongnu
• Xiongnu were masters of fighting on horseback.
• Qin Shihuangdi forced farmers to leave their
fields and work on connecting and strengthening
walls.
• The result…
Not quite…this famous Great Wall was built 1,500 years
later, but Qin was responsible for parts of the wall and of
course the idea!
(1,500 miles long and ranges from 15-30 feet tall)
Why did the People Rebel?
• Many people viewed Qin Shihuangdi as a cruel,
harsh leader.
• Aristocrats were angry because he limited their
power.
• Scholars hated him for burning their writing.
• Farmers hated him for forcing them to build
roads and the Great Wall.
• Four years after Shihuangdi died, the people
overthrew his dynasty and a civil war
followed…a new dynasty arose!
The Han Dynasty
• Developments during the Han dynasty improved life for
all Chinese.
Liu Bang
Once a peasant, became a
military leader and
defeated his rivals. Declared
himself Han Gaozu ~”Exalted
Emperor of the Han.”
Used censors and divided the
empire into provinces and
counties.
What was the Civil Service?
• The Han reached its peak under the
leadership of Han Wudi, which means
“Martial Emperor of the Han.”
• He wanted talented people to fill
government posts, job seekers had to take
difficult tests to qualify for openings in the
bureaucracy.
Wudi’s Legacy
• Wudi’s tests became the civil service
examinations.
• This system lasted for 2,000 years.
• Favored rich because ….
• Students preparing for the test learned
law, history and the teachings of
Confucius.
• Only one in five passed.
The Chinese Empire Grows
• The population increased from 20 million
to about 60 million during Han Wudi’s rule.
• Because farmers had to divide their land
among more and more sons, by the
middle of the Han dynasty the average
farmer had only about one acre of land…
not enough to raise their family.
Tenant Farmers
• As a result, farm families had to sell their
land to aristocrats and work on the land.
• Tenant farmers paid rent in crops.
• China’s empire continued to grow in size
and secure their borders resulting in a
period of peace for almost 150 years.
An Era of Inventions
Water Wheel to grind more grain
Iron drill bits to mine more salt
Rudder to move the sail of ships
Paper
Medicine
• Doctors discovered certain foods
prevented disease.
• Used herbs to cure illnesses.
• Eased pain by sticking thin needle’s into
patient’s skin ~acupuncture.
The Silk Road
• The Silk Road carried Chinese goods as far as
Greece and Rome. Carried only high price goods
such as silk, spices, tea, and porcelain.
•
The Silk Road, or Silk Route, is a series of trade routes through regions
of the Asian continent mainly connecting Chang'an (today's Xi'an) in
China, with Asia Minor and the Mediterranean.
The Han
Dynasty
Falls
Han Emperors
after Wudi
were foolish
Aristocrats gained
more power
and land
Wars, rebellions
against emperor
As a result… Buddhist ideas helped people cope with the stress and
their fear during this state of disorder…
The Fall of the Han dynasty
• Unrest in China helped Buddhism Spread.
• Merchants and teachers brought
Buddhism from India to China.
• In time Buddhism became very popular
mostly because of the fall of the Han
dynasty.