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Qin and Han
Dynasties
!I. Fall of the Zhou Dynasty
A. In 256 BC Qin forces defeated the
Zhou Dynasty
B. In 221 BC- Qin Shihuangdi became
king of Qin
.
II. Qin Dynasty
A. “Wang” meant king in Shang and
Zhou Dynasty
B. The Qin dynasty wanted a new word
for emperor
• Shi means first.
• Huangdi means emperor
• The first emperor was named Qin
Shihuangdi
• Emperors used “huangdi” until AD 1912
C. Qin Dynasty lasted for 15 years
(221-206 BC)
D. Qin kept great control over
territory by dividing the empire
into 36 provinces.
• In each province there were
smaller rulers
E. Legalism was applied during the
Qin dynasty
a. People were not allowed to
criticize the government
• Critics might have been
burned alive, boiled In pots,
or have their hands cut off
III. Emperor Qin’s Achievements
A. Emperor Qin unified China:
1.Created one type of currency $$ to be
used
2 Constructed roads and canals
3 Standardized weights and
measurements
4 Made taxes and laws the same
throughout the country
Qin Dynasty
IV. The Great Wall
A. Built to keep enemies (Xiongnu from
the north) out
B. Signaled invasions with flags or fire
C. 300,000 men worked on the wall– 30 feet high
– 25 feet wide at the base
– 15 feet wide at the top
D. Not a complete success:
– Thousands swarmed over or around wall
– Thousands of people died building it
The Great Wall
. V.Fall of the Qin Dynasty
A.Many thought Shihuangdi was a cruel
leader
B.Four years after the emperor died,
people overthrew his dynasty
C.The name “China” as we call it is from
the name of its first emperor Qin (or chin)
VI Han Dynasty
A. Liu Bang founded the Han Dynasty
B. He called himself Han Gaozu
meaning “Exalted Emperor of Han”
C. Han Gaozu threw out the harsh
rules of the Qin Dynasty but kept
the empire divided into provinces
Liu
Bang/Han
and counties
Gaozu
VII Han Wudi
A. After Han Gaozu ruled, Han Wudi- came
into power.
B. Wudi wanted smart people to work in the
government
C. He made the applicants take difficult
tests, and those with the highest scores
got the jobs.
D. These tests were called the civil service
examinations and were used for 2,000
years
E. Problem with the civil service exams:
– It favored the rich, because only
wealthy people could afford to educate
their sons for these tests
VIII Chinese Empire
A. Empire grew in size and population
A. Han armies gained land in the South and in
the West
B. made the country more secure, which led
China to remain at peace for 150 years.
B. New forms of Chinese literature and art
appeared
C. Confucianism became the official belief
system and was popular because the
government was stable which helped
strengthen family ties.
D. Han rulers adopted some Daoist
principles
A. They made fewer laws and fought fewer wars
Han Dynasty Inventions
Waterwheel
Rudder
Acupuncture
• Waterwheels- to grind grain
• Ironworkers invented steel
• Paper was invented to keep
government documents
• Doctors discovered certain foods that
prevented disease
– Herbs cured illnesses
– Pain was eased by sticking needles
into patient’s skin (acupuncture)
• Invented the rudder- these allowed
ships to sail into the wind, which led the
Chinese to new countries to trade
Han Dynasty
Silk Road
• Han Wudi sent out general, Zhang Qian to explore areas West
of China
• Zhang traveled for 13 years and found a kingdom where there
were large and strong horses.
• Wudi wanted these horses for his own army, so he
Silk
encouraged trade to get these horses.
• The Result: The Silk Road
– A 4,000 mile trade route from China to the Mediterranean
Sea
– brought China in contact with many civilizations in Asia,
India, and Egypt
– led to an exchange of many different goods and ideas
– Chinese made a lot of money by trading valuable products
like silk, spices, tea, and porcelain
Porcelain Bowl