Download Imperial China - Cloudfront.net

Imperial China
Geography
About the same size as the United States
Mountains and deserts cover the land
2 major rivers
Yellow River
Yangtze River
Climate goes from bitterly cold to hot and
humid
Civilization began around the Yellow River
and spread outward
Review from 6th Grade
Divided into periods ruled by dynasties
4 Dynasties:
Shang – Worshipped Ancestors
Zhou – Mandate from Heaven
Qin – First Magnificent Emperor – legalist
Han – Followed Confucius, lasted 400 years
Divided China
Han Dynast falls in 220AD due to
corrupt officials
China was broken into small separate
kingdoms
China reunites under the Tang Dynasty
Lasts for 300 years
Tang Dynasty 618-907 AD
Strengthened central government
Period of wealth and power
In order to control such a large country,
there had to be a lot of people working for
the government
Bureaucracy
Officials collected taxes, oversaw building
and irrigation projects, enforced laws, and
made sure the army had supplies
Tang Capital
Chang’an – Population 2 million
Designed in the shape of a square
Two Markets on either side of the city
Great trade city
Known for pottery
Horses and camels
Quickwrite
Government jobs often come with a lot
of power and are well paid. During
ancient times they were also very
corrupt.
How can governments make sure they
hire the best people for the positions?
Foreign Contact Under Tang
618-907 AD
Welcomed contact with foreigners
Trade along the Silk Road and from camel
caravans brought new ideas goods and
fashions to China
China Traded: Silk, paper, porcelain, iron and
jade
Received: Cotton, perfume, spices, and horses
New foods like peas and spinach were
introduced
Upper classes enjoyed the new wealth and
goods from foreign lands
Changing Attitudes
Toward the end of the Tang Dynasty
foreigners became less welcomed
Wealth of Buddhist monasteries made
people angry
they did not have to pay taxes and had lots of
money
Tang government takes over Buddhist
properties
Monks and nuns were forced to give up
their way of life
Temples and shrines were destroyed
Buddhist statues were melted down and
the metal given to the government
Exams?
Early on, emperors chose aristocrats
to fill high level jobs
Hired based on who your father was,
what family you married into, or
someone else’s recommendations
Civil Service Exams
Opened to everyone but…
Geared toward the wealthy who could
afford the books to study
Song Dynasty
Meritocracy –
Officials got jobs based on merit (or
ability)
Civil service exams were opened to
more people
State run schools and universities for
lower classes
Exams had questions about political and
social problems as well as essay and
poetry writing parts
Exams based on Confucianism
People should respect their elders
Elders should act kindly, wisely, and
honestly to set an example for those
below them
Only a small percentage passed the
exams
Had to move far away from their hometown so
they couldn’t play favorites
Didn’t have to pay taxes or be in the military
Mongols invade!
A group called Mongols from the
north captured the capital of China
Kublai Khan took the title of emperor
and his dynasty ruled for 100 years.
Ended civil exam program
Chose other Mongols and family
members to have government positions
Many Mongols couldn’t read and there
were not enough of them to fill the
positions
Foreign Contact Under Mongols
Developed and improved maritime
trade
From India: Pearls and diamonds
Encouraged cultural exchange
Set up rests stops along the Silk Road
every 20 miles
Christian missionaries increased but
made few converts
Persians brought advanced knowledge
in math, astronomy and medicine
Europeans learned about gunpowder
Continued
Foreign merchants were respected
and did not have to pay taxes
Received better treatments and fair
laws than the native Chinese
Native Chinese begin to resent
foreigners and Mongols
Work on the Great Wall stopped
No one left to keep out
Ming
Mongols make so many enemies of
the native Chinese that the people
rebel
Chinese set up their own government
called the Ming Dynasty
Rules for 300 years
Reestablish the exam system
Continued in the 17th century
Foreign Contact Under Ming
Believed China to be the oldest, largest,
most civilized, and most important country
in the world
Other nations should pay tribute because of this
Wanted to find many tributes
Sent explorers to show off China’s power and
collect gifts
Many tributaries
Had to submit to China
China provided military help and allowed trade
with them
Turning Inward
Fighting Mongol invasions
Wanted to protect Chinese from foreign
influences
Travel outside China Forbidden
Contact with foreigners had to be approved by
the government
Move back toward traditional values
Eventually the government became to stiff
to change and fell in 1644 after a rebellion