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China’s History
Shang Dynasty
1700-1050 BCE
Huang He River
Oracle Bones
Zhou
1029-258
Mandate of Heaven
The Zhou justified
taking over from the
Shang by saying that
they had lost divine
approval to rule
Zhou Dynasty
1029-258 BCE
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Leaders/Traits
Walled cities
Trade routes between
cities
Feudalism
Agriculture
Philosophy
• Daoism
– Laozi
– 500’s BCE
• Confucianism
– Mencius
– Chaotic government
– 522 BCE
What is Changing?
What is Staying the Same?
Qin Dynasty
221-202 BCE
Shi Huangdi
First Emperor
 Unifies China as one empire
 Ruthless—Totalitarian
 Legalism adopted
 Territorial Expansion 214 BCE
 Book burning-213 BCE
 WHY???
Why does one currency,
language, and
standards of weights
and measures help to
unify???
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Standardized weights and measures
Single money system
Uniform writing system
Postal system
Qin Continued
 Massive building projects
 Massive roads and canals made travel easier
 Great Wall
 Bankrupted China
 Farmers forced to work as part-time soldiers and builders
 Pottery Army-210 BCE
 Forced labor
 Agricultural
 Changed laws so that powerful lords didn’t get land
 End of Primogeniture
 Peasant farmers could own land
 Still attacked by Mongols from north
 Trade/merchants
What is Changing?
What is Staying the Same?
Qin Legacy
• Ruling family fell but
– Bureaucracy continued
– Empire continued
– Tradition of centralized imperial rule continued
Han Dynasty
202 BC-184 CE
Liu Bang
202-195 BCE
• Xiognu Confederation threatens from
north
• Commoner
– Founder of Han Dynasty
• Centralized government
• Education system
• Encouraged non-governmental people
to practice Confucianism and Daoism
WHY???
• Ends prohibition against books
• Combines Legalism and Confucianism
– Retains draft and forced labor for public
works
Qin Dynasty
Han Dynasty
Emperor Wudi [Wu-ti]
The Martial Emperor
140-87 BCE
Sixteen when he came to the throne
– Reigned for more than 50 years
• Two policies—centralization and expansion
• Beginnings of Chinese Civil Service-tests
• State monopolies on essential goods- salt, iron,
and liquor
• Foreign Wars=territorial expansion
• Imperial bureaucracy expanded and standardized
– Relies on Legalist principles
• Confucian=official philosophy
– Schools only taught Confucian thought
• Land Distribution—fiefdoms
• 138 BCE Wu Ti sent
diplomatic expedition to
Central Asia to try to find
allies against the Hsiung-nu.
• RESULT: Chinese leaders
became aware of other
nations and cultures to the
west -- India, Persia, and
somewhat of the Roman
Orient. Eventually, this would
lead to the Silk Road.
Expansion of the Empire
121-119 BCE: Hsiung-nu driven north of Gobi desert.
– Great Wall is extended to the Jade Gate.
– Colonists are sent to Kansu.
– Silk Road opens between China and the Parthian Empire.
• 108 BCE: Korea conquered
• 87 BCE: First general history of China written
• Papermaking
– 100 BCE
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Wheelbarrow
Foot stirrups
Acupuncture
Movable type
Horse collar
Two bladed plow
Later Han Dynasty: 25-220 CE
• c. 25: Buddhism introduced to China.
• 74-94: States of Turkistan submit to Chinese
authority.
• 89: Hsiung-Nu submit to Chinese authority.
• 166: Traders from the Roman Empire arrive in
Tonkin
Tonkin
Diplomatic Ties Begin
• Zhang Qian successively sent envoys to other
kingdoms including Parthia and India where they were
welcomed.
• When a Han envoy reached Parthia, its king sent
20,000 cavalrymen to welcome him on the eastern
frontier.
• At the same time, the kingdoms sent their own envoys
to Han. From then on, the diplomatic missions were
dispatched regularly along with commercial trading.
• The traffic on the Silk Road began to flourish as never
before.
The Silk Road
• Once the trade route was opened up, it benefited people
and governments from all sides.
• The Chinese imported horses, cattle, and furs and hides
from Central Asia, while the Central Asians obtained silk
from China.
• Cucumbers, walnuts, sesame, alfalfa and pomegranates
were introduced to China during the Han period as well
as grapes that served as a new material for the Chinese
to make wine.
Decline of Han
Internal
External
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Surplus wealth depleted
– Long borders
– Cost of defense staggering
– Agricultural colonies in central
Asia
– Borders overrun
Technology gap with neighbors
closing
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Epidemic diseases
– Decline in population
– Decline in economy
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Loss of trade
Oppression
Class divisions led to Peasant revolts
– Yellow Turbans [Late Han]
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Weak leaders
– Faction fighting at court
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Poor harvests
– famine
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Confiscation of land and increased
taxes to pay for defense and colonies
– Discouraged investment in trade and
manufacturing