Download Ancient China Chapter 4 Section 5

Ancient China
Chapter 4
Section 5
Qin Dynasty
• Established 221 B.C.
• Ruled by Shi Huangdi –
“The First Emperor”
• Centralized power with
the help of Legalist
advisers
• Was a harsh and brutal
Ruler
Shi Huangdi
• Abolished feudalism
• Forced nobles to live in
the capital with him
• To promote unity:
– Standardized weights
and measures
– Standardized Chinese
money
– Standardized Chinese
writing
Shi Huangdi
•He jailed,
tortured,
and killed
many who
opposed
his rule
•Thought
his empire
would last
forever
The Great Wall of China
Don’t Write: Early emperors had built walls
in the northern territories to protect their
nation against attack from outside forces.
These walls were spread across the
landscape, and not connected. Shi Huangdi
was an ambitious leader. He ordered his
people to connect the existing walls
together, and to expand them, eventually
covering a distance of over 4000 miles.
When Shi Huangdi dies
in 210 B.C. the Qin
dynasty almost
immediately collapses
Why were people
unhappy with Qin rule?
Han Dynasty
• 207 B.C.
• Liu Bang, a peasant, leads a rebellion
• He reduced taxes, eased harsh legalist laws
and hired Confucian-minded governors
• The Han Dynasty
would rule China for
the next 400 years.
• During this time
period they would be
one of the wealthiest
and most powerful
nations on Earth.
Wudi
• The most famous Han emperor
• Furthered economic growth by:
– Improving canals and roads
– Setting up granaries across the empire to
buy surplus grain and sell it when scarce
– Monopolized Iron and Salt
The Silk Road
• In order to make trade possible the Emperor Wudi
began to develop the Silk Road.
• Following this trade route merchants brought silk and
jade from China to the west, and glass, linen, new
foods, and gold from the West back into China.
Don’t Write: The silk road would become
instrumental in the development and expansion
of trade, and the accumulation of wealth in both
China and Rome
Civil Service Exams
• Han emperors adopted the idea that
government officials should win positions by
merit rather than through family background
• To find the most qualified officials, they set
up a system of Civil Service Exams
Civil Service Exams
• In theory, anyone could take the test.
• In reality, only those who could afford years
of study, such as the sons of a wealthy
landowner or official, could hope to succeed.
Civil Service Exams
• As dynasties would come and go, the Civil
Service Exam would remain, ensuring highly
trained, Confucian-style rulers for centuries.
Han Achievements
• Science
– Improved earlier calendars
– Created an early seismograph
– Wrote texts on
• Chemistry
• Botany
• Zoology
Han Achievements
• Medicine
– Diagnosed diseases
– Experimented with herbal
remedies
– Developed anesthetics
– Acupuncture : a medical
treatment where the
doctor inserts needles
under the skin at specific
points to relieve pain or
treat various illnesses
Han Achievements
• Technology
– Paper
– Improved ships (rudder to steer)
– Wheelbarrows
– Fishing reels
– Suspension bridges
Han Achievements
• The Arts
– Calligraphy: artistic writing
– Statues/carvings in Jade and Ivory
– Literature recorded in books
of paper