Classical China: 221 B.C. – 220 A.D. – The Qin and Han Dynasties Chapter 6 Classical China: 221 B.C. – 220 A.D. – The Qin and Han Dynasties

Part 1: Schools of Thought In Ancient China: Why It’s Important Toward the end of the Zhou dynasty, three major schools of thought about the nature of human beings and the universe emerged in China— Confucianism, Daoism, and Legalism. Although Hindus and Buddhists focused on freeing the human soul from the cycle of rebirth, Chinese philosophers were more concerned about the material world and creating a stable society.

Lesson One – Schools of Thought in Ancient China The Zhou Dynasty ruled from 1122 to 256 B.C., the longest in Chinese history During the decline of the Zhou Dynasty, and the resulting chaos, one philosopher tried to restore order to society. Confucius – “The First Teacher”

Lesson One – Schools of Thought in Ancient China Confucianism A philosophy, not a religion The system of political and ethical ideas formulated by the Chinese philosopher Confucius toward the end of the Zhou Dynasty; it was intended to help restore order to a society that was in a state of confusion

Lesson One – Schools of Thought in Ancient China There are two central ideas to the Confucian view of the Dao (The Way, or The Path) Duty Humanity

Lesson One – Schools of Thought in Ancient China Duty meant that people needed to be subordinate to their own interests for the needs of the family and community People should also be governed by Five Constant Relations Parent and Child Parents should be loving, and children should revere their parents Husband and Wife Husbands should fulfill their duties and wives should be obedient Older Sibling and Younger Sibling Elder siblings should be kind and younger siblings respectful Older Friend and Younger Friend Older friend should be considerate and younger friend deferential Ruler and Subject Rulers should be benevolent, and subjects loyal

Lesson One – Schools of Thought in Ancient China Confucian concept of duty was based on work ethic. If each individual worked hard to fulfill their duties, then the affairs of society as a whole would prosper as well. Confucius also taught that all humans are basically good, and that the ruler should set a good example. Rulers should be compassionate Subjects would respect the ruler and society would prosper

Lesson One – Schools of Thought in Ancient China The second part of the Confucian view of the Dao was humanity To have compassion and empathy for others Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you

Lesson One – Schools of Thought in Ancient China Confucius also believed in rule by merit Jobs should be given to people of superior talent not only to people of noble birth Confucius’s ideas did not have much effect in his lifetime. They eventually became the guiding principles for the Chinese Empire and fundamental ideas of Eastern civilization.

Lesson One – Schools of Thought in Ancient China Daoism was a system of ideas developed by Laozi – “the Old Master”, who lived around the same time as Confucius Daoism is a philosophy, not a religion The chief ideas are discussed in the work called Tao Te Ching, or the Way of the Dao Followers do not concern themselves with the universe, but with proper forms of human behavior They believe in not interfering with the natural order of things – the way to follow the will of Heaven is not through action but inaction

Lesson One – Schools of Thought in Ancient China Legalism A philosophy, not a religion Taught that humans were evil by nature Followers were referred to as the “School of Law” They believed that only harsh laws and stiff punishments would make the common people serve their ruler They believed that people were incapable of being good. Therefore, the ruler did not have to show compassion for the people

Part 2: The Qin Dynasty After more than 200 years of civil war, order was restored to China when the first Qin emperor unified the Chinese world. Although his dynasty was short-lived, Qin Shihuangdi made many important changes to a unified China during his brief rule. The Han dynasty that followed lasted more than 400 years.

Lesson Two – The Qin Unify China As the Zhou Dynasty collapsed, the states of China went into a civil war over would be in control. Dynastic Cycle and the Mandate of Heaven

Dynastic Cycle and the Mandate of Heaven

Lesson Two – The Qin Unify China When the Zhou Dynasty collapsed, China was in complete disorder The Qin state defeated rival states and declared a new dynasty

Qin Shihuangdi – Domestic Affairs Ruler of the Qin Dynasty – His name translates to “the First Qin Emperor” He created a single monetary system He had a system of roads built throughout the Empire Power of other Chinese aristocrats was weakened when he divided their land up and gave it to peasants The other aristocrats were his rivals, so this helped make him stronger Peasants who received the land were now directly taxed by the state, creating revenue for a central government

Qin Shihuangdi – Foreign Affairs He sent his armies to extend the borders of his empire, going as far south as present day Vietnam. To supply his armies, he built the Grand Canal from the Chang Jiang River in Central China to the Guangzhou in Southern China

The Terracotta Army Qin Shihuangdi left behind an artistic legacy as well, another sign of a classical civilization In 1974 farmers discovered a pit in front of the Qin Emperor’s burial mound Inside there were more than 6,000 unique terracotta soldiers, chariots, and horses This terracotta army is believed to have recreated Qin’s imperial guard for the afterlife The elaborate nature of the art reflected the strong central power of the empire.

The First Great Wall of China The biggest threat to the Qin Dynasty was to the North. A nomadic people called the Xiongnu (Shyung Noo) They mastered the art of riding and fighting on horseback Several Chinese states constructed walls to keep them out Emperor Qin Shihuangdi strengthened and connected these walls. His project became known as the Great Wall of China Most of the walls he built were made of loose stone, sand, and piled rubble, and they disappeared long ago.

***Disclaimer: The wall that we know from films and photographs was not built until 1,500 years later.*** The Great Wall We Know Qin Dynasty Great Wall

Qin Dynasty - Politics The Qin Dynasty adopted legalism as the official ideology of the government. Those who opposed the regime were punished or executed Books that represented opposing ideas were burned

Qin burning books and burying scholars alive

Qin Dynasty - Politics The Qin created a highly centralized government with an effective bureaucracy Bureaucracy – An administrative organization that relies on nonelected officials and regular procedures Below the central government were two levels of administration Provinces Counties People in charge of these areas were appointed by the emperor. The positions were not inherited like they were in previous dynasties The Bureaucracy was divided into three divisions, Civil division Military division Censorate The Censorate included inspectors that checked on government officials to ensure they were doing their jobs Officials found guilty of wrong doing were executed This became the standard for future Chinese Dynasties

The End of the Qin Dynasty Qin Shihuangdi would be the only Qin Emperor Landed aristocrats and Confucian intellectuals, as well as the common people revolted against him He angered many Chinese by his harsh laws, censorship, and forced labor projects The emperor died in 210 B.C. Dynasty was overthrown four years later The fall of the Qin Dynasty was followed by a brief period of civil war The Han Dynasty followed the Qin Dynasty

The Han Dynasty Why It’s Important The fall of the Qin dynasty was followed by a period of civil war, but it did not last long. One of the greatest and most long-lasting dynasties in Chinese history—the Han dynasty— emerged in 202 B.C. The Han dynasty, and the Qin before it, made contributions to culture and technology that have endured to the present.

The Han Dynasty The Han Dynasty Founded by Liu Pang (Lyoo Bhang) Peasant origin Became known as Han Gaozu – the “Exalted Ruler of Han”

The Han Dynasty – Political Structure The first Han emperor did away with the harsh policies of the Qin Dynasty. Cruel and unusual punishment Legalistic approach to law enforcement Replaced them with Confucian principles Some of the efficient government practices of the Qin Dynasty were kept Division of the government into 3 parts Civil Military Censorate Kept the empire divided into provinces and counties Chose government officials based on merit instead of birth

The Han Dynasty – Political Structure Created the civil service examination to choose new government officials Established a school to train them Principles of Confucianism, Chinese history, and law Influenced Chinese civilizations for the next 2,000 years. The population of Han Dynasty grew rapidly and an efficient bureaucracy wo maintain order in the government.

The Han Dynasty – Political Structure Han Wudi (Martial Emperor of Han) expanded China’s borders Expanded China’s territory south of the Chang Jiang and west toward Central Asia His armies also pushed back the Xiongnu (Nomads to the North) After his death, China experienced almost 150 years of peace

Society in the Han Dynasty Although the Han Dynasty was generally considered prosperous, free peasants suffered Forced military service and forced labor (1 month per year) Average farm size was reduced even though the population was increasing Made it hard to produce enough food fro the family Aristocrats became powerful by seizing land from peasants Many people had to sell their land and become tenant farmers Had to pay rent to the landowner 50% of the annual harvest

Society in the Han Dynasty Increased the importance of the family in the Chinese system of life Supported by the ideas of Confucianism Basic economic unit Basic social unit for education and training in morals

Trade in the Han Dynasty The Han Dynasty was generally prosperous with trade and manufacturing Controlled by the government The Silk Road helped to expand trade

Han Dynasty – Technological Achievements New Technology added to the economic prosperity of Han China Textile Manufacturing – Cloth making Water mills Grinding grain (feed a growing population) Iron casting Led to the invention of steel Rudder and fore-and-aft rigging Ships could sail into the wind – Led to the expansion of trade Paper Steel Wheelbarrow

Han Dynasty – Cultural Achievements The works of Confucian schools were made it into classic literature, which became required reading for Chinese school children Introduced children to the forms of behavior they would need as adults Writing history became the chief literary effort

Fall of the Han Dynasty Weak rulers amused themselves with court life Government began to decline Corruption of government officials and the concentration of land in the hands of the wealthy caused peasant unrest Free farmers were forced to become tenants and peasants started revolting Population Decline At the height of the Han Dynasty in 2 A.D. the population was estimated at 60 million Two hundred years later, the population had declined to less than 20 million Hardships were inflicted on peasant farmers who grew food. People also died during uprisings and wars. Invasions from nomads continued from the North 190 A.D. – Rebel armies attack the capital city Final blow came in 220 A.D. when a general seized control He was unable to keep control and China again fell into civil war Invasions from the North continued The Han Dynasty achieved the lasting greatness of a classical civilization The next great Chinese dynasty would not arise for 400 years