The Unification of China

Many people worked to bring political and social stability to China during the chaotic years of the late Zhou dynasty and the Period of the Warring States.

Confucius: Kong Fuzi (551-479 B.C.E.) State of Lu Strong-willed Brilliant Scholar, Teacher Analects, disciples wrote down his teachings

Junzi=superior individuals Students studied Zhou lit. Values: Ren=attitude of kindness Li=sense of propriety Xiao=filial piety

Confucius: 5 Relationships Father and Son Subject and Ruler Husband and Wife Older and Younger Brother Friend and Friend

Disciples of Confucius: Mencius (372-289 B.C.E.)= traveled, political advise, humans are naturally good, ren Xunzi (298-238 B.C.E.)= served as a gov’t. administrator, human beings are naturally selfish, li

Daoism: Critics of Confucian activism Don’t waste time & energy on problems Reflection, introspection Harmony with nature

Laozi= founder (6th century B.C.E.) Daodejing= Classic of the Way and of Virtue Dao= the way of nature or the cosmos Dao does nothing, and yet it accomplishes everything

Wuwei= disengagement from the competitive exertions and active involvement in world affairs The less government, the better

Yin and Yang

Legalism: practical and ruthless expand and strengthen the state at all costs Shang Yang= minister to duke of Qin, despised and feared Han Feizi= essays, advisor of Qin court

Clear and strict laws Severe punishment Collective responsibility

Which school of thought would you choose?

Qin Dynasty 221-207 B.C.E.

The Qin state gave plots of land to farmers, weakening nobles’ power Established centralized, bureaucratic rule

At 13, Shihuangdi is “First Emperor” Doubled size of China Built roads, bridges and walls (Great Wall) Executed critics

Burned books Standardized laws, currencies, weights, measures Common script Shihuangdi’s tomb was elaborate underground palace Rebellion brought end of dynasty

Han Dynasty 206 B.C.E. -220 C.E.

Liu Bang: Methodical and persistent loyalty of troops restored order and became head of new dynasty Tried to rule somewhere in the middle of centralization and decentralization Ruled from Chang’an

Wudi: “Martial Emperor” centralization & expansion levied taxes imperial monopolies roads and canals imperial university with Confucianism as its curriculum

The Xiongnu: Nomads from steppes who spoke Turkish Great horsemen Maodun (210-174 B.C.E.) Han dynasty would pay tribute or arrange marriages Han Wudi invaded them

Social Order Patriarchal households Filial Piety Ban Zhao wrote Admonitions for Women

Economy and Technology Majority were cultivators Iron tips on plows at first then many iron tools under Han Iron suits for soldiers Sericulture, making of silk, leads to silk roads Invented paper (hemp, bark and textile fibers) By 9 C.E. population at 60 million

Difficulties Military expeditions caused economic strain Han Wudi raised taxes and took land from wealthy which hurt industry Huge gap between rich and poor Landholding fell in hands of few while others lost land and became tenant farmers or slaves

Reign of Wang Mang 6 C.E. a two-year-old boy came to throne, Wang Mang served as his regent. After urging, in 9 C.E. Wang Mang claimed throne for himself, Mandate of Heaven Reforms, “Socialist Emperor” Land redistribution Killed in 23 C.E. by the people

Later Han Dynasty Rulers back to centralized, strong control Yellow Turban Uprising: late second century C.E., example of rebellions due to unequal land distribution and gap between rich and poor Problems between factions in the imperial court led to end of Han dynasty by 220 C.E.