The Han Dynasty of China Chapter 7 Section 3

Han Dynasty Ruled China for over 400 years (202 B.C. - 220 A.D.) Rebuilt the Great Wall, institutionalized Confucianism and the Examination System, one of the longest Dynasties Broken into two halves – the Former and Later Han due to a coup (forced overthrow of government) by a Scholar Official named Wang Mang. Mang advocated LAND REFORM (give land to poor). In 9 A.D. he ruled China in an attempt to get rid of Corruption but Mang was assassinated in 23 A.D. and the Later Han Dynasty continued until in broke apart into 3 rival kingdoms in 220 A.D. After the Fall of the Han China would not be united again until the Sui Dynasty in 581 A.D.

Liu Bang First Emperor of the Han Dynasty. Came to power in 202 B.C. by defeating a rival general in battle. Established a centralized government – by having hundreds of local provincial officials called commanderies report to his central government. He won popular support (the people’s support) by softening harsh laws and lowering the high taxes of the previous dynasty (the Qin).

Empress Lu The first wife of Liu Bang. Her husband dies of an arrow wound in battle and she ruled as regent (or Empress Dowager) through her young sons. IMPORTANT B/C: she was a powerful woman in CHINA – very rare. Through powerful allies at court and her status as the mother of the next Emperor, she ruled all of Han China from 195 A.D. until her death in 180 B.C. her family was purged (executed) from the court.

Wu Di (Wudi) Great Grandson of Liu Bang. Ruled 141-87 B.C. The Martial Emperor - most well known for his military victories over the Xiongnu and expanding China’s territory through war. Started Confucian Schools and made Confucianism the mandatory subject for getting a government job.

Xiongnu A Nomadic people living on the Asian Steppe. Fierce Warriors known for the deadly archery skills on horseback. Would raid settled communities (Chinese Farmers) that bordered their grazing lands. One reason China build the Great Wall.

Bureaucracy The system of government offices, officials, and “bureaus” that carry out the daily tasks of running a country. (Ex: FBI= Federal Bureau of Investigation, CIA, NSA, IRS 

monopoly When a group has exclusive control over the production and distribution of certain goods. Examples from Han China: Silk, forging Iron, mining salt, brewing alcohol.

Civil Service The different levels of government jobs To get a government job in one of 18 different ranks your had to pass an EXAM. This Exam was called the Examination system and it had 3 levels – local, provincial, and imperial – there as an exam at each level. To pass the exam you had to memorize the teachings of Confucius, have great penmanship, and do score higher than anyone else. If you passed you became a Scholar Official.

Sima Qian The Grand Historian, the court historian of emperor Wu Di, lived from 145 – 85 B.C. Becomes Grand Historian for Emperor Wu Di in 110 B.C. He wrote a history of all the Chinese Dynasties from the beginning to Emperor Wu Di’s reign. Important Quote: “People with a common history share a link and are more unified.” Introduced the concept of the Dynastic Cycle.

Assimilation Making minority groups parts of the majority culture.

Scholar Official The powerful Gentry class of the Han dynasty and of every dynasty afterwards until the 20th century! Had to pass the Examination System to become a Scholar Official but once you did you had a job for life. a Government Official & a Scholar (educated) = Scholar Official Students studied for years to pass the exams, in some cases decades. To pass you had to score higher than anyone else and only enough people passed to fill job vacancies. Ex: if there were two jobs available then two people passed!

3. How did Wudi encourage learning? Wudi favored the selection of scholar officials for government jobs. He started a school that focused on the study of Confucian teachings. Confucian teachings, such as respect (filial piety), generosity, truthfulness, diligence, industriousness, benevolence, and kindness were the exact qualities that Wudi was looking for in his government officials (benevolence – rule by setting a good example).

4. What role did women play in Han society? China was Patriarchal and women’s roles were largely left to taking care of the family. Women had few rights and were often treated as property. BUT a women’s path to power was through her sons. Because of Filial Piety (respect for your parents) a son could not disrespect his mother and so a women needed to have sons. (Empress Lu ruled China for 15 years through her sons from 195-180 B.C.).

5. How did Han Chinese attempt to assimilate conquered peoples? Chinese farmers were sent to settle conquered areas and intermarry with the locals. Schools were set up to train locals in Confucian philosophy.

6. What problems were most responsible for weakening the Han Dynasty? Political: plots and power plays within the Royal family led to corruption in government. (Ex Empress Lu ruling in place of her young sons). Foreign Threats: The Xiongnu were always a threat so China had to raise taxes to pay for a large army for defense and rebuild the Great Wall. Economic - Gap between the Rich and Poor: there were not enough opportunities for the poor to better their situation, the poor lost their lands to the rich when they could not pay their taxes, rebellions were common.

7. How important were Confucian teachings in the lives of people of the Han Empire? Confucianism was a philosophy of how to live your life – so it would have affected every aspect of people’s lives during the Han Empire. Example: Filial Piety is one of the most important Confucian teachings. It means respect your parents and elders. In that time you gave up your own desires for what was best for the family. Since Marriages were arranged by the parents, love was not considered necessary, you often had to marry the person your parents arranged for you – there were very few exceptions.