Strong Rulers Unite China

Do Now U2D18  Do Now: Complete the “Philosophy and Religion in China” chart and questions  HW: Study for your Unit 2 Exam on Monday. (Review Sheet will be posted on the course website today)

A Basic definition  Feudalism: loosely organized system of government in which local lords governed their own lands but owed military service and other support to a greater king (Think kings with lords controlling land in the countryside)

Qin Dynasty BCE The story of the Qin Dynasty in China is one of harsh rule and ruthless social policy

Setting the scene  In China, in 221 BCE, a man named Zheng conquered the Zhou Dynasty  “…cracking his long whip, he drove the universe before him, swallowing up the eastern and western Zhou and overthrowing the feudal lords…”

Shi Huangdi

Zheng becomes Shi Huangdi  In 221 BCE, Zheng proclaims himself Shi Huangdi, “First Emperor”  Methods were brutal, but he ushered in China’s classical age  Historians call this classical because it set patterns in government, philosophy, religion, science, and the arts that served as the framework for later cultures in China

Shi Huangdi and Chinese Unity  Determined to end divisions that splintered the Zhou Dynasty  After conquering warring states, he employed Legalist advisors to create harsh rule in China  Emperor Shi Huangdi abolished feudalism  Replaced feudalism with 36 Military Districts and appointed local officials to report back to him  Sent spies to monitor the local officials  Required all noble families to live in the capital of Xianyang  Peasants received nobles land, but had to pay high taxes on the land

Question!  What is the benefit of having all the noble families move to the capital city with Shi Huangdi?

Unity continues  Shi Huangdi…  Standardized weights and measures  Created a standard currency with Qin coins  Created uniform Chinese writing  Workers repaired roads and canals for trade  Required cart axles to be the same width so that wheels could run in the same ruts on Chinese roads

Scales and standard currency

Crackdown on dissent  Shi Huangdi moved harshly against critics  Jailed, tortured, killed many who opposed his rule  Hardest hit were feudal lords and Confucian scholars who hated his law  Approved book burning of all philosophy books and all works of literature  Only books about medicine and agriculture were spared

Shi Huangdi’s most famous achievement  The Great Wall of China  In the past, feudal states had built walls for protection  Shi Huangdi ordered the feudal lord walls destroyed  New walls were to be built and connected  Hundreds of thousands of laborers worked on the wall  Estimated 500,000 people died building the wall  Wall is over 25 feet in many parts  Shi Huangdi wanted a wall that would unite China and move it from the “warring states” period

Collapse of the Qin Dynasty  Shi Huangdi thought his empire would last forever  Died in 210 BCE  Anger over heavy taxes and harsh policies caused revolts to explode all over China  An illiterate peasant leader, LIU BANG, defeated rival armies and created the HAN DYNASTY  Like others, Liu Bang claimed to have the MANDATE OF HEAVEN