Shi Huangdi One Bad Dude…

“First Emperor” Centralized power with the help of Legalist advisors Followed teachings of Hanfeizi who thought, “the nature of man is evil, his goodness is acquired Greed is motive for most actions Only way to achieve order was to pass strict laws and impose harsh punishments

Complete Authority Tortured, enslaved, and killed those who opposed him Ordered widespread book burnings Forced individuals to work on government projects Divided China into 36 military districts

Changes Created a system of standard weights and measures Created uniformity in Chinese writing Repaired roads and canals to improve transportation

Great Wall of China Most remarkable and costly achievement Ordered the walls of individual feudal states joined together 25 feet high topped with a brick road Hundreds of thousands worked on the project Many died Important symbol

Emperor Wudi

Most famous Han Emperor Strengthened the government and economy Hired Confucian scholars Improved canals and roads

Expansionism expanding a country’s territory by increasing the amount of land under Chinese rule Added lands in Manchuria, Korea, northern Vietnam, Tibet, and Central Asia

The Silk Road

Network of trade routes Stretched for 4,000 miles, linking China to the Middle East Goods were moved in stages from one trader to another

Civil Service System officials in the government should win their positions by merit, rather than family ties Work your way up Confucian teachings about the superiority of men prevented women from taking the civil service exam, so women were excluded from government jobs

Han Empire Overthrown Warlords  local military rulers began to take over Heavy taxes and debt made the peasants revolt

Achievements of Han Golden Age

Acupuncture Acupuncture  doctors insert needles into the skin at specific points to relieve pain or treat various illnesses Discovered how to make paper out of wood pulp Used to think that comets and eclipses showed heaven’s anger, were able to prove this wrong

Ban Zhao

First known woman Chinese historian Wrote Lessons for Women Carefully spells out the proper behavior for women and men Favored equal education for boys and girls, but stressed that women should be obedient, respectful, and submissive