Ch 15 sec 1

Political Aristocracy- wealthy landowners Meritocracy- rule by officials of proven merit

Imperial Rule Select family member-typically son to rule Govern based on Mandate from Heaven

Han Lost power due to corruption High taxes Forced labor Bandit raids Warlords fight each other Farmers fall farther into debt lost land and rebel Loss of mandate China falls apart to separate kingdoms

Sui Dynasty Creates new central gov’t Heavy taxes—loss of power

Tang Dynasty Unified China-wealth, power, and prosperity

Aristocracy Bureaucracy – Collected taxes, oversaw buildings and irrigation projects – Previous Civil Service Test Fill gov’t positions – Aristocrats get jobs based on who they are – Open to all? Tang Dynasty falls apart

Song Dynasty Meritocracy – Rule by official chosen by merit – Change civil service test Neo-Confucius—blend of Confusion, Buddhism and Daoism – Act appropriately – Kind to those below, respect those above – See pg 185

Civil Service Test Becomes a hard test Ensure against cheating Pass—move far away from home to work