CHAPTER 8: LESSON 1 An Emerging Empire

Years of Disorder Han Empire ■The Han Empire included an area that makes up only 1/3 of China  Divided by the Qing Ling Mountains into two regions, northern and southern China  Very little contact between the two regions: only traders, soldiers, or government officials were likely to travel from one to the other  Barbarian invasions and other problems finally brought an end to the Han Dynasty  For about 360 years after this, China was in a state of political disunity south  In south, large landowners controlled local affairs and kept private armies to defend their land  Many small farmers were forced to give up their land and work the landowners’ fields in exchange for food and protection  Southern China’s economy improved during this time, however- good harvests and a growing foreign market for silk helped the capital city, Nanjing north  In the north, nomads from the steppes invaded China and set up a series of short lived kingdoms  Descendants of these nomads eventually became fully integrated into northern Chinese culture and society

The Spread of Buddhism Confucius ■During the Han dynasty, most Chinese had been followers of Confucius Confucianism  In Confucianism, the roles of men and women were separated  Focused on respect for elders, completing duties to the family, and attaining virtue by studying the classics or serving the government Buddhism Buddha  After the fall of the Han dynasty, people turned to Buddhism, a system of thought and practice based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, or “Enlightened One”  Offered the promise of escape from suffering  Through meditation one could achieve enlightenment- a state of complete freedom and peace  Taught that life is a cycle of pleasure and sorrow, of death and rebirth and that suffering was a basic part of life brought on by paying too much attention to material things in life

The Reunification of China ■Yang Jian ■Yang Jian finally reunited the Chinese Empire 300 years after the Han Dynasty had ended  Seized power and declared himself emperor of northern China and then conquered the south  His title was Emperor Wen and the dynasty he founded is known as the Sui Dynasty  Followed ancient Chinese political practices  Accepted the traditional imperial gifts, but only after he had refused them three times, as tradition demanded  Organized public works projects Changan  Built a grand capital city at Changan  Oversaw the rebuilding of the Great Wall  Began work on the Grand Canal  Renewed the tradition of scholarship and founded colleges for the study of the classics

The Administrative System ■Created several departments for different government functions  Each department was divided into several smaller offices that performed specific duties  Officials were classified into nine ranks, where rank determined salary  Emperor ordered local government to sent three worthy men to the capital each year in which they were tested in literary ability, mastery of a single classic literary work, and the ability to take action in certain situations  To prevent officials from showing favoritism or gaining influence, emperor declared that officials could not serve in their home areas

Three Systems of Thought and Practice Buddhist ■Emperor Wen was a Buddhist and founded many temples and monasteries  Recognized that other Chinese systems of thought and practice could help to strengthen his dynasty Confucian  Emphasized the Confucian ideas of good conduct, scholarship, and public service Daoism  Also encouraged Daoism which emphasized living in harmony with nature and being content with life  By encouraging followers of all three systems, he promoted Chinese unity rather than divisiveness