1. THE first Chinese empires
Chapter 6

2. Schools of Thought in Ancient China
Confucianism
Daoism
Legalism

3. Confucianism Under Zhou Dynasty
Confucius was known to the Chinese as the First Teacher
Confucius was born in 551 BC
Upset by the violence and moral decay of his era
Traveled around China to persuade political leaders to follow his ideas
Book of teachings: Analects

4. Confucianism
Confucius provided a set of ideas that eventually became widely accepted
Confucius’ ideas were not spiritual but they were philosophical and dealt with politics and ethics
Believed it was useless to speculate on spiritual questions

5. Confucius 2 elements: Dao (Way): Duty and humanity
Five Constant Relationships:
Parent and child
Husband and wife
Older sibling and younger sibling
Older friend and younger friend
Ruler and subject
*Each people had a duty to the other
Humanity- people are supposed to have compassion and empathy for others

6. Confucius Taught that humans are basically good
His message was widely spread throughout China
Stressed a return to the Golden Age of China
Believed government service should be open to all men of superior talent and not limited to those of noble birth

8. Major Principles of Confucianism
Li --> Rite, rules, how you should act in a community
Ren --> humaneness for others; helping others
Shu --> Reciprocity, empathy
Do not do unto others what you would not want others to do unto you.
Yi --> Righteousness and morality
Xiao --> Filial Piety (Respect your parents and elders)

9. Significance of Confucianism
Cornerstone of Chinese tradition and culture
Adopted by most Chinese
Preserved patriarchal society
Spread to areas that were under China’s control or influence
Korea and Vietnam

10. Daoism
Daoism was a system of ideas based on the teachings of Laozi or Old Master
Book of teachings: The Way of the Dao
Concerned with proper forms of human behavior
Daoists believe that the way to follow the will of Heaven is not through action but inaction.
The best way to act in harmony with the universal order is not to interfere with the natural order.

11. Legalism Legalism proposed that human beings are evil by nature
Referred to as the “School of Law”
Rejected Confucian view that government by “superior men” could solve society’s problems.
Believed a strong ruler was required to create an orderly society
Believed only harsh laws and stiff punishments would cause the common people to serve the interest of the ruler.

12. Section 2: The Qin Unify China

13. The Warring States Period
Warfare broke out between nobles at the end of Zhou dynasty
Led to period of upheaval and chaos
People began to think about the best way to restore:
Social order
Harmony
Respect for authority

14. The Qin Dynasty From 400-221 BC China experienced a bloody civil war
Chinese states fought each other
Qin Dynasty gradually defeated the rivals
Qin declared themselves a new dynasty

15. The Qin Dynasty And The First Emperor
The Qin Dynasty emerged as the dominating state after a period of infighting between six eastern Chinese states
To maintain control over their empire the Qin Kings centralized their power
The first Qin King called himself the First Emperor
Centralization, the process of decision making and control are concentrated to a specific group

16. The Qin Dynasty And The First Emperor
Government rules of operations and legal codes applied to all parts of empire
Introduced standardized money, writing and measurement system
Government controlled education and thought
Teachers and the educated who dissented with Qin rule were put to death or banished
Censorship was enacted towards Confucian scholars and teachings
Censorship is when a government suppresses speech or the written word it finds critical or objectionable

17. Qin Shihuangdi Ruler of Qin Dynasty Considered the “First Qin Emperor”
Came to the throne at 13
Defeated rivals and founded a new dynasty

18. Qualities of Qin Shihuangdi
He united all of China
Created a single monetary system
Ordered building of roads throughout the entire empire
Reduced the powers of the landed aristocrats
Divided aristocrats estates and gave the land to peasants
Eliminated possible rivals
Gained tax revenues for the central government

19. Shihuangdi’s army Left behind a pit (burial mound)
In the burial ground there were thousands of terra-cotta soldiers- recreation of his imperial guard
Figures were slightly larger than life-size

22. The Great Wall
Shihuangdi believed that there was a foreign concern in the north
Nomadic people lived in the north
Nomadic people= Xiongnu people; seen as a threat
To keep these people out, put up a wall
Originally called The Wall of Ten Thousand Li
We know it as the Great Wall of China today

26. The Great Wall of China
Most of it is built of loose stone, sand, or piled rubble
Many died in the course of building
According to legend, those who lost their lives are buried within the wall

27. Politics of the Qin Dynasty
Legalism was adopted as the official ideology of the regime
Those who opposed the policies of the new regime were punished or executed
Qin Dynasty was highly centralized
Central bureaucracy was divided into three divisions:
Civil division
Military division
Censorate

28. The Qin Dynasty And Legalism
Under Legalism the law was the supreme authority and all people were equal under the eyes of the law
Positions in government had power, power did not lie in people and it was government’s duty to rule not people
No true creator to legalism but was influenced by writings of supporters of a strong government

29. Section 3: The Han Dynasty

30. Historical Setting of the Han
Followed the Qin dynasty
BCE
Qin ended in rebellion and civil war due to weak ruler and unrest ( BCE)
Han dynasty was China’s second imperial dynasty
206 (or 202) BCE-220 CE
Over 400 years

31. The Han Dynasty Founder: Liu Pang- was a peasant
Gained title Han Gaozu- Exalted Emperor of Han
Was a very strong ruler

32. Political Structures Abandoned use of cruel and unusual punishment
Adopted Confucian ideals
Division of central government into three ministries:
Military
Civil service
Censorate
Han rulers kept the system of local government that divided the empire into provinces and counties

33. Political Structures
Han rulers continued the Qin system of choosing government officials on the basis of merit rather than birth
Introduced civil service examination
Students were expected to learn the teachings of Confucius, as well as Chinese history and law
Population increased rapidly- went from 20 million to more than 60 million
Growing population meant a need for an efficient bureaucracy
Expanded the empire- now parts of Vietnam, along the South China Sea became part of the Chinese Empire

34. Society in the Han Empire
Free peasants began to suffer
Land taxes on land-owning farmers were light but demands like military service impacted all of society
Poor peasants were forced to sell their land and become tenant farmers, paying up to half of the annual harvest in rent
Emphasis on the family structure
Family was the basic economic unit and the basic social unit for education and training in morals
Major expansion in trade and manufacturing
Trade occurred through the Silk Road

36. Social Classes under the Han
Emperor
Governors and Kings
Nobles, Scholars, and State Officials
Peasants (Farmers)
Artisans and Merchants
Soldiers
Slaves

37. Bureaucracy under the Han
Taxes supported the government and military
Merchants
Paid taxes
Peasants
Gave the government a portion of their annual crops
Each year gave a month of labor (for public works projects) or of military service

38. Civil Service under the Han
Over 130,000 employees
18 ranks of employees
Civil service exams
Confucian principles described the qualities that emperors wanted in civil servants
Wudi set up a Confucian-themed school
Formal examinations in Confucianism, history, law, and literature for civil service positions
Theoretically a merit-based system
But poor could not afford to educate their childrendynasty in 1912

39. Technology under the Han
Invented in 105 CE
Books became inexpensive to produce; expanded education
Bureaucracy grew and became more efficient
Paper
Horses could carry heavier loads
Best harness available at the time worldwide
Collar harness
The Chinese made one with two blades
Much more efficient
Plow
Invented independently (Greeks had invented as well)
Central wheel and axle let Chinese wheelbarrows carry very heavy weights
Wheelbarrow
Used to power things such as the bellows for smelting iron
Waterwheel

40. Silk Road under the Han Trade routes across Asia
To Mediterranean (access to Europe) in the west
Chinese silks were sold in the marketplaces of the ancient Roman empire
To Yellow Sea and China Sea (access to Japan) in the east
Traded silk and other goods
Cultural diffusion
Trade goods reflected the many cultures across this trading region

41. Technology and culture
Trade= economic prosperity
Iron casting led to invention of steel
Ships could sail with the wind

42. Fall of Han Dynasty Weak rulers
Rulers were too concerned with pleasures of life
Wealthy were corrupt
Population decline
Peasant uprising
Civil war