1. The Unification of China

2. Many people worked to bring political and social stability to China during the chaotic years of the late Zhou dynasty and the Period of the Warring States.

3. Confucius:
Kong Fuzi ( B.C.E.)
State of Lu
Strong-willed
Brilliant Scholar, Teacher
Analects, disciples wrote down his teachings

4. Junzi=superior individuals
Students studied Zhou lit.
Values: Ren=attitude of kindness Li=sense of propriety Xiao=filial piety

5. Confucius: 5 Relationships
Father and Son
Subject and Ruler
Husband and Wife
Older and Younger Brother
Friend and Friend

6. Disciples of Confucius:
Mencius ( B.C.E.)= traveled, political advise, humans are naturally good, ren
Xunzi ( B.C.E.)= served as a gov’t. administrator, human beings are naturally selfish, li

7. Daoism: Critics of Confucian activism
Don’t waste time & energy on problems
Reflection, introspection
Harmony with nature

8. Laozi= founder (6th century B.C.E.)
Daodejing= Classic of the Way and of Virtue
Dao= the way of nature or the cosmos
Dao does nothing, and yet it accomplishes everything

9. Wuwei= disengagement from the competitive exertions and active involvement in world affairs
The less government, the better

10. Yin and Yang

11. Legalism: practical and ruthless
expand and strengthen the state at all costs
Shang Yang= minister to duke of Qin, despised and feared
Han Feizi= essays, advisor of Qin court

12. Clear and strict laws
Severe punishment
Collective responsibility

13. Which school of thought would you choose?

14. Qin Dynasty
B.C.E.

15. The Qin state gave plots of land to farmers, weakening nobles’ power
Established centralized, bureaucratic rule

16. At 13, Shihuangdi is “First Emperor”
Doubled size of China
Built roads, bridges and walls (Great Wall)
Executed critics

17. Burned books Standardized laws, currencies, weights, measures
Common script
Shihuangdi’s tomb was elaborate underground palace
Rebellion brought end of dynasty

19. Han Dynasty
206 B.C.E C.E.

20. Liu Bang: Methodical and persistent loyalty of troops
restored order and became head of new dynasty
Tried to rule somewhere in the middle of centralization and decentralization
Ruled from Chang’an

21. Wudi: “Martial Emperor” centralization & expansion levied taxes
imperial monopolies
roads and canals
imperial university with Confucianism as its curriculum

22. The Xiongnu: Nomads from steppes who spoke Turkish Great horsemen
Maodun ( B.C.E.)
Han dynasty would pay tribute or arrange marriages
Han Wudi invaded them

23. Social Order Patriarchal households Filial Piety
Ban Zhao wrote Admonitions for Women

24. Economy and Technology
Majority were cultivators
Iron tips on plows at first then many iron tools under Han
Iron suits for soldiers
Sericulture, making of silk, leads to silk roads
Invented paper (hemp, bark and textile fibers)
By 9 C.E. population at 60 million

25. Difficulties Military expeditions caused economic strain
Han Wudi raised taxes and took land from wealthy which hurt industry
Huge gap between rich and poor
Landholding fell in hands of few while others lost land and became tenant farmers or slaves

26. Reign of Wang Mang
6 C.E. a two-year-old boy came to throne, Wang Mang served as his regent.
After urging, in 9 C.E. Wang Mang claimed throne for himself, Mandate of Heaven
Reforms, “Socialist Emperor”
Land redistribution
Killed in 23 C.E. by the people

27. Later Han Dynasty Rulers back to centralized, strong control
Yellow Turban Uprising: late second century C.E., example of rebellions due to unequal land distribution and gap between rich and poor
Problems between factions in the imperial court led to end of Han dynasty by 220 C.E.