1. The Han Empire 206BCE-220CE  A. Civil War Accompanied fall of Qin dynasty  1. Liu Bang Established New Dynasty  Commoner and soldier-thought to be illiterate 206 BC-185 BC  B. Social/Political hierarchy established that privileged scholars  Scholar--> farmer--> artisan--> merchant . Increased centrality of Confucianism  Imperial academy established  Important relationships  Father- son  Older brother- younger brother  Husband- wife  Friend- friend  Ruler- subject

2.  2. Emperor Wu made knowledge of Confucianism Important  Imperial academy  Made Confucian classics known  3. How do we know? Court Historians  Sima Tan then Sima Qian- imperial court historian  made history an important subject ( everything recorded)  Confucianism emphasized tradition and continuity  Scholars came together to codify women’s roles in society  must be self sacrificing  Serving others esp. men ( fathers, husbands, brothers…)  The imperial academy (elite) expanded from 50 to 30,000

3.  B. Militarism  1. Large scale expansion  Into the west to open markets for silk trade  Except in south east  2. Tributary system - gift exchanges  Military  Went to central Asia to find allies against Xiongnu  Strength was the crossbow  Horses in Bactria against opposing calvary  300,000- 10000000 men  Ages 26-56 (1year training- 1 year service; could be recalled)

4.  D. Population shift from North to South  74%- 26% 2 CE ( first census) population (North-South)  54%- 46% ~150 CE (North-South)  E. Economic growth  1. Much state control  Liu bang invoked monopolies to pay for government needs  Later taken away by future emperors  New natural resources -natural gas  Salt mining  Paper  Compasses  Redesigned plow  Horse breast trap  Opened silk routes  Iron developed technique of melting and molding iron (later developed steel)

5.  F. Later Han Dynasty, 23-220CE  1. Growing border threat  2. Oppression of Peasants  G. Fall of Han: 184CE-220CE  1. Yellow Turban Revolt  2. Court Factions  3. Empire broken up among warlords Compare and Contrast the fall of Rome with the Fall of the Han.