Name:______Date:______
Civilization / Era:CHINESE EMPIRE (QIN/HAN) / Political Characteristics
- 221 BC – Qin state conquers most others during Zhou “Warring States” period
- Shi Huangdi becomes 1st emperor of 1st empire
- Totalitarian state established, with return to Legalism as gov’t philosophy
- Eliminated power of aristocracy by abolishing right of land to 1st son, breaking up claims to multiple heirs
- Abolished slavery, creating large pool of free peasants (used as taxpayers, laborers, soldiers)
- Imposed standards: weights/measures, coinage, laws, writing, cart axles = common road width
- Connected walls to north to keep out invaders
- 210 BC – Death of Shi Huangdi ends Qin
- 206 BC – Liu Bang establishes Han Dynasty
- Maintains Qin Legalist structure but mixes in Confucian emphasis on benevelonce, morals
- 202 BC – 8 AD: Early/Western Han
(Capital at Chang’an) - 140 BC – 87 BC – Emperor Wu launches military expansion to control Korea, Vietnam, and Silk Roads out west
- 23 AD – 220 AD: Later/Eastern Han
(Capital at Luoyang) - Confucianism of great political importance:
-Peasants, soldiers, officials, rulers all made contributions to welfare of state & society
(Similar to values in family hierarchy)
- Gov’t census taken for pop. counts
- Feng Shui – natural placement of buildings/gardens/roads in accordance with nature
- Chang’an – model of urban planning for all Han cities in empire
(city walls, street grid pattern, restricted imperial complex, temples, marketplaces)
- Divinity resides in nature
- Chinese try to appease nature as well as family ancestors through sacrifices and building of shrines
- Confucianism applies morals to elite classes, gov’t, & leadership
- Daoism popular amongst lower classes, often questioning elitism & hierarchy of Confucianism and offering meditation to finding “the way” in a crazy, mixed-up world
Time Period:
221 BC – 220AD
Related Key Concepts
2.1. Development & Codification of Religious & Cultural Traditions
2.2. The Development of States & Empires
2.3Emergence of Transregional Networks of Communication & Trade
Most Important Thing to Remember:
Legalism / Confucianism
Reliance on free peasantry
Technological Characteristics (Cultural)
- Bronzeworking by 1500 BC
- Ironworking by 500 BC
- Mastered making of steelcast iron
(poured liquid iron into molds, thus making them stronger/more durable) - Crossbow/cavalry
(for military use vs. nomadic raiders) - Watermill – water power for grinding grain
- Horse collar – freed up horse’s strength for more pull power
- Paper
- Road building – linked towns & enabled troop movement & messengers to span empire
- Canals linked 2 main rivers
- Agriculture along YangziRiver valley
- Canals built to connect to Yellow River for crop transport
- Pop. growth in core regions and shortage of arable land led to persistent expansion during Han.
- Displaced many groups in expansion
- Maintenance of northern/northwestern boundaries from nomadic raiders a constant concern
- Agriculture = wealth & taxes
- % of annual harvest funded most gov’t activities (royal court, bureaucracy, military units)
- Silk – major export
(silkworms eating mulberry trees a closely guarded secret for centuries) - 10-30% of Han population lived in market towns sparked by trade wealth
- Silk Roads – trade routes to Central Asia, Middle East, & Mediterranean
(Garrisons/colonies established at oases along route) - Economic decline: Overburden of paying to defend frontiers, re-emergence of nobles/merchants in dominating land tracts, angry peasants
- In between harvests, all men donated:
-1 month labor to public works projects
-2 years dedicated to military service - Basic unit of Chinese life = family
(current members + ancestors) - Desire for sons very important to pass on generations of family
- Father had absolute authority of household
- Women’s roles difficult to pinpoint
(most accounts from elite women’s lives)
-Domestic responsibilities clear
-Submission to men in ALL cases - Confucianism of great social importance
(all people had their place & their role in the family hierarchy)
Civilization / Era:
CHINESE EMPIRE (QIN/HAN) / Political Characteristics (cont.)
- Mandate of Heaven – system in effect
-Ruler regarded as divinity, more so than Romans
-Lived in secluded walled compound
-Surrounded by courtiers, officials, wives, kids, etc
-Presided over business daily & court pomp and ceremony - Outlying regions ruled by local officials with local control
(all taxes/revenues sent to central gov’t) - Government featured prime minister, civil service director, 9 regional ministers
- Emperors allied themselves with gentry in effort to bring down power of aristocrats
(Gentry were upper middle class, & had stronger work ethic, commitment to gov’t posts, & worked efficiently for ruler) - Political decline due to:
-Factional intrigues of ruling clan
-Officials’ corruption/inefficiency
-Peasant uprisings
-Bandits & nomadic attacks on frontier
-Ambitions of rural landlords
Time Period:
221 BC – 220 AD
Related Key Concepts
2.1. Development & Codification of Religious & Cultural Traditions
2.2. The Development of States & Empires
2.3Emergence of Transregional Networks of Communication & Trade
Most Important Thing to Remember:
Legalism / Confucianism
Reliance on free peasantry
Social Characteristics (cont.)
- Elite classes at Chang’an enjoyed:
(multi-story homes, fine silk, travel by carriage, music, parties, banquets, time for art/literature - Poor crowded into dark alleys in apartments
- School/university of Confucian training established to prepare gentry for gov’t roles
(stressed being intellectual, responsible, & maintaining moral code of conduct) - Gentry – the new aristocracy under Han
-Upper-middle class below former nobles
-Bonded families through marriage
-Given favored gov’t positions/privileges
(part of plan of breaking power of nobles) - Barbarians – derogatory term applied to most nomadic outsiders