CLASSICAL CHINA
QIN & HAN DYNASTIES
1000 BCE – 500 CE
THE CLASSICAL WORLD
ANCIENT CHINA
CLASSICAL EAST ASIA
• Dynasties
– Western Zhou
– Qin
– Han
• First Chinese Empire
• Philosophies
– Lao Tzu (Doaism)
– Confucius
– Legalism
• Trade and Silk Road
• The Mean People
EMERGENCE OF A NEW
DYNASTY
The Zhou dynasty lasted until 700BCE. It was
beset with frequent invasions by nomadic
peoples (Mongols and Aryans).
The Zhou dynasty gave large estates to members
of their families and other supporters hoping for
loyalty and support. In exchange for land the
supporters were supposed to provide the central
government with troops and taxes. (Feudalism
develops)
The problem: the nobles began to fight amongst
themselves leading to various wars which the
central government could not control
UNIFICATION OF CHINA
under QIN
• The Qin State and Dynasty
– Located in west China and adopted Legalist policies
– Encouraged agriculture, resulted in strong economy
– Organized a powerful army equipped with iron weapons
– Conquered other states and unified China in 221 B.C.E.
– Expanded China to following areas: Hong Kong and northern
Vietnam.
• Qin Shi Huang di
– King of the Qin proclaimed himself First Emperor, 221 B.C.E.
– Established centralized imperial rule; he was a brutal ruler
– Held sons of nobles as hostages; demolished nobles castles;
chose non-aristocratics for officials so they would be loyal to
him and not the land
– Project of connecting and extending the Great Wall; largest
construction project in human history; wall wide enough for
chariots
– 700,000 people worked on project; 100,000 killed
TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATIONS
of QIN Dynasty
A. A national census was ordered which provided
data for calculating taxes
B. Government standardized coinage, weights
and measurements. Length of axles on carts
was regulated to promote standard road
planning.
C. Chinese script became uniform so that all
could be educated in a basic language
D. Agricultural and irrigation projects were
sponsored by the government
QIN DYNASTY AND THE TERRA
COTTA SOLDIERS
QIN DYNASTY AND
THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA
FALL OF THE QIN DYNASTY
The Qin Dynasty was short lived. Qin attacked the
intellectuals, burned books, and levied high
taxes.
His military expansion and construction of the
Great Wall made him fiercely unpopular.
One opponent describe him as a “man, he killed
men as though he could never finish, he
punished as though he were afraid he would
never get around to them all”.
On the death of the Emperor in 210BCE, revolts
broke out and a peasant who had defeated all
others established the third dynasty: the HAN
THE HAN DYNASTY
202BCE – 220CE
(ABOUT 400 YEARS)
GEOGRAPHY
China boasts two agricultural regions:
wheat in the north
rice in the south
To the east is the ocean. To the west is the
Gobi desert and to the southwest is the
Himalayan mountains.
THE HAN DYNASTY’S POLITICAL
PHILOSPOPHY
A. A centralized government used by the Qin
remained in effect – gov. controls the land and
people
B. The empire was expanded into Korea,
Indochina and central Asia.
C. This expansion allowed contact with India and
eventually the Roman Empire. Goods were
traded along the Silk Road.
D. Peace throughout the empire was enforced
and China experienced great prosperity and
support of the people.
THE HAN DYNASTY’S POLITICAL
PHILOSPOPHY
E. A bureaucracy was set up which included government
servants, gov. officials and advisors.
F. The gov. set up formal training that emphasized the values of
Confucian philosophy. Schools were established to train
men of talent and ability for the national examinations.
Sometimes lower rank individuals were recruited for these
exams.
G. Civil service tests over Chinese classic literature and law
were mandatory for any one seeking a government position.
H. This type of bureaucracy limited the power of the emperor
and many modern society have modeled their own
governments upon this system.
THE HAN DYNASTY’S POLITICAL
PHILOSPOPHY
I. The government promoted a list of state
functions:
1. organized military and
2. judicial systems (torture and execution
were widely used to promote obedience)
3. maintenance of historical records
4. encouraged worship of Confucius himself
5. organized production of iron and salt
6. sponsored public works
7. stored grain/rice in good times to control
price increases
THE HAN DYNASTY: FAMILY &
SOCIAL STRUCTURE
A. Family authority was enhanced by ancestor
worship. (Filial Piety)
B. Village leaders helped farming families
regulate property and coordinate
planting/harvesting.
C. Class structures existed: peasants, “mean
people”, slaves, nobles, officials, royalty
D. Mean people performed unskilled jobs and had
the lowest possible status. Social status was
passed from one generation to the next,
although unusually talented individuals from a
peasant background might be given access to
an education.
SOCIAL HIEARCHY
• 4 MAIN CLASSES (Feudalism):
• Royalty
• Aristocracy (plus educated bureaucrats called
mandarins)
• Peasants (laboring masses and urban artisans
who manufactured goods)
• Mean People (those without meaningful skills;
interestingly performing artists were ranked in
this group despite the fact that upper classes
enjoyed play and entertainment). Mean people
were punished for crime ore harshly than other
groups and were required to wear identifying
green scarves.
THE HAN DYNASTY: FAMILY &
SOCIAL STRUCTURE
A. The Chinese family resembled other
agricultural civilizations in emphasizing the
importance of unity and the power of
husbands and fathers.
B. Confucius said, “There are no
wrongdoing parents” and parents could
punish disobedient children freely. Courts
did not prosecute parents who injured or
even killed a disobedient son, but would
severely punish a child who scolded or
attacked a parent.
THE HAN DYNASTY: FAMILY &
SOCIAL STRUCTURE
C. Women were subordinate to their husband but
could sometimes gain power through their sons
and as mothers-in-law of younger women who
were brought into the household.
D. A hierarchical order for children followed as
such: boys superior to girls and oldest son most
valuable (Sets up future law of 1 child allowed to
limit population growth: males are wanted so
most baby girls are aborted or thrown into the
river)
THE HAN DYNASTY:
RELIGION & PHILOSOPHY
RELIGION
A. China did not produce a single system of
beliefs. Polytheistic beliefs focusing on the
spirits of nature existed among much of the
peasant class.
B. Statues, emblems, household decorations,
family ceremonies, and public parades were
acts to please the spirits.
C. A belief in dragons stemmed from one popular
religion of the time period, which combined fear
of these creatures with a playful sense of the
divine forces of nature.
THE HAN DYNASTY:
RELIGION & PHILOSOPHY
D. Confucisicm was a philosophy that the
dynasties tended to adopt. Confucious (Kung
Fuzi) did not teach on spiritual matters.
E. Daoism embraced beliefs in nature’s harmony
and added a sense of mystery. Daoism
provided the spiritual aspect that Confucisicm
lacked.
F. The Daoist religion states that true human
understanding comes in contemplating the life
force. Humility and frugal living brings joy and
one should not be concerned with a “good” life
(things) or general conditions in the world.
THE HAN DYNASTY:
ECONOMY & TECHNOLOGY
PRODUCTS:
A. Silks, jewelry, leather, furniture, food
(wheat/rice), copper coins
B. Goods exchanged over the Silk Road
C. Confucian emphasis on learning and
political service led to scorn for lives
devoted to moneymaking (merchants)
TRADE AND COMMERCE
– Iron metallurgy: Farming tools, utensils, and weapons
– State monopolies on liquor, salt and iron
–
– Silk textiles
• Silk and silk production spread all over China during the Han
• High quality Chinese silk became a prized commodity
• Traded as far away as India, Persia, Mesopotamia, and Rome
– Silk Road established: horses for silk
THE HAN DYNASTY:
ECONOMY & TECHNOLOGY
Paper production
- Invented probably before 100 C.E.
- Began to replace silk and bamboo as writing materials
Population growth
- Increased from twenty to sixty million from 220 B.C.E. to 9
C.E.
- Despite light taxation, state revenue was large
Agricultural implements
- Improved, ox-drawn plows increased productivity
- Collar for draft animals invented allowing them to pull plows
or wagons without choking
-First water-powered mills
Production methods
- Mining with pulley and winding gears devised; lamps used
- textiles and pottery production highly developed by world
HAN TROUBLES
• Expeditions consumed the empire's surplus
• Raised taxes and confiscated land of some wealthy individuals
• Taxes, land confiscations discouraged investment
• Much of defense consumed on defending against nomads
• Social tensions between the poor and rich brought problems
• Problems of land distribution
– Early Han supported land redistribution
– Economic difficulties forced some small landowners to sell property
– Some sold themselves or their families into slavery
– Lands accumulated in the hands of a few
– No land reform, because Han needed cooperation of large landowners
• The reign of Wang Mang
– A powerful Han minister
– Dethroned the baby emperor, claimed imperial title himself, 9 C.E.
– Land reforms - the "socialist emperor"
– Overthrown by revolts, 23 C.E.
LOSS OF THE MANDATE
– The Later Han Dynasty (25-220 C.E.)
• Overthrown of Wang Mang restores Han
• New Han much weakened
• Rule often through large families, gentry
• Rise of Eunuchs in government as new source of power
• The Yellow Turban Uprising (Daoist Revolt)
– Rulers restored order but did not address problem of landholding
– Yellow Turban uprising inflicted serious damage on the Han
– Collapse of the Han
• Factions at court paralyzed the central government
• Han empire dissolved
• China was divided into regional kingdoms