HIS 105Chapter 7

China’s First Empire

China

Qin and the Legalists Innovative and ruthless Controlled area around the Wei, Yellow, and

Yangtze Rivers Passed harsh laws that gave stability and

order

Shi Huangdi Came to the throne in 246 B.C.E. at the age of

13 Liked Legalist approach Became vigorous, ambitious, intelligent, and

decisive In 232 B.C.E., at age of 27, he unified China In 221 B.C.E. he gave himself the title of

Emperor

Shi Huangdi had all the protective walls in the north connected into one Great Wall of China It extended 1400 miles from the Pacific Ocean

into central Asia

Public Works Projects: Built canals Built roads Built palaces All built using forced labor

Shi Huangdi was a strong Legalist Passed strong laws Enacted harsh punishments Burned Confucian texts Repressed ideas Death to those who arrived late for work Many peasants and shi revolted Within months, the Qin fell

Accomplishments of the Qin Road system Canals Great Wall Improved communications Unified currency

Great Wall

Changes in Warfare Traditionally, a combination of ritual and

brawl Could only fight at certain times of the year A ruler announced his intention to attack well

in advance Priests tried to predict the outcome before the

fight

Battles were duels of the well-trained in the midst of the not so well-trained

Duelists followed rules The defeated were given great respect Death of a commander meant the end of the fight Most battles of Shang and Zhou were fought this

way This style was criticized

The Art of War by Sunzi A classic of military science Sunzi was an advisor to a warring monarch He opposed ritualized war Said war should not be a macho contest War should only be fought to increase

territory, wealth, and power Fight quickly with little damage

He praised generals who could win without battles, were good at organization, supplying what was needed including spies, propaganda, and psyching out the enemy

Fighting should be done under a chain of command

Sunzi’s tactics are still studied today

Sunzi

Han Dynasty Ruled China for 400 years After Qin fell, a rebel general of peasant birth

gained control of China He became the first emperor of the Han

dynasty His name was Liu Bang and his official name

was Gaozu He reigned from 206 -195 B.C.E.

Liu Bang

He and his successors tried to avoid using the tactics of the hated Qin

They : Made punishments less severe Reduced taxes but had a large cash reserve Had strong central government Improved the economy Filled the granaries

Early Han rulers have been singled out as Model Sage Rulers

Liu Bang was succeeded by Han Wudi He took the throne at the age of 16 in 140 B.C.E.

and remained for 54 years Had strong central government Was daring, vigorous, and intelligent Also suspicious and vengeful

Han Wudi

Broke the feudal system in China – domains had to be divided among sons; if there were no sons, the government took the estate

Expanded China’s borders into northern Vietnam, across Manchuria, and into northern Korea

Defeated the Hsiung-nu, nomads from the north on the other side of the Great Wall, and took their pasture land

The Han banned the works of the Legalists and tried to have a milder regime

Confucianism became the dominant thought system in China and lasted for 2,000 years

Knowing Confucian teachings was a pre-requisite for employment

A University at Xian taught Confucianism and began turning out bureaucrats in 124 B.C.E. You needed money to attend

This created divisions within society Peasants could go to the university if they found

sponsors Students who passed exams competed for a small

number of government jobs Beginnings of civil service and stratification

Educated shi Ordinary but free subjects The underclass called mean people

In upper classes, arranged marriages worked to increase land holdings or prestige

This gave rise to the scholar gentry who were higher than the shi because they also had land

Lived a very good life

Women Arranged marriages Love didn’t enter into it Woman’s father paid a dowry to the family of

the groom Her powerful relatives could ensure she

received good treatment after she moved in with her husband’s family

She could take along a servant or her sister

Widows could remarry All women could participate in family

ceremonies During the Han, women were poets and

historians ALL women were subordinate to men Households run by older men Male children inherited more than women

Politics were for men; although, women could have an influence

Mothers ruled over daughters and daughters-in –law

Women in peasant households worked in the fields

All women were expected to marry and have children, male children

Peasants Worked in fields Made enough to pay taxes and live a meager life Had little Those who worked other’s land were worse off Had new devices to help with work: shoulder collar

for horses, wheel-barrow, new cropping patterns They also had to donate a certain number of days per

year to work on public works projects

Peasants were also drafted into the army Many joined secret alliances which offered

them help during hard times: Ex.- the Red Eyebrow

Secret societies also helped start and spread rebellion

Xian Imperial capital Laid out on a grid pattern Protected by fortification wall Population: 100,000 lived within the walls

and 150,000 living outside of the walls Emperor lived in the inner forbidden city

Had palaces, towers, gateways, audience halls, banquet rooms, gardens, and fish ponds

Xian

Emperor lived there with his wife, his concubines, and his children

There was also a zoo

Invention and Artistry China already had

Huge irrigation systems Canals Massive fortification walls New cropping techniques

During the Han Dynasty, China became the most technologically advanced of all the classical civilizations

Had brush pen and paper came into use during the 2nd century B.C.E.

Developed water mills to grinding grain and rudders and compasses for ships

Had new mining techniques Developed refined silk making Created lacquer ware and porcelain

Arts and Sciences Art showed great skillcalligraphy became an

art form Bronzes, ceramic figures, and vases were

created to a high standard Had jade and ivory carving In the sciences, there was an emphsis on the

practical

By 444 B.C.E. – had an accurate calendar of 365.5 days

Plotted movement of planets Viewed sunspots Used astronomy for predictions Invented seismographs Improved ability to diagnose diease Used acupuncture

In math, they focused on how things worked: in music and acoustics

Had standard measures for distance, volume, and weight

Decline Han Dynasty began its decline by the end of the 1st

century B.C.E. Han Wudi was their last powerful leader His successors neglected their duties and indulged

themselves 9 C.E. there was an attempt to change the family in

power, and Wang Mang came to power but only until 23 C.E. when the Hans were restored

Wang Mang

This later Han Dynasty lasted another 200 years The later Han went through a steady decline The capital was moved to Loyang Rulers were challenged by the families of their

wives and by eunuchs Eunuchs increased in number and in power They were used to keep in check the power of their

wives’ families

So there was a 3-way contest for power: the scholar gentry -- wives’ families – eunuchs

These divisions weakened the empire Dynasty was overthrown in 220 C.E. This began 400 years of turmoil that would

only end with Sui Dynasty at the end of the 6th century C.E.

Accomplishments of Han Philosophically – Confucius, Mencius, Lao-

tsu, Xunzi, and the Legalists Art Sciences and Math Spread of Buddhism Han rule seemed to have established the basic

parts of civilization that would last for thousands of years