Qin and Han China

May 4, 2011Revised

General Info

221 B.C. - 206 B.C.

Han Dynasty

Qin Dynasty

206 B.C. – 220 A.D.

Qin Shih Huangdi

First Emperor

It was short-lived.

Dynasty DynastyIt lasted over 400

years.

The Most Famous Ruler

Wu Ti

Geography

• Extended Chinese territory to the south

• Reached up to present-day Hong Kong on the South China Sea and Northern Vietnam.

Qin Dynasty

GeographyHan

Dynasty

• Extended to Korea, Indochina, and Central Asia.

Trade Silk Road- origins in the Han dynasty.

Raw and processed silk was transported from China along the Silk Road.

The routes opened by Emperor Han Wudi (Woo Dee) provided access to the Roman Empire via India.

The 7000 mile route spanned China, Central Asia, Northern India, and the Parthian and Roman Empires.

Increased the number of foreign merchants present in China

War

Through Taoism, Zhang Jue began to convince masses of people that the Han rulers had lost the Mandate of Heaven. Subsequently, he called for a full blown rebellion which turned out to be extremely violent and destructive, and eventually lead to the downfall of the Han dynasty.

Liu Bang conquered the troops of the Qin Dynasty. After four years of war Liu Bang defeated his rival and established the Han Dynasty.

The Yellow Turban Rebellion 184 A.D.

Chu-Han War 206 B.C.

Agriculture

• Grew rice, and wheat, and provided salt.

• Under Wu Di’s reign the Lou Che was invented, which was used for ploughing and sowing. This saved manual labor.

• The Emperors encouraged the development of agriculture.

• Silk was invented and was used as currency.

Social Structure Aristocracy & Bureaucracy

Skilled laborers, Iron workers, farmers, etc.

Unskilled laborers

In Han China, there was a three tier social system. At the top of this were the Aristocrats and Bureaucrats, followed by the skilled laborers (iron workers, farmers, etc) and then the unskilled laborers which included people like servants.

Family OrganizationPatriarchal families (based on the father’s side)

Extended family networks through brothers, uncles, grandparents, and others.

Village authority was supreme over family rule among the ordinary farmers.

Considered the head of family, the oldest son who had the most authority other than his father, inherited everything.

The Arts• The arts did not exist in the Qin Dynasty because Emperor Qin

Shihuang ordered musical instruments and art forms to be burned. He considered them an unnecessary item in China because it taught people to have their own thoughts.

Qin Dynasty

Han Dynasty • Emperors and musicians during the Han Dynasty wished to

bring back the arts. • They wanted to adapt to Confucian thought, which considered

music as an intellectual pursuit. • Office of Music (Yuefu) was created to collect the folk music of

China • During the Han Dynasty 829 people were employed in three

orchestras.

Literature/Sacred Writings/Writing System

Several writers elaborated Confucian philosophy during the Han dynasty.

Confucian writing

Confucius taught that good behavior and virtue

were important to every society. The focus on Confucius’

teachings helped the empires of the Chinese empires rule.

Learning and reciting poetry became significant part of Chinese education

During the Qin Dynasty, the language was unified as one dialect.

Government StructureHe provided a single law code for

the whole empire

Established a uniform tax system

Appointed governors to each district. These rulers had legal and military powers. They also had their own lower rulers for smaller regions.

Very effective centralized government

Shih Huangdi (Qin)

Government StructureEstablished 130,000 bureaucrats. Had to take examinations

based on Confucius, but only wealthy were eligible to take the tests. (This kept the wealthy in power.)

Han Dynasty

Military was not extremely strong

Emphasized Confucian philosophy as an official Chinese value

Sponsored public works (irrigation/canal systems)

Standardized currency to facilitate trade

Regulated agricultural supplies

Religious Beliefs

Han Buddhism was popular during the Han Dynasty.

Confucianism returned during Han dynasty.

Buddhism originated in northern India during the 6th century.

Emperor Tai Wu first practiced and then denounced Buddhism. After he died, Buddhism was allowed to be practiced again.

Buddhism

Confucianism

The End