180 likes | 466 Views
Section 7.3 The Qin and Han Dynasties. The Qin Dynasty 221 - 206 B.C. Emerged in 221 B.C. from China’s bloody civil wars (“Period of the Warring States”) Qin Shihuangdi established the dynasty and declared himself ruler Qin based his rule on the ideas Legalism. Qin: A powerful ruler.
E N D
The Qin Dynasty221 - 206 B.C. • Emerged in 221 B.C. from China’s bloody civil wars (“Period of the Warring States”) • Qin Shihuangdi established the dynasty and declared himself ruler • Qin based his rule on the ideas Legalism
Qin: A powerful ruler • Political opponents of the Qin were imprisoned or executed • Books that opposed his views were burned • Qin appointed “censors” to oversee government workers
Qin Dynasty: “Accomplishments” • Qin Shihuangdi unified the Chinese world: • Creating a monetary system • Building a road system • Also, he built a HUGE canal that connected Chang Jiang (river) in central China to what is today the city of Guangzhou
But Emperor Qin felt threatened… • Qin was concerned with the Xiongnu (nomadic people who lived near the Gobi) who were masters at fighting on horseback • They often attacked Chinese farms and villages • To protect these people, Qin built a system of walls called the Great Wall of China
Then Qin’s “people” rebeled… • Many Chinese saw Qin as a cruel leader • Aristocrats thought he reduced their power • Scholars hated him for burning their writings • Farmers hated him for forcing them to build roads and the Great Wall • So…the people overthrew his dynasty in 206 B.C.
The Han Dynasty • The Han dynasty was one of China’s greatest dynasties • Emerged in 202 B.C. • Founded by Liu Bang (once a peasant, but became a military leader)
The Han Dynasty:Civil Service • The Han instituted civil service examination • Established schools to train candidates for government service • Students learned Confucius’s teachings, Chinese history, and Chinese law
The Chinese Empire grows • During the Han Dynasty: • Population of China tripled! • This shrank the size of the individual farm plot to about one acre a person…barely enough to survive • So, many farmers sold their land to aristocrats and became tenant farmers
Han Dynasty: An Era of Inventions • Invented • Waterwheels to grind grain • Steel • Paper to use for government records • Rudder and a new way to move the sails of ships • Chinese traders were able to sail into the Indian Ocean, expanding trade tremendously
The Silk Road • Chinese purchased now shipped expensive goods to other countries • Silk was the most valuable trade product • Some went by ship, but most went overland on the Silk Road • 4,000 miles from western China to southwest Asia
The Silk Road (continued) • A general named Zhang Qian explored areas west of China • After exploring for 13 years, he returned to China was amazing stories: • Large cities; short hair, wearing embroidered clothes, ride in small chariots (Roman Empire)! • His stories sparked China’s interest in the west and trade on the Silk Road increased
The Han Dynasty weakens… • The Han emperors after Wudi were weak and foolish…and people lost respect for the central government • Meanwhile, aristocrats began grabbing more land and wealth • Dishonest officials and greedy aristocrats caused unrest among the farmers
Collapse of the Han Dynasty • The Han dynasty fell in A.D. 220 • Civil wars followed • The next dynasty was not established for four hundred years
7.3 Vocabulary Terms • Qin Shihuangdi – Declared himself “First Qin Emperor;” had a lasting impact on China that lasted more than 2,000 years; unified China • Guangzhou – City in southern China connected to Chang Jiang in central China by a canal built by Qin Shihuangdi • Liu Bang – Found the Han dynasty; once a peasant he became a military leader and defeated his rivals; “Han Gaozu” or “Exalted Emperor of the Han” • Han Wudi – “Martial Emperor of Han;” first to use civil service examinations to award civil service positions
7.3 Vocabulary Terms • acupuncture –Traditional Chinese medicine that uses needles stuck into the patient’s skin at critical points • Silk Road – A large network of trade routes that stretched more than 4,000 miles from western China to southwest Asia • Luoyang – Han capital that was attacked in 190 A.D.; within 30 years all of China was in a civil war that allowed for nomadic invaders to invade the country