Chapter 15: Section 4 China: Powerful Empires

1. Chapter 15: Section 4China: Powerful Empires Chapter 15: Section 4China: Powerful Empires

2. Lesson Questions • How did the First Emperor unite China? • What were some achievements of Chinese civilization? • What contacts did China have with other cultures?

3. The First Empire • - China became an empire under ruthless leaders • 221 B.C. – the Qin (CHIN) dynasty conquered the old Zhou (CHOW) dynasty and neighboring provinces • The first Chinese Empire was established under ruler Qin or Shi Huangdi (sher hwangdee) meaning “first emperor” • He ruled harshly with Legalist Principles

4. Uniting China • Shi Huangdi imposed a single law code, uniform standards for weights and measures, and currency regulations. • He used forced labor to build roads in order to give troops access across his domain • He banned all books except for Legalist works • He burned Confucian books and persecuted Confucian scholars • Books on medicine, agriculture, and technology were spared

5. The Great Wall • the Great Wall was built with forced labor • hundreds of thousands of peasants labored under harsh conditions • “Every stone cost a human life” • the Great Wall extended 1,500 miles but seldom kept out invaders • the wall represented the “civilized” people of the south against the “barbarians” of the north

6. The Great Wall and Qin Dynasty

7. Expansion Under the Han • the Qin dynasty fell after Shi Huangdi died • Liu Bang (lyoh bong), a peasant leader, established the Han dynasty • The Han dynasty ruled from 206 B.C. to 220 A.D. • The Han dynasty traded jade, bronzes and silk to India and the Mediterranean world • Chinese travelers returned home with grape and alfalfa seeds • China learned about Buddhism through trade • Tea spread to other parts of china

8. The Silk Road

9. Civil service system • the Han restored Confucian learning and developed the idea of government run by the most talented and learned men • they set up an examination system that chose civil servants, or government officials • the students studied Confucian teachings and Chinese law, history, and traditions • 100 A.D. – a civil service university teaches 3000 students • under the civil service system, officials gained jobs through merit not birth • this system kept the empire together as dynasties changed and lasted till the early 1900s

10. Achievements of the Han • Han astronomers improved the calendar and other scientists invented the seismograph (a machine that records the direction of earthquakes) • Advances were made in medicine such as taking a person’s pulse and providing acupuncture • Acupuncture uses needles to relieve pain and cure illness • Doctors also developed anesthetics and wrote about typhoid fever • In farming they developed better flood control, fertilization, and drought-resistant rice • Farm equipment was invented such as the wheelbarrow, mill wheel, water clock, and sun dial • The Han dynasty developed the foot stirrup, an invention not used in Europe for another 1,000 years

11. The Han Dynasty

12. Golden Ages in China • Invaders eventually destroyed the Han dynasty and for the next 1,000 years various dynasties reunited China • The Tang dynasty (618-907) and the Song dynasty (960-1279) enjoyed long periods of peace • In these peaceful times the economy and arts flourished

13. Expanding Horizons • Trade increased and goods such as cotton, pepper, and dates were sold • The Song developed a strong navy and invented the sternpost rudder, gunpowder and magnetic compass • The Chinese conquered Vietnam and also influenced Korea and Japan with their trade

14. The Song Dynasty

15. Literature and Painting • The Chinese invented block printing and movable type which led to more literacy • The most famous poet of the time period was Li Bo and he wrote about Daoist teachings • Landscape paintings became very popular and also paintings about poetry

16. Mongol Conquest • Genghiz Khan invaded the Song dynasty and took over all of China • His empire stretched from the Pacific ocean to the Danube river in Europe • In 1279, Kublai Khan, the grandson of Genghiz Khan absorbed Confucian culture and renamed the empire Yuan (a Chinese name) • At first he wanted to ban the Confucian scholars, but he saw the important contributions they made to government • Marco Polo visited the Yuan empire under Kublai’s reign and described his travels to Europeans • Polo facilitated trade between the west and the Mongolian empire • Excellent roads, increased knowledge, and more trade was the legacy of the Khan dynasty

17. The Yuan or Mongolian Empire

18. Chinese Revival • The Ming dynasty replaced the Yuan empire • Zhu Yuanzhang (changed name to Ming Hung Wu) led Chinese forces in a revolt and captured Beijing • In 1368, he claimed the Mandate of Heaven, revived Confucianism in government, and established the Forbidden City (a royal palace) • Eventually the Ming dynasty resorted to isolationism, whereas Europeans began to explore North and South America • The Ming dynasty ended with the invasion of the Manchus from Northeastern China • They established the Qing (CHING) dynasty which lasted from 1644-1911 • The Manchus accepted Confucian values, but they set up laws forbidding intermarriage with anyone who is not Manchurian

19. The Ming Dynasty

20. The Qing Dynasty