Chap 8.1 Flashcards
When did Zhou (Djoo) dynasty begin to decline?
Zhou (Djoo) dynasty began to decline around 400 BC
What contributed to decline of Zhou dynastry?
Power shifted to local nobles
Several small states battled for land, power by 300s
What dynasty next rose to power?
State of Qin rose to power
How did Qin rise to power?
Where did the Qin come from?
–Located on China’s western frontier
–Conquered other states in military campaigns
–Last rival state fell, 221 BC
What did the Qin do to China?
Qin unified Chinese empire
Who was the first emperor of China?
•First ruler of new empire took title Shi Huangdi (Sheewangdee), “first emperor”
What did Shi Huangdi establish?
What was its teaching?
- Founded school of Legalism
- Taught that powerful, efficient government key to maintaining order
What did Legalists reject?
Rejection of Confucianism
•Legalists rejected philosophy developed during Zhou dynasty
How were Legalists different from Confucianism?
- Confucianists thought rulers should be virtuous, lead by example
- Legalists said rulers should be strong, govern through force
- Supported strict laws, stressed harsh punishment for even minor crimes
What kind of government did Qin believe in?
Strong, Centralized Government
Had to Maintain Order
How did Shi Huangdi establish a strong centralized government?
Describe 4 things
- Shi Huangdi weakened rival nobles by taking land
- Forced nobles to move to capital so he could watch them
- Seized all private arms to prevent rebellions
- Divided China into 36 districts, appointed loyalists to govern them
How did Shi Huangdi maintain order?
- Shi Huangdi suppressed all criticism of his rule
- Ordered burning of books which conflicted with Legalist thinking
- Only books on practical subjects like agriculture, medicine spared
- Confucian scholars who discussed banned books, criticized Qin government tortured, killed
What were the QIN reforms?
List 3 things
- Unified, strengthened China
- Standardized laws, writings, monetary systems, weights and measures
- Also standardized size of carts so they could fit China’s roads
What were the building projects?
List 3 major projects
- Improved irrigation system and increased farm production
- Expanded roads and canals to link capital to other parts of empire
- Improved transportation, increased trade, heavy taxes
What did QIN do to protect China?
What did it build?
•Worked to protect empire from outside threats
•Great Wall of China
What led to fall of the QIN?
- Dynasty’s policies fueled anger, resentment
- Qin dynasty crumbled after Shi Huangdi died, 210 BC
–Peasants fed up with forced labor, high taxes, rebelled
–Nobles eager to regain land, power, raised armies against new emperor
Who and what dynasty came after the QIN?
–Peasant rebel leader Liu Bang (Lee-oo-bahng) defeated Qin forces, founded Han dynasty
When did the HAN dynasty rule?
For how long?
The Han dynasty ruled China from 206 BC to AD 220, more than 400 years.
How did Liu Bang restore control over China?
- Liu Bang ruled with “mandate of heaven”
- Ancient Chinese beliefs:
–Gods supported virtuous rulers
–Opposed corrupt ones
–Defeated ruler had lost support of the gods
What did Liu Bang do to gain loyalty of the people and the military?
- Liu Bang softened harsh Legalist policies
- Lowered taxes, earned loyalty of peasants
- Gave land to relatives, military supporters
- Distribution of land earned military’s loyalty
What kind of government was the Han dynasty?
How did the Han dynasty keep China stable?
- Liu Bang continued Qin’s strong, centralized government
- Expanded bureaucracy where officials appointed to oversee administration of Han government
- Helped restore stability to Chinese empire
What was the belief system during Han dynasty?
Confucianism
- Liu Bang not well educated
- Appointed Confucian scholars to advise, serve in government
- Confucianism regained popularity, shaped new empire
- Some Legalist policies remained, maintained firm control over empire
After Liu Bang died, who ruled?
A Powerful Empress
Liu Bang died 195 BC
- Son took throne, but too young to rule
- His mother, Empress Lü, ruled in his place
- One of Liu Bang’s many wives, Lü plotted for son to be emperor
How did Empress Lu hold onto power?
What happened after Empress Lu died?
- After son gained throne, Empress Lü promoted family’s interests
- Had series of infants named emperor after son died young
- Empress Lü died, 180 BC; officials had entire Lü family killed
Who was the greatest Han emperor?
- Emperor Wudi ruled from 141 to 187 BC
- Greatest of all Han rulers
What did Emperor WUDI do for China?
- Promoted economic growth
- New roads, canals made it easier to get products to market
- Monopolies on some products; limits on merchants to limit power, wealth
What was the government philosophy during reign of Emperor Wudi?
•Wudi wanted officials to hold Confucian values
What was developed to ensure Confucianism?
Who controlled the government?
- Developed civil service system
- Candidates had to pass exam in Confucian classics to work for government
- Wealthy families continued to control government
What was the biggest threat to Wudi’s security?
- Biggest threat to Wudi’s security was Xiongnu tribe
- Excellent horse skills, fierce warriors who lived in northern China
How did Wudi expand China?
- Wudi expanded empire through warfare
- Began to use force against Xiongnu tribes, 133 BC
- Formed alliances with Xiongnu enemies
Where did Wudi expand the Chinese empire?
•Colonized parts of Korea, Manchuria, Vietnam; extended control into Central Asia & west
What started to lead to decline of Han dynasty?
- Brief crisis AD 9 when rebel Wang Mang seized throne
- Han regained control, AD 25, start of Later Han dynasty
- high taxes crushing poor
What happened to the empire as Han dynasty declined?
- Yellow Turbans revolts AD 184
- Threw empire into chaos
- Power shifted to local warlords
•Warfare tore region apart
•China began period of division which lasted 350 years
