Chinese Philosophies

Confucianism Daoism Legalism

The Qin and Han DynastyThe Qin and Han DynastyReference pages 240-248

Who was Qin Shihuangdi?Who was Qin Shihuangdi?“The First Qin Emperor”

The rulers of powerful local states fought one another and ignored Zhou kings.

One of these states was called Qin. Its ruler took over states one by one

and declared himself Qin Shihuangdi

A Powerful RulerA Powerful Ruler• Qin based his rule on the ideas of

Legalism started by Hanfeizi. • Consequences of disobedience~ Killed,

harshly punished, & books were burned if they contained opposing views.

Hanfeizi: LegalismHanfeizi: Legalism

How was China Unified?How was China Unified?

Shihuangdi unified China

Single system of writing

Single system of money(currency)

Roads and Canals were built

to connect the empire

The Great Wall of ChinaThe Great Wall of China• Northern China was bordered by the vast Gobi

desert.• Nomads lived in the Gobi.• The nomads were known as the Xiongnu• Xiongnu were masters of fighting on horseback.• Qin Shihuangdi forced farmers to leave their

fields and work on connecting and strengthening walls.

• The result…

Not quite…this famous Great Wall was built 1,500 years later, but Qin was responsible for parts of the wall and of course the idea!(1,500 miles long and ranges from 15-30 feet tall)

Why did the People Rebel?Why did the People Rebel?• Many people viewed Qin Shihuangdi as a cruel,

harsh leader.• Aristocrats were angry because he limited their

power.• Scholars hated him for burning their writing.• Farmers hated him for forcing them to build

roads and the Great Wall.• Four years after Shihuangdi died, the people

overthrew his dynasty and a civil war followed…a new dynasty arose!

The Han DynastyThe Han Dynasty• Developments during the Han dynasty improved life for

all Chinese.

Liu Bang Once a peasant, became a military leader and

defeated his rivals. Declared himself Han Gaozu ~”Exalted Emperor of the Han.”

Used censors and divided the empire into provinces and counties.

What was the Civil Service?What was the Civil Service?• The Han reached its peak under the

leadership of Han Wudi, which means “Martial Emperor of the Han.”

• He wanted talented people to fill government posts, job seekers had to take difficult tests to qualify for openings in the bureaucracy.

Wudi’s LegacyWudi’s Legacy• Wudi’s tests became the civil service

examinations.• This system lasted for 2,000 years.• Favored rich because ….• Students preparing for the test learned

law, history and the teachings of Confucius.

• Only one in five passed.

The Chinese Empire GrowsThe Chinese Empire Grows• The population increased from 20 million

to about 60 million during Han Wudi’s rule.

• Because farmers had to divide their land among more and more sons, by the middle of the Han dynasty the average farmer had only about one acre of land… not enough to raise their family.

Tenant FarmersTenant Farmers• As a result, farm families had to sell their

land to aristocrats and work on the land. • Tenant farmers paid rent in crops.• China’s empire continued to grow in size

and secure their borders resulting in a period of peace for almost 150 years.

An Era of InventionsAn Era of InventionsWater Wheel to grind more grain Iron drill bits to mine more salt

Rudder to move the sail of shipsPaper

MedicineMedicine• Doctors discovered certain foods

prevented disease.• Used herbs to cure illnesses.• Eased pain by sticking thin needle’s into

patient’s skin ~acupuncture.

The Silk RoadThe Silk Road• The Silk Road carried Chinese goods as far as

Greece and Rome. Carried only high price goods such as silk, spices, tea, and porcelain.

• The Silk Road, or Silk Route, is a series of trade routes through regions of the Asian continent mainly connecting Chang'an (today's Xi'an) in China, with Asia Minor and the Mediterranean.

The Han Dynasty

Falls

Han Emperors after Wudi

were foolish

Aristocrats gained more power

and land

Wars, rebellions against emperor

As a result… Buddhist ideas helped people cope with the stress and their fear during this state of disorder…

The Fall of the Han dynastyThe Fall of the Han dynasty• Unrest in China helped Buddhism Spread.• Merchants and teachers brought

Buddhism from India to China.• In time Buddhism became very popular

mostly because of the fall of the Han dynasty.