Transcript Imperial China

Imperial China
Dynastic Rule
Sui (AD 589-618)
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How did it rise to power?
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How did it govern China?
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Buddhism, Confucianism & Daoism
How did it affect daily life in China?
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Harsh rule
Forced many peasants to fight in army or work on public works
projects
What belief systems did it encourage? Discourage?
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Yang Jian conquered Chen kingdom & unified China
Promoted trade via Yellow & Yangzi rivers
Rebuilt Great Wall for security
How helped unite China:
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Extensive public works projects
Extended military control
Tang (618-907)
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How did it rise to power?
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How did it govern China?
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Confucianism, Buddhism and Daoism flourished – though Buddhism
at times repressed
How did it affect daily life in China?
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Government departments
What belief systems did it encourage? Discourage?
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Captured key cities of Changan & Luoyang
Limited power or rural aristocracy
Scholar class became new ruling elite
Land reform gave peasants chance for wealth
How helped unite China:
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Emperors controlled army
Land reform helped both government and commoners
Song (960-1279)
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How did it rise to power?
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How did it govern China?
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Buddhism became popular
How did it affect daily life in China?
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Northern borders under foreign rule
Government officials came from southern China
Government officials selected based on score of civil-service exam
What belief systems did it encourage? Discourage?
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After 50 years of civil war
Power of merchant class rose
Cambodian strain of rice allowed farmers to double output
Technology advanced
How helped unite China:
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Moved center of culture south
Created merit system to make government efficient and reliable
Yuan (1260-1368)
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How did it rise to power?
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Founded by Kublai Khan – grandson of Genghis
Only foreign rule dynasty
How did it govern China?
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Civil-service maintained & staffed by Turks & Persians
Strict social class system:
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Khan – Shamanism – Chinese belief systems largely unaffected
Buddhist monasteries increased
How did it affect daily life in China?
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2nd: non-Chinese civil servants
4th: Southern Chinese
What belief systems did it encourage? Discourage?
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1st: tax free Mongols
3rd: Northern Chinese
Destruction of farmland from bloody wars
Eventually, roads & canals deteriorated
How helped unite China:
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Retained civil-service, but staffed with foreigners
Allowed beliefs to co-exist with Mongol shamanism
Ming (1368-1644)
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How did it rise to power?
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How did it govern China?
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Confucianism
Many combine Daoism, Confucianism & Buddhism
How did it affect daily life in China?
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Reintroduced civil-service exam
Emperors very powerful
Some over-seas exploration – but foreign trade prohibited
What belief systems did it encourage? Discourage?
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Rebelled against Mongols
Rebuilt & repaired
Heavy taxes & careless government produced peasant rebellion &
civil war
How helped unite China:
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Secured borders to prevent foreign invasion
Rebuilt & repaired bridges, canals, roads, temples & shrines