Transcript Chapter 7 lesson 1

Reunifying China
After 400 years of prosperity and good times the Han dynasty in
China fell apart. Just as in Europe when the Roman Empire fell, times
turned bad. Chaos was the driving force behind everything. Smaller
kingdoms fought with each other and invading nomads from the
north wrecked havoc just like the Vikings had done. Add to that the
usual floods, droughts and other typical disasters and you see how
hard life was in China in the 200s AD.
Up to this time the Chinese had followed the teachings of Confucius.
Confucianism was based on his teachings of moral virtues and ethics,
or ideas of right and wrong. He emphasized having a correct social
order, respecting family – especially older people, education, and
morality. His teachings remained popular during the Han dynasty but
as it began losing power and society began to unravel, people lost
interest in what they saw as an outdated philosophy that wasn’t
working . People began looking instead for something that could
explain the constant suffering that they were experiencing.
Buddhism was the religion that fit the needs of the people in China
after the fall of the Han. Buddhism began in India and was based on
the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama. He was known as the Buddha
which meant “the Enlightened One”. His teachings were popular in
China because he taught the following principles:
-Suffering is part of life
-People suffer because they are too attached to material possessions
and selfish ways
-People can
escape suffering
by leading wise,
moral and
thoughtful lives.
Buddhism
spread from
India to China,
Japan and
Korea.
By the 600s Confucianism was making a comeback but it had undergone changes due to other teachings that had mixed with it. Daoism,
a belief system that seeks harmony with nature and with inner
feelings, and Buddhism had both caused changes in Confucianism.
According to this new mix of ideas morality was the highest goal a
person could reach, and it was attained through education. Education
came not only by reading books but also by observation or
interaction with other wise people.
Unifying a bunch of kingdoms that are all fighting with each other for
power requires one group to become powerful enough to take over all
the others. That usually requires a certain amount of brutality. Yang
Jian began the Sui Dynasty by first killing the heir to the Zhou throne,
it just happened to be his grandson. He then killed anyone who could
claim the throne. He declared himself emperor of the Sui then
became known as Wendi. With such a brutal beginning it may be
surprising that he became a great administrator. People were allowed
to follow their own beliefs but many were put to work on rebuilding
the Great Wall and the Grand Canal where almost half of them died.
His dynasty only lasted for 37 years. People got tired of paying the
high taxes to pay for the wall and canal and they revolted. The Sui
Dynasty didn’t last long but it became the foundation for the next
great dynasty, the Tang. The Sui Dynasty was a good example of how
the Cycle of Chinese dynasties works.
The Tang Dynasty started
in 618 and lasted for almost
300 years. They expanded
China’s borders and the
network of roads and canals
to help unify all the territories.
Tang emperors used Confucian
ideas to run the government and became one of the most advanced
governments of their time.
Taizong helped found the Tang Empire then took the throne after
killing his brothers and all their sons. Even so he became known as
fair and just leader (to people who weren’t related to him).
In 690 Wu Zhao became China’s first and only woman emperor. She
ruled for 15 years and reconquered Korea. Another great emperor
during the Tang period was Xuanzong, who ruled 40 years. During
that time Chinese art and literature became the stuff that the Tang is
best remembered for.
Public works
projects
Restored old
political
traditions
Rebuilt parts
of the Great
Wall and
Grand Canal
Freedom of
worship
Civil service
exam
Reunification
of China
Confucian
ideas of how
government
should
operate
Expanded
borders
Network of
roads and
canals