Transcript Qin and Han Dynasties

Qin and Han Dynasties
Qin Unify China
 Qin (chin) replaced the Zhou
 Used Legalism to unify China:
 Strong military defeated invaders
 Seized land
 Murdered Confucian scholars and burned books
 Placed ppl loyal to the ruler in government
 Violently put down resistance
Government had unlimited power
Government Sponsored Projects
 Poor ppl suffered because they were forced to do
grueling work:
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Building highways
New irrigation ditches were built
Built the Great Wall of China
Closed gaps from existing walls and extended along the empire’s
borders
 Worked for no pay, killed if they refused, many dies anyway from
starvation, crushing labor, or the harsh winters
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Han Dynasty Overthrows the Qin
 Ppl resented the high taxes, harsh labor quotas and
severe punishment system of the Qin
 After a civil war broke out in China, Han took over
 Han lowered taxes and softened harsh punishments
 Han dynasty lasted 400 years (202BC-200AD)
Highly Structured Government
 Used a complex bureaucracy
 Bureaucracy-a system of departments and
agencies formed to carry out the work of
government
 Applicants for civil service jobs were tested on
their knowledge of Confucianism
 Civil service-govt. jobs within a bureaucracy
 Confucian scholars advised the emperors court
 In theory anyone could take the exam, in reality
few peasants could afford to educate their sons
so most govt. jobs were held by the wealthy
Tech. Commerce & Culture
Many inventions were made that influenced Chinese
life:
Paper -> helped spread education
 Collar harness for horse -> pull heavier loads
 Perfected a 2 blade plow -> greater agricultural surplus
Silk was a valuable trade item, production was kept a secret making
it harder to get silk and they could charge higher prices
Chinese becomes the common written language
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