Transcript Ancient China - Good Shepherd School

Ancient China
The Han Dynasty
Han Dynasty Government
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After the collapse of the Qin
Dynasty in 207 BC, there was a
period where several groups battled
for power. An army led by Liu
Bang would gain control and begin
the Han Dynasty. The Han
Dynasty would last for over 400
years.
The Rise of a New Dynasty
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The Mandate of Heaven made it
possible for Liu Bang to become
Emperor. A peasant, he was the
first common man to become
emperor. He earned the people’s
loyalty and trust and was well liked
by both soldiers and peasants, which
helped him keep control.
The Rise of a New Dynasty
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Liu Bang’s rule was different than
that of the Qin and Legalism – he
wished to free people of harsh
government and lowered taxes for
farmers and made punishments less
severe. He gave large tracts of land
to his supporters.
The Rise of a New Dynasty
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He also changed the way
government worked. He set up a
structure that built upon the
foundation of the Qin. He also
relied on educated officials to help
him rule.
In 140 BC, Wudi became ruler and
wanted to make a strong central
government.
Wudi Creates a New Government
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He took land from the lords, raised
taxes and placed a supply of grain
under government control.
Confucianism became China’s
official philosophy. Government
officials were expected to conform to
Confucian ideas and Wudi started a
university to teach Confucian ideas.
Wudi Creates a New Government
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Wudi started civil service exams to
fill government jobs. If you passed
the exam you could fill a position,
However, not everyone was eligible
to take the test. Only those
recommended could take the exam
and they came from wealthy and
influential families – maintaining
the elites control of China.
Family Life
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Based on the Confucian system, people
were placed into four social classes. The
upper class was made up of the emperor
and his court. The second class, the
largest, was made up of the peasants. Next
were artisans or craftsmen and the
merchants made up the lowest class
because they did not produce anything,
just sold the goods others produced. The
military had no class, but was still
considered part of the government,
servants or slaves were the very bottom.
Lives of the Rich and Poor
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Classes only separated people into social
rank, it did not deal with wealth. Example
– peasants made up the second class but
were poor and on the lower end, many
merchants were rich. People’s lifestyles
mirrored their wealth. The Emperor and
his court lived in a palace and less
important officials had multilevel houses.
Many wealthy families had estates with
workers and private armies to defend.
Lives of the Rich and Poor
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The wealthy filled their homes with
expensive paintings, pottery, bronze
lamps, and jade figures. The rich
would hire musicians to play for
entertainment. The tombs of the
wealthy were even filled with
expensive stuff. Their lives were far
different than the majority of Han.
Lives of the Rich and Poor
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90% of the 60 million people that lived in Han China were peasants living in the countryside.
Peasants put in long, hard days in the millet fields or rice paddies. In winter, they would
work on building projects for the government. Heavy taxes and bad weather forced many
peasants to sell their lands and work for wealthy landowners. By the end of the Hand
Dynasty, only a few farmers were independent.
Lives of Rich and Poor
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Peasants lived simple lives. They
wore clothing made from local
fibers, and the main food they ate
was cooked grains such as barley.
Most lived in small villages. Their
small houses were wood framed
with walls made of mud or stamped
earth. All of their time was devoted
to work.
The Revival of the Family
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Confucian ideas on the family were
also at the forefront. Children were
taught from birth to obey their
elders – disobeying them was a
crime. Even emperors were
expected to respect their parents.
The father is the head of the family
and is to be obeyed by wife and
children.
The Revival of the Family
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Han officials believed that when
family was strong and obeyed the
father would in turn obey the
emperor. Strong family ties and
respect for elders made it possible
for some to gain government jobs
based on the respect they showed
their parents.
The Revival of the Family
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Children were encouraged to serve
their parents. They were expected
to honor dead parents with
ceremonies and all family members
were expected to take care of family
burial sites. Boys were viewed much
more highly than girls – boys took
the family line and took care of
parents,
Girls
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Girls would become part of a
husbands family. They could be
seen as another burden, just like
raising children monetarily and
functionally. Some women could
get a degree of power as they could
influence a sons family or older
widows could actually become the
head of the family.
Han Achievements: Art and Literature
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Han artists became experts in figure
painting. Portraits often showed
religious themes or realistic scenes
of everyday life. The creations
covered walls and tombs. Han poets
were also popular. Fu style
combined prose and poetry to create
long works. Shi featured short lines
of verse that could be sung.
Han Achievements: Inventions and Advances
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The Han invented paper by grinding plant fibers to paste and then
drying in sheets. They would connect sheets and roll into scrolls.
The Han also came up with a sundial to track the motion of the sun
and time and seismograph which measures the strength of
earthquakes. They believed earthquakes were signs of future evil
events.
The Han also developed accupuncture, a practice of inserting needles
into the skin relieving pain or curing diseases.
And so …
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Exit: What was the greatest of Han achievements?
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Stay tuned next time for Han Contacts With Other Cultures