Transcript (Section II): The Zou, Qin, and Han Dynasties

Section II: The Zhou, Qin, and Han Dynasties
(Pages 80-84)


This section is about:
The Rise and fall of
the Zhou, Qin, and
Han Dynasties and the
major contributions of
each.
The social and cultural
consequences of the
rule of dynasties in
China.


Read the “sequence
of events” on page
80 (we’ll do that in a
while)
And – what’s the
picture of on page
81?
The Early Zhou




When the Shang
Dynasty was starting
to decline, The Zhou
started becoming
more powerful.
Eventually their
leader (Wu Wang)
attacked and
overthrew a cruel
Shang king.
They said they had a
reason for doing this
………..
They said they had earned the
approval of a “higher power”…



…who had given the
king authority to rule.
This approval was
called “the Mandate
of Heaven.”
They claimed the
Mandate of Heaven
had passed from the
Shang rulers to them
because they were
“kind and truthful.”
Chinese scholars studied the idea
of the Mandate of Heaven.

To explain the reason why dynasties rise and fall
they came up with “the dynastic cycle.”
The new dynasty provides
a good, successful
government
A new group challenges their
authority and overthrows the old
government
A kind and truthful
dynasty gains control
This wins the
approval of the gods
The dynasty neglects it’s
duties and loses control
Violent events (earthquakes, and
floods) signal heaven’s displeasure
The Zhou Dynasty






Organized by social class – and land ownership.
This started when Wu Wang gave land to his noble lords, relatives, and generals.
The lords appointed officers to run the daily affairs of his territory.
Peasants lived on and farmed the lands.
The lords governed in the name of the king, but were also expected to collect taxes (and
give the king his fair share of those).
If a war broke out, the nobles organized armies to defend the king.
The Zhou Period was a good time for China






Farming was profitable.
Better irrigation methods.
The Zhou developed blast
furnaces – allowing them to
make cast iron.
Iron is harder and stronger
than bronze – giving them
better farm tools and weapons.
So that meant – more art and
trade.
The Zhou started using bronze
coins – different shapes than
we’re used to though.
And if things are going good –
you also have time to read




At first, only the rich could
read/write.
But if merchants are going to
trade, they also have to be
able to read/write.
Education became more
important and tutors taught
young men for “government
service.”
This is a period where a lot of
ancient Chinese classics were
written.
Eventually the Zhou Dynasty lost it’s power



People from outlying
areas became more
powerful.
The wars among these
different groups (all
from China) started
some civil wars. By
300 BC, only 7 Zhou
territories were left.
The were ready to be
taken over completely
by… People fighting others from
the same country
The Qin Dynasty




Zheng kept more power
to himself and called
himself: “First Qin
Emperor”
He was determined to reunite China.
He also had a different
philosophy: the role of
government was to meet
the needs of the nation –
not the people.
This is called
authoritarian – when a
ruler has complete and
total power.
(founded by Zheng)
Zheng did some good and some bad things





He didn’t favor the nobles
with special privileges
All citizens (not just peasants)
paid taxes to support his
projects and armies.
He had strict laws (and
enforced them – with strict
punishments)
If you disagreed with him, you
could be tortured or killed.
He burned all books (didn’t
want people learning anything)
(some books were hidden and saved)




United China again.
Introduced new coins and set
up a system of weights and
measures.
Repaired roads and extended
canals.
Gave thousands jobs – forced
them to build his tomb of
underground chambers and
terra cotta soldiers.
The Zhou had built some walls in China
(to keep out invaders)




The Qin joined these
together into a “great
wall”
But, in doing so, workers
were forced to work
under horrible conditions.
Many died.
It took centuries until it
was complete and
completely connected.
The Terra Cotta Soldiers


The significance of the army of Terra Cotta soldiers began 2,200
years ago with the conquest of all Chinese states which made a king
(Qin) into the first emperor of the newly unified nation. It took an
army of 700,000 craftsman laboring for 37 years to produce the
massive army. The purpose of the army was to provide service to
the emperor in the afterlife. They were buried with the Emperor
Qin at the time of his death. When they were found, time had taken
it’s toll and the figures were broken pieces of terra cotta. Each
figure had to be meticulously repaired. This repair process
continues today.
Apparently, Qin ordered no two faces be alike, suggesting that each
terra cotta warrior is an actual replica modeled after a solder from
the real army. The warriors vary in height according to their role,
the tallest being the generals. The figures include warriors,
chariots, horses, officials, acrobats, strongmen and musicians. All
wooden parts of the chariots have decayed, but jewels, gold and
silver decorations remained. Even the horses’ bridles were made of
silver and gold and were encrusted with jade and jewels.
The Qin dynasty didn’t last long
(first emperor ruled for 11 years)





The next – Gaozu (The Han Dynasty) – was a nicer leader.
China found peace, prosperity, and stability
Built new roads and canals
Opened up a new trade route (later called “the Silk Road”)
Began to trade and export products such as silk – even traded
as far away as Rome.
Since trade and government was
becoming more complex…



Han rulers created a civil
service – where citizen
employees managed the
government and kept it’s
records.
To be a civil servant, you had
to be educated, so schools
were created for these
candidates (had to pass a test
to become a civil servant).
Women were not allowed to
take the tests.
The Han Dynasty: a time of great
advancement in technology and the arts







Silk factories became more efficient.
Paper making improved (we still use
their method today).
The wheelbarrow and a better plow
were invented.
The arts flourished – including silk
tapestries.
Magnificent temples and palaces were
built.
The Han Dynasty ended up becoming
about as big as the U.S. is today.
It lasted until about 220 AD (invaded
and conquered – another cycle)