Transcript Ancient India and China

Ancient India and China
Chapter 3 and 2
World History
Indus Valley
• India: fertile plain
between Indus and
Ganges rivers. Area
guarded by mountains
and desert
• Subject to monsoons-wet
and dry seasons
• Indus region was home
to the largest of the four
ancient urban
civilizations of Egypt,
Mesopotamia, South
Asia and China. It was
not discovered until the
1920's. Most of its ruins,
even its major cities,
remain to be excavated.
The ancient Indus script
click
has not been deciphered
• 2500 B.C.-began building
planned communities
(Kalibangan, MohenjoDaro, and Harappa)
• Indus valley sometimes
referred to as Harappan
civilization
• Indus Valley cities were laid
out on a precise grid system
with fortified areas called
citadels. They had separate
residential districts and
sophisticated plumbing and
swage systems
• TAKE A LOOK
http://www.mohenjodaro.net/
Harappan Religion
• Artifacts
reveal links
to modern
Hindu
culture
Hindus are polytheistic
religion
Around 1750 BC life in Indus
Valley began to decline ???
(river changed course, land
worn out, catastrophe, or
attack)
The Great Bath at Mohenjo-Daro
show the advanced plumbing
system. The drain in the middle
would take all unwanted water to
the sewage system below
Indian Civilization
• Mohenjo-Daro had
plumbing and sewers!
• Water came into their
houses and was carried
away…very complex
• Most people here were
farmers. They grew wheat,
barley, melons, and dates.
They may have even been
the first people to cultivate
cotton
• Merchants and traderscoins from Mesopotamia
found
• After the decline of the
Indus River valley a new
group migrated into the
area from 2000-1500 BCE
–called the Aryans from
Central Asia
• These nomads
intermarried with locals to
form a group who called
themselves Aryans. They
combined their culture and
Indian culture
• Record from the Vedas or
teachings of ancient India.
This is known as the
Vedic Age b/c how it was
India
• Aryans began to settle into
villages and become
farmers
• They were led by their
local chief or rajahs. The
rajah was elected from the
warriors
• Over time some of these
rajahs built control over
many villages and became
hereditary rulers
• Created the caste system
or social hierarchy in India
• Brahmins = priests
• Kshatriyas or warriors
• Vaisyas or farmers/
artisans/ merchants
• Sudras- people with little
or no Aryan heritage (farm
workers, servants,
laborers)
• Dalits-untouchables
(performed work that
made them contaminated
like butchers or trash
collectors
Religion
• Aryans were polytheistic
• They worshipped gods
who embodied natural
forces like rain and fire
• Their chief god was Indra
or the god of war
• Some Aryans began to
focus on the idea of
mysticism or direct
communication with god
and began to meditate and
do yoga
• Over time the Aryan and
Indian gods melted
together to form thousands
of gods and the religion of
Hinduism
• Around 500 BCE India
was divided into regional
kingdoms
• Mahabharata-epic poem in
Indian history about
history and warfare-what
your comic is covering 
• Ramayana –poem to teach
values and behavior
2: Hinduism and Buddhism
• Aryan and non-Aryans blended religions together-resulting in
thousands of gods
• Hindus share a common view: religion liberates the soul from
everyday existence
• One Force underlies everything: “God is one, but wise people
know it by many names” Brahman= this spirit
• Therefore the religion is both polytheistic and technically
monotheistic
• Goal is to achieved perfect understand (moksha). Usually not
achieved in one life-time (reincarnation) and soul’s karma
determines the next life’s circumstances such as caste
• Goal: moksha or the union with brahman. To achieve the person
must free themselves from self desires that separate them from
the brahman. The believe in reincarnation or rebirth in order to
continue working towards achieving moksha b/c it is very
difficult to achieve in just one life
Hinduism
• Hindus believe that you can come closer to
moksha by obeying the law of Karma. Karma
refers to all the actions of a person’s life that affect
their fate in the next life
• People who live virtuously earns good karma and
are reborn at a higher level of existence while
those who do evil acquire bad karma and are born
into suffering at a lower level of existence. In
Indian art this image is made in the wheel
• Dharma- religious and moral duties of an
individual that helps to guide their karma. These
duties vary according to occupation/ gender/ class/
age
• Hinduism also stresses non-violence or ahimsa
Hinduism
The religion reinforces the
caste system. You deserve to
be in your position in society
because of your past karma.
The caste system becomes
more complex over time.
Rules were developed on what
you could eat, where you live,
dressed, job, and who you
could marry. Contact with
lower castes would pollute a
high-caste Brahmin.
Untouchables had to carry a
wooden instrument called a
clapper to warm of their
approach!
Brahman
Moksha
Humans
Animals
Plants
Objects-rocks and water
• Meenakshi
Sundareswarar
Temple-pg 57
• Meenakshi
Sundareswarar
Temple-pg 57
Jainism
• Jainism-Mahavira –great teacher
• believed everything in the universe has a
soul and shouldn’t be harmed (doctrine
of non-violence)
• Jain monks sweep the sidewalks of
insects so as not to kill any. They carry
brooms.
•Started originally in the 600 BCE ish
•-Became popular after a great teacher Vardhamana Mahavira
turned to Jainism
•
-born 540 BCE –kshatriya (warrior/ aristocracy class)-left
home at 30 in search of an escape for the cycle of incarnation and
for 12 years wondered and lived an ascetic (frugal /severe) life
after which he found enlightenment! He abandoned all worldly
goods (including clothing) and taught a ascetic doctrine of
detachment from the world. He taught this until his death in 468
BCE-his dedicated disciples he called Jina (the conqueror) and
then became known as Jains.
•
-inspired by much found in the Upanishads.
•
-Believed everything in the universe had a soul (humans,
animals, plants, the air, bodies of water, even rocks). Believed that
souls were trapped and experienced both physical and
psychological suffering. Only purification of selfish behavior
would release the soul from the imprisonment of incarnation.
How to attain purification: strict principle of ahimsa (nonviolence). Jain monks go to extremes to avoid harming
any souls: sweep off the sidewalk, wear facial masks,
strain their drinking water, are vegetarian. Very difficult
to be a Jain because most people’s jobs put them in
violence with souls (tanning, farming). Jainism didn’t
support the caste system and the religion became popular
with lower caste members like scholars merchants.
This religion was minority religion in India and still is
today (about 2 million followers). Ahimsa is recognized
as a fundamental belief of Hinduism and Buddhism.
Famous political leaders like Gandhi and Martin Luther
King Jr. practice the doctrine of ahimsa to in promoting
non-violence in their social movements.
Buddhism
• Siddhartha Gautama is the
founder
• He was born a prince about
563 BCE. It was predicted
that he would either be a
great king or wandering holy
man
• His father kept him in the
palace in the hopes of him
becoming a great ruler
• At 16 Gautama married
• At 29 Gautama left the
palace and his life changed.
He saw an old man, a sick
person, and a dead body. He
discovered human suffering
so he set out to discover the
“realm of life where there is
neither suffering or death
• Gautama wondered for 6
years
• He came upon a tree and
began to mediate on this
issue. He did so for 49
days…he also fasted. It
was set that by poking him
in the stomach that you
could touch his back!
• After the 49 days he
understood the cause and
cure for suffering and
sorrow. He then became
known as the enlightened
one or Buddha
Buddha
Buddhism
• Buddha then spent the rest of his life preaching on how to
achieve enlightenment
• Four Noble Truths –state of life
• Eight Fold Path to reach enlightenment
• Buddha died at age 80. Afterwards the religion divides into
various sects (Theravada Buddhism-original teachings of
Buddhism vs. Mahayana Buddhism-makes gods and
people worship to find salvation)
• Buddhism was from Hinduism. Differed b/c instead of
focusing on priests all could seek enlightenment through
meditation. Also Buddhism rejected the caste system
offering the hope of nirvana to all regardless of birth
• Grew and spread across Asia, but in India Buddhism
declined and was absorbed by Hinduism and Buddha
became one of its many gods
Four Noble Truths
First noble
truth
Everything in life is
suffering and sorrow
Eight Fold Path
Right Views
Right Livelihood
Second
The cause of all
noble truth suffering is people’s
selfish desire for the
temporary pleasures of
this world
Right aspirations
Right Effort
Third
The way to end all
noble truth suffering is to end all
desire
Right Speech
Right
Mindfulness
Fourth
The way to overcome
noble truth such desire and attain
enlightenment is to
follow the 8 fold path,
which is called the
Middle Way between
desires and self-denial
Right Conduct
Right
Contemplation
Goal= nirvana (union with the universe and release from the
cycle of life)
• Stupas
• Angkor
Wat
Indian Empires
• 1500 BCE the Indus River Valley disappeared
(classical age)
• Indo-Europeans began migrations, Aryans
• Internal fights between various Aryan kingdoms
• In 326 BCE Alexander the Great from Macedonia
conquers Persia and makes his way to India. He
conquerors northern India and brings with him
Hellenistic and Greek culture. By the time he has
made it to India many of his men are homesick
and force Alexander to go back home. Soon
afterwards Alexander the Great dies.
• His troops refused to fight the Magadha Empire in
India along the Ganges River.
•520 BCE the Persians began advancing into northern India under Darius.
They conquered parts of northern India (n. Punjab and Gandhara)
•
-Cyrus the Great started the Persian Empire (sometimes called the
Achaemenid Empire-after his clan name]. [ah-key-mee-nid]
•Persian Empire was later conquered by Alexander the Great (Macedonia)
(Greek). Both Greece and Persia declined (Persian wars and
Peloponnesian war). King Philip II of Macedonia conquered Greece, but
was killed. This left way for his son, Alexander to take the throne.
Alexander picked up on his dad’s quest to conquer Persia and he did so
within a few years. He took Egypt, Persia and eventually moved into
conquer parts of northern India [331 BCE battle of Gaugamela]. By 325
BCE his troops were tired of fighting and mutinied! On his journey home
Alexander died at 32 yrs. His empire was broken up between his
commanders.
•
Persia=Seleucid Empire after commander Seleucus (305-281
BCE) {Bactria}
•
Iran= Parthians -224 CE
Sasanid =conquered
Parthians 224 -651
•
-Later Kushan Empire formed in north and took Bactria
Magadha Kingdom
•Magadha –was an empire in eastern India that became
powerful and grew from its trade profits. It was positioned
to take over power created by the vacuum when Alexander
the Great died. However, a man named Chandragupta
Maurya would change this forever! He decided to attack
Magadha and take the empire over for himself. So he
launched a series of small attacks on the outskirts of the
Magadha Empire and gradually worked his way to the
center. 321 BCE he overthrew the ruling dynasty and
consolidated his kingdom= the Mauryan Empire 322 BCE185 BCE
•
-northern Punjab and Bactria [Bahk-terr-uh]
Indian Empires
• The Mauryan Empire was created in the late 4th
century (or late 300’s) by Chandragupta Maurya-when
he killed the last Magadha king and took control of the
territory. He also defeated the general left in charge of
the northern Indian territories following the death of
Alexander the Great. He and his successors expanded
the empire to cover of Deccan. He had a well
organized bureaucracy with royal officials overseeing
projects and tax collection. He also encouraged trade
and had state owned factories and shipyards. He had
royal courts to settle disputes, but was harsh in the fact
that he had a secret police force to report on
corruption, crime, and dissentience. He also had a
specially trained group of warrior women to protect
him at his palace!
Mauryan Centralization
• Mauryan Empire: 322-185 BCE
• **important-created a centralize bureaucracy
• Pataliputra = capital and center of government for the Mauryan
Empire (Chang’an-Chinese capital during Qin/ Han dynasties-became
Xian)
• Edicts and decrees were written on stone tablets and then sent out –
how leader communicated their policies
• Central treasury = to collect taxes to pay for bureaucrats and military
• Public works projects-roads, irrigation etc.
• Trade –roads encouraged trade
• -built road connecting Pataliputra to Taxila (north) -inns, wells, and
shade trees planted along the way
• -stated owned factories and shipyards to raise revenue
• Royal courts
7) spices and secret pp (prostitute spies) 8) warrior
women
• 9) According to legend, Chandraputa abdicated the throne to become a
monk!
Kautalya
• **Kautalya (Kautilya) -advisor to
Chandragupta Maurya who helped him
created a centralized government. He wrote
Arthashastra – outlined ideas (similar to
great political and military treatises such as
Sun Zu or Machiavelli)
• Chandragupta’s son enlarged the empire
• Ashoka = grandson-most famous of the
Mauryan rulers!
Ashoka
• Ashoka (269-232 BCE) :
Chandragupta’s grandson and
great emperor. He continued to
expanded and fought a very
bloody battle for Kalinga
where he slaughtered more
than 100,000 people. He was
so horrified at the seen that he
converted to Buddhism and
upheld its belief of nonviolence. He then brought
much peace and prosperity to
the people of India.
Mauryan Empire
Indian Empires
• After the death of Ashoka the Mauryan Empire
decline and fell apart
• Soon regional kingdoms and infighting spread
throughout India. They were then conquered by
foreign to the north, the Kushan invaders
• In the south on the Deccan various kingdoms
arose: Dravidians to the north who absorbed many
northern ideas such as language and religion and
were tolerant and the Tamil kingdoms to the south
focused on trade. Tamil rulers improved the
harbors and sent spices, fine textiles, and other
luxuries westward to Roman! When the Roman
empire declined they traded with China.
Gupta Empire
• About 500 years following the fall of the Mauryan
Empire the next strong empire arose in India, the
Gupta Empire
• Golden Age of India and Hindu revival
• The Gupta empire was founded by Chandra Gupta
and lasted from 320-540. It was called the Golden
Age of India because its rulers brought much
peace and prosperity to the people of India. The
Guptas supported Hinduism. Much of Indian rule
was based on village and city governments with
their local rulers claiming subservience to the
Gupta king. Trade flourished and this prosperity
supported art and learning which became very
important
Gupta
• Pataliputra once again became the capital
• -Early rulers like Samudra Gupta and Chandra Gupta II
extended the territory of the Gupta Empire and established
tributary alliances. (smaller than Mauryan)
• *Administration: different approach –moved from
centralized bureaucracy
• -Guptas left local government / administration and making
of policy up to the various regions within the empire. It
didn’t come from top down. When nomadic people (White
Huns) invaded the Empire quickly fractioned into small
regional kingdoms along these line 
Gupta Empire
• Decline came with the invasion of the White
Huns. Huns invaded Bactria and the Gutpa Empire
was kept busy with making defenses against their
assaults…cost much resources of the state
eventually weakening it.
• By 5th century the Huns moved into Northern
India and set up kingdoms
• As this happened, regional governors usurped
Gupta and later Gupta emperor’s names are not
even recorded! Only really ruled in name towards
the end. The Empire slowly declined and no other
major empire would rule India until the 16th
century with the Mughal dynasty with Babur “the
Tiger”. (456 in your book)
Achievements/ Decline of Gupta
• Math: Arabic numerals, concept of zero, decimal system.
Arabic numerals, concept of a zero, decimal system, placevalue notion system expediting math computations (19 x
84 instead of XIX x LXXXIV)-carried out advanced
algebraic calculations, calculated value of pi. Indian
mathematics readily adopted “Hindi numerals” later
Europeans called “Arabic numerals”. (1-9)
• Medicine: remedies to treat illnesses, setting bones and
simple surgery, and even some early version of
vaccinations. early plastic surgery, (c-sections), vaccines,
used healing plants as remedies, set bones, simple surgery,
earth is a sphere that rotates on its axis.
• Literature: many writers in the Sanskrit language. Kalidasa
the most famous playwright story of Shakuntala
Indian Literature
• Literature:
• Vedas-Vedic Age –Older: Religious concepts and
explanations for all aspects of life
• Mahabharata- greatest epic poem
• Ramayana- epic story
•
-both about adventure, battles, and romancereflect a increasingly complex and organized
society
• Upanishads –literature about religion and
Hinduism: specifically the joining of the soul with
the Braham.
Everyday Life (India)
• Most people of India were poor peasant that lived in the
countryside in villages. Their lives were consumed with
work, caste system, family and village life, and their duties
to each
• The family structure was a joint family with parents,
children, and their offspring living in a common dwelling.
The culture was patriarchal with men having power. There
were traditions like consulting the wife and family on
important decisions. Property belonged to the family itself.
• Family interests came before individual interests! They
trained children, performed their caste duties, and learned
rituals to honor their ancestors.
• Women left the home after marriage to resident with their
husband’s family. (dowry)
• At first women enjoyed many freedoms in India, but by the
Gupta Empire they were restricted and couldn’t leave the
house without being covered from head to foot!
Culture (India)
• Women were believed to hold and specific energy that
needed to by channeled by her husband (shakti)
• Women were thought to only achieve a higher existence
(reincarnation) through being devoted to her husband.
Virtuous widows would even through themselves onto
their dead husbands funeral fires to join him.
• The village was the heart of daily life. It was run by a
headman and council that made important decisions (at
first women could be on the councils, but this changed).
They organized projects like road and irrigation projects.
The town was organized into a cluster of homes
surrounded by the fields
• Farming depended on the monsoons, too little or too much
rain could mean famine. The farmers rented their lands
from landlords and were required to pay a percentage of
their crops as payment leaving very little for the family.
They village people also traded some goods and
participated in trade across the continent
Caste become complex
• Caste System: growth of trade and industries led to
deep implication for the social structure of India b/c
new groups didn’t quite fit into it. People of the same
craft/trade formed guilds that supervised prices/ wages.
They lived in the same area of town, socialized,
intermarried, and cared for their groups’ needy. The
guilds functioned as subcastes known as jati. Jati came
to organize and maintained discipline of its members
including resolving disputes. Individuals who didn’t
abide by the group rules were subject to expulsion from
the community-they had to take on the work of
untouchables  India guilds and the jati worked to
perform services that central governments provided in
other lands.
TRADE
• Trade: Trade active along the Ganges River along with other
waterways and roads
• -Strong states in China, India, and Mediterranean provided the
foundation for long distance trade. Political and military alliance
helped for long distance relations. When Persia conquered parts of
northern India –the region was pulled into Persia trade and it stuck.
Alexander the Great continued this extensive trade network.
Products moved up from India to Taxila and pasted into the Silk
Road.
•
-cotton, black pepper, pearls, gems, and aromatics main exports
• Imported: horses, bullion, and silk
•
Indian Ocean Trade: in addition to land trade sea trade
developed. Once merchants learned the rhythms of the monsoon
seasons they could easily and safely pass through the India Ocean
basin (s/s sw wind, f/w ne wind). Merchants from India traveled to
Indonesian islands/ southeast Asia. Items flowed to Persian and Red
Sea Gulf eventually up to the Mediterranean. Indian pepper was so
popular with Romans that they established trading settlements in
southern India to facilitate the trade!
China
• Natural barriers isolated ancient China: Pacific
Ocean, Taklimakan desert, Plateaus of Tibet and
Mongolia, Gobi Desert, and the Himalayan
mountains
• Plain between Huang He (Yellow River) and
Yangtze is China heartland-farming’s
• Silt from yellow river overflowing-loess-also
called the “River of Sorrows”
• 2000 B.C. cities arose in China
• Xia dynasty: led by Yu (flood control and
irrigation projects)
The Yellow River gets its name because
of the yellow windborne clay dust called
loess that is blown across the north of
China from the steppes of Central Asia.
The loess is blown into the river and
gives it a yellow appearance
Shang Dynasty of China
• Shang: 1766-1122 BCE. invaders, written records,
created walled cities-protection, society sharply
divided by class (King, warrior-nobles, and
peasants) (118ft mounds)
• Culture placed importance on family and loyalty
to king/emperor
• Local princes and nobles governed most of the
lands controlled by the king
• Elite women may have enjoyed high status…some
have been found to own land and even lead armies
• Majority of people were peasants who lived in
small villages. They worked the fields or worked
on public projects. There was also trade and a
class of merchants and artisans
Shang Dynasty
• Religion-believed spirits of family members could
influence fortune (Chinese version of Dracula!)
• Polytheistic-worshipped a supreme god, Shang Di,
and many lesser ones through the spirits of their
ancestors
• Shang kings consulted the gods through oracle
bones, which priest would break and then
interpret
• Controlled bronze-tin and copper =allowed them
to controlt their society and they rioting became
difficult
• Writing system-(pictographs): no links between
China’s languages and writing system
-Oracles bones
Zhou Dynasty
• Zhou overthrow Shang around 1122 BCE-last Shang
leader nobody really liked so Zhou came in and beheaded
him and took control!
• Justified by Mandate of Heaven (bad rulers could lose gods
support and others could then overthrow him)
• This began a patter of rise and fall in dynasties in Chinadynastic cycle. Floods, famine, and other problems were
sign that a dynasty had lost the mandate
• Zhou began feudalism to control lands (nobles can use
kings land in return for loyalty and service)
• Technology-roads, coined money, government workers,
and iron
• Zhou lost power 256 BC and nobles began fighting
Zhou Dynasty
• By 771 BCE the Zhou was very weak and the
monarch was killed in an invasion into the city he
lived in (nomadic invaders). Family moved to
another city and pretended to rule for the next 500
years. This was a chaotic time and much fighting
occurred between powerful vassal. The time of the
called the period of the warring states
• Extended land, banned human sacrifice, began to
standardize language
• By 256 BCE Zhou fell apart and a warlord took
control of the China and trimphed over the other
war lords, his name Qin Shi Huangdi. He started
the Qin Dynasty
• Confucius also lived during this time period
Religion
• Believed in many gods, but believed that humans
could not speak with them
• Only the ancestors of great people could speak to
the gods on behalf of people
• So Ancestor worship-people prayed to their
ancestors to help them with the harvest and even
war. The ancestor would then speak with the God.
At first only royal family and nobility were
thought of as having ancestors of enough power.
Over time this began to change and many prayed
to their ancestors for things like good fortune
Confucius 551BCE
• Ancient belief of peace and harmony: nature: yin/ yang.
Confucius created a philosophy or system of ideas that was
concerned with worldly matters, especially good
government. He thought that the government needed to be
centralized and that peace needed to be restored to China.
His local leaders refused to allow him to work for them b/c
he was too opinionated and so he traveled around looking
to be a chief advisor. Didn’t have much success, but had
disciples who wrote his idea in the Analects.
• He then became a very famous teacher. He had a strong
focus on patriarchy and respect for elders and country.
Know and accept your role/ position in society.
Relationships were to reflect this position (ruler to subject,
parent to child, and even husband to wife). Correct
behavior would bring stability and order. The most
important duty was respect to parents. “Do not do to
other…what you would not wish yourself”
Confucius
Daoism
• Laozi founded around the same time as Confucius
• Concerned with living in harmony with nature
• You should look beyond everyday cares and focus
on the Dao or “the way” of the universe
• Believed that one who truly understood the Dao
wouldn’t speak of it!
• Rejection of conflict and strife (water does not
resist, but yields to outside pressure, yet is an
unstoppable force)
• Believed that government was unnatural and cause
many problems. The best government was one that
governed the least!
• Daoism-*PASSIVE Laozi (Dao de Jing –Classic of the Way and Virtue)
• -Pointless to waste time and energy on problems where there were no solutionsInstead of devoting time to social activism, Daoists devoted their time to reflection
and introspection in the hopes of understanding the principles of nature so that they
could learn to live at peace. Daoists believed that peace would arrive in society if
people tried to learn the principles of nature and live in harmony…people wouldn’t
meddle in affair they could not understand and control and just go with the “way”.
•
-Tried to understand the world and nature
•
-Central concept = dao or “ the way” (of nature/ cosmos) –it is a force and is
eternal and unchanging principle that governs all the workings of the world.
•
-dao “the way” seen as passive (dao does nothing and yet
accomplishes everything-Dao is like water because it is yielding, but is also so
powerful that it can erode the hardest rock in its path)
• *If Daoism were applied to society –then people would tailor their behavior to be
passive and yielding-and would retreat from politics/government. Human striving
and desire had brought the world into chaos…so we need to cease frantic striving
and live as simple life as possible.
•
-wuwei (chief moral virtue) –disengagement from the competitive exertions
and active involvement in affairs of the world.
•
-refrain from education and personal striving
•
-In terms of government wuwei called for less governmentenvisioned a world of tiny, self sufficient communities with people had no desire to
conquer or trade-the idea was they were so content with their existence that they
would not have desire!!!
Religion
• Daoism changed and evolved into a popular
religion with gods, goddesses, and magical
practices. People turned to priests for good
luck and cures
• Over time many Chinese mixed Daoist and
Confucian ideas because Confucianism
taught them how to behave while Daoism
influenced their view of the natural world
Achievements
• Shang astronomers studied the movement of the planets
and recorded eclipses. This helped them to make an
accurate calendar with 365 ¼ days
• Technology for bronze making: weapons
• 2640 BCE learned how to make silk. This became China’s
most valuable export and kept the technology secret for
many years
• Writing system: people across China spoke various
languages and dialects. Therefore having one language was
important for Chinese unification.
• Language –characters that represent words. Must
memorize thousands of characters in order to be successful
reading or writing. As you can imagine only the most
wealthy could afford tutors.
• Calligraphy became popular
• Zhou –first book written “book of songs”
Strong Rulers: section 5
• Qin dynasty rose up from the Zhou and the time of the
warring states
• Shi Huangdi or the “First Emperor” proclaimed himself
emperor after the fight for power in 221 BCE
• He spent 20 years conquering most of the warring states
and then needed to unify them
• He created a centralized government that was legalistic
• Legalism is based on the teachings of Hanfeizi who died in
233 BCE. He believed that the nature of man was evil and
that goodness was something acquired. Therefore, the only
way to achieve order was to pass very strict laws and
impose harsh consequences for crimes
• Shi Huangdi tortured, enslaved, or killed his critics many
whom were nobles and Confucian scholars
• In order to root out dissent, Shi Huangdi, also approved the
burning of books (exception was medicine and agriculture)
Shi Huangdi
•His Tomb
Shi Huangdi (tomb)
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QIN Dynasty -221-202 BCE (207-in reality)
-Qin Shi Huangdi “The First Emperor” established this dynasty
Why important:
Unified China
Created a central government
-It accomplished this amazing feat through using the philosophy of Legalism
(Han Feizi) This philosophy believes that all people are evil and in order to
create good people and a good state strict laws and severe punishments are
necessary to control the population.
Constructing an empire series –ancient China will cover the Great Wall and his
tomb
-punishment for putting your trash in the streets –cut off a hand or a foot!
-Shi Huangdi tortured, enslaved, or killed his critics –many were scholars. 460
scholars were buried alive once for criticizing him. (many were burned alive)
-Shi Haugndi burned many books in order to control what people thought/ learned
and to control the culture (only kept agriculture, medical, and fortune telling booksno history, literature, or philosophy-many hide forbidden books). Scholars who
spoke out were executed, tortured, or even sent to join the army and dispatched to
dangerous posts.
-He conscripted the labor of millions of Chinese on many projects
1) Great Wall of China (took 25 years to build) “Longest Graveyard”
2) Road, Bridges, Irrigation, defensive walls etc
3) His massive tomb
• -Took power from nobles in order to create his centralized
government by taking away their lands and forcing them to move
to his new capital where he could closely watch them and punish
them if necessary.
• -Granted private plots to peasants and encouraged them to move to
sparsely populated areas of the state. =generous profits and high
agricultural production –his policy of granting land right to
individuals also weakened the economic position of the hereditary
aristocracy!
• -Focused on building a strong military and produced iron weapons
and controlled his lands by disarming regional military forces and
destroying regional fortresses to weaken any possible resistance.
• -Built roads to communicate, move troops, and move goods
• -Divided the state into provinces and districts that were controlled
by entrusted officers who implemented his policies and directly
served the emperor
• -After Shi Huangdi’s death the state fell into civil chaos due to
high taxes, conscripted labor, and cruel policies
Qin Dynasty
• He started to standardize Chinese and created weights and
measurements to use throughout the country. He even required
all cart axles be the same size so that wheels could run through
the same ruts on Chinese roads!
• He abolished feudalism and replaced the various states with 36
military districts with loyal officials in charge
• He force noble families to move to the capital at Xianyang in
order to closely watch them
• He gave some of the lands taken from nobles to the peasants to
work
• He also built the Great Wall of China. This took the conscripted
labor of peasants and it took them toiling constantly for 25 years
to build the wall to protect the Chinese for northern invaders.
The wall took on the nickname “longest graveyard” due to all
the peasants that died building it.
• Shi Huangdi died in 210 BCE and after his death the empire fell.
People revolted due to high taxes, conscripted labor, and cruel
policies. In 206 BCE Gao Zu (a illiterate peasant leader)
defeated rival armies to find the next dynasty, the Han
Han Dynasty 202 BCE-220 CE
• Gao Zu-Liu Bang restored order and justice. He lowered
taxes and ended curtailed Legalist policies. He also
restored Confucian scholars as government advisors
• Wudi (141-87 BCE) was a famous Han emperor who
strengthened the government by choosing Confucian
scholars and he even set up an imperial university. He built
roads and canals and set up granaries across China. He also
created a government monopoly on iron and salt thereby
creating an income for the government so they wouldn’t
have to increase taxes.
• Wudi was an expansionist and expanded the territory of
China. In doing this he also opened up a network of trade
routes called the Silk Roads that linked China eventually
all the way to the West! New foods and products flowed
into China and China exported much silk. The road was
eventually about 4,000 miles long (relay trade)
• Wudi (Wu Ti) Han Wudi “Martial Emperor” –Greatest Han ruler (148-87 BCE)
• -Did two important things that dramatically increased the power of the state
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1) Increased powers of centralized government
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-recruitment problems of qualified men for the bureaucracies led him
to form imperial university to train better officials = better government (laid
foundation for later civil service exams)
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-decreased taxes by establishing a state monopoly on iron and salt
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-established granaries around the empire to feed the hungry
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-legalism –less harsh to establish authority of government
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2) Increased territory under the Han
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-took northern Vietnam
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-took Korea
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-extended into Asian steppes and sent the Xiongnu into a decline (for
now)
• **All of these military expeditions were quite expensive and led to increases on
taxes
• -This led to increased social tensions: At the same time that taxes increased and few
poor harvests occurred forcing many small farmers to sell their lands or even
themselves into slavery to pall of their debts. Larger, rich, noble conglomerate farms
were created. The rich got richer and the poor got poorer!
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Han Dynasty 202 BCE-220 CE
Former
Later
202 BCE -9
25-220
Stronger
usurper
weaker
-Han dynasty was started by Gao Zu or Liu Bang. He was a
great commander who used his brilliant skills and great
advisors to fill the power vacuum following the fall death of
Qin Shi Huangdi
• -Liu Bang initially tried to walk the line between centralized
government and feudalism. He gave lands to family in
return for loyalty. However, he changed his mind after the
Xiongnu almost successfully kidnapped him and his so
called loyal friend never showed up to help!
• -Liu Bang then started a program of strict centralization
Wudi
Han Dynasty
• Under the Han dynasty, Confucianism became the official
belief of the state
• The state relied on well-educated Confucian bureaucrats to
run the government
• These Confucian scholars were civil servants or officials of
the government. They believed that someone should gain
their position by merit and not family ties. If someone
proved themselves then they were promoted through the
government ranks. Eventually, they might be recruited to
take a civil service exam to test their knowledge of
government and history (Five Classics). Later under the
Sui dynasty a formal civil service exam was established.
Only men from wealthy families could afford the training
needed in order to pass the test. Sometimes brilliant
peasant boys were paid for but that was unusual. Women
were excluded from this system due to the patriarchal
nature of the country.
• The test remained in use until 1912 in China!
• Xiongnu-Nomadic, pastoralists from the Asian Steppes.
They raided Chinese villages for manufactured goods and
food when trade didn’t prove helpful. (in books says the
Huns-they are wrong)
• -They were highly mobile military force because they raised
horses-little boys learned to ride sheep first and shoot
rodents with bow/arrow!
• -Maodun (210-174 BCE)-greatest Xiongnu leader…he
created a large confederation of tribes from the Aral Sea to
the Yellow Sea!!!! Chinese had a difficult time attacking
because the society moved around-no permanent
settlements. He army was highly mobile and strong and was
a big threat to Han China. Therefore, Han attempted to
subdue the Xiongnu by paying tribute (food and goods) to
them.
• Society: Patriarchal society where filial piety was encouraged and
women were to be subservient to their men! Unfortunately, the social
tensions created under Wudi were never properly dealt with and they
grew. This resulted in banditry and rebellion.
• Wang Mang (Socialist Emperor) The Usurper!!! 9-25
• -A 2 year old boy came to the throne as the emperor of Han China and
Wang Mang worked in the government at the time as was named as
the child’s regent.
• -Wang Mang then declared the throne for himself and stated the Han
had lost he mandate of heaven due to the high poverty and starvation.
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-Moved to redistribute land. He wanted to take land from the rich
and give to the landless and relieve social tension. However, he didn’t
think of how to properly implement his idea and confusion
resulted…plus you know the nobles didn’t like this guy at all. Soon
forces rose against Wang Mang and it was declared he didn’t really
have the mandate since life wasn’t improving for anyone and famine
was still occurring. He was kicked out of power and promptly
executed!
Han Fall
• Court intrigues undermined powers of the emperor
and powerful warlords emerged
• Weak emperors let canals and roads fall into
disrepair while they increased taxes
• Taxes became so high that they send out tax
collectors. Peasants revolted by abandoning
villages and fleeing to the mountains where they
joined bandit groups with colorful names like the
Red Eyebrows or Green Woodsmen
• In 220 powerful warlords overthrew the last Han
emperor and China broke up into regional
kingdoms. Additionally, northern invaders purged
into the country (Xiongnu)!
• Late Han: After Wang Mang, power was restored to the
Han dynasty and they attempted to use the same tactics as
Wudi…but never regained their power.
• -They never dealt with the social tensions and people soon
began to rebellion, turned to banditry, and even abandoned
their homes to live in the woods!
• -Coupled with an inefficient government = factions
developed which competed with each other for the
emperor’s approve and power. They literally fought each
other and power broke down-didn’t work together for the
betterment of China  Imperial family vs. Confucian
scholars vs. eunuchs
• -At the same time that government and society was
breaking down the Xiongnu moved in for increased
raiding. This effective put an end to the Han dynasty!!!!
Achievements/ Golden Age
• Han dynasty: chemistry, zoology, botany, and astronomy.
Developed calendars, timekeeping devices, seismographs
to detect earthquakes, moon eclipses, acupuncture,
diagnosed diseases, and developed anesthetics and
remedies (drugs)
• China was the most advanced civilization in the world at
the time
• Cai Lun: invented a method for making paper of out of
wood pulp
• Ship building: rudder to steer
• Bronze and iron stirrups, fishing reel, wheelbarrows, and
suspension bridges
• Art expanded during this time, palaces and temples were
built, and large parks
• Silk makers improved, jade and ivory cravings improved
Buddhism
• By 100 missionaries and merchants from India
spread Buddhism to China
• Spread during times of trouble and did oppose
basic traditional Confucian Chinese values of the
family, hierarchy, and the patriarchy
• Personal salvation and hope to end suffering were
appeal: Neither Daoism or Confucianism
emphasized the idea of personal salvation
• By 400 Buddhism had spread throughout the
country and became somewhat popular