1 / 23

China’s First Empire

China’s First Empire. Warring States China. Qin Unification of China: Origins. The Turning Point From Feudal Anarchy to Chinese Empires The State of Qin (Fifth Century BC - Third Century BC) Legalists Welcomed. Qin Shi Huangdi, The First Emperor (246-210 BC). The Qin Empire.

aimon
Download Presentation

China’s First Empire

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. China’s First Empire

  2. Warring States China

  3. Qin Unification of China: Origins • The Turning Point From Feudal Anarchy to Chinese Empires • The State of Qin (Fifth Century BC - Third Century BC) • Legalists Welcomed

  4. Qin Shi Huangdi, The First Emperor (246-210 BC)

  5. The Qin Empire

  6. The Great Wall of China • 1400 Miles Long • 100,000-1 Million Dead to build it

  7. Qin Reform • Prefecture and County System • Officials Chosen for Talent • Aristocrats Stripped of Land • Standardization of Everything • Persecution of Non-Legalist Thought

  8. The Backlash • Huge Taxes • Huge Death • Everyone Hates the Qin • Imperial Collapse: 210-206 BC

  9. The Terracotta Army

  10. Western (“Former”) Han Dynasty (206 BC-8 AD)

  11. Western Han Dynasty • The Dynastic Cycle and the Mandate of Heaven • Rise of the Han: Liu Bang (206-195 BC) • Economic Recovery

  12. Han Wudi (141-87 BC) • Yellow River-Capital Canal • Adopts Confucianism • Major Conqueror • First Census • Higher Taxes • Old Age Paranoia

  13. The Han • Salt and Iron Debate: Confucius +, Merchants - • Xiongnu Threat • The Silk Road • Centralization of Government • Confucianization

  14. The Struggle for Power • Court Officials • The Empress Dowager (Head Wife) • Court Eunuchs • Military Leaders

  15. The Silk Road

  16. Decline and Usurpation • Evasion of Taxes • Higher Burden on Peasants • 22 BC: Peasants Rise Up • Regent Wang Mang the Usurper: 8 AD-23 AD • 23 AD: Rebels Kill Wang Mang, Fight Over His Corpse • 25 AD: Liu Xiu restores order

  17. Later Han Dynasty (25-220 AD) • First Century AD • Prosperity and Military Expansion • Xiongnu Flee West, Become Huns • Second Century AD • Internal Court Conflict • Landowners with Private Armies • Daoist Revolutionary Movements • Generals Divide the Empire in 220 AD

  18. Three Kingdoms Era (220-280 AD) and Six Dynasties Era (280-589 AD) • The Three Kingdoms Era--Mythic Resonance • Semi-Feudalism • South China prospers but government is weak • Nomads Overrun the North but are Assimilated

  19. Han Thought and Religion • Han Confucianism • 175 AD: Official Canon in STONE • Uniformity of Language: 100 AD, 9000 Characters • Philosophy of Nature: Virtuous Behavior Harmonizes Heaven and Earth, Fends Off Disaster • Inventions: Seismograph, paper, wheelbarrow, stern-post rudder, compass

  20. Han Thought and Religion • History • Sima Qian (1st Century BC) and Ban Gu (1st century AD) • Neo-Daoism / “Mysterious Learning” • Quest for Immortality • Alchemical innovation is side effect: • Medicines • Dyes and Glazes • Gunpowder

  21. Buddhism Rising • First Century AD; Seen as Taoist Sect • Appeal: • It was a doctrine of personal salvation. • It upheld high standards of personal ethics • It had systematic philosophy and ties to Indian intellectual life. • It drew on sophisticated Indian traditions of meditation and psychology.

  22. Buddhism Triumphant • 5th Century, Widespread • Journey to the West • Chinese Buddhism is syncretic • Mahayana Sects (focused on compassion and savior figures--Boddhisatvas) flourish • State Regulated

More Related