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Chinese Empire. Chapter 9. Monday, February 24, 2014. Homework: Sign & return chapter 8 tests Do Now: Read page 271-273 When finished, please get a worksheet from the back table and complete it. The Qin. Qin was a mountainous kingdom located in northwestern China
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Chinese Empire Chapter 9
Monday, February 24, 2014 • Homework: Sign & return chapter 8 tests • Do Now: Read page 271-273 • When finished, please get a worksheet from the back table and complete it.
The Qin • Qin was a mountainous kingdom located in northwestern China • Beyond the kingdom, there were foreign lands of Asia • Although by the late Zhou dynasty, Qin had become the strongest kingdom in western China, King Zheng wanted more power!
Uniting the Warring States • Kin Zheng of Qin was ruthless, he defeated each kingdom one by one • By 221 BC, Qin forces defeated their last enemy and united China • There are still challenges: • Languages and customs varied • Rebellion may occur • Invasion by nomads
The First Emperor • The Qin ruler decided that the Chinese needed to become one people by one government • King was too small of a word for such a vast empire • He then declared himself Shi Huangdi – “First Emperor” • “Huagdi” is tied to the gods and legendary rules of China’s past
The Great Wall • Before the Qin unification, the smaller kingdoms had walls to protect themselves from other kingdoms • Shi Huagdi had these walls torn down and began work on one of the largest public works projects in history • The Great Wall • A long wall running east and west along his empire’s northern border to defend the empire from nomads living close by
Tuesday, February 25, 2014 • Homework: page 277 1-7 • Do Now: • Have out signed tests • In your notes, why did Shi Huangdi call himself the “First Emperor”?
Protection • Building the wall was dangerous and many workers died • It did not always keep invaders out, but other emperors who followed also relied on the wall for protection
Establishing Standards • Shi Huagdi knew he needed to standarize daily life • Standards for economy • Standards for culture • Anyone who did not follow the standards was punished as a traitor • Most importantly, the empire established a single written language
Establishing Standards • Transportation became standardized • The government established a standard length for the axles of all vehicles, making travel between different areas easier • All carts and wagons could travel in the same ruts on the same roads • A uniform set of weights and measures was also set into place • This made trade easier • Currency was the same throughout China
Organization • Shi Huagdi introduced the concept of centralization (central government system) • He organized China into 36 provinces • Each province was divided into counties • Each county had a leader who reported to central government who then reported to the emperor • To prevent rebellion, Shi Huagdi forced thousands of noble families to move to the capital where spies could watch them
A Legalist Government • In the alte Zhou dyansty, the Qin rulers brought in advisors to help make the Qin stronger • Shang Yang was a very important advisor who belonged to a school of thought called Legalism • According to this, a strong leader and a strong legal system are needed to create social order
A Legalist Government • The Qin kings took more direct control over the common people with heavy taxes and labor requirements • The kingdom became stronger and more orderly • Shi Huagdi became very interested in harsh laws and following Legalist Han Feizi
Wednesday, February 26, 2014 • Homework: Great Wall of China Synonyms (Worksheet) • Do Now: Open to your notes from yesterday
Rules and Punishment under Legalism • Han Feizi did not agree with Confucianism • Instead, he believed people must be forced to do good • This was done by making strict laws and enforcing them • Shi Huagdi made a uniform legal code across his empire with very severe punishments • Ex: a thief could face physical punishment as harsh as cutting off the feet or nose • Ex: less serious theft may receive punishment of harsh labor such as working on the walls or the roads
Censoring Thought • The First Emperor tried to control Chinese thought by censoring ideas he found dangerous or offensive • Debate about the government was banned • People could not praise past rulers or criticize the present one • Books that did not support his policies were burned
Fall of the Qin Dynasty • About 3 years after Shi Huagdi’s death, the dynasty collapsed • A soldier named Chen Sheng led a rebellion • He was leading troops north to defend the borders of China, but a storm of heavy rains delayed them • He knew that arriving late would have a severe penalty so he and his men decided they had nothing to lose by rebelling
Fall of the Qin Dynasty • As news of Chen Sheng’s uprising spread, many others rose up to support him • Qin generals tried but could not put down these rebellions • Knowing the punishment for failure, some of the generals joined the rebellions • The rebels joined together long enough to defeat the Qin, but then began fighting amongst themselves and chaos erupted AGAIN