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Chinese Dynasties

Chinese Dynasties Zhou 1027 BCE 221 BCE. Zhou (1027 BCE 221 BCE)Classical ideas of family, property, and bureaucracy took shape during Zhou rule- The rise of competitive and quarrelling smaller states at the end of the Zhou period set things up for a strong central power to unify the

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Chinese Dynasties

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    1. Chinese Dynasties Too Many Dynasties to Remember? Lets try a SONG! Shang, Zhou, Qin, Han Shang, Zhou, Qin, Han Sui, Tang, Song Sui, Tang, Song Yuan, Ming, Qing, Republic Yuan, Ming, Qing, Republic Mao Zedong Mao Zedong Let’s try Frere Jacques http://rhs.rocklin.k12.ca.us/academics/socialscience/apwh/index.html

    2. Chinese Dynasties – Zhou 1027 BCE – 221 BCE Zhou (1027 BCE – 221 BCE) Classical ideas of family, property, and bureaucracy took shape during Zhou rule - The rise of competitive and quarrelling smaller states at the end of the Zhou period set things up for a strong central power to unify the Chinese lands. - commonalities in culture between the smaller states but also distinct cultural differences (similar in some ways to the different Greek city-states) (Bulliet 64)

    3. Chinese Dynasties – Qin 221 - 206 BCE Qin (221 BCE – 206 BCE) - Began long period of Imperial China that would last into the 20th century. Aggressive tendencies and disciplined way of life made it the premier power among the warring states in the early 3rd century BCE - Qin rapidly conquered their rivals and created China’s first empire. - Empire was extensive – basically the China of today – much more extensive than the relatively compact zone in northeastern China of the Shang and Zhou - BUT at great human cost – empire barely survived its founder (Shi Huangdi) (Bulliet 64, 160)

    4. Chinese Dynasties – Qin 221 - 206 BCE Qin (221 BCE – 206 BCE) - Leaders were able and ruthless men - drew on ideas of legalism - cracked down on Confucianism - worked to eliminate potential rivals - eliminated primogeniture - so land would be split up to several heirs. - why? - abolished slavery - wanted a free peasantry of small land owners - why?

    5. Chinese Dynasties – Qin 221 - 206 BCE Qin (221 BCE – 206 BCE) - Committed to standarization - with writing, weights, coinage, a uniform law code etc. - tried to eliminate individual version of these in each state. - Qin - built thousands of miles of roads - built canals - linked some walls as a barricade to foreigners (Bulliet 163-164)

    6. Chinese Dynasties – Han 206 BCE – 220 CE Han (206 BCE – 220 CE) - Qin and Han - began the long history of imperial China that would last into the 20th century - remarkable achievement to consolidate these lands because they were quite diverse in topography, climate, plant and animal life and human population - there were great obstacles to communication and a uniform way of life – more so than the Roman Empire experienced - there was no internal sea like the Mediterranean that the Romans had to help with transportation. (Bulliet 160)

    7. Chinese Dynasties – Han 206 BCE – 220 CE Han (206 BCE – 220 CE) - Qin and Han - Key to empires -1) Agricultural production - the primary source of wealth and taxes that supported imperial China. (Bulliet 160) 2) Human labor - the other fundamental commodity - took advantage of this much as the Romans did - dependence on large population of free peasants to give taxes and labor to the state (Bulliet 161)

    8. Chinese Dynasties – Han 206 BCE – 220 CE Han (206 BCE – 220 CE) - Han Human labor - in between growing seasons required every able-bodied man to donate one month of labor a year to public work projects - construction was done on palaces, temples, roads, canals, transporting goods etc. - Another obligation was two years of military service (Bulliet 161)

    9. Chinese Dynasties – Han 206 BCE – 220 CE Han (206 BCE – 220 CE) - Han - continued structure and Legalist ideology but less harsh - mixed with form of Confucianism - emphasized the benevolence of the government and the appropriate behaviors in a hierarchal society. - Han structure became the standard

    10. Chinese Dynasties – Han 206 BCE – 220 CE Han (206 BCE – 220 CE) - Han - - Gradually, but persistently the Han expanded at the expense of other ethnic groups. - As they expanded they brought their culture with them - ideas about family, Confucianism etc. - Chinese today refer to themselves ethnically as “Han” (Bulliet 161, 164)

    11. Chinese Dynasties – Han 206 BCE – 220 CE Han (206 BCE – 220 CE) - Han captial Chang’an - - thriving city - 246,000 in 2 CE - filled with officials, soldiers, merchants, craftsmen and foreign visitors - high walls to protect government buildings - became a model for urban planning - some of city was planned

    12. Chinese Dynasties – Han 206 BCE – 220 CE Han (206 BCE – 220 CE) - Han captial Chang’an - - thriving city - gap between rich and poor - government officials and merchants lived a very different life from the common man

    13. Chinese Dynasties – Han 206 BCE – 220 CE Han (206 BCE – 220 CE) - Leadership and Mandate of Heaven - continued this idea - ruler was regarded as a divinity – his word was law to a much higher degree than in Rome. - However, the Chinese believed there was a strong tie between heaven and the natural world - THEREFORE, floods, earthquakes, droughts etc. were seen as a due to the emperors mismanagement and a reason for him to be replaced. (Bulliet 165)

    14. Chinese Dynasties – Han 206 BCE – 220 CE Han (206 BCE – 220 CE) - Leadership - Emperor lived secluded life with wives, children, servants, courtiers etc. - Central government rarely came in contact with the common man - local officials would have contact - Local officials were often “gentry” - moderately wealthy, educated men who were desired by emperors to weaken the rich, powerful rural aristrocrats. - gentry were generally efficient, respected, and responded quickly to the needs of the people

    15. Chinese Dynasties – Han 206 BCE – 220 CE Han (206 BCE – 220 CE) - Leadership (Bulliet 165 - 166) - System was set up 1) to train officials (gentry) to be intellectually capable and morally worthy to serve. had to pass a civil service examination. 2) to measure an officials performance with a code of conduct. - According to tradition an Imperial University trained the would-be officials and had more than 30,000 students. Some scholars doubt this however. - In theory any man could advance in this system. In practice, the sons of gentry had a distinct advantage to receive the necessary training.

    16. Chinese Dynasties – Han 206 BCE – 220 CE Han (206 BCE – 220 CE) - Leadership (Bulliet 165 - 166) - When emperor died, his most favored wife got to choose the next emperor from among the males of his ruling clan.

    17. Chinese Dynasties – Han 206 BCE – 220 CE Han (206 BCE – 220 CE) - Technology - Iron – Qin may have been first to take advantage of this as Chinese metallurgists were ahead of other areas. - Crossbow - watermill – power to use with grindstone. - advanced horse collar - allowed horse to breathe better and carry heavier loads. - Roads and waterways - helped with transportation and trade. (Bulliet 166-167)

    18. Chinese Dynasties – Han 206 BCE – 220 CE Han (206 BCE – 220 CE) - Decline - Several reasons 1) Harder and harder to provide adequate protection versus nomadic invaders - this led to local nobles, merchants, and/or warlords offering their protection 2) military conscriptions system broke down 3) corruption, inefficiency

    19. Chinese Dynasties – Han 206 BCE – 220 CE Han (206 BCE – 220 CE) - Decline - All of these reasons led to political fragmentation. - This fragmentation lasted until the rise of the Sui and Tang in the late 6th and 7th centuries. (Bulliet 168) - For good comparison of Roman and Han Empires read pgs. 168-170

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