Name: Ms. ZendrianDate: World History/Section ___

Chapter 6: The First Chinese Empires (221 BC- 220 AD)

Section 1: Schools of Thought in Ancient China Confucianism- the system of political and ethical ideas formulated by the Chinese

philosopher Confucius toward the end of the Zhou dynasty; it was intended to help restore order to a society that was in a state of confusion.

Confucius was seen as the First Teacher to the Chinese 2 elements: Duty and Humanity

o Duty Five Constant Relationshipso Humanitycompassion and empathy towards others

Daoism- a system of ideas based on the teachings of Laozi; teachers that the will of Heaven is best followed through inaction so that nature is allowed to take its course

o The best way to act in harmony with the universal order is not to interfere with the natural order

Legalism-a popular philosophy developed in China toward the end of the Zhou dynasty; it proposes that human beings are evil by nature and can be brought to the correct path only by harsh laws

o Humans are evil by natureo A strong ruler is needed to create an orderly society

Section 2: The Qin Unify China From 400-221 BC China experienced a blood civil war Powerful states fought one another

Qin Shihuangdi Ruler of Qin Dynasty Name means “First Qin Emperor” Created a single monetary system and ordered the building of a system of roads Reduced the power of the landed aristocrats by dividing their estates among the peasants He eliminated possible rivals and gained tax revenues for the central government Extended China’s border to the Red River- in present day Vietnam

Emperor’s Army Emperor left behind digging wells Pit contained a vast army made out of terra-cotta (clay)

The Great Wall Qin emperor’s major foreign concern was the north Nomadic people lived in the north Constructed walls to keep out nomads

Politics of the Qin Dynasty Legalism was adopted as the official ideology of the regime Those who opposed the policies of the new regime were punished or even executed

Central bureaucracy- divided into three divisions: civil division, military division, and the censorate.

Two levels of administration: provinces and countries

Section 3: The Han Dynasty Liu Pang took title Han Gaozu- Exalted Emperor of Han

Political Structures: First Han emperor had expressed his desire to discard the harsh policies of the Qin

dynasty. Abandoned the use of cruel and unusual punishment that was used under Legalism. Confucian teachings were used Han rulers kept system of local government that divided the empire into provinces and

countries. Han rulers continued the Qin system of choosing government officials on the basis of

merit rather than birth Civil service examination Population increased Expanded the Chinese Empire

Society in the Han Empire Peasants suffered Land taxes on land-owning farmers were light- had to do military service Increased importance of family structure

Technology and Culture Textile manufacturing, water mills for grinding grain, iron casting Cultural achievements

Fall of the Han Empire Weak rulers Power of central government began to decline Official corruption and the concentration of land in the hands of the wealthy led to

widespread peasant unrest China went into civil war