The Age of Chin and Han

220 B.C.E-220 C.E.

Imperial China

Marked by fragmentation, dictated by geography.

Compact in Northeastern China.

Shang and Zhou Range

Decentralized Zhou, saw rival states vying for the very thing the Zhou created, the Mandate of Heaven.

The Qin state from the Wei Valley emerged as victorious.

Warring States

Qin ruleMarked by rigid centralization.Emphasis on Legalist political ideology.Totalitarian structureCrackdown on Confucianism

Eliminate all rivals centers of authority.Coping with:1. Landowners: abolished hereditary land

ownership by eldest son.2. Gain strength amongst poor: abolish

slavery. Tried to create a free peasantry.Complete Standardization: everything from

coins to music.More prominently: standardized writing and

laws.

Qin Politics

Started Great WallBuilt thousands of miles of roadsFacilitated military transportation.Uniform law codeStability

Qin achievements

As marked by his opulent tombdied in 210 B.C.E.

Myth of the “first emperor”The dynasty died with him in 206 B.C.E as

other Qin emperors couldn’t even take their place as the state erupted in rebellion.

Qin Collapse

Liu Bang a former peasant outlasted his rivals and claimed the Mandate of Heaven.

Hallmarks of the HanReject excess of the QinReject errors of Qin leagalismRestore institutions of the pastCombined the objectives of Legalism with the

“tone” of Confucianism.Emphasized a strong rigid administration, ably

staffed.

Foundation of Han

First 80 years to reconsolidate after Qin.Remaining time focused on expansion.Greatest expansionist: Emperor Wu

Han History

Chang’anThick pounded walls

surrounded the city.Built near a fertile

plain.Bustling city of over

200,000 residents.Became a model of

urban planning.

Han PoliticsEmperor: the “Son of

Heaven”Was regarded as

divine on earthWord was lawFailure to govern

demonstrated a loss of divine confidence.

Similar to Egypt.

Central GovernmentRun by a Prime Minister and civil service

director.Had a cabinet style structure.Federalist in nature in that it was a tiered

structure.Central Government rarely impacted peoples

daily lives.

Rise of the GENTRY: a class of ruling scholars.

Part of a class warfare against the aristocratic class.

Similar to the Roman equites. This group was protected and respected.

Han Social Class

Role of Confucianism: Provide a system for training officials to be:

Intellectually capableMorally worth

Set a code of conduct to measure performanceFormal university to train at Chang’an

Civil Servants advanced through the system and grew in power and influence. In time this became the new aristocracy and target for Chinese youth.

Gentry, Confucianism, and Government

Became very popular to the common people, as Buddhism did during Mauryan India.

Daoism ephasized the search for the “dao” that elusive concept that means “path to nature” and harmonizing with it.

Despite its passive nature, Daoism began to become very skeptical. One aspect of its skepticism was the nature e of social order in China.

Urged denial of ambition, acceptance of the world’s disorders, and the following of natural instincts.

Han Age Daoism

Technology has always been a Chinese strengthFirst developed Bronze (1500 B.C.E) and Iron a

millennium later. By the time of Rome’s height, the Chinese were the masters of Iron.

Developed:CrossbowChariotsWatermills for running waterHorse collar (Europe)Large scale wall buildingRoads and couriersSilk

China: Center of Technology

The Silk RoadFervor for Chinese Silk as

well as improved security and transportation opened up a legendary trade route.

Over the centuries, many important scientific and technological innovations migrated to the West along the Silk Road, including gunpowder, the magnetic compass, the printing press, silk, mathematics, ceramic and lacquer crafts

Likely arrived in China around the same time as the Silk Roads began to explode.

Posed problems for the Chinese, in many of the same ways that the Romans experienced problems with the advent of Christianity.Political obstacle to the direction of the “Son of

Heaven principle”Principle of “seclusion” ran contrary to the Chinese

tradition of Family.Different from the teachings of Confucius and the

established norms of Chinese society.Grew in popularity as chaos began to disrupt the

Han Dynasty—it became a political threat.

Buddhism in China

As barbarians consolidated rule in China, so did Buddhism grow.“ We were born out of the marches and though

we are unworthy, we have complied with our appointed destiny and govern the Chinese as their prince…with Buddha being a barbarian god, this is the very one we should worship.”

Buddhism provided a clear network of refuge for the desperate and a vision of salvation

Dharma began to become known as “Dao”Pure land Buddhism

Mahayana Buddhism in China

Respected minister who undertook a complete overhaul of land reform.

In 9 C.E he claimed the Mandate of Heaven.“The Socialist Reformer”Land limits, large estates broken up and

redistributed, and the landless given land.

Political Upheaval: Wang Mang

A result of the failure to address land distribution

Renegade peasants in distinctive headwear disrupting trade as a result of hopelessness.

This didn’t destroy the empire, it did weaken them…outside invaders, namely the Xiongnu, epidemic diseases and political unrest will succeed where the Yellow Turbans failed.

Yellow Turban Uprising