Qin and Han China

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Qin and Han China
David Kawamura
Cindy Kang
Jasleen Kaur
WHAP
Period 5
September 28, 2007
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General Info
Han Dynasty
Qin Dynasty
221 B.C. - 206 B.C.
206 B.C. 220 A.D.
The Most Famous Ruler
First Emperor
Qin Shih Huangdi
Wu Ti
Dynasty
Dynasty
It was short-lived.
It lasted over 400 years.
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Geography
Qin Dynasty

• Extended Chinese territory to the south

• Reached up to present-day Hong Kong on the South
  China Sea and Northern Vietnam.

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Geography
Han Dynasty

• Extended to Korea, Indochina, and Central Asia.

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Trade

• Maritime Silk Road- origins in the Han dynasty.

• The 7000 mile route spanned China, Central Asia,
  Northern India, and the Parthian and Roman
  Empires.

• Raw and processes silk transported along the
  overland silk road.

• The maritime routes opened by Emperor Han Wudi
  provided access to the Roman Empire via India.

• Increased the number of foreign merchants present
  in China

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War

• The Yellow Turban Rebellion 184 A.D.

Through Taoism, Zhang Jue began to convince
masses of people that the Han rulers had lost the
Mandate of Heaven. Subsequently, he called for a
full blown rebellion which turned out to be
extremely violent and destructive, and eventually
lead to the downfall of the Han dynasty.

• Chu-Han War 206 B.C.

Liu Bang conquered the troops of the Qin Dynasty.
After four years of war Liu Bang defeated his
rival and established the Han Dynasty.
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Agriculture

• The Emperors encouraged the development of
  agriculture.

• Grew rice, and wheat, and provided salt.

• Under Wu Dis reign the Lou Che was invented,
  which was used for ploughing and sowing. This
  saved manual labor.

• Silk was invented and was used as currency.

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Weaponry
Qin Dynasty

• Used swords, daggers, billhooks, spears,
  halberds, axes, crossbow triggers, and arrowheads.

• PiDouble-bladed spear.
• Similar to a sword, a short sword.

• Shu Round metal-headed wooden club

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Weaponry
Han Dynasty
Dao most widely used weapon. Have blades and are
used to slice, cut, hack and chop.
Qiang (spear) Referred to as the king of the
hundred weapons.
Jiau (sword) During Han Dynasty, men of high
position wore it to show their stature.
Ji (Halberd) a weapon with a steel tip mounted
on a long pole. During the Han Dynasty it was
replaced by the spear.
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Population Growth Decline

• With the advanced technology, farming flourished
  more. As farming became more productive,
  population thus naturally increased.

• As the rulers expanded the Chinese territory
  toward such countries as Korea and Vietnam,
  population increased as more land was gained.

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Disease

• Bubonic Plague

not only decreased population, but also disrupted
trade, industry, finance, and society.

• European Plagues

spread over the silk roads brought down the Han
Empire .

• Small Pox, Measles, Chickenpox, and Rubella
  spread throughout countries through trade.

• The East-West trade linking Rome with china
  through the Silk Road introduced Small pox and
  measles to China.

• Writings were found suggesting that an ancient
  disease called Leprosy existed. Can be referred
  to as Leprosy or Syphilis.

• May have been introduced into China from India.

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Migrations
v

• Inter-migration within China

As the empire expanded southward into present day
Hong Kong, and later further towards Korea,
Indochina, and Central Asia, people moved to
these new areas as they provided new
opportunities for farming, and overall wealth and
prosperity.
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Social Structure

• Aristocracy Bureaucracy

• Skilled laborers, Iron workers, farmers, etc.

• Unskilled laborers

• In Han China, there was a three tier social
  system. At the top of this was the Aristocrats
  and Bureaucrats, followed by the skilled laborers
  (iron workers, farmers, etc) and then the
  unskilled laborers which included people like
  servants.

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Gender Structure

• Women were subordinate and had their own clearly
  defined roles.

• Women sometimes gained power as mothers in law of
  younger women brought into the household.

• Same gender hierarchy existed among children.
  Boys gt Girls

• Considered the head of family, the oldest son who
  had the most authority other than his father,
  inherited everything.

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The Arts
Qin Dynasty

• The arts did not exist in the Qin Dynasty because
  Emperor Qin Shihuang ordered musical instruments
  and art forms to be burned. He considered them an
  unnecessary item in China because it taught
  people to have their own thoughts.

Han Dynasty

• Emperors and musicians during the Han Dynasty
  wished to bring back the arts.

• They wanted to adapt to Confucian thought, which
  considered music as an intellectual pursuit.

• Office of Music (Yuefu) was created to collect
  the folk music of China

• During the Han Dynasty 829 people were employed
  in three orchestras.

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Literature/Sacred Writings/Writing System

• Confucian writing

• Several writers elaborated Confucian philosophy
  during the Han dynasty.

• Learning and reciting poetry became significant
  part of Chinese education

• Five Classics Were used in civil service
  examinations. Included historical treatises,
  speeches, and a discussion of etiquette and
  ceremonies

• most commonly used script Lishu script. They
  used it because it was faster and more
  accessible, which they needed for governmental
  issues.

• During the Qin Dynasty, the language was unified
  as one dialect.

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Government Structure
Shih Huangdi

• He provided a single law code for the whole empire

• Established a uniform tax system

• Appointed governors to each district. These
  rulers had legal and military powers. They also
  had their own lower rulers for smaller regions.

• Epitome of effective centralized government

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Government Structure
Han Dynasty

• Established 130,000 bureaucrats. Had to take
  examinations.

• Judicial matters were done by local governments.

• Military was not extremely strong.

• Emphasized Confucian philosophy as an official
  Chinese values..

• Sponsored public works (irrigation/canal systems)

• Standardized currency to facilitate trade

• Regulated agricultural supplies

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Family Organization

• Patriarchal families

• Extended family networks through brothers,
  uncles, grandparents, and others.

• The practice of ancestor worship was important to
  family authority among the affluent landowners.

• Village authority was supreme over family rule
  among the ordinary farmers.

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Religious Beliefs
Buddhism

• Buddhism originated in northern India during the
  6th century.

• Han Buddhism was popular during the Han Dynasty.

• Emperor Tai Wu persecuted Buddhism.

Taoism/Daoism

• Taoism was popular during the reign of the Han
  Dynasty.

• Under the Qin Dynasty schools of Taoist
  philosophy began to emerge.

Confucianism

• Confucianism was popular during both dynasties.

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The End