Three Early Chinese Dynasties
Zhou, Qin, Han
I. The Zhou Dynasty – 1028 B.C. – 256 B.C.
A. The Zhou conquered the last Shang king around 1028 B.C.
1. Zhou rulers claimed the Mandate of Heaven (heaven’s approval)
2. They established a feudal system (feudalism)
a. Kings gave land to nobles in exchange for loyalty
b. peasants worked land in exchange for protection
Chinese feudal system developed under the Zhou dynasty
King
Grants use of land to
nobles in exchange for
loyalty
Nobles
Give loyalty and
armies to the king
Peasants
Work the land for the
nobles in exchange for
shelter, protection, and
food
Merchants
Lower status than peasants because
riches come from other’s work
B. Zhou technological advances
1. Major advancement = use of iron
2. cast iron = stronger weapons & farming tools; increased production
3. invented crossbow
4. invented silk cloth – becomes major trade item
C. Zhou dynasty crumbles
1. Zhou lose power & enters Era of the Warring States
2. regional kings fighting each other for land and power
3. The Qin eventually win and unite China
II. Two Chinese Philosophies Emerge
Why do you think there was an effort to find a new governing style?
Confucianism
“The Analects”
Teachings of Confucius
“Respect yourself and
others will respect you.”
Daoism
Balance/Harmony with Nature
II. Two Chinese Philosophies Emerge
A. Confucianism
1. Impact of Confucianism in forming the social order in
China
a. Belief that humans are good, not bad
b. Respect for elders – Filial Piety c. Code of Politeness (still use in Chinese society today)
d. Emphasis on education
e. Ancestor worship
http://www.stanford.edu/group/confucian/cgi-bin/blog/?p=149
Respect link
Confucianism
- Filial Piety – Respect/obey elders/family
- Every member of society has duty.
- Role model or follower or both
Writing and
teachings of
Confucius =
Analects
He who exercises government by means of his virtue
may be compared to the north polar star, which keeps
its place and all the stars turn towards it.
-Confucious
What Chinese
concept is Confucius
reinforcing?
II. Two Chinese Philosophies Emerge
B. Taoism
1. Impact of Taoism in forming Chinese culture and
values
Lao Zi - founder
a. Humility – low view of one’s own importance
b. Simple life & inner peace
c. Harmony/balance with nature
Yin and Yang represent
opposites for
Confucianism and Taoism.
III. The Qin Dynasty – 221 B.C. – 210 B.C.
A. Around 221 B.C., the Qin defeat rival kingdoms & unite much of China
1. strong centralized gov’t formed
2. military districts allowed emperor to maintain control
3. Qin Shihuangdi = 1st emperor of China
4. China gets its name from Qin
B. Qin Shihuangdi – his achievements
1. standardized weights and measures and coinage
2. created uniform writing system
3. constructed Great Wall of China
C. The Great Wall of China
1. Invaders raided Chinese settlements from the North.
2. Qin built the Great Wall to guard against these invasions
3. Wall extended over 4,000 miles
4. built with forced labor – many died during construction
D. The End of the Qin Dynasty
1. Qin Shihuangdi dies in 210 B.C.
2. He is buried with an army of terra cotta (clay) soldiers and horses
3. The dynasty weakens; loses control of country
4. 206 B.C. Han Dynasty comes to power
IV. The Han Dynasty – 206 B.C. – A.D. 220
A. Wudi – The greatest Han ruler
1. He greatly expanded the empire
2. He expanded trade routes to the west known
as the Silk Roads
a. Silk Roads = Series of trade routes
linking China and the Mediterranean
cultures & Roman Empire
3. He established the Civil Service System – system/tests
for selecting most able person for gov’t jobs.
4. The Han Dynasty rivaled the Roman Empire in:
a. Size
Taking the Civil Service Exam
b. Population
c. government
Silk Roads – Connect China to Mediterranean Sea and Roman Empire
Silk Roads
Silk Roads
Indian Ocean
trade routes
B. Fall of the Han Dynasty
1. After Wudi died the dynasty weakened.
2. The Huns eventually overthrew the Han Dynasty
C. Other contributions of Classical China
1. invented paper
2. porcelain
3. gun powder
4. wheelbarrow
Early Chinese Crossbows
Repeating Crossbow
The Warring States Period of Ancient China
480 BCE to 221 BCE
Daoism/Taoism
Balance and harmony with nature
Yin and Yang
The Terra Cotta soldiers of Shi Huangdi’s tomb
Zhou iron axe
The Great Wall and Silk Road
The Great Wall – pg. 100
1. Draw in, generally, the location of the great Wall of China.
2. What was the main purpose of the Great Wall of China? _____________________________________________________________________
3. From the map, what does the location of the wall tell you about China’s threats?__________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The Silk Road– pg. 184-85
1. Draw in, generally, the location of the Silk Roads.
2. The Silk Road was used for what purpose? _____________________________________________________________________________
3. The Silk Roads connected what two cultures/empires? ____________________________________________________________________
4. The Silk Road split to avoid which geographic barrier? ___________________________________________________________________
5. How did the Silk Roads contribute to cultural diffusion? __________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Two Great Empires: Han China and Rome
Use chart on pg. 187
Han China
Rome
Comparative Thesis: ___________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
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