Forms of Chinese
Government
4/14/11
Forms of Chinese
Government
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
What are the four
government types
used by China to
select government
officials?
Which one do you
think was best?
Why?


Make text-to-text
connections
Identify the types of
government and
the way they
worked
Warm-up: Peer edit your paragraph! 
Chinese history is
divided into periods
ruled by dynasties, or
ruling families.
The government of
Imperial China took
many different forms
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Bureaucracy – an organized body of
workers with many levels of authority
Meritocracy – rule through merit
Aristocracy – rule by the wealthy
Nepotism – rule by family and friendship ties
Foreign Rule – Mongols ruled through social
levels
The Han Dynasty &
Bureaucracy
This was a golden age of expansion &
prosperity
 Held power for 400 years
 As long as the bureaucrat was skilled,
honest and hard working, China
prospered.
 Corrupt government officials result in
the collapse of this dynasty
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Bureaucracy – Rule through an
organized body of workers with
different levels of authority
Aristocracy & the Tang
Dynasty
Characterized by:
Used a large bureaucracy
 Government jobs held by those with
experience
 The aristocrats are very wealthy, so
they are self-sufficient because they
can afford to pay for own education
 Use their education to do well on the
civil service examinations based on
Confucius teachings.

Aristocracy
 Power
is held
by a small
privileged
class!
 Often using
nepotism to fill
important
positions
Where does nepotism
fit into Chinese Rule?

During the Tang Dynasty, many
government officials were chosen for
jobs based upon who their fathers or
grandfathers were. Some where hired
based on personal recommendations.
Often, men would marry into the
imperial family in order to gain a high
position!
Under Nepotism
Subjects would be very loyal because
they lose power if the Emperor loses
power
 They understand family ties
 Traditionally, these were the wealthy
who had been to university so they
were seen as being very adaptable –
can be trained to serve as government
officials

Nepotism
 Government
where power is
based on
family
relationships!
Meritocracy & the Song
Dynasty
Characterized by:
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Motivated candidates
Highly qualified for few
government positions
Demonstrate
intelligence on difficult
civil service exams
How did people in the Song
dynasty view the emperor?

Those who are in
power will make
sure that the
Emperor is honored
and respected
throughout history
because they want
to feel that they
serve a smart,
strong and worthy
leader.
Emperor of the Song Dynasty
Meritocracy
 Power
is held
by the talented!
Foreign Rule –
Yuan Dynasty

Mongols conquered
almost all of Asia
Under Mongolian rule, Chinese
society was divided into four
classes.
Mongols
Outside foreigners
Northern Chinese
Southern Chinese
Foreign Rule
Foreign values prized higher than
traditional values
 Many important government jobs went
to those the Khan felt he could trust
 Family often used
 Fighting amount Mongol leaders,
greed, corrupt officials led the Chinese
to rebel against Mongol rule
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What do you think?
Which form of government do you think
was most useful? Give a rational for
your answer.
 Bureaucracy
 Meritocracy
 Aristocracy
 Nepotism
 Foreign Rule
•Taught that people must act properly
towards each other.
•Outlined five important relationships:
ruler & subject, father & son, older &
younger sibling, husband & wife, friend
& friend. Except for the friends, all of
the relationships have a superordinate
and a subordinate.
Keeping this in mind, Confucius taught that people
in relationships, there is one person below & one
above. Those above should be kind to those below.
Those below should respect and obey those
above.
In particular, subjects should be
Loyal to rulers. Song emperors and
Scholars believed that….
believed that officials who had studied Confucius teachings
would be:
•Rational
•Moral
•Able to maintain order
China’s Imperial Dynasties
Dynasty
Time Period
Known For
Qin
221-206 BCE
Unification under one emperor
Han
206BCE-220CE
Golden age of a united China
Six
220-581 CE
A period of chaos & division
Sui
589-618 CE
Reunification of China
Tang
618-907 CE
Economic development & growth; many
inventions and discoveries
5 dynasties
north;10
kingdoms
south
907-960 CE
907-970 CE
A period of chaos & division
Song
960-1279 CE
Economic development & growth; many
inventions & discoveries
Yuan
1279-1368 CE
Control of China by foreigners
(Mongols)
1368-1644 CE
Opening up China to foreign influences at the start
of dynasty, closing them down by the end
Ming
Whole group check
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Get out your Reading Notes!
16.2 The government of
Imperial China
1.
2.
3.
People can overthrow an emperor
when he rules badly.
A Bureaucracy is an organize group
of gov. officials. When the
bureaucracy became corrupt,people
suffered from high taxes, forced labor
and attacks by bandits!
When the Han dynasty fell, China
broke into separate kingdoms. It was
reunited by the Sui dynasty.
16.3 The Tang Dynasty
1.
2.
3.
Scholar-officials were scholars who
got government jobs through
examinations.
The examination was primarily based
on the teachings of Confucius.
Only the wealthy could afford the
tutors, books and time to study
needed to prepare for the exams.
16.4 The Song Dynasty
1.
2.
3.
Government officials who had
studied Confucius would be rational,
moral & able to maintain order.
People from lower classes were
allowed to become government
officials.
People wanted these jobs because
government officials were respected
and were excused from taxes and
military service.
16.5 Mongol Rule
1.
2.
Kublai Khan appointed relatives,
other Mongols, and trusted
foreigners.
Chinese scholars worked only as
teachers and minor government
officials.
16.6 Revival of Civil Service system
1.
2.
Hiring scholars emphasized moral
behavior, justice, kindness, loyalty to the
emperor, proper conduct and the
importance of family. It insured that
officials were trained and talented, and it
allowed the ambitions and hard working
from all classes the chance to succeed.
People who knew science, math, or
engineering were kept out of gov. Because
Confucian scholars had little respect for
merchants, trade and business were not
encouraged.