China Biographies
Qin Shihuangdi
I. Early Years
A. He was born Prince Zheng of the royal family of the state of Qin (c. 259 BCE).
B. The young king was only 13 years old when he took the throne.
II. Significant Events
A. He standardized weights by making bell-shaped weights in different sizes and he
specified that bronze or gold coins should be the currency used in the country.
B. He burnt and destroyed Confucian books and scholars so that nobody could learn
about Confucianism.
II. Personal Attributes (characteristics)
A. He was a cruel and strict leader because he used forced labor, whippings, and
beheadings as punishments.
B. He was an ambitious man, because he used military might, spies, bribery, and
alliances to conquer the remaining rival states.
IV. Contributions
A. He simplified Chinese writing.
B. He standardized weights by making bell-shaped weights in different sizes and he
specified that bronze or gold coins should be the currency used in the country.
V. My Impressions
A. Qin Shihuangdi was a cruel but fair leader, because he commanded that the rich
and poor both get equal punishments. He was cruel because he killed people and
made them suffer.
B. Qin Shihuangdi’s laws weren’t fair because they were based on Legalist beliefs. I
believe that Legalist beliefs were very harsh and they killed people and tortured
them for no big reason.
King Wu and the Zhou Dynasty
I.
Early Years
A. Was born to Tai Si and King Wen of Zhou
B. He received the throne because his older brother died at a young age
II.
Significant Events
A. Took advantage of the disunity and weakness around the Shang Dynasty to
overthrow them.
B. He was the first ruler of the Zhou dynasty.
III.
Personal Attributes (characteristics)
A. He was a just ruler because he was kind and ruled fairly.
B. He was an able ruler because he overthrew the Shang dynasty.
IV.
Contributions
A. He overthrew the Shang dynasty.
B. He was the first Zhou ruler.
V.
My Impressions
A. King Zhou was a kind ruler, because he supported the Confucian principles.
B. The Zhou dynasty was the most powerful dynasty because they reigned the most
time.
Confucius
I.
Early Years
A. He was born in the small state of Lu in China in 551 B.C.E.
B. Kong, his father, died when he was three years old.
II.
Significant Events
A. Confucius’ mother died when he was 23 years old.
B. He married when he was 19 years old to Qiguan.
III.
Personal Attributes (characteristics)
A. Deeply respected Chinese traditions such as reverence for ancestors and the
honor given to scholars.
B. Wanted to teach men of good character to work as honest and fair government
officials.
IV.
Contributions
A. He produced a philosophy called Confucianism. It taught that society worked
well when all people acted properly based upon their roles and relationships
with others.
B. His book, “The Analects”.
V.
My Impressions
A. He was a kind and fair man.
B. He was of good character and is a traditional person. He wanted to spread a
teaching, so also, I believe he was ambitious.
Laozi
I.
Early Years
A. Born in 604 B.C.E, Henan, China.
B. Served as a court advisor.
II. Significant Events
A. Founded a school of Daoism.
B. Wrote the “Dao De Jing”.
III.
Personal Attributes (characteristics)
A. He was very wise, because he worked as a court advisor and he wrote many great
quotes to his philosophy.
B. He was an adventurous person, because he wanted to travel out of China.
IV.
Contributions
A. The book, the “Dao De Jing”, because he created a philosophy that affected many
people in China’s way of living.
B. He might’ve contributed to the government while serving as a court advisor.
V.
My Impressions
A. He was a kind and wise man, and many people respected him.
B. He had to study for quite a while to come up with wise philosophies.
Hanfeizi
I.
Early Years
A. Hanfeizi was born in 280 B.C.E.
B. He was born as a prince of the royal family of the state of Han.
II.
Significant Events
A. Lived to see the end of the Warring States period.
B. Lived to also see the end of the Zhou dynasty. (This is one of the reasons he
developed Legalism, because in his time rulers were often overthrown, and he
wanted them to have complete power over China so they would be powerful.)
III.
Personal Attributes (characteristics)
A. Strict, because wanted to enforce stern laws.
B. Has no or small trust in others because he wrote, “He who trusts will be controlled
by others.”
IV.
Contributions
A. Wrote the laws of Legalism.
B. Helped the Qin dynasty establish the rules of China. (This is an indirect contribution,
because he wrote the laws of Legalism, and the Qin dynasty adopted them.)
V.
My Impressions
A. He was a cruel person, because I believe his laws were very severe to people.
B. He was a person who believed in an organized, clean society.