Name_______________________________
Qin and Han Dynasties DBQ
Date______________
Miss V.
ANCIENT CHINA
Qin and Han Dynasties
The following question requires you to construct a coherent short-answer response
that integrates your interpretation of documents 1-6 and your knowledge of the
period referred to in the question. High scores will be earned only by responses that
both cite key pieces of evidence from the documents and draw on outside
knowledge of the period.
Historical Context: Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi was the first emperor to unite China.
He did this not only through force, but also by standardizing systems throughout the
country such as currency, writing, weights and measurements. His policies were
strict and many nobles and scholars disliked them. He put 460 scholars to death as a
warning to those who considered opposing them. Eventually his empire fell apart
with the uprising of the peasants that led to the founding of the Han Dynasty. Liu
Bang launched the Han Dynasty in 206 BC and adopted the systems and harsh laws
initially put in place by Emperor of the Qin Dynasty. The Han dynasty was also a
time of innovation with vast developments in the arts, philosophy and technology.
Task: Using information from the documents and your knowledge of Global History,
complete the analysis chart that accompanies each document in Part A. Your
analysis chart will help you write the Part B free response question in which you
will be asked to:
Analyze the validity of the following statement:
The Qin and Han Dynasties carried Chinese civilization to its height.
Part A
Document Analysis
Directions: Analyze the documents and complete the chart.
Document 1
Source: Excerpt from the Memorial
on
Annexation
of
Feudal
States
by Li Si,
government official for the Qin Dynasty
Memorial
on
Annexation
of
Feudal
States
...
Now,
with
the
might
of
Qin
and
the
virtues
of
Your
Highness,
at
one
stroke,
like
sweeping
off
the
dust
from
a
kitchen
stove,
the
feudal
lords
can
be
annihilated,
imperial
rule
can
be
established,
and
unification
of
the
world
can
be
brought
about.
This
is
the
one
moment
in
ten
thousand
ages.
If
Your
Highness
allows
it
to
slip
away
and
does
not
press
the
advantage
in
haste,
the
feudal
lords
will
revive
their
strength
and
organize
themselves
into
an
anti-Qin
alliance. Then no one, even though he possesses
the
virtues
of
the
Yellow
Emperor,
would
be
able
to
annex
their
territories.
Author, Dynasty
Intended Audience
The Main Idea
Significance
Impact on Chinese civilization.
(Did it help carry Chinese civ.
to its height-why or why not?
Document 2
Source: Excerpt from the Memorial
on
the Burning of Books by Li Si, government
official for the Qin Dynasty
Memorial
on
the
Burning
of
Books
…But at present Your Majesty possesses a unified empire and has firmly established for
yourself a position of sole supremacy. And yet these independent schools, joining with each
other, criticize the codes of laws and instructions. Hearing of the promulgation (spread) of a
decree (law), they criticize it, each from the standpoint of his own school…
Your
servant
suggests
that
all
books
in
the
imperial
archives,
save
the
memoirs
of
Qin,
be
burned.
All
persons
in
the
empire,
except
members
of
the
Academy
of
Learned
Scholars,
in
possession
of
the
Classic
of
Odes,
the
Classic
of
Documents,
and
discourses
of
the hundred philosophers should take
them to the local governors and have them burned. Those who dare to talk to each other
about the Odes and Documents should be executed.
Author, Dynasty
Intended Audience
The Main Idea
Significance
Impact on Chinese civilization.
(Did it help carry Chinese civ.
to its height-why or why not?
Document 3
Source: Selections from The Five Vermin by Han Feizi, government official for the
Qin Dynasty
The Five Vermin
Hardly ten men of true integrity and good faith can be found today, and yet the
offices of the state number the hundreds. If they must be filled by men of integrity
and good faith, then there will never be enough men to go around; and if the offices
are left unfilled, then those whose business it is to govern will dwindle in numbers
while disorderly men increase. Therefore, the way of the enlightened ruler is to
unify the laws instead of seeking for wise men, to lay down firm policies instead of
longing for men of good faith. Hence his laws never fail him, and there is no felony or
deceit among his officials…
Author, Dynasty
Intended Audience
The Main Idea
Significance
Impact on Chinese civilization.
(Did it help carry Chinese civ.
to its height-why or why not?
Document 4
Source: Han government official, writing to local officials concerning flood
prevention, early second century B.C.E.
I request that you establish water conservation offices in each district and staff them
with people who are experienced in the ways of water. There should be one high
official and one deputy with just enough workers to meet the need. For the area on
both sides of each river select one person as chief hydraulic engineer. Order
inspections of the waterways, the walls of the cities and their suburbs, the dikes and
rivers, canals and pools, and government buildings and cottages, and supply enough
workers to those who are to carry out the repair work in each district.
Author, Dynasty
Intended Audience
The Main Idea
Significance
Impact on Chinese civilization.
(Did it help carry Chinese civ.
to its height-why or why not?
Document 5
Source: Huan Tan, upper-class Han philosopher, New Discourses, about 20 C.E.
Fuxi (a mythological emperor) invented the pestle and the mortar. Later on, the
pestle and the mortar were cleverly improved in such a way that the whole weight
of the body could be used, thus increasing the efficiency ten times. In time, the
power of animals — donkeys, mules, oxen and horses — was added. Later, water
power was also applied, and the benefit was increased a hundredfold.
Author, Dynasty
Intended Audience
The Main Idea
Significance
Impact on Chinese civilization.
(Did it help carry Chinese civ.
to its height-why or why not?
Document 6
Source: History of the Early Han Dynasty (government-sponsored history), about
200 C.E.
Tu Shih was appointed governor of Nanyang [about 31 C.E.]. He was a generous man
and his policies were peaceful. He destroyed evil-doers and established the dignity
of his office. Good at planning, Tu Shih loved the common people and wished to save
their labor. He invented a water-powered blowing-engine for the casting of iron
agricultural implements that allowed people to enjoy great benefit for little labor.
His invention has been widely adopted and used.
Author, Dynasty
Intended Audience
The Main Idea
Significance
Impact on Chinese civilization.
(Did it help carry Chinese civ.
to its height-why or why not?
PART B
Free Response Question
Directions: Write a well-organized short response (7-10 sentences) that includes a
thesis statement. Use evidence from at least four documents in your answer.
Support your response with relevant facts, examples, and details. Include additional
outside information.
Historical Context: Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi was the first emperor to unite China.
He did this not only through force, but also by standardizing systems throughout the
country such as currency, writing, weights and measurements. His policies were
strict and many nobles and scholars disliked them. He put 460 scholars to death as a
warning to those who considered opposing them. Eventually his empire fell apart
with the uprising of the peasants that led to the founding of the Han Dynasty. Liu
Bang launched the Han Dynasty in 206 BC and adopted the systems and harsh laws
initially put in place by Emperor of the Qin Dynasty. The Han dynasty was also a
time of innovation with vast developments in the arts, philosophy and technology.
Task: Analyze the validity of the following statement:
The Qin and Han Dynasties carried Chinese civilization to its height.
Guidelines:
In your response, be sure to
•Address all aspects of the Task by accurately analyzing and interpreting at least
FOUR documents
•Include a thesis statement that presents your position on the statement.
For example, the Qin and Han Dynasties carried Chinese civilization to its
height because___________,______________, and _____________.
OR
the Qin and Han Dynasties did not advance or further Chinese civilization
because ____________,_____________,and ____________.
•Support your answer and position with relevant examples, evidence, and facts.
•Use a logical and clear plan of organization including an introductory sentence and
concluding sentence.