Mandate of Heaven & Ancient into Classical China Seminar: Notes & Lesson Plan
1. Review SOAPPS Tone
a. Emphasize complete sentences, on top of main points.
2. Background: Zhou China
a. Zhou took over the “Mandate” from the Shang. In fact, the Zhou invented the mandate to justify
their overtaking of the Shang.
3. Mandate of Heaven S-Tone
4. Background: Philosophies in China
a. Confucianism, Daoism, and Legalism all originate from the Zhou period, and are three formative
philosophies upon China, esp. Confucianism/Legalism.
i. C – Respect for elders. Clear class distinction in society. Rejection of vanity. Inner controls.
ii. D – Path of nature. Peaceful. Disconnection from earthly things.
iii. L – State control at all costs. Power of the state/ruler foremost. Outer/direct controls.
b. The Qin dynasty (the first formal central empire in Chinese history) was LEGALIST, outed Confucian
scholars, burned Confucian books, confiscated private weaponry, and generally ran what we would
call a police state. The emperor & his court profited heavily, investing in lavish temples/tombs,
culminating in the tomb of the Terracotta Warriors. Bankrupted the treasury as well.
5. Legalism S-Tone
6. Background: Han Dynasty
a. Han learn from the mistakes of the Qin.
b. Qin violent repression of the people and Confucianism resulted in a backlash and ultimately the
overthrow of the Qin. Very unpopular. Every action results in equal and opposite reaction.
c. Han established a strong, stable bureaucracy for state gov’t.
d. Then embraced Confucianism as the social and political framework to promote changes.
e. Education & culture = should be best attributes of ruling class.
f. Examination system comes into play. Starts in 196 BCE, imperial academy est. 124 BCE.
i. By 8 CE, over 3,000 Confucian scholars enrolled in imperial academy.
g. Like Confucianism’s emphasis on inward controls, the Han turned Chinese society inward from 206
BCE – 8 CE, focusing on domestic issues, and then branched outward through trade after reaching
great prosperity by the 1st century BCE.
i. Silk Road at Chang’an (1540 miles). Major markets sprang up.
h. Peaceful attitude changed to aggressive attitude, Han sent troops into Vietnam, Manchuria, Korea,
and fought relentlessly with Central Asian nomads. Military excursions cost money, taxes were set
in place, & the state took entire industries from the private sector, such as in wine, salt, and iron.
i. By the 1st century CE things had disintegrated, as land barons became more influential in the new
Eastern Han period (new capital: Luoyang).
j. Han examination system disintegrated, allowing men w/family connections and money into the
bureaucracy rather than men of merit.
k. Floods, epidemics followed (173/179 CE), and Han collapsed in 220 CE. 350 years of instability
followed.
7. Reading: Han examination system (“A Unique Experiment”)
a. Questions:
i. Describe the Han examination system.
ii. What intellectual works was the examination system based upon?
iii. What makes it a lasting achievement of the Han?
iv. Was there gender bias in the examination system? Explain.
8. Chinese Women S-Tone
9. Conclusion
a. Main Chinese philosophies originated during Warring States Period.
b. Legalist Qin dynasty a response to turbulent, chaotic WS Period.
c. Confucian Han dynasty a response to repressive, tyrannical Qin police state.
d. Good government in Han examination system.
e. Western Han = peaceful, introverted China. Easter Han = expansionist China.
f. Disease, constant war, economic woes (caused by frequent wars) added to dissolution.
g. Lasting Han legacy: Examination system, embrace of Confucianism.
i. Also: seismograph, paper, wheelbarrow, drilling for natural gas, suspension bridge, mini hot air
balloons, parachutes, etc.