Everyday Life in Imperial China: Han 22001800 y'a'

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Everyday Life in Imperial China Han 2200-1800
y.a.

• The dates of Han are 202 BC-220 AD, a 400 year
  period that we shall contrast with the last years
  of Song China, as we know it from about 1250-1276
  AD (the Dynasty reigned 400 years). In the
  intervening centuries, the cumulative effect of
  economic, social, intellectual, technological and
  political change led to southern China as the
  population and innovation center of the empire.
  Southern influences affected all Chinese (eating
  habits, transportation, housing) although the
  country still retained its past sense of values,
  political and cultural assumptions.
• Three Dynasties 2200-221 BC
• Qin 221-206 BC Song 960-1279 AD
• Early Han 206 BC-0 S. Song 1227-1279 AD
• Late Han 0-220 AD Yuan 1279-1368 AD
• 3 Kingdoms/6 Dynasties 220-581 AD Ming 1368-1644
  AD
• Sui 581-618 AD Qing 1644-1911
• Tang 618-906 AD Republic 1911-1949
• 5 Dynasties 906-960 AD Peoples Republic 1949-

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Everyday Life in Imperial China Han 2200-1800
y.a.

• Background map is Barnes 207in red or another
  color.
• Han China approached the US in size, a remarkably
  diverse area to be unified. Qin helped with
  establishing this through shared writing, so
  different language dialects could communicate,
  weights and measures, at the same time local
  distinctions were maintained.
• Political union over 60 million in such a vast
  area was no small achievement in itselfthis was
  one of various times of political unity in China,
  to be followed by disunity. In the last 2500
  years 25 dynasties have rules all or part of
  China, for periods of 2-3 centuries or decades.
  No dynasty, Han included, managed full
  authoritative control during the whole period of
  their reign.
• Against this backdrop, everyday life continued,
  along with cultural change. Since Qin and Han,
  however, centralized government has been the
  norm, and this century is no different. Han was
  the first lengthy period of imperial unity (a
  single dynastic house) and influenced later
  dynasties it also faced incursions from the
  north, as did later dynasties.
• Let us review the emperor and government,
  officials, class and occupational distinctions,
  the military, writing and intellectual pursuits,
  supernatural beliefs, life in the capital and
  cities, trade and communications, agricultural
  pursuits in rural China, craftsmanship,
  technology and industry.

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Everyday Life in Han China Emperor and
Government 1

• The concept of government political
  responsibilities and social distinctions are
  bound together formally. People are distinguished
  in terms of their duties to one another, their
  place in the civil authority, and the degree of
  privileged treatment they can expect in an
  ordered state of administration.
• Religion and philosophy support and reinforce the
  concept.
• Government was pyramidal at the apex was the
  emperor, the unique source of earthly authority
  and leadership he was superior to all but
  required the support of those below him. As the
  son of heaven he governed however, it was his
  responsibility to provide for the welfare and
  prosperity of his people. Below him were the
  officials who carried out the tasks of
  government, arranged in ranks that grew as
  government grew. Below was the great mass who
  were productive members of the community. Only
  rarely was there direct contact between the
  classes.
• General Liu Pang received the Mandate in 202 BC,
  2200 y.a., although he was untrained and
  inexperienced in the tasks of imperial
  leadership. Nonetheless, he was physically
  isolated in palace precincts secluded from the
  commoners, attended by servants, advisors,
  officials and mentors. He was distinguished in
  his dress, transport, and in daily ceremonies of
  governance.

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Everyday Life in Han China Emperor and
Government 2

• Background map is Lowe 35
• Government consisted of central administration
  situated in the capital city and provincial
  administration that was scattered throughout the
  empire. The division was to ensure no disturbance
  at the center by the addition of outlying
  territory.
• At times of expansion, new provincial units could
  be set up that mirrored this administrative
  system (in times of retrenchment, it could be
  withdrawn without affecting the main
  administration).
• Central Administration Officials in the capital
  consulted with the emperor about policy decisions
  (made on his behalf), collecting taxes,
  maintaining security, and protecting against
  outside aggression.
• The main officials were the prime minister and
  the head of the civil service. They had junior
  officials reporting to them they issued
  edicts/decisions in the name of the emperor.
• 9 major ministries headed by a minister saw to
  government and the imperial establishment
  religion/ceremonials, astronomy and records
  palace guard and palace security care of
  imperial stables judicial/criminal justice
  receipt of tribute from abroad records of the
  imperial family tax collection and public works
  and treasury. Each had junior officials
  organized into bureaus and sections.
• Example the Grand Controller of Agriculture
  collected revenues (partly in the form of grain)
  and directed public works he was assisted by
  deputies who oversaw upkeep of state granaries,
  maintained the price of basic commodities, dealt
  only with monetary income, prepared badges for
  official, and supervised palace craftsmen.

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Everyday Life in Han China Emperor and
Government 3

• Government consisted of central administration
  situated in the capital city and provincial
  administration that was scattered throughout the
  empire.
• Provincial administration There were two units
  kingdoms and commanderiesinitially 10 and 15,
  respectively, with expansion 200 yrs later, 20
  and 83.
• Kingdoms were entrusted to kings, near kinsmen
  of the emperor however, the central government
  appointed the officials to kingdoms, thus keeping
  them under close control.
• Commanderies were governed by appointed Grand
  Administrators.
• Both units were divided into smaller units
  (prefectures) some 1587 in the 103 kingdoms and
  commanderies and in tern again (into districts
  and then into wards).
• Officials were sent to local posts in
  prefectures, etc., and there collected tax
  (grain, textiles, cash) from farm and village
  constables maintained the peace/arrested
  miscreants officials could call up peasants to
  do service on labor gangs or military, maintained
  granaries, canals and roads. Communications was
  on horseback and by runner between posts (an
  early Pony Express).

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Everyday Life in Han China Officialdom 1

• Officials are the leaders of the populace and it
  its right and proper that the carriages they ride
  in and the robes that they wear should correspond
  to the degree of their dignity, says an edict of
  144 BC.
• This codification of rank through emblem and
  privilege permeates Chinese culture from at least
  Shang times and persisted through to the early
  20th C.
• That highest office ought to go to men who were
  distinguished by ability (rather than heredity)
  was a play on Three Dynasties inheritance by
  merit adapted to a very changed social milieu
  and government needs. Still, meritocracy was a
  unique feature of ideal Chinese governance,
  regardless of origin.
• Recruiting and training administrators who could
  be trusted (who were not corruptible or serving
  their own/family interests) was solved over many
  centuries and is distinctively Chinese. Really,
  of course, the ideal was tempered by circumstance
  or expediency.
• Provincial administrators sent men of promise to
  the capital for reviewby later Han this was
  institutionalized as a quota system. In reality,
  some lowly men rose to prominence through
  ability.
• There may have been prejudice about men of wealth
  and commerce in office (e.g., they might buy
  their offices rather than earn them) and in
  reality there were abuses (as well as sending
  ones son as a candidate selecting the kinsman
  of a favorite concubine, etc.).
• Once in the capital, candidates were examined by
  senior civil servants (but we dont know the
  procedure, topics, etc.).

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Everyday Life in Han Officialdom 2

• Men selected for office waited at court for
  assignments when vacancies arose and they could
  assist in courtiers until they received an
  initial, probationary posting for a year.
• Han initiated the feature of evaluations of
  officials during service (at least once/three
  years) the candidate could not served in his
  home region (for fear of corruption) their were
  periodic promotions or demotions.
• Officials were graded by stipend, figured in
  measures of grain, from Full 2000 to 100 and paid
  in grain and coin.
• Officials worked a 4/1 schedule a few, upon
  retirement received a separation bonus or a
  pension of 1/3 his last stipend.
• In Han as later, a single group of men formed the
  empires scholars, civil servants and statesmen
  and all were trained as scholars first
• With grade when institutionalized protocol and
  behavior, means of address, dress, etc.
• Similarly, official places of business
  architecturally reflected that grade and the
  place of that office in the empirical hierarchy
  and that officials status in relation to the
  emperor, wealthy and commoners.

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Everyday Life in Han Officialdom 3

• Of course the quality of Han official society
  varied over 400 years times of integrity vs.
  corruption and nepotism. There are examples of
  each kind of official throughout Han.
• Schools in Han were for the purpose of training
  future members of the civil service.
• Attended mostly by sons of officials or elite
  families, the academy in the capital from 120 BC,
  to insure the quality of civil servantsthere was
  a regular competition for entry and three degrees
  of passingany graduate returning home would have
  status owning to manners, learning and polish.
• Private schools were established by learned men
  and instructed pupils, beginning at age 8, with
  reading and writing, then classical texts and
  poetry (thought to have been compiled by
  Confucius 500 years earlier). At some point,
  practical mathematics was introduced (their were
  books on problems)
• A MAN WAS HIRED AS A SALT PORTER AT 40 CASH/2
  MEASURES PER 100 LI HOW MUCH WOULD A PORTER BE
  PAID FOR CARRYING 1.73 MEASURES FOR 80 LI?
• Education functioned to improve character,
  correct faults and repress ignoble motives at the
  same time it fostered human talent.

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