Chapter 4 Ancient Chinese Civilization

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Chapter 4 - Ancient Chinese Civilization
Section 3 The Zhou, Qin, and Han Dynasties
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• The Story Continues
• Nothing is so strong as goodness On
• all sides men will take their lesson from it.
• But those that rule today / Have brought
• confusion and disorder into government
• Therefore mighty Heaven is displeased.
• These verses appear in the Book of
• Poetry, one of the ancient Five Classics.
• During the time of Chinas great
• dynasties, these works served as a guide
• to good government.

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• The Zhou conquest of China in about 1050 B.C.
  marked the beginning of a dynamic era in Chinese
  history. Under the rule of three successive
  dynastiesthe Zhou, the Qin (Chin), and the
  HanChina gradually became a large and powerful
  state. The longest-lasting of the three dynasties
  was the Zhou, which ruled China from about 1050
  B.C. until about 256 B.C.

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I. The Zhou Dynasty

• The Zhou did not centralize their government -
  territories were given to family and allies in
  return for military service, tribute, and a
  pledge of loyalty

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I. The Zhou Dynasty

• Zhou rulers believed that the god of heaven
• determined who should rule - the Mandate of
• Heaven

Zhou Wu Wang
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I. The Zhou Dynasty

• 700s BC - Zhou kings began losing control - local
  leaders fought each other Zhou lands were
  attacked by outsiders

Yu Bao-si
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I. The Zhou Dynasty

• After centuries of battles between the Warring
  States, the Qin conquered China in 221 B.C.

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II. The Qin (Chin) Dynasty

• Cheng, founder of the Qin dynasty, took the title
  first emperor and established an autocracy

Shih Huang Ti First Emperor Cheng
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II. The Qin Dynasty

• The Qin dynasty only lasted 15 years but
  profoundly changed China the name China comes
  from Qin

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II. The Qin Dynasty

• 1,500 miles of defensive walls were built the
  use of forced labor caused discontent

Great Wall of China
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August 20, 2008 Danny Way jumps the Great Wall
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Terracotta army of Shih Huang-ti
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II. The Qin Dynasty

• 206 B.C. - Qin general Liu Bang overthrew the
  empire and founded the Han dynasty

Liu Bang (256 BC - 195 BC) Founder of Han Dynasty
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III. The Han Dynasty

• The Han held power for 400 years and extended
  into Manchuria, Korea, SE and Central Asia

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A. The Civil Service System

• The Han established a civil service system to run
  the day-to-day business of government

Much ceremony was involved in the administration
of civil service examinations. Candidates for
government positions had to thoroughly prepare
for the test, which often involved years of study
and training. Failure was considered a disgrace.
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B. Other Accomplishments

• Emperor Liu Che (Wu Ti) invented leveling -
  price controls to balance the effects of farm
  surpluses or shortages

The longest-ruling Han emperor was Liu Che,
commonly known as Wu Ti, who ruled from about 140
B.C. to 87 B.C.
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B. Other Accomplishments

• Liu Che established military colonies to expand
  control over warring tribes and keep the peace

Emperor Wu-ti is cited in Chinese history as one
of the greatest emperors. As a military
campaigner (his name means 'martial emperor')
Emperor Wu led Han China through its greatest
expansion at its height, the Empire's borders
spanned from the modern Kyrgyzstan in the west,
to Korea in the northeast, and to Vietnam in the
south.
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B. Other Accomplishments

• Trade prospered from China to the Mediterranean
  Sea along the Silk Road

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B. Other Accomplishments

• Paper, a Chinese invention, spread to the Western
  world

Around A.D. 105 a Chinese court official named
Ts'ai Lun observed paper wasps making a nest and
began experimenting.