Transcript The Zhou Dynasty (1050 BC to 256 BC)

The Zhou Dynasty
(1050 BC to 256 BC)
Under the rule of three successive
dynasties—the Zhou, the Qin, and
the Han—China gradually became
a large and powerful state
► The longest-lasting of these
dynasties was the Zhou
► The Zhou rulers did not create
a centralized government
following their conquest
of the Shang kingdom
►
 Granted territories to royal
family and their allies
Zhou Dynasty
The Zhou Dynasty
► Zhou
rulers believed that the
god of Heaven determined who
should rule China, a right known
as the “Mandate of Heaven”
► 770 BC Zhou rulers began
losing power to local leaders
who had begun fighting among
themselves
► 771 BC Zhou dynasty taken over
by an outside invading force
The Zhou Dynasty
► Legend
has it that the Zhou
King and his wife called upon
the army when they were not
needed
► This upset the army and when
outside forces actually attacked
the army did not respond
 Crying Wolf
► Warring
States fought for
power, in 400 BC Zhou had
no real power, local rulers
ran things
► The Qin emerged victorious
Warring States in Zhou Dynasty
The Qin Dynasty
(221 BC – 206 BC )
► Cheng
was the founder of
the new dynasty, taking the
title Shih Huang Ti, which
means “first emperor”
► The Qin dynasty only lasted
15 years but produced
many lasting changes
in Chinese life
► Qin ruled from their
capital city near Ch’ang-an,
now called Xi’an
The Qin Dynasty
The Qin Dynasty
► Maintained
order by
establishing an
autocracy, in which the
emperor held total power
► Cheng would execute
scholars who criticized
the government
The Qin Dynasty
► Qin
guarded against invasion
by building defensive walls
along part of their borders
► Later dynasties added to these
structures
► Eventually became known
as the Great Wall of China
 1500 miles long during Qin rule
► Forced labor worked on the
wall and other projects like this
 This upset the mass of people
Great Wall of China
The fall of the
Qin Dynasty
►206 BC rebel army
revolted against Qin
dynasty
►Liu Bang, a commoner
who had become a Qin
general, overthrew the
empire
►Founded a new dynasty
known as the Han
The Han Dynasty
► Ruled
a centralized and
growing empire
► Kept power for about 400
years
► Han
people had so much
influence over the
development of China
that many Chinese people
today call themselves
“People of Han”
The Han Dynasty
► The
longest ruling Han
emperor was Liu Ch’e
(140 BC to 87 BC)
 Commonly known as Wu Ti
► Extended
Han rule north
into Manchuria, south into
Southeast Asia, and west
into Central Asia
► Han ruled over an area
larger than the Roman
Empire
Han
Dynasty
Han Civil Service System
► Established
a centralized
civil service system to
govern China
► Civil service system runs the
day-to-day business of the
government
► At first these people were
selected by family ties, then
they came up with an
examination process to
select qualified candidates
► Liu Ch’e established an
imperial university
► This system was used
until the early AD 1900
Han Dynasty
Liu Ch’e began an economic
policy called leveling
► Created to solve the problem
of rising and falling prices for
farm products
► Government used price control
to balance the economic effects
of farm surpluses or shortages
 Built a surplus of food
► Liu Ch’e also battled many
nomadic tribes expanding
territory
►
Han Society
► Lived
in relative peace
under Liu Ch’e rule because
of strong army and control
he had on Asia
► This led to great trade along
the famous Silk Road
► Trade route stretched from
China across central Asia to
the Mediterranean region
► Camels and caravans
carried jade, silk, and other
valuable Chinese goods
► Chinese returned with
gold, silver, and wool
Silk Road
Han Dynasty
► China’s
population under
Han rule grew to 50 million
► Capital city of Ch’ang-an
was very luxurious
► China also invented paper
that spread from China to
the Western world
► Han Dynasty ruled China
until AD 220
► Nomadic people swept
through Asia making the
Han people move south