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Empires of China and India
Section 1
Empires of China and India
The Growth of China
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• Starting Points Map: China and India
• Main Idea / Reading Focus
• The Qin Dynasty
• The Han Dynasty
• Map: Qin and Han Dynasties
• Faces of History: Shi Huangdi
Section 1
Empires of China and India
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Section 1
Empires of China and India
Section 1
The Growth of China
Main Idea
The Qin and Han dynasties created strong centralized
governments that unified China and shaped Chinese civilization
for thousands of years to follow.
Reading Focus
• How did the Qin dynasty unify and expand China?
• How did the Han dynasty restore unity and strengthen China’s
government?
Empires of China and India
Section 1
The Qin Dynasty
Zhou dynasty began to decline around 400 BC, power
shifted to local nobles
• Several small states battled for land, power by 300s
• State of Qin rose to power
– Located on China’s western frontier
– Conquered other states in military campaigns
– Last rival state fell, 221 BC
• Qin unified Chinese empire
Empires of China and India
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Harsh Qin Rule
• First ruler Ying Zheng took title Shi Huangdi, “first emperor”
• Unified China with help of two advisors, Hanfeizi and Li Si
• Founded school of Legalism
• Taught that powerful, efficient government key to maintaining order
Rejection of Confucianism
• Legalists rejected philosophy developed during Zhou dynasty
• Confucianists thought rulers should be virtuous, lead by example
• Legalists said rulers should be strong, govern through force
• Supported strict laws, stressed harsh punishment for even minor
crimes
Empires of China and India
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Strong, Centralized Government
• Unlike Zhou rulers, Shi Huangdi weakened rival nobles by taking land
• Forced nobles to move to capital so he could watch them
• Seized all private arms to prevent rebellions
• Divided China into 36 districts, appointed loyalists to govern them
Maintaining Order
• Shi Huangdi ruthlessly suppressed all criticism of his rule
• Ordered burning of books which conflicted with Legalist thinking
• Only books on practical subjects like agriculture, medicine spared
• Confucian scholars who discussed banned books, criticized Qin
government tortured, killed
Empires of China and India
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The Qin Dynasty
Qin Reforms
• Harsh Qin rule unified, strengthened China
• Standardized laws, writings, monetary systems, weights and measures
• Also standardized width of cart axles, so all carts could travel China’s roads
Massive Building Projects
• Improved irrigation system and increased farm production
• Expanded network of roads and canals to link capital to other parts of empire
• Improved transportation, increased trade, levied heavy taxes
Qin Growth and Defense
• Worked to protect empire from outside threats
• Qin army pushed nomadic warriors farther north, subdued areas to south
• Joined separate defensive walls, came to be known as Great Wall of China
Empires of China and India
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Fall of the Qin
• Dynasty’s policies fueled anger, resentment
• Qin dynasty crumbled after Shi Huangdi died, 210 BC
– Peasants fed up with forced labor, high taxes,
rebelled
– Nobles eager to regain land, power, raised armies
against new emperor
– Peasant rebel leader Liu Bang defeated Qin forces,
founded Han dynasty
Empires of China and India
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Summarize
How did Shi Huangdi unify China and build a
strong empire?
Answer(s): conquered other states; centralized
government; suppressed all criticism; subdued
raiders to the north, constructed Great Wall
Section 1
Empires of China and India
The Han Dynasty
The Han dynasty ruled China from 206 BC to AD 220—more than 400
years. It would be the model for all later Chinese dynasties.
Restoring Control
• Liu Bang ruled with “mandate
of heaven”
• Ancient Chinese beliefs:
– Gods supported virtuous
rulers
– Opposed corrupt ones
– Defeated ruler had lost
support of the gods
– Qin ruler defeated by Liu
Bang
Gaining Loyalty
• Liu Bang softened harsh
Legalist policies
• Lowered taxes, earned loyalty
of peasants
• Gave large blocks of land to
relatives, military supporters
• Distribution of land earned
military’s loyalty
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Empires of China and India
The Han Dynasty
Stability
• Liu Bang continued Qin’s
strong, centralized government
to weaken rivals
Confucianism
• Liu Bang not well educated,
peasant origins
• Expanded bureaucracy
• Appointed Confucian scholars
to advise, serve in government
• Numerous officials appointed to
oversee administration of Han
government
• Confucianism regained
popularity, shaped Han
government
• Helped restore stability to
Chinese empire
• Some Legalist policies
remained, maintained firm
control over empire
Empires of China and India
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A Powerful Empress
Liu Bang died 195 BC
• Young son took throne, but too young to rule
• His mother, Empress Lü, ruled in his place
• Only one of Liu Bang’s many wives, Lü plotted for son to be emperor
Family interests
• After son gained throne, Empress Lü promoted family’s interests
• Had series of infants named emperor after son died young
• Maintained power for 15 years
Power play
• Empress Lü died, 180 BC; officials had entire Lü family killed
• Power plays and court intrigues common during Han, later dynasties
• Court plots were distracting, made effective rule difficult
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Empires of China and India
The Greatest Han Emperor
Height of Han Dynasty
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Emperor Wudi ruled from 141 to 187 BC
Energetic, aggressive, considered greatest of all Han rulers
Promoted economic growth
New roads, canals made it easier to get products to market
Monopolies on some products; limits on merchants to limit power, wealth
Government Philosophy
• Wudi wanted officials to hold
Confucian values
• Developed civil service system
• Candidates had to pass exam in
Confucian classics
• Wealthy, influential families
continued to control government
Xiongnu
• Biggest threat to Wudi’s security
from nomads in steppes north of
China, Xiongnu
• Excellent horse skills, fierce
warriors
• Swept in from steppes, raided
settlements along China’s frontier
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Empires of China and India
The Greatest Han Emperor
Expansion under Wudi
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Wudi expanded empire through warfare
Began to use force against southern Xiongnu tribes, 133 BC
Formed alliances with Xiongnu enemies, began to weaken Xiongnu tribes
Colonized parts of Korea, Manchuria to northeast, Vietnam to south;
extended control into Central Asia to west, opened trade routes
Han Decline
• Brief crisis AD 9 when rebel Wang
Mang seized throne
• Han regained control, AD 25, start
of Later Han dynasty
• Later Han weakened by court
intrigues, gap between rich and
poor, high taxes crushing poor
Revolt
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Yellow Turbans revolted AD 184
Threw empire into chaos
Power shifted to local warlords
Warfare tore region apart
China began turbulent era, Period
of Division, which would last 350
years
Empires of China and India
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Empires of China and India
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Identify Supporting Details
Why is Wudi considered to be the greatest
Han emperor?
Answer(s): promoted economic growth,
Confucianism, civil service system, expanded
empire through warfare