1. China—Moving into the Modern Age
Chris Anderson
Randolph-Henry H. S.

2. Three Great Dynasties
1100 BC—AD 200, China will be ruled by 3 very powerful dynasties
1.) Zhou—ruled China for 800 years—the longest dynasty in Chinese history
2.) Qin
3.) Han

3. 1028 BC—the Zhou Dynasty took power away from the Shang Dynasty
Zhou leaders claimed to rule because of the Mandate of Heaven
Kings received their right to rule from the gods
Zhou kings were called the Son of Heaven
Created a very large empire
To control the large kingdom, the Zhou created an agricultural system to keep the people under control
Nobles would own the land
Serfs would work the land
The nobles would control the serfs

4. Map of the Zhou Dynasty

5. Zhou kings gave their family members positions in the government
Each family member was given a city-state to govern
Some of these family members were not good rulers
Local lords lived in the city-states
These local lords could have their own land and armies
At first, the local lords pledged loyalty to the Zhou kings
Later the lords will use their armies to challenge the kings and try and take the kings’ powers

6. 771 BC: one Zhou king was killed by his own stupidity—emperor Yu
Yu was the 13th emperor of the Zhou Dynasty
If the emperor was in trouble, he was to light a signal fire as an alarm to his troops to come and help him
Yu would light the fires when he was NOT in trouble, making his army come as a practical joke—Yu would be laughing at his soldiers when they showed up

7. One day, Yu was really being attacked
He lit the fires, but his army thought he was playing a joke again
The army refused to come
Yu had no help and will be killed by the invaders
“The Boy Who Cried Wolf” story

8. After the death of Yu, the Zhou dynasty had no real power
The nobles and lords had more power than the kings
The nobles began to fight with themselves for power—civil war
By 200s BC, many city-states were at war with each other
This civil war allowed for one city-state to rise and take power over China—Qin

9. Zhou introduced new ideas to China and the world
Horses were brought into China and used for travel and work
Added the crossbow to the military
Started using iron plows

10. 2.) Qin Dynasty
221 BC—the city-state of Qin rose up and took power away from the Zhou leaders
The Qin Dynasty united China for the 1st time
The Qin created a very strong central government
China is named after the Qin Dynasty

11. Map of the Qin Dynasty

12. The 1st Qin emperor—Qin Shihuangdi
Shihuangdi wanted a China totally under his control
He divided China into 36 military districts—he was trying to keep power away from the local lords
Each district had their own governor

13. Qin Shihuangdi

14. Shihuangdi tried to standardize China
Created a standard set of weights and measures
Standardized coins
Created a uniform writing system
Established a law code for China
Constructed canals and roads in China

15. Shihuangdi’s greatest achievement was the Great Wall of China
The wall was built to protect China from a northern invasion
Many of China’s early leaders built small walls for protection
Shihuangdi connected the different walls to created the Great Wall
It took over 300,000 people to finish the wall
Many people died in its construction
The Wall is 1400 miles long and 50 feet wide in spots

21. To have absolute power in China, Shihuangdi had to take power away from the lords
He took away the lords’ land
Lords who still owned land were heavily taxed
Shihuangdi began burning books to cut the people off from their past--except on medicine, agriculture, and magic

22. The Chinese people did not like Shihuangdi
The nobles were angry at the loss of their power
The peasants were angry at being forced into hard labor—working on the Great Wall
210 BC—Shihuangdi died and his empire soon fell apart

23. Terracotta soldiers in Shihuangdi’s tomb

24. Shihuangdi’s Mausoleum Mound

25. 207 BC—Liu Bang drove the Qin Dynasty out of power
3.) Han Dynasty
207 BC—Liu Bang drove the Qin Dynasty out of power
He was from a poor peasant family—not royalty
202 BC—Bang had eliminated all of his enemies and made himself emperor—created the Han Dynasty which ruled China from 202 BC—AD 220
Han rulers were tolerant—unlike Qin Shihuangdi
Han leaders made China prosperous and powerful

26. Liu Bang

27. He expanded China by taking over non-Chinese lands
The height of the Han Empire came under the 6th emperor of the dynasty—Wudi ( BC)
He expanded China by taking over non-Chinese lands
Manchuria
Korea
Parts of India

28. Wudi

29. 139 BC—Wudi sent out an expedition to find new areas to conquer
The leader of the expedition was Zhang Qian
Qian returned 13 years later with a wonderful tale
He and his troops were nearly destroyed by a group of barbarians
Qian had served in the barbarians'’ prisons for 10 years

30. Qian’s “barbarians” were the Romans
For the 1st time, China realized they were not the only advanced civilization in the world
China and Rome began trading, creating the Silk Road—trade route between the east and west

31. Map of the Silk Road

32. Han China was very stable and prosperous for 400 years
This 400 year period is called the Pax Sinica—Chinese Peace
During the Pax Sinica, Wudi developed a new way to get qualified government workers—he created the civil service system

33. Wudi wanted the best people working in his government
In the civil service system, applicants for government jobs take a test
Those who score higher on the tests get the better jobs
With the civil service system, Wudi was insuring he had the best people working in government
The civil service system also made education important in China
If you wanted the best job, you needed a good education to ensure a good score on the test

34. A new class of Chinese arose—mandarins
The mandarins were the educated Chinese civil servants who ran the government of China
The mandarins controlled China’s government until the early AD 1900’s

35. When Wudi died in 87 BC, the Han Dynasty slowly began to fall
The land owning lords began gaining power
AD 220—the Han dynasty came to an end
The landowners began a civil war that tore China apart

36. Three ways of Life
China is also the home of 2 philosophies that have helped shape the culture of many Asian nations
Confucianism
Taoism (Daoism)

37. Confucianism
Kongzi laid the foundations for Confucianism
People in western China called Kongzi by his more famous name—Confucius

38. 551 BC—Confucius was born into a poor family
@ age 16, he left home, wandering China looking to be a political advisor
He wanted to end the political, personal, and social disorder that he had seen in his wanderings
He failed to find a job, age 22 he began teaching

39. Confucius’ main concerns were order and the promotion of order
He said everyone had a proper role in society and all political and social disorder would end if everyone would accept their role in life
He said people should live their lives according to ethics

40. He said there were 5 relationships that everyone must know and follow
Confucius wanted people to respect their family, the past, and traditions
He said there were 5 relationships that everyone must know and follow
Ruler and subject
Parent and child
Husband and wife
Old and young
Friend and friend

41. The Zhou Dynasty did NOT like Confucius’ teachings
479 BC—Confucius dies, but his ideas continued
The Qin Dynasty did NOT like Confucius’ ideas
The Han Dynasty DID like Confucius’ ideas
The Han used Confucianism as the basis for their civil service system
Confucian ideas will be the basis for Chinese society until the AD 1900s

42. Taoism (Daoism)
Developed by Laozi
Taoism seems to be the direct opposite of Confucianism
Laozi did not accept formal social structures and people’s roles in society
Laozi did not like living in public
He wrote his ideas in the Dao De Jing

43. Laozi said Taoists (Daoists) should
Reject wealth
Reject power
Reject ambition
Reject social structures
Reject formal codes of behavior
Get in touch with nature

44. Taoism also believes in the Yin and Yang—2 opposite forces of nature that must be in harmony
Cool, dark, female, passive
Yang
Warm, light, male, aggressive

45. Although Confucianism and Taoism seem opposite, a person could be both
Use Confucianism for government and one’s place in the social order
Use Taoism to achieve harmony with nature

46. Chinese Society and Culture
Family Life
The Han family lived and worked together
1.) father was dominant—head of the household
2.) eldest son
3.) younger sons
4.) females (mother before daughters)
5.) youngest daughter or childless daughter-in-law
there were very strict rules between husbands and wives, parents and grandparents, uncle and aunts, etc.
a nuclear family existed in Han China
father, mother, and children

47. Women
subordinate to men
girls began life as servants to father and brothers
baby girls were valued less than boys
women in the dynasty could inherit property and remarry if the husband died

48. 2.) peasants (90% of the people) 3.) merchants
Society
1.) landowners
2.) peasants (90% of the people)
farmers gave produce to landowners as rent
3.) merchants
lowest class because they were out for a profit—not a Confucian ideal
Confucian values governed all aspects of Han China

49. 4.) Spring and Autumn Annals
Literature
1.) Book of Songs ( BC)
305 Chinese poems
2.) Book of Documents
political speeches of the Zhou Dynasty
3.) Book of Changes
book on how to tell the future
4.) Spring and Autumn Annals
Confucian writing about Chinese History
5.) Historical Record
written during the Han dynasty
done by Sima Qian
1st true History of China

50. Science and Technology
Astronomers calculated the length of the solar year at 365 ¼ days
240 BC: discovered Haley’s Comet
acupuncture to restore yin and yang
developed veterinary medicine to save farm animals

52. 3 most important Chinese inventions
Silk
Paper
Porcelain

53. the Chinese were also the 1st to create:
printed books
suspension bridges
compass
wheel barrow
gunpowder