China unites under a new empire

Zhou dynasty 1027-256 BCE Feudal period Declined because regional rulers began to think of themselves as independent

Confucius Urges Harmony Confucius (551 – BCE) was China’s most influential scholar Believed in 5 relationships that would restore China’s order and harmony Ruler and subject Father and son Husband and wife Older brother and younger brother Friend and friend Large emphasis on family Children should practice filial piety- respect for one’s parents and elders His students collected his teachings in a book Analects A disciple named Mencius spread his teachings

Confucian ideas about government Education was a key part of Confucian thought He laid the groundwork for a bureaucracy- trained civil servants to run the government Education became key to career advancement in eh bureaucracy Confucianism is not a religion. It is an ethical system

Daoists seek harmony Laozi also lived in the 6th c. BCE For Laozi the natural order of things was more important Universal force “Dao” that guides all things Book: Dao De Ching (The Way of Virtue) Seek order and harmony in nature

Legalists urge harsh rule Practical political thinkers (opposite of Confucius) Powerful government was key to restoring order Hanfeizi and Li Si were the founders of Legalism Stressed punishment more than rewards Government should control ideas as well as actions

I Ching and Yin and Yang Book or oracles called I Ching to answer ethical and practical problems Dispensed advice and common sense Yin and yang- two powers that represented the natural rhythms of life

A new Emperor Takes Control Short lived dynasty Shi Huangdi “First Emperor” takes title in 221 BCE Used legalism Defeated invaders and suppressed internal revolt Doubled the size of China Ordered the nobles to live in the capital city and then took their land and appointed administrators to govern it To silence criticism he had hundreds of Confucian scholars murdered Burned books Established an autocracy- government had unlimited power

A program of centralization Building a highway network of over 4,000 miles Forced labor Standardized law, currency, weights and measures, and Chinese writing Trade boomed New merchant class But harsh taxes and a repressive government made him unpopular

Great wall of china Shi Huangdi was increasingly unpopular Zhou rulers had erected a series of walls earlier to deal with northern nomadic attacks Unified the wall 1,400 miles to the west Used hundreds of thousands of peasants to build it, many of whom died So big you can see it from space

The Fall of the Qin Peasant rebelled three years after Shi Huangdi’s son took power By 202 BCE they were finished The Han dynasty will take over