The Qin Dynasty The Han Dynasty Chapter 6 Section 3 The Qin Dynasty The Han Dynasty

The Qin Dynasty Shi Huangdi was the emperor of the Qin Dynasty. He unified China in 221 B.C. Conquered rival states and drove out invaders. Wanted to expand China’s territory. China grew larger than during the Zhou Dynasty. Believed in Legalism - tried to wipe out Confucianism. Wanted a strong central government. To strengthen his power, he took nobles’ land and forced them to live in the capital. Built highways and irrigation projects to link Chinese lands together under his control. Set government standards for weights, measures, coins, and writing. Made doing business easier.

The Qin Dynasty (continued) Shi Huangdi (continued…) Planned the Great Wall to keep out invaders. Forced peasants to work on construction. Raised taxes to pay for construction projects, which caused resentment. Died in 210 B.C. His son was a poor ruler. China faced a rebellion and civil war. Legalism rules!! Great Wall Shi Huangdi

The Han Dynasty Liu Bang, a military general, ended the civil war and reunified China. 202 B.C. - he started the Han Dynasty. Kept a strong central government but lowered taxes and made punishments less harsh. Put a limit on peasant labor. Han rulers established a bureaucracy. Began to choose government officials based on their knowledge of Confucianism. Became the foundation of the Chinese government. Died in 195 B.C. Liu Bang

The Han Dynasty (continued) Wudi ruled Han China from 141 to 87 B.C. Known as the Martial Emperor. Made many military conquests to expand China almost to its present-day size. Government encouraged conquered peoples to adopt Chinese culture in order to unify its empire. Many people in Han China worked on farms and lived in villages nearby. Merchants, craftspeople, and government officials lived in cities. Strong government and unified population helped the Han Dynasty rule China until 220 A.D. Wudi