1. The Han Dynasty Golden Age of China

2. The Origin of the Han Brutal Qin rule Angers the people Shi Huang Di dies Liu Bang leads Peasant uprising Liu Bang succeeds Han Dynasty formed Liu Bang 400 year era of peace created by the Han is known as the Pax Sinica (Chinese Peace)

3. Han Government Follow the same structure as the Qin Without the brutal law Foundation for Han government is Confucian theory.

4. Wudi Greatest of the Han Emperors Reign [141 BC – 87 BC] Conquers non- chinese, extending the empire into Korea and the border of India. Made contact with the Roman Empire. Establishes the trade routes that will become the Silk Road. Wudi

5. Wudi Greatest of the Han Emperors Picking government officials In China, a position within the government was the best type of job. Before Wudi, Emperors had chosen their officials from families of the nobility or their own families. Easily leads to corruption

6. Wudi Greatest of the Han Emperors Wudi’s civil service examinations He develops a system of exams. These exams are graded and then the Emperor would decide government rank based on score. In theory, anyone with ability could become an important member of Han government. A class of wealthy, educated officials develops, called Mandarins.

7. Other Han Achievements Preserved books that had been burned by the Qin. Calculated the modern calendar Saw Halley’s Comet Doctors use Acupuncture Advances in agriculture allow more and better crops to be grown Improved roads Created the first paper. Silk! (they call it the Silk Road for a reason)

8. The Fall of the Han Around 184 AD, rival warlords within China began to emerge as contenders to control the country. The Emperor, Xian, was a young man who was forced into the throne by a cruel government official who sought to seize power. China eventually breaks down into a period of civil war called the Three Kingdoms period. This time period is one of the most popular sources of Chinese history. It has inspired countless movies, cartoon series, movies, tv series, video game franchises (popular both in Asia and the US), music and more. The tales of the historical deeds which took place in this time were written down in the Ming Dynasty in a 96 Chapter novel called Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

9. “The world under heaven, after a long period of division, tends to unite; after a long period of union, tends to divide. This has been so since antiquity. When the rule of the Zhou Dynasty weakened, seven contending kingdoms sprang up, warring one with another until the kingdom of Qin prevailed and possessed the empire. But when Qin's destiny had been fulfilled, arose two opposing kingdoms, Chu and Han, to fight for the mastery. And Han was the victor.”