1. Section 4: The Han Dynasty
Ancient China
Section 4: The Han Dynasty

2. Han Dynasty Government
Liu Bang became the first emperor of the Han Dynasty
Bang was a peasant, but was able to become emperor because of the mandate of heaven
Was the first common person to become emperor
He was well liked by both soldiers and peasants – this helped him to maintain control
Wanted to free people of hard government policies
Bang: lowered taxes for farmers, made punishments less severe, gave large blocks of land to his supporters, set up a government structure that built on the foundation begun by the Qin, and relied on educated officials to help him rule

3. Emperor Wudi Wanted to create a strong central government
Wudi: took land from the lords, raised taxes, and placed the supply of grain under the control of the government
Confucianism became China’s official government philosophy
Wudi began a university to teach Confucian ideas
Wealthy or influential families continued to control the government

4. Family Life
Class structure became more rigid – family became important within Chinese society once more
Based on Confucian system, divided into 4 classes:
Upper class – emperor, his court, and scholars who held government positions
Second class (the largest) – peasants
Artisans – these people produced items for daily life and some luxury goods
Merchants – occupied the lowest class because they did not produce anything; they only bought and sold goods
The military was not an official class in the Confucian system
Classes did not indicate wealth or power

5. Confucian teachings about the family were honored:
Disobeying one’s parents was a crime
Within the family, the father had absolute power
Wives and children had to obey their husbands and fathers
Chinese parents valued boys more highly than girls
Sons carried on the family line and took care of their parents when they were old

6. Han Achievements Art and literature: Inventions and advances:
Became experts at figure painting – a style of painting that includes portraits of people that often showed religious figures and Confucian scholars
Became known for their poetry – the fu style combined prose and poetry to create long works of literature; the shi style featured short lines of verse that could be sung
Inventions and advances:
Paper
Sundial – uses the position of shadows cast by the sun to tell the time of day
Seismograph – is a device that measures the strength of an earthquake
Acupuncture – the practice of inserting fine needles through the skin at specific points to cure disease or relieve pain