Imperial China

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Imperial China

• Unit 11

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Previously in China

• Zhou ruled China since the early 1100s BCE,
  declined around 400 BCE and began the warring
  states period.
• Warring states period several small states
  battling for control.
• Qin (CHIN) rose to power on Chinas western
  frontier.
• Chinese historian swallowing them up as a
  silkworm devours a mulberry leaf.

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The Qin Dynasty

• In 221 BCE the last rival fell and the Qin become
  the first dynasty to unify Chinese empire.
• Qin Shi Huang Chinas 1st Emperor.
• Made sense out of the chaos.

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• http//www.youtube.com/watch?vaePjTYVKHuA

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Harsh Qin Rule

• Two advisors Hanfeizi and Li Si
• Founded the school of legalism (taught that a
  powerful and efficient government was key to
  maintaining order and control over an empire)
• Reject Confucianism
• Rulers should be strong and govern through force
  b/c people were naturally bad
• Built a strong centralized government
• Took the land of rival nobles and forced them to
  move to his capital.
• Confiscated all personal weapons and Suppressed
  criticism (burned books)
• divided China into 36 districts

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The Qin Dynasty

• Qin Reforms
• Policies unified and strengthened China
• Standardized laws, writing, coins and weights and
  measures
• Other building projects, improved irrigation
  system, roads and canals (taxes and forced labor)
• Qin Growth and Defense
• Fierce tribal nomadic warriors to the north.
• Built the Great Wall of China for defensive
  purposes. (later lengthened and rebuilt)
• Fought armies to the south and subdued them as
  far as Vietnam.
• Qin dynasty crumbled after Shi Huangdis death
• Peasants and nobles rebelled
• Liu Bang defeated the Qin forces and founded the
  Han dynasty

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The Han Dynasty

• Ruled from 206 BC to AD 220
• Model for later dynasties
• The main population of China still calls itself
  the Han people.

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Restoring Control

• Ruled with the mandates of heaven
• Softened the harsh policies and lowered taxes
• Practical and effective ruler
• Brought back Confucianism
• Liu Band had no education
• Appointed confusion scholars to advise him.

• also maintained some Legalist policies
• Continued strong centralized government
• Expanded the bureaucracy an organized a body of
  appointed officials who oversaw the government

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Empress

• Liu Band died and one of his wives took control
  while her son was too young to rule.
• The son died and she put numerous infants named
  emperor to maintain power
• Empress Lu died in 180 BCE and officials and
  princes had the entire Lu family murdered.
• This often became common in Chinese courts and
  made it difficult to rule effectivly

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The Greatest Han Emperor

• Wudi ruled from 141 to 87 BC
• Greatest of all Han rulers
• Promoted economic growth, new roads and canals,
  monopolies (salt, iron, alcohol, silk)
• Took away land from large landowners and placed
  limits on merchants to decrease their power.
• Confucianism became the government philosophy
• Developed a civil service system (candidates for
  government jobs had to pass an exam in the
  Confucian classics)
• Only the wealthy could afford schooling and
  wealthy remained in power

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Expansion under Wudi

• Known as the Martial Emperor (for expanding the
  empire by force.
• Threat Xiongnu nomands (lived in the grasslands,
  horse skills and fierce warriors)
• Gifts and marriages to keep peace but had to use
  force to protect China from raids
• Military colonized parts of Korea, Manchuria,
  Vietnam and Central Asia ( established trade
  routes with markets as far as the Roman Empire.)

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Han Decline

• Crisis in 9 CE when Wang Mang (rebel) seized
  throne
• AD 25 Han regained control of throne and started
  the Later Han dynasty
• Problems weak rulers and gap b/t rich and poor
  (taxes rose to cover costs, people lost land,
  less people to tax, taxes rose more)
• Revolt in 184 by the Yellow Turbans (Daoists)
  which threw the empire into chaos.
• led to warlords taking over and the Period of
  Disunion began(lasted for 350 years)

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Resources, The Silk Road, and the Poor

• Arable land and climate of China made rice growth
  capable,
• rice is a labor-intensive crop causing large
  portions of the population think 90 of the
  people were locked into the peasantry.
• Chinese had natural resources like jade and silk
  that are highly scarce and in high demand.
• only a limited number of artisan and merchant
  jobs could be sustained
• even with the wealth which flowed into China
  along the Silk Road most members of ancient
  Chinese civilization continued to be peasants.

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Trade

• Basis of economy agriculture
• Han Products
• Ironwork armor and swords
• Artisans pottery, jade, bronze objects and
  lacquerware
• Prized product silk
• Growth of Trade
• Zhang Qian tales led to increase of trade
• Silk Road

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Han Society

• Family Life
• Family was central to the well-being of the state
• Father (head/authority), Filial Piety children
  obey parents grandparents/take care of them)
• Women few privileges, low status, little
  education, didnt own property, obey husbands and
  mother-in-laws
• Older women did at times become the head of
  households.
• Ban Zhao a woman famous scholar and writer.
• Valued sons over daughters

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Han Society

• Social Structure
• Social structure emperor, upper class (palace
  court, nobles, government leaders, officials and
  scholars), peasants (largest), artisans/merchants,
  slaves

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Han Achievements

• The Arts
• Building palaces and towers
• Made ceramic and bronze figurines, jade carvings
  and silk cloth with patterns, paintings (Buddhist
  art), poetry (Sima Qian)
• Science and Technology
• Inventions
• paper!
• Farming plow and wheelbarrow
• Science seismograph (earthquakes)
• Medicine acupuncture
• Other compass, sundial, water mill, rudder,
  Movable Sails, watertight compartments for ship's
  hulls, Mechanical Clock, Abacus, and more!

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Disunion

• Nomads invaded northern China and formed their
  own kingdom.
• Many fled this area to the south (Yangzi River).
• A number of dynasties rose and fell in the south.
• The nomads in the north started to adopt aspects
  of Chinese civilization.
• Northerners who fled culture also diffused into
  southern China as well
• Growth in the arts and philosophy.
• Buddhism mostly grew at this time.

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Sui Dynasty (Sway)

• Wendi or Yang Jian founded the new dynasty and
  re-unified China.
• Modeled after the older dynasties.
• All adult males given land.
• The Dynasty is responsible for the Grand Canal
  that linked northern and southern China. (more
  easily access resources)
• Forced peasants to work on canal and thousands
  died in the process.
• Poor conditions with the canal and failed
  military campaigns started rebellions.
• The last ruler was assassinated and the dynasty
  fell.

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Tang Dynasty

• A Sui general takes control and forms the Tang
  Dynasty. Ruled 618-907
• Strong central government and bureaucracy.
• Had two capital's Changan and Luoyang.
• Expanded civil service entrance exams (passing
  written exams)
• Flexible law codes (a model in Korea and Japan.
• Golden Age!

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Tang cont.

• Significantly expanded China and its influence.
• Regained western lands in Central Asia and
  influence over other states like Korea and
  contact with Japan increased (they sent
  scholars).
• New contact with new states and cultures helped
  spread trade and strengthen their economy.
• Buddhism well established even emperors were
  Buddhist. Missionaries were sent to other Asian
  lands.
• Age of Buddhism 400-845 until its popularity was
  seen as a threat.
• A campaign was started to hurt it and they burnt
  texts.
• Buddhism survived but combined with Daoism and
  Confuscianism.

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Tang Emperors

• Ruled through sons until taking all power for her
  self.
• First woman to have the title. (Empress)
• Xuanzong (SHOO-AN-toong) then took the reigns and
  the empire prospered and flourished the most
  during his time. 712-756

• Much expanshion occurred during Taizongs
  (TY-tzoong) rule.
• Ministers helped him govern.
• Military conquests
• Built schools to help with civil service exams.
• New emperor was sick and his wife Wu Zhao gained
  power

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Tang Decline

• Began decline in the 750s after putting down a
  rebellion.
• Military defeats cost them land in Central Asia
  and in the north.
• Nomadic invasions and rebellions over tax
  increases cause further problems.
• A powerful general kills the last Tang emperor in
  907, the dynasty ends. China becomes split again.
  

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The Song Dynasty

• Reunified in 960 with the Song Dynasty until
  1279.
• Also brought a Golden Age of many achievements.
• China became the most advanced civilization in
  the world.

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Government and the civil service

• Brought back a strong centralized government and
  enlarged the bureaucracy to manage the empire.
• Revised the civil service exams grasping more the
  Confucianism.
• Neo-Confucianism (new Confucianism) ideas from
  Confucius and spiritual matters.
• Hard to pass, those that did were
  scholar-officials- an elite educated class.
• Open to ordinary people.

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Decline and the Southern Song

• Never regained lands to the west and north.
• Afraid of the nomads to the north they tried to
  please the nomads with gifts.
• 1120s the nomads called the Jurchen conquered
  China and started the Jin Empire.
• Song dynasty did continue is south Chine for 150
  more years.

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Cultural Achievements

• Literature and Art
• Du Fu wrote poems and Confucian ideals or the
  horrors of war. Tang
• Li Bo wrote poems about friendship, nature,
  solitude, and the joys of life. Tang
• Wu Daozi (Dow-tzee) painted murals of Buddhism
  and nature. Tang
• Song artists focused on the beauty of nature.
• Song artisan excelled at porcelain type of
  ceramic that was sought for all over the world.
  (also called china)
• Pagoda multistoried Buddhist temples with curved
  roofs at the corners and had a roof at each floor
  was inspired by Indian Buddhist temples.

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Cultural Achievements

• Inventions and Innovations
• led the world in technology and science.
• Gunpowder mostly used for fireworks and building
  projects but as it spread it began to be used
  with weapons.
• Magnetic compass, woodblock printing (Tang) and
  Movable Type (song), and Paper Money.
• These inventions would revolutionize they way
  things were done and would change the world
  forever.

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Prosperity and Society

• New advancements in agriculture new irrigation
  systems, fast ripening rice, and faster
  production of cotton and tea.
• Led to a population growth Tang 70 million
  people, Song nearly 100 million people. Most
  populous country in the world at the time.
• Trade expanded with this and improvements in
  roads and canals.
• Traded to med. Sea with silk road and by sea with
  Korea and Japan.
• Sea trade became important and had many advances
  in sailing.
• Economy grew strong and money and banking system
  developed.

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City life, Society, and Women

• Cities began to grow with increased trade,
  especially port cities.
• Entertainment districts grew.
• Had the largest cities in the world but most
  still lived in the country.
• Aristocrat power declined while a new class the
  gentry rose.
• Gentry scholar-officials, and leading
  landowners.
• Most were peasants farmed, paid most of the
  taxes, little to no school.
• Women status declined (encouraged to stay at
  home) and a desire for small dainty feet began
  (foot binding)
• Made women immobile and showed male dominance.

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The Mongol Empire

• In 1200s a nomadic people called the Mongols
  from Central Asia conquer China and create the
  largest land empire in history.
• Steppe or grasslands with little resources relied
  on herding animals for their needs.
• Traded for what they lacked or took it.
• Like the Huns and the Turks they come from this
  land to conquer.

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The Mongol Empire

• Skilled with horses and learned to ride at an
  early age.
• Used to living in harsh environments with scarce
  resource.
• Tough and fierce warriors.
• Not united but separate clans led by a chief or
  Khan.
• Temujin conquered his rivals and united the clans
  in 1206.
• He takes the name Genghis Khan Universal Ruler

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Building an Empire

• Military strategies mobile, strikes quickly,
  brutality, psychological warfare, organized,
  strict discipline, complete loyalty, rewards.
• Conquers most of Asia learning siege warfare and
  gunpowder which helped further conquest.
• Genghis Khan dies in 1227, tells his sons to
  conquer the world.

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Mongol Empire Divides

• Divides empire into 4 regions or Khanates with an
  heir ruling each but the Great Khan ruled over
  all.
• Grandson kublai Khan resumes conquest.
• Was going to invade western Europe until they
  heard of the Great Khans death.

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The Yuan Dynasty

• Kublai Khan only really had power of The Great
  Khanate region.
• 1279 he finally beat the Song Dynasty.
• He created the Yuan Dynasty declaring himself
  Emperor.
• 1st foreign ruler of China.

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Yuan Cont.

• Chinese thought they were rude and uncivilized.
• Did not force ways onto Chinese but adopted
  aspects of their culture giving his dynasty a
  Chinese name.
• Also moved his capital to where modern Beijing
  is, Chinese styled ceremonies, palaces, and ruled
  as a Chinese emperor.

• Did not want Mongol identity lost.
• Mongols lived apart from Chinese.
• Friendships were discouraged.
• Forbidden to intermarry.
• Had different laws and taxes.
• Chinese not allowed to have weapons or be in the
  military.

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Yuan cont.

• While leaving much of the government in place,
  Chinese could not hold high places in office.
• Put other foreigners in place.
• Chinese taxed heavily.
• Money went to building roads and extending the
  Grand Canal to the capital.
• Soldiers placed around empire to keep peace and
  prevent rebellions.

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The Mongol Peace

• Brutal in the building of but ruled it
  peacefully.
• Tolerated local beliefs and ways of life.
• Allowed local rulers to stay in power as long as
  they pay tribute.
• Adopted aspects of the more civilized cultures
  they conquered. (adopted Islam)
• Pax Mongolia monol peace

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The Mongol Peace

• Guarded the silk road and other trade routes,
  that protection trade increase.
• Chinese inventions spread world wide.
• Built enormous ships to improve trade across
  seas.
• Welcomed foreign merchants to Chinas ports and
  offered them special privileges.
• Traders from S.E.A., India, and Europe came to
  China including Marco Polo

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Marco Polo In China

• An Italian trader from Venice.
• Visited Yuan court with his father.
• Kublai Khan liked him and sent him on many
  missions in China and abroad.
• During a battle was captured and told his tales
  to his inmate.
• They were written down and published.
• Europeans became fascinated by the stories of
  China.
• Skeptics wonder if the stories were real.

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End of the Yuan Dynasty

• Began to weaken after several failed military
  campaigns into South East Asia and Japan.
• Large amounts spent on public-works projects had
  weakened the economy.
• resentment towards Mongols left conditions for
  rebellion.
• 1294 Kublai Khan died leaving power struggles and
  weak leadership.
• Natural flooding disasters and increase taxes.
• 1300s many rebel groups, one army wins in 1368.
• Mongols leave China to Manchuria and foreign rule
  ends.