The Fall of the Chin Dynasty

1
The Fall of the Chin Dynasty the Founding of
the Han Dynasty

• IAS 2540 / UGD 2270 History of Traditional
  Chinese Thought

2

• In 209 B.C., only a year after the death of the
  First Emperor, a revolt broke out in the old Chu
  area, and rebellions followed in quick succession
  throughout the empire.
• When the leading rebel, Hsiang Yu, a descendant
  of Chu generals, finally wiped out the last of
  the Chin armies in 206 B.C., he tried to return
  to Chou Feudalism, only declared himself as
  Hegemon King.

3

• Another rebel general, Liu Pang, who challenged
  Hsiang Yu destroyed him in 202 B.C., and became
  the Emperor of Han.
• Liu Pang (OR Emperor Han Kao-Tsu) succeeded,
  where the First Emperor of Chin had failed, in
  creating a lasting dynasty. The Western Han
  Dynasty reigned for more than 2 centuries until
  A.D. 8, then, after a brief usurpation,
  resurrected the dynasty as the Later Han or
  Eastern Han, Which lasted from A.D. 25 until A.D.
  220.
• Cf. Roman Empire

4

• Even today, the Chinese refer to themselves as
  men of Han the Japanese call the Chinese
  writing system the Han characters.

5

• Han thought
• Among the old thought survived were the concepts
  of the late Chou Naturalists of yin yang
  dualism, the five elements (or agents, or
  powers).
• Closely allied with these ideas was the notion
  that unusual natural phenomena were portents
  which reflected the character of the ruler or
  foretold the future.

6

• Tsou Yens Yin-Yang School proclaimed their
  theories of the yin yang, the Five Elements,
  predicted the rise fall of fortune according to
  the dominant cosmic influence of an age
  (shih-yun). The influence of this school on the
  thinkers of Chin Han was especially great.
• Hsiao, tr. By Mote, pp.61-65.

7
Water
Wood
Metal
Earth
Fire
create
conquer
8

• The sequence of the 5elements in ancient Chinese
  history
• Huang-ti
• earth
• yellow
• yellow dragon omen

9

• then, the element of earth declined, was
  conquered by the element of wood.
• Thus, Yu of Hsia Dynasty
• wood
• green
• trees grass alive even in fall winter as
  omen

10

• Then, the element of wood declined, was
  conquered by the element of metal thus, Shang
  Dynasty.
• Then, Chou Dynasty of the element of fire.
• Then, Chin Dynasty of the element of water,
  black
• Black dragon omen
• Thus, in Chin Dynasty, the empires color of
  formal dresses flags was black!

11

• Then, Liu Pang was reported to have killed a
  snake (omen), thus, conquered the declining
  water element succeeded by a new element of
  earth (a cycle).

12

• According to the cosmology of ancient China
• Yin-yang was the origin or source of
  life/universe.
• In the beginning, there was nothingness
• Poleless (then became)
• ? Tai ChI (2 poles)

13

• In Chinese medicine, it is important to balance
  regulate yin yang.