China’s First Empire

Warring States China

Qin Unification of China: Origins

• The Turning Point From Feudal Anarchy to Chinese Empires

• The State of Qin (Fifth Century BC - Third Century BC)

• Legalists Welcomed

Qin Shi Huangdi, The First Emperor (246-210 BC)

The Qin Empire

The Great Wall of China

• 1400 Miles Long

• 100,000-1 Million Dead to build it

Qin Reform

• Prefecture and County System

• Officials Chosen for Talent

• Aristocrats Stripped of Land

• Standardization of Everything

• Persecution of Non-Legalist Thought

The Backlash

• Huge Taxes

• Huge Death

• Everyone Hates the Qin

• Imperial Collapse: 210-206 BC

The Terracotta Army

Western (“Former”) Han Dynasty (206 BC-8 AD)

Western Han Dynasty

• The Dynastic Cycle and the Mandate of Heaven

• Rise of the Han: Liu Bang (206-195 BC)

• Economic Recovery

Han Wudi (141-87 BC)

• Yellow River-Capital Canal

• Adopts Confucianism

• Major Conqueror

• First Census

• Higher Taxes

• Old Age Paranoia

The Han

• Salt and Iron Debate: Confucius +, Merchants -

• Xiongnu Threat

• The Silk Road

• Centralization of Government

• Confucianization

The Struggle for Power

• Court Officials

• The Empress Dowager (Head Wife)

• Court Eunuchs

• Military Leaders

The Silk Road

Decline and Usurpation

• Evasion of Taxes

• Higher Burden on Peasants– 22 BC: Peasants Rise Up

• Regent Wang Mang the Usurper: 8 AD-23 AD– 23 AD: Rebels Kill Wang Mang, Fight Over His

Corpse

• 25 AD: Liu Xiu restores order

Later Han Dynasty (25-220 AD)

• First Century AD– Prosperity and Military Expansion– Xiongnu Flee West, Become Huns

• Second Century AD– Internal Court Conflict– Landowners with Private Armies– Daoist Revolutionary Movements– Generals Divide the Empire in 220 AD

Three Kingdoms Era (220-280 AD) and

Six Dynasties Era (280-589 AD)

• The Three Kingdoms Era--Mythic Resonance• Semi-Feudalism• South China prospers but government is weak• Nomads Overrun the North but are

Assimilated

Han Thought and Religion

• Han Confucianism– 175 AD: Official Canon in STONE– Uniformity of Language: 100 AD, 9000

Characters– Philosophy of Nature: Virtuous Behavior

Harmonizes Heaven and Earth, Fends Off Disaster

– Inventions: Seismograph, paper, wheelbarrow, stern-post rudder, compass

Han Thought and Religion

• History– Sima Qian (1st Century BC) and Ban Gu (1st

century AD)

• Neo-Daoism / “Mysterious Learning”• Quest for Immortality

– Alchemical innovation is side effect:• Medicines• Dyes and Glazes• Gunpowder

Buddhism Rising

• First Century AD; Seen as Taoist Sect

• Appeal:• It was a doctrine of personal salvation.

• It upheld high standards of personal ethics

• It had systematic philosophy and ties to Indian intellectual life.

• It drew on sophisticated Indian traditions of meditation and psychology.

Buddhism Triumphant

• 5th Century, Widespread

• Journey to the West

• Chinese Buddhism is syncretic

• Mahayana Sects (focused on compassion and savior figures--Boddhisatvas) flourish

• State Regulated