Unit+II+Module+3+Chinese+Dynasties+Qin+and+Han

Qin and Han Dynasty




 * //The state of Qin//** began its rise to power in the Warring States period, in the fourth century BC. Qin adopted a legalist philosophy and sought to create an efficient, self-perpetuation system of government. The Qin's first task was to successfully exploit agricultural surplus to support a large infantry army; this army went on to conquer other states, including the Zhou in 256 BC. After conquering the remaining states, the ruler of the Qin wanted to mark his dynasty as a new beginning, so instead of calling himself "king" (wang) he took the title of "emperor" (huangdi, literally translated as "august god"). He set about creating a unified realm: he standardized weights and measures, made the written script uniform, and ordered that all cart axles be the same width to facilitate transportation. While these measures were successful and would outlast the Qin, ultimately the heavy demands placed on the army led to rebellions. These grew more widespread, and the Qin fell after little more than two decades of unified rule.

One of the leaders competing for power at the end of the Qin was Liu Bang, who had served as a low-level official in the Qin government. Winning out over his rivals, he founded the Han dynasty. Initially lacking the power to govern a large area, and wanting to avoid the errors of the previous dynasty, the Han granted land and titles to nobles in exchange for their fealty and help in governance. As Han rule grew more confident, the government gradually consolidated power at the center. The Han retained much of the legalist administration of the Qin, but combined it with a Confucian view of ethical rulership. This synthesis provided the basis for much of imperial governance in Chinese history. In 9 AD, the regent Wang Mang usurped the throne, and founded the Xin ("New") dynasty. This lasted until 23 AD, when the Liu family retook power. The period before the Wang Mang usurpation is known as the Western Han, and had its capital at Chang'an. The period afterwards is called the Eastern Han, because the capital was located in the eastern city of Luoyang.

Timeline of Qin and Han Dynasty

For more detailed chronologies, see //Columbia Chronologies of Asian History and Culture// (Columbia, 2000).
 * 221 BCE || [|Last of Warring States defeated; Qin dynasty declared] ||
 * 210 BCE || [|First Qin emperor dies] ||
 * 206 BCE || Qin capital falls to rebel forces, ending the dynasty ||
 * 202 BCE || [|Liu Bang founds Han dynasty] ||
 * 141-87 BCE || [|Reign of Han Wudi] ||
 * ca. 145 - ca. 90 BCE || [|Life of Sima Qian, whose history served as a model for later scholars] ||
 * 119 BCE || [|Monopolies in salt, iron, and liquor established to increase state revenues] ||
 * 9 - 23 CE || [|Wang Mang interregnum] ||
 * 105 CE || [|Traditional date for invention of paper] ||
 * 167 - 184 CE || [|Great Proscription; eunuchs win power struggle and banish or kill bureaucrats] ||
 * 184 - 190 CE || [|Yellow Turban Rebellion] ||
 * 190 CE || [|A warlord destroys the Han capital of Luoyang] ||

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=__Han Dynasty__= 206 BC-AD 220

__**Dynasty**__: a sequence of rulers from the same family, stock, or group In 207 BC, Liu Bang was a general of Xiang Yu's army who turned aginst him to end the Qin Dynasty in 206 BC establishing the Han Dynasty where he declared himself emperor. He established Chang'an (Xian) as his capital in 202 BC. During his reign he followed the policy of centralized government created by Shi Huangdi where central authority controls the states. During a rebellion, he was shot by an arrow. Through the years, his wounds got worse and died because of his old age. After Liu Bang died his wife, empress Lu, had friends in the court who helped her gain power becoming the ultimate ruler in the Han Dynasty. She then chose two infants in line as emperor before her son. She then died in 180 BC.

From 141 BC to 87 BC Liu Bang's great grandson, Wudi, ruled the dynasty and used the policy of expanding the Chinese empire through war. He gained many enemies through this including the Xiongnu. The Xiongnu were a group of nomadic tribes from Central Asia. The Silk Road was built for trade between the Han Dynasty and Xiongnu. The Han Dynasty ended their trade for weapons and tried to buy their peace. Wudi wanted to expand the Silk Road to the west but the Xiongnu made it difficult, and had started a war. Wudi drove the northern tribe of Xiongnu away and took over the southern Xiougnu. In order to avoid any other invasions, he ordered to build the Great Wall. Wudi also created the Civil Service Exam which allowed citizens to receive government jobs. It tested citizens on Confusianism, law, history, and literature. He believed that Confusianism was an important key to a good government.

During the Han Dynasty achievements were made including the Silk Road which was a trade network running from the Mediteranean to China. There, merchants traded silk, gold, and other goods. The Silk Road increased cultural diffusion. Wudi had a historian, Sima Qian, gather information from different part of the country. Sima Qian took over his father's work, the Shiji or __Records of the Grand Historian__ which had covered the Xia, Shang, Zhou, and Qin dynasty to the Han Dynasty. Wang Mang, a Confucian Scholar and a member of the court wanted a strong ruler to restore order. In AD 9 he took the title of emperor and overthrew the Han Dynasty, ending the first half/Former Han Dynasty. Wang Mang said it was the Mandate of Heaven, in which he ended the Han Dynasty and began his own, the Xin Dynasty.