1. Section 5 Notes

2.  Shi Huangdi---means “first emperor”
 Zheng proclaimed himself this title
 Shi Huangdi built the strong, authoritarian
government of the Qin dynasty
 Unified all of China---banned feudalism and
replaced feudal states with 36 military
districts
 Capital of the Qin dynasty was at Xianyang

5.  To promote unity, Shi Huangdi standardized
weights and measures and replaced the
diverse coins of the Zhou states with Qin
coins
 Shi Huangdi cracked down on opposition---he
jailed, tortured, and killed people who
opposed his rule---he also burned all
literature and philosophy books only sparing
books on medicine and agriculture

6.  Shi Huangdi’s most remarkable and costly
achievement was the Great Wall
 Hundreds of thousands of laborers worked for
years through bitter cold and burning heat
 They pounded earth and stone into a
mountainous wall almost 25 feet high topped
with a wide brick road
 Eventually, the Great Wall would snake its way
across thousands of miles of northern China
 The wall became an important symbol to the
Chinese people---dividing and protecting their
civilized world from the nomadic peoples north
of the wall

17.  Let’s watch a video on the Great Wall of
China!!!
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLMVZoh
nCwA&feature=player_detailpage

18.  Shi Huangdi thought his empire would last
forever (doesn’t everyone!)
 After his death in 210 B.C., anger over heavy
taxes, forced labor, and cruel policies
exploded into revolts
 Shi Huandi’s tomb is quite impressive!!!

24.  Let’s watch a video about Shi Huangdi’s
tomb!!!
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YV19yTk
VtsQ&feature=player_detailpage

25.  Liu Bang, an illiterate peasant
leader, defeated rival armies and founded
the new Han dynasty
 Liu Bang claimed that his power was based
on the Mandate of Heaven
 As emperor, he took the title Gao Zu and
restored order and justice to his empire
 He appointed Confucian scholars as his
advisers
 The Han dynasty lasted from 206 B.C.-220
A.D.

26.  The most famous Han emperor was Wudi
 He strengthened the government and
economy, chose officials from Confucian
scholars, and set up an imperial university at
Xian
 Economic growth was increased by improving
canals and roads
 He set up granaries set up across the empire so
the government could buy surplus grain and sell
it at stable prices when it was scarce
 Set up a government monopoly on iron and salt--
-the sale of iron and salt gave the government a
source of income other than taxes on the
peasants

28.  Wudi’s expansionist policy increased the
amount of territory under Chinese control
 He fought many battles to expand China’s
borders and drive nomadic peoples beyond
the Great Wall
 Chinese armies added outposts in
Manchuria, Korea, northern
Vietnam, Tibet, and Central Asia
 Soldiers, traders, and settlers slowly spread
Chinese influence across these areas

29.  Wudi opened up the Silk Road that linked
China to the west for centuries
 The Chinese traded silk for goods from the
west such as
grapes, figs, cucumbers, walnuts, furs from
Central Asia, glass from Rome, or muslin
from India
 Eventually the Silk Road stretched for 4,000
miles linking China to the Fertile Crescent
 Goods were relayed in stages from one set of
traders to another

31.  Han emperors made Confucianism the official
belief system of the state
 A scholar-official was expected to match the
Confucian idea of a gentlemen---
courteous, dignified, and possess a thorough
knowledge of history, music, poetry, and
Confucian teachings
 Han emperors believed government officials
should get jobs based on merit rather than
family backgrounds

32.  Began a system of exams to find the most
qualified government officials
 Civil service exams were given at the
local, provincial, and national levels
 Usually only the wealthy could afford the
years of studying to pass the exams; women
were closed out of government jobs

34.  Eventually the Han empire began to collapse
 Local warlords began to gain more power
 Weak emperors let canals and roads break
down
 Peasants revolted over the heavy taxes and
crushing debt
 In 220 A.D., the last Han emperor was
overthrown
 China then broke up into different states
with some controlled by outside invaders

35.  Han scientists wrote books on
chemistry, zoology, botany, and other
subjects
 Observed and measured movements of the
stars and planets---helped to improve
calendars
 Invented a simple seismograph to detect and
measure earthquakes
 Wang Chong---believed that comets and
eclipses WERE NOT caused by heaven’s anger
 He also believed that no scientific theories
should be accepted unless they were
supported by proof

37.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BoXu6Qm
xpJE&feature=player_detailpage

38.  Chinese physicians diagnosed
diseases, experimented with herbal
remedies, and developed anesthetics
 Some doctors explored the medical use of
acupuncture
 Acupuncture---inserting needles under the
skin at specific points to relieve pain or
illness

43.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXgVz4Z
qAxo&feature=player_detailpage

44.  In it’s time, Han China was the most
technologically advanced civilization in the
world
 Made durable paper out of wood pulp
 Invented the rudder to steer ships
 Invented wheelbarrows, suspension
bridges, and chain pumps

45.  Shi Huangdi, Gao Zu, Wudi, and later Han
rulers forged a vast and varied land into a
united China
 Han rulers created an empire roughly the
size of the continental United States
 During this period, Chinese officials
established the pattern of government that
would survive until 1912