Ch'in and Han China
TERMS:
Ch'in
Shi Huangdi
Great Wall
mandate of heaven
Dynastic cycle
legalism
Former Han
Ch'ang-an
Later Han
Hsiung Nu
Kao Tsu
Han Wu Ti
Ever-Level Granaries
son of heaven
empress dowager
eunuch
Wang Mang
silk road
Bodhisattva
T'ien-tai
Sixteen Kingdoms
Northern Wei
Neo Taoism
wu-wei
DATES:
256-206 BCE Ch'in Dynasty
221 BCE First Empire, under the Ch'in
206 BCE - 8 CE Former Han Dynasty
25-220 CE Later Han Dynasty
220-589 CE Six Dynasties Period
TOPICS:
1. Out of the chaos of the later Chou, Shi Huangdi of the Ch'in dynasty
(a small state in northern China) took over, and in 221 BCE established
the first true empire. He used legalism. Ch'in empire was short
but strong: connected small walls in the north to create the
first Great Wall. After the emperor's death the dynasty collapses
and is replaced by Kao Tsu and the Han dynasty.
2. Creation of the Confucian dynastic cycle theory: that every
dynasty rises, is very strong in the beginning (first emperors are the
best), begins a gradual decline, then collapses, followed by a brief
period of chaos and finally the rise of a new dynasty. All of
this is controlled by the Mandate of Heaven.
3. Han dynasty thrives under Kao Tsu and Wu Ti, who use a combination
of Legalism and Confucianism. Problems existed at the imperial
court: court offices often given to eunuchs, but the court could
also be manipulated by the empress dowager and regents (particularly if
the reigning emperor was a child). For collection of taxes and
military, the powers given out by the emperor were very limited (to
prevent competition from private power sources). Decline begins
c. 22 BCE with rebellions, esp. that of Wang Mang (regent) who took
over the empire. The Former Han ends, replaced by the Later Han
(a distant branch of the original Han dynasty). Later Han not as
effective as the Former Han had been.
4. Han period known for history, esp. the writings of Ssu-ma Ch'ien,
for the revival of Taoism (in the form of Neo-Taoism), and for the
arrival of Buddhism to China.