The Han Dynasty of China:�A Chinese Golden Age

(206 BCE-220 CE)

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Historical Setting of the Han

• Followed the Qin dynasty
• Rebel general, Liu Bang, gained control of China following years of fighting after the fall of the Qin Dynasty
• Came from a poor family

Return to Normal

• Emperors reduced taxes
• Eased legalist policies and promoted Confucianism.
• Restored land to noble families and allowed them to keep private armies, balancing power.
• Created a strong, centralized bureaucracy to maintain control over vast territories.

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Confucius Values

• Emperor Wu (Wudi) adopted Confucian principles as state philosophy.
• Confucianism emphasized moral governance, respect for hierarchy, and family devotion.
• Education system restructured to reflect Confucian values, influencing Chinese culture for centuries.

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Reuniting and Expanding China

• Encouraged learning
• Lowered taxes
• Wudi (5th Han Emperor) send armies to conquer lands in Central Asia
• Less harsh punishments
• Kept many of Qin laws
• Confucian advisors encouraged rulers to set an example of mercy and proper behavior

Wudi

• Wudi lived 141-87 BCE
• Used warfare to expand the Chinese empire
• Expanding China - Invasions of Vietnam, Korea

Structure of Government

• Strong central government
• Followed the example of Qin
• Noblemen remained weak
• Organized like a pyramid
• Emperor and chief advisors
• Officials to monitor progress
• Towns and villages

Civil Service under the Han

• Introduced to recruit talented officials based on merit rather than birth.
• Civil service= system of government employees selected for skills and knowledge
• Civil service exams
• Confucian principles described the qualities that emperors wanted in civil servants
• Formal examinations in Confucianism, history, law, and literature for civil service positions
• Officials could not serve in their home districts
• But poor could not afford to educate their children

Silk Roads under the Han

• Trade routes across Asia on land
• To Mediterranean (access to Europe) in the west
• Chinese silks were sold in the marketplaces of the ancient Roman empire
• Traded silk and other goods
• Cultural diffusion
• Also a path for the spread of ideas

Han Society

• Based on Confucian values
• Valued mental work over physical labor
• Farmers were respected because they produced important basic goods
• Artisans valued for skill and hard work

Social Classes under the Han

Han Family Life

• Confucian teachings about family loyalty and respect for elders were key values
• Legal code also enforced Confucian values
• Parents could report children who did not behave with filial piety

Agriculture under the Han

• Farmers were the backbone of China’s economy
• 90% of the population
• “Agriculture is the foundation of the world. No duty is greater”
• Most farms in Han China were small
• Wheat, millet, barley, beans and rice

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Industry

• Iron and salt became and important industries during Han China
• Became so important Wudi turned them into state monopolies
• Monopolies brought in money which helped fund military adventures

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Achievements under the Han

• Science
• Herbal medicines
• Acupuncture
• Art
• Calligraphy
• Lacquer
• Inventions
• Seismometer
• Wheelbarrow
• Paper
• Seismometer

Unification of the Han Empire

The End of the Han Empire

• Eventually, after many Han emperors, the empire began to weaken.

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• As people in the government struggled for power the empire fell apart, including the roads and canals.

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• Eventually warlords started to gain power.

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• Cao Pei was one warlord who took over northern China and declared the Han dynasty over and started the Wei dynasty.

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• The Wei dynasty ended after 50 years, breaking up into many smaller kingdoms.

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Reunification

• With the fall of the Han Dynasty in 220 CE, China fell into a period of disunity
• Not as traumatic (or permanent) as the fall of Rome for Western Europe
• Uncertainty and disorder provided fertile ground for Buddhism, which gained large numbers of converts
• Between 589-618 CE, China reunified under the Sui Dynasty
• Utilized legalism to restore order

�Period of Disunion�

220-589 After the fall of the Han Dynasty China split in to rival kingdoms—one in the north, one in the south. This period was filled with war and constant changes in leadership. Many nomadic people settled in Northern China. The culture was mixed, with many different languages and dialects being spoken, and they were not unified.

Main Idea 1:�The Period of Disunion was a time of �war and disorder that followed �the end of the Han dynasty.

• When the Han dynasty collapsed, China split into several rival kingdoms.
• This was the Period of Disunion. War was common during this period.
• Some peaceful developments did take place.
• Nomadic people settled in northern China. Some Chinese adopted their culture, while invaders sometimes adopted the Chinese culture.
• In southern China, people fleeing from the north shared their culture with the southern Chinese while adopting some of the southern Chinese culture.