Midterm Notes - China's First Empire The Qin Dynasty and...

China’s First Empire
The Qin Dynasty and Ancient Intellectual Thinking
• Mandate of Heaven – Son of Gods?
• Always bad historical account of previous dynasty so that taking over is justified
1.
Capital of Qin dynasty – near Yellow River (Chang’an)
2.
The Qin: China’s first empire
3.
Qin’s innovation
a. Bureaucracy
b. Economy
c. Unify writing system
4. Qin’s legacies
a. Rule of law (harsh laws, punishment)
b.
Tenacon warriors (SP))))))))))))
c.
Great Wall
5.
Only emporor to carry sword in painting (signifies military strength)
6.
Ancient Chinese Thinking
•
Three main schools of thoughts:
o
Confucianism
o Legalism
o Daoism
•
Key Arguments
o
Human Nature

o Institutional manifestation
o Staqte-society relationship
•
“The greatest sin was nhot to have heirs” – Mencius
•
Confucianism
o
human beings are basically good
o
• Legalism
o human nature is evil
o harsh laws = good behavior
Daoism
o
“The Way” – no centralized system required
o
Most powerful force – nature (abide by universe!)
o
If you are concerned about something, don’t do anything, just let nature do it
i.
Qin’s Ruling ideology was legalism
i. Technology
ii.
Confucianism
iii.
Centralization

iv.
Territorial expansion
China: Han and Tang Dynasties
China’s Impact on Asia
• Han’s Confucianism
o Beliefs:
 Li
 Hsiao
 Yi
 Xin
 Jen
 Chunb
o Five Relationships:
 Fater-son

Ruler-minister

Husband-wife

Old-young

Friend-friend
Five Relationships:
Practices:
Birth
Maturation
Marriage

Death
Post-death
Women’s subordination:
to father
To husband
To sons
1. Expansion of Han and Tang dynasties
a. Territorial expansion in the north, to secure border security
b. Territorial expansion in the west, to create commercial route
2. Silk Road
3. China’s influence on Korea
a.
Complex
b.
Cooperative
c.
Competition
d.
Silla and Tang: 676
e.
Tributary system
f. The Koguryo debate
China’s Influence on Japan
Geography: distance from the mainland, secure borders - isolation & proactive learning
Master of learning, successful reform
552-710 influence from the mainland
“study abroad program” mission to china

645 taika reform
Nara era (710-794) 0 capital modeled after china
Heian era (704-1185) –kyoto, culturally vibrant
Tributary system:
Symbolic
Hierarchical
Interest-based
Implication for china
Contemporary revelence
Major achievement in ancient china
Technology
Paper: han dynasty (around 220)
Printing: song (960-1127)
Gunpowder: Song
Compass: song
Ideology
Territory
China and the Impact of the West
1.
China was always pretty open to Westerners – Tributary System
2. Emerging conflict with the West
a. China
i. Stability

ii.
Confucianism (tradition)
iii.