Unification by Qin

Qin Empire

Qin [Chin] , although lasted only 15 years, is one of

the most important periods in Chinese history.

221 B. C. marks the shift from state to empire, the

most important single date in Chinese history before
the revolutionary changes of this century.

221 BC 206 AD

only last for 15 years

The First Emperor

Reasons for the triumph

a) Geographical situation

- The Wei River valley is enclosed with mountain, good defense

b) Agriculture and irrigation

- fertile Wei valley and Sichuan, canal for irrigation

c) Military technology
- huge production of iron weapon by the government
- horse, cavalry

Reasons for the triumph

Reasons for the triumph

d) Readiness to break with tradition

e) Readiness to employ alien talent

h) Administrative factors

Bureaucracy replaced feudalism

Common people were permitted to buy and sell land too

Protect small farmer, downgraded the riches and merchants

- Qin was in a simple cultural and economic style

- much easier to carry out legalist reform

f) Longevity of rulers

Ensuring the income and potential soldiers

g) The manly virtues

Tiger Tally

King Emperor

Bureaucratic
rule

Feudal lords

hu

fu

land

man

tax

rulership

Reforms, Achievements, Excesses

(221-210 B. C.)
a)

- combined the titles of the legendary 3 Sovereigns and 5 Emperors

into his new name: Shi Huang-di (), First Emperor.

Tally of army.
Its right in the Emperor.
Its left in Yangling (garrison)

Reforms, Achievements, Excesses

(221-210 B. C.)
d)
e)
f)
g)
h)

from king to emperor

standardization of legal and economic measures

standardization of currency
roads, walls
palaces and tomb
burning of the books and execution of the literati
- some Confucius literati did not agree Qins rule. They criticized the
bureaucratic rule and said the feudalism in past was the best. The Qin
cruelly suppressed them.

b)

the political unification

c)

the cultural unification

- Chinese culture: Confucianism, Yinyang

- Chinese characters
- self-identity

Highway

Expansion north
and south.

pass

Qin Great Wall

Commandaries
were set up along
the borders
Fundamental
territory of China

For defending
Xiong-nu (Huns),
the Great Wall was
connected and
extended.
A canal was built
to connect the
Yangtze river and
the Pearl river.

220 BC

Standardization of currency
- circle coin with square hole

1500 AD

Standardized Measurement

For volume,
vessel of Qin measure
For weight: Qin counterweight

Bronze. H: 6.2cm, W: 17.3 x 9.7cm

Edicts about unification of measurement

The inscription reads:

In his 26th year (221 B.C), the emperor unified all
feudal states. The common people had great peace, and
he established the title Emperor Huang-di.
Now he commands Prime Ministers [Wei] Zhuang and
[Wang] Wan: As for laws and units of measure that are
disparate or doubtful, in all cases clarify and unify
them.

Gideon Shelach-Lavi, The Archaeology of Early China, p. 315

Horse
Shang era

Qins writing became the only

standard.

Zhou era

A tomb of a Qin administrator who buried with many legalist texts

in bamboo slips.

now

Shuhd, Yunmeng County, Hubei Province

Shuihudi Qin bamboo texts

If good officer can clarify rules, nothing cannot be done.

Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor

Greek Civilization, Zeus, Aphrodite

5th 4th century BC

Lesson from the Qins quick collapse

the collapse of Qin (210-206 B. C.)

Drawing after 1949

This uprising was highly

praised by the Chinese
Communist Party.
The First Revolution of
Peasant in China

Rebellion led by Qins soldier and past nobles of warring states

The Qins bureaucratic government was so

advanced, but it exploited the people too much.

Taoism: non-action, let people took rest

Confucianism: love and care the people

Founder of the Han: Liu Bang

Han Empire
206 BC 220 AD

Consolidation and Expansion under the Han

1)

2)

Institutionally a continuation of Qin

- laws, codes, tax, mainly bureaucratic government
Measures for political consolidation
- eliminating and minimizing the aristocratic kingdoms established
during and after Qins collapse

3)

4)

Economy and social struggle

- monopoly of salt and iron
- monopoly of copper coin minting
- population increased so much
- growth of local magnate who got more and more land
- more peasants became tenants

Political factions and palace conflicts

- Emperor and eunuch

- Empress dowager, empress and their family members

Emperor Wu

High density
Low density

()

Expansion under the Han

5)

Expansion
- The need for stable relations with the powerful nomadic
confederation Xiong-nu (Hun).
- royal marriage, gifts and trade?

- conquer and rule the nomads?

- Giving great profit to nomads so that they performed ritual
as accepting Chinas suzerainty Imperial Tributary System ()

Xiong-nu (Hun)

Zhang Qian

Zhang Qian leaving emperor Han Wudi around 130 BCE, for
his expedition to Central Asia.

Wall and Gate outside

Dunhuang

Mural in Cave 323,

Mogao Caves
~8th century CE.

Political mission: allies against Xiong-nu

It was the first time China knew that there was a great world outside.
The Silk Road ()

Heavenly Horses

6) Imperial Confucianism

Emperor Wu of Han officially recognized the Confucianism

as the only orthodox doctrine at the price of demoting all
the other teachings ()
Imperial Confucianism, or Legalist-Confucian combination
Legalism was liked by rulers and Confucianism by
bureaucrats.
Legalist concerns were adopted as the foundation of state
institutions, while the Confucian doctrine became the moral
and ethical standards.

Akhal-Teke
Tukmenistan

7) Corrective Cosmology: Yin yang and

Five Elements

Han Chinese saw correspondences or mutual influences

between Heaven, earth, and man

parent love filial piety

Ritesfrom Wuwei

Emperor is the interlink between the Earth, the Heaven and human.

alternate pressures of yin and yang, and that alternation

operates in a series of five stages

The taste for secret commentaries and prophecies and also

the use of omens for political ends have been at their height
at the end of the first Han dynasty.

How did the ancient Chinese

understanding the Universe?

The master of the tomb is rising

to the Heaven.
At the corners are the crow ()
that symbolizes the sun and the
toad () that symbolizes the
moon, the pairing of the sun and
moon representing the cosmic
forces of yin () and yang ().

Living in the Han

The Collapse of Han Empire

- Yellow Turban Rebellion

A peasant revolt that broke out in 184 AD

Flooding, peasants were further oppressed by high taxes.

Religious Taoism with strong Yin-yang believe.
The Azure Sky is already dead; the Yellow Sky will soon rise.

Red and Fire represented the Eastern Han Dynasty. The Rebellion
claimed to be yellow and the Earth which should succeed the Han
according to Ying-yang politics.

Han Empire won but collapsed soon.

The military leaders and local administrators gained selfgoverning powers in the process.

Warlords and Three Kingdoms