Political+China

Political Classical China

Mick Sullivan

__** Zhou **__ __** Qin Dynasty **__ __** Han Dynasty **__
 * Very short and brief Empire
 * First dynasty that formally unified China
 * Founded by Qin Shi Huangdi in 221 to 206 BC
 * First Dynasty of Imperial Control
 * Legalist Rule which had many positives and negatives
 * Legalism
 * Power of rulers is absolute
 * Rulers should enforce strict laws with harsh punishment
 * Rulers should not be above the law
 * Surrendered to Liu Bang
 * Positives
 * Very efficient
 * Incentive to follow rules because a brutal punishment followed those who broke the law
 * Agreed with their ruler which improved tolerance
 * Negatives
 * Single thought process with a single perspective
 * The citizens could not stand up for themselves
 * No “Safety Net” which made it easier for things to get bad fast
 * Issue of Succession
 * One of the first nations to use large numbers of cavalry
 * Qin Shi Huangdi
 * Killed lots of people
 * Gave peasants jobs then used them for labor and military
 * Actions as Ruler
 * Executed anyone that questioned him
 * Standardized a written language, common axel size, melted the weapons of neighboring forces
 * Built a bureaucracy as the new form of government
 * Downfall
 * People revolted against government
 * The labor, taxes, and dissatisfaction with the government caused the thought of a rebellion to spread faster
 * Shi Huangdi’s tyrannical rule caused his own downfall due to cruel punishment and slave rule
 * Started by Liu Bang in 206 BCE and lasted until 220 AD (400 years)
 * Overthrown after 200 years but then reunified China for another 200 years
 * Started Han Dynasty after proclaiming himself Emperor
 * Han Wudi considered a great Han Emperor
 * Considered the “Golden Age” of China
 * Was very Confucian in thought
 * Emperor was considered supreme judge and lawgiver
 * Military
 * Every male under the age of 23 (later reduced to 20 by Emperor Zhao) was liable for conscription into the military
 * Three branches
 * Navy
 * Infantry
 * Cavalry
 * The year of training was followed by a year of service either on the frontier, in the capital, or in the King’s court.
 * Liu Bang
 * Lazy and not a very good military commander
 * Valued brains over brawn and intelligence over social status
 * Restoration of Imperial Control
 * Rewarded people who supported leader
 * His succession policy was to give all control to his sons
 * Reinstated a bureaucracy as the autocratic rule
 * Wanted to centralize administration
 * Downfall
 * Was actually in a downwards spiral for 31 years
 * Several rebellion groups including the yellow turbans
 * Cao Cao was gradually able to reunite the Han after 200 years under Emperor Xian’s rule but the Han ultimately ended at the Battle of Red Cliffs 200 years later