Chapter 6, Ancient China, 300 BCE-800 CE 

Confucius 

• A Chinese philosopher

Confucianism 

• A system of thought/philosophy

Dao 

• “The Way”

• Focus on duty and humanity

Five Constant Relationships

• Father and son

• Friends

• Oldest and youngest brother

• Husband and wife

• Ruler and subject

Daoism 

• People should not interfere with the natural order of nature

Legalism 

• A harsh method of ruling that involved disproportionate punishments in order to keep everyone in line. It was believed that humans were inherently evil, and therefore there was no point in the king having mercy on them

Qin Dynasty

• Won the Civil War 

• 221 BCE the Qin ruler declared a new dynasty 

• Legalism was the official ideology

• Highly centralized state 

Qin Shihuangdi 

• “First Qin Emperor”

• Pissed off a lot of people

• Created a single monetary system 

• Reduced power of the aristocrats

• Expanded empire into modern day Vietnam

Han Empire 

• 206-220 CE

• Adopted Confucianism 

• Kept Qin government structure w/ 3 divisions

  • Military 

  • Censorate

  • Civil Service

• Kept division of empire into provinces and counties

  • Bureaucracy

• Population

  • 20 million people -> 60 million