han dynasty

Han Quiz Study Guide

1.Introduction to chapter - similarities and differences between Han and Rome

Han Dynasty: displayed piety, based their dynasty on previous dynasty, free peasants worked on lands, believed in confucianism 

Imperial Rome: huge enslaved population worked in lands, imperial government, was polytheistic religion wise. 

Both: Infrastructure (building roads, canals), lived traditionally, globalizing empires, centralized governments, expansion through military conquests (the act of acquiring territory or resources through military force or warfare)   

2.Qin Empire - features, contributions to Han successes (political and economic)

Political: standard weights and measurements, military, expanding borders

Economic: trade and construction of the silk road

Other: organized state into 36 provinces, new writing system “seal script”

3.Han practices, beliefs that built on Qin

-Bureaucratic system, military expansion, civilian officials, expanding the land, conscripted labor, infrastructure and public works projects

4.Han practices, beliefs that rejected Qin

-rejected Legalism, used Daoism/Confucianism instead 

5.Emperor Wu

-One of the most influential and successful rulers in Chinese history

-Emperor of the first Han dynasty (Western or Former)

-Started many military campaigns 

- Beliefs in Daoism & confucianism 

- Redistributed land to poor farmers to ensure agricultural stability 

-founded the Imperial University 

6.Imperial University

-College for Scholars to supply well-trained bureaucrats 

-Important medical discoveries made, invented magnetic compass, strong Confucian ideas that served as the base for the empire

7.Domestic Life/Social Hierarchy 

-free peasantry of farmers bc they were honored for their labor and Producing of food 

-Merchants were subjected to controls because of not doing physical labor  (belittled)

-took away power from elites 

8.Role of women, (Ban Zhao)

-she is worried women are not educated in Confucianism and won't know their role in society

-role is to serve husbands and they are their “masters”, put herself last, be humble 

9.Agriculture, (Chau Cuo)

-written by Han emperor Wen’

-focused on agriculture, without it people will not be connected to the land and will desert it leading to poverty

-Criticizes Merchants, thinks they have too much power

10.Pax Sinica - What led to it?

-period of peace after the surrender of Xiongnu (northern ppl), they were able to fight them off as emperor Wu made many advances in their military

-during this period: economic growth, expansion of land 

11.Impact of deforestation

-Population grew, migrated South, cleared land causing erosion leading to massive floods

-made people think they lost the Mandate of Heaven, so Wang Mang came to rule 

12.Cause and Impact of Yellow Turban movement

-It significantly weakened the Han

Under Mang's rule there are less rules causing increased social inequality leads to rebellion by the Yellow Turbans

-Yellow Turbans are motivated by daoism and demand fair treatment, leads to separation into three kingdoms the Wei, Shu, and Wu