Chapter 4 Section 4The Unification of China

Zhou Dynasty lasted from 1027 to 256 B.C.Ended because the lords of dependent territories thought of themselves as independent kingsContinuous fighting lead to the warring states periodXia (shyah) Dynasty 2000 b.c.Shang (shawng) Dynasty 1700 1027 b.c.

Confucius and the Social OrderScholars and Philosophers tried to restore the lost values: social order, harmony and respect for authority.

Confucius Urges Harmony551 B.C.Wanted to restore order to the chaos that China had becomeOrder could be restored if society was based around five basic relationshipsRuler and subjectFather and sonHusband and wifeOlder brother and younger brotherFriend and friend

Confucius Urges Harmony Cont.Children should practice filial piety, respect for parents and ancestorsConfucius wanted to show rulers how to govern wisely. Duke of Lu appointed him minister of justice.He will later resign and teach Read page 105The Analects were written.This is a collection of his words.

Confucian Ideas about GovernmentEducation could transform a humbly born person into a gentleman. This belief led to the beginning of bureaucracy.Trained civil service, or those who run the government.Education was important to advance in bureaucracy.

Confucian Ideas about Government Cont.dConfucianism was never a religion but an ethical system of what is right or wrong.Foundation of Chinese government and social order

Other Ethical SystemsDifferent philosophiesImportance of NaturePower of Government

Daoists Seek HarmonyLaozi (low dzuh)Natural order (relations between all living things) is what is importantBelieved Dao, the Way, guides all things

A stone sculpture of Laozi, located north of Quanzhou at the foot of Mount Qingyuan

Daoists Seek Harmony Cont.dOnly humans fail to follow the DaoRead pg 106Laozis philosophy became known as DaoismDaoists science contributions: alchemy, astronomy, and medicine.

Legalists Urge Harsh RuleLegalists are practical political thinkersBelieved restoring order needed an efficient and powerful governmentGovernment was key to restoring orderHanfeizi and Li Si were two of the founders

Rulers should reward people who do well, disobedient punished harshlyControl ideas and actions. Burn anything that might encourage people to criticize government

I Ching and Yin and YangPeople who didnt follow philosophy looked elsewhere for lifes answersSome used a book called I Ching to solve ethical or practical problemsThrew a set of coins, interpreted the results, read the appropriate oracle (prediction)

I Ching and Yin and Yang ContinuedOthers used the concept of yin and yangTwo powers that together represented the natural rhythm of lifeBoth helped people see how they fit into the world

The Qin (chinh) Dynasty Unifies ChinaQin replaces ZhouUsed Legalist ideas

A New Emperor takes ControlShi Huangdi First EmperorStopped internal battlesDefeated invadersDoubled Chinas sizeDetermined to unify China

A New Emperor takes Control Cont.dCrushed political opposition at homeA new policy called strengthening the trunk and weakening the branches enactedWhat was this?

A New Emperor takes Control Cont.dMurdered Confucius scholars to prevent criticism, burned useless booksAutocracy establishedGovernment that has unlimited power and uses it in an arbitrary manner

A Program of CentralizationBuilt highway networksSet standards for writing, law, currency, weights and measures, cart axlesIrrigation increased farm productionTrade grew, merchants became prominentHarsh taxes and repressive government made Qin regime unpopular

Great Wall of China

Great Wall of ChinaScholars hated Shi Huangdi for burning booksPoor people hated him for forced labor: work on the wall or die

Great Wall of China Cont.dWere they in danger from invaders?Some scholars believe China was not in danger. They suggest that Shi Huangdi knew that without employment the soldiers in his large army might cause trouble.

Building the Great Wall kept them busy. It prevented foreign invasions until Genghis Kahn punched his way through 14 centuries later.

Do Not WriteShi Huangdis Quest for ImmoralityAfter barely escaping three attempts on his life, the First Emperor launched a quest for immortality. He summoned magicians to his palace, hoping they could give him an elixir. He scoured the land for the eight immortals who were said to know the secret of eternal life. He avoided the public and moved secretly through tunnels connecting his palaces. Finally, he had several thousand life-sized terra-cotta soldiers and horses built and buried to protect him after death.

The Shaanxi province gained worldwide attention in March 1974, when local farmers uncovered what would become one of the great archaeological finds of the 20th century while drilling for a water well.

8,099 life-size terracotta figures of warriors and horses were buried in a tomb that was built over two thousand years ago to protect its occupant, Qin Shi Huangdi, Emperor of Qin. In addition to the warriors, an entire man-made necropolis (cemetery) was excavated by hand for the emperor. Construction of this mausoleum began in 246 BC and is believed to have taken 700,000 workers and craftsmen 38 years to complete.

The emperor was buried near the 350 square meter earthen pyramid seen behind the warriors. But Qin Shi Huangdi's tomb has remained unopened until this day. Excavators are still searching for a way to completely seal off the area around the tomb to prevent corrosion from exposure to the outside air.

The first emperor of imperial China was Shihuangdi [260-209 BC], known the world round for his lavish necropolis containing an army made of 7,000 soldiers modeled of terracotta clay. Under excavation since 1974, the site of Shihuangdi's tomb holds three pits containing life-sized models of individuals including infantry to commanders, charioteers and horses and chariots. The following photographs were taken during the summer of 2005 by Amy Hirst, who has given her permission to post them here. Emperor Qin's Terra Cotta Army, in a storage facility awaiting conservation, and looking like businessmen at an airport

Each of the pits discovered at Shihuangdi's tomb were excavated by the emperor's workers, who first placed a brick floor, and then built a sequence of rammed earth partitions and tunnels. The floors of the tunnels were covered with mats, the life-sized statuary was placed erect on the mats and the tunnels were covered with logs. Finally each pit was buried. In the largest pit (14,000 square meters), the infantry was placed in rows four deep. An overview of the excavated portion of Emperor Shi Huangdi's tomb, Qin Dynasty, China; the soldiers have been repaired and set in their original positions

The U-shaped Pit 2 was constructed in a similar fashion to Pit 1, with rammed earth partitions and brick floor tunnels. It was far smaller than Pit 1 (only 6000 square meters), and contains an array of chariots, cavalry and horses. Note the brick floor apparent in this display of soldiers. Arrayed soldiers, Pit 2 of Emperor Qin's terracotta army

The terracotta statues of the infantry soldiers range between 5 foot 8 inches and 6 foot 2 inches; the commanders are all approximately 6 and half feet tall. The lower half of the kiln-fired ceramic bodies were made of solid terracotta clay, the upper half were hollow. In this close up of a group of infantry, you can see the remnants of the vivid paint called Chinese Purple that once decorated each statue. Pit 1, Emperor Qin's Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum

Each of the soldier's faces is that of an individual. This seasoned warrior's face is slightly turned to the left, with a cool confident demeanor, a square jaw and a topknot or cockade Close up of soldier in Emperor Qin's terra cotta army, Qin Dynasty, China

Excavators estimate that Emperor Shihuangdi's tomb held 130 wooden chariots, although remnants of only 21 have been found to date. The chariot for this charioteer and his horses has rotted away. Life sized terra cotta chariot driver and horse, Qin dynasty, China

Despite over 40 years of archaeological investigations, much of Emperor Shihuangdis terracotta army remains unexcavated. Over 1,000 soldiers have been brought to light to date; archaeologists estimate there are over 7,000 total.

An unexcavated portion of Emperor Qin's terracotta army.

In this last photograph, you can see parts of the rotten wood log covering over the tunnels which still contain more of the Emperor Qin's terracotta army. Unexcavated portion of the Emperor Shihuangdi's terracotta army; the form of the logs covering the tunnels is visible in this photograph

The Fall of the QinDynasty lasted a short timeBy 202 B.C. Han dynasty takes over

************************