East Asia 500BCE-500CE
P
- China was under the Zhou dynasty till 258BCE, it was under a feudalism system.
- Alliances between rulers and those close to them but failed because of so many disloyalties; land owning aristocracy solidified its power and ignored the government.
- After Zhou dynasty China entered the era of warring states (402-210BCE) which was a period of chaos in China.
- China was unified under the emperor Qin Shih Huangdi during the Qin dynasty.
- Emperor Qin organized China into large provinces, but with his death the dynasty ended and China entered the Han dynasty in 202BCE.
- The Han dynasty had a centralized form of government.
- China had a period of peace until it was invaded by the Huns and China was left in a state of chaos from 220-589BCE.
- Qin Shih Huangdi standardized coins, he also improved the roads in China as well as the agricultural products.
- China traded high class goods along the silk road.
- In the Zhou dynasty rulers stressed harmony and having balance.
- Confucius developed Confucianism which focused on respecting elders and practicing traditional values.
- In the Han dynasty Wu Ti brought back Confucian values. Daoism was also practiced in China and was centralized around nature.
- Fathers, husbands. and males in general were the head of the household and made all of the decisions.
- Women were expected to cook and clean. The children in the house were expected to respect their parents and could be severely punished if they didn't.
- Education was considered important and was valued.
- The social groups during the time included land owning aristocrats then bureaucrats and at the bottom was farmers and peasants.
- Merchants were considered the lowest of the low.
- China was able to create a currency system.
- Civil service exams were created and included Chinese literature, math, the five Confucian classics, ect.
- The Qin dynasty standardized Chinese written language.
- The emperor built the Great Wall of China to keep nomadic people/ the Huns out.
- Chinese art had geometric qualities and depicted Chinese lifestyle.
- Decorative shrines were built in honor of Confucius.
- In the Han dynasty China expanded into central Asia and also included Korea.
- The "Middle Kingdom" was rich and perfect for agriculture