Dynastic+China+Review+Guide

Unification of warring states- In 221 BC, the Warring States Period ends with the Unification of the Warring Tribes, and the Qin Dynasty begins under the rule of Emperor Ying Zheng, or as he later became known, Qin Shi Huang Di. Legalist Qin Shi Huang Di - The emperor that unified China Great Wall- In 220 BC, Emperor Qin Shi Huang Di begins construction of the Great Wall to protect China from the Mongols. Standardization Attitude toward Confucianism/scholars (give examples): BAD, did not approve of Confucian ideals of learning and self-improvement in a strictly Legalist, obeyist setting- events as book burnings were carried out in order to effectively stop learning and knowledge from spreading; schools at the same time that preached Confucian philosophy were also banned. Tomb (terracotta soldiers & horses)- In 210 BC, the Terracotta Army, consisting of almost 8,000 terracotta life size soldiers and horses, was buried along with Qin Shi Huang Di in his tomb after his death.
 * //Qin Dynasty 221-207 BCE//**

Silk Roads - these were roads created for trade and spanned across China and some even reached parts of Europe. This was essential in establishing trade in China. Role of Confucianism - became extremely important in government. Confucianism said that the purpose of government was to help its people stay on a moral path, and so should be run by moral people. Confucianism also became the official basis of the Chinese education system during this dynasty. Liu Bang - Unites China by using his army to defeat rival warlords. he was not trained as a soldier but used his wit to win over other forces. First emperor of Han Dynasty. Imperial university/beginnings of the exam system - anyone hoping to enter the government had to pass an examination on the fundamentals of Confucianism and the Five Classics. Scholars/officials: As stated above, the Han dynasty marked the introduction of the Confucian-driven stress on education. State academies and standardized tests had students vy to become renowned scholars in Chinese society, with specific philosophical works being written during the dynasty for study. Science and technology - The Han Dynasty made several advancements in technology. They developed gunpowder, which changed war forever, water-wheel mills and the steel plow, which increased food production, and the seismograph, which had a very similar design to the ones used today. General Cao Cao: warlord and chancellor of the Han dynasty, and ultimately responsible for the destruction of the dynasty itself. Established and ruled the Wei Kingdom of the Three Kingdoms period. Buddhism enters China
 * //Han Dynasty 206 BCE – 220 CE//**

Political disunity- due to many foreign influences, the governing of China at this time was very fragmented. Invaders could not effectively govern because they did not understand Chinese culture, and were forced to rely on Chinese bureaucrats. There were many power struggles/wars at this time due to the many separate kingdoms. Buddhism becomes Chinese- Buddhism travelled on the Silk Road from India to China during this time. Buddhist monks travelled to all different parts of China, spreading the philosophy throughout. It was supported by the government; therefore, it was easily able to integrate itself into the nation's culture. Its influences can be seen in art that was produced at this time, specifically the art which lies in caves constructed at this time, which were dedicated to Buddha. Yellow Turban Rebellion - Daosim becomes influential, especially during the rebellion, because the leaders - Zhang Jiao and his two brothers - were Daoist and used Daoist practices to spread spirit among the peasants who were fighting against the Chinese government. Major progression in Art, Literature, and Poetry - Story of Mu Lan shows the values of the time period which are kind yet brave, modest yet alert, and takes care of her family yet serves her country. Founding model of five character poems used as a base for chinese poems, mountain and stream poems became a big genre during this time due to the work of Xie Lingyun.
 * //Three Kingdoms, Jin & Northern and Southern Dynasties 220-581 CE//**

Reunified China Grand Canal-it was completed during the Sui Dynasty. It linked the Yellow and Yang-tzei Rivers and also linked the Northern and Southern economies in China. Reasserted Confucianism – exams & scholar-official rotation Continued many Sui policies: In terms of government and economics this included a centralized law code and administration system that overlapped in both dynasties, as well as a replenished endorsement of Taoism, and Buddhism especially. Height of classical culture and poetry (considered as one of China's Golden ages) Characteristics of classic poetry -Poetry was usually short and set to a tone or melody -Tang period poetry noted for being more realistic and critical of society Height of Buddhist culture in China Ch’an (Zen) Chang An – rich, cosmopolitan-The capital of the Tang Dynasty. It was a center for exotic goods and diversity (relatively large international population). Revival of Silk Road- brings commerce, urbanization, and also new herbs for medicinal purposes Wu Zhao- only Empress in Chinese history rules fromm 690-705
 * //Sui/Tang Dynasty 581 – 907 CE//**

Principles of Chinese painting: Overlap between poetry/painting/calligraphy Height of Chinese science/advancements in technology Height of foreign trade – sea expeditions and Silk Road Height of Confucian scholar/culture – expansion of the exam system Loss to Mongols
 * //Song Dynasty 960-1279 CE//**

//The Song Dynasty is perhaps China's greatest Golden Age, as it's society, technology and culture flourished and pushed the nation to new and incredible heights of progress and achievement. At the same time, defense spending demanded increasingly massive portions of the state's revenue, and even China's huge military machine could not prevent the Song's gradual collapse due to attrition by foreign enemies. -Adam H.L.//

Genghis Khan: Grandfather of Kublai Khan, founder of the Mongol Empire and subsequent inducer/head of the orinigal Mongol invasions which resulted in the conquest and subsequent takeover of some of China. Kublai Khan - Grandson of Genghis Khan, First of the Yuan dynasty and is the last Mongolian emperor to conquer large amounts of land. Attacks Japan twice but is deterred both times by typhoons.
 * //Yuan Dynasty 1279-1368 CE//**

Chinese view of Mongols – The fall of the Song dynasty was seen as a devastating “cultural” defeat. The Chinese viewed the Mongols as barbaric inferiors. Assimilation - After the Mongol invasion, local religions, languages, and customs were respected and effectively left unchanged. The Mongols steadily adopted Confucian ways of thinking. In 1313 the teachings of the Neo-Confucian philosopher Zhu Xi were declared as orthodox and were kept as such until the end of the Chinese empire. Written works during this age were concentrated on science with many books written about mathematics, navigation, medicine, geography, engineering and agriculture. The examination system of selecting the __ administrative __ officials for the Chinese bureaucracy, born from Confucian philosophies, was reinstated by the Mongols in 1314. Beijing - Mongols move capital from Hangzhou to Beijing, to be nearer to Mongol lands

Forbidden City- The Chinese imperial palace. During the Ming dynasty to the end of the Qing, the imperial family was isolated from the rest of the country and kept in the forbidden city. It was built in the center of Beijing. Zheng He’s voyages – establishment of tribute system Rebuilt Great Wall
 * //Ming Dynasty 1368-1644 CE//**

Manchurians/Manchus: People that polarized and joined with previous Ming dynasty rebels to overthrow the Ming, (which included depleting the dynasty's treasury) via invasion of Beijing, and subsequently forming the stable Qing. Queues Chinese population growth: From 1200 to 1850 China's population grew from approximately 100 million to 400 million. This had many direct negative effects on the country including increased competition for jobs, inflation, and food shortages. It harmed the government and failed to expand the bureaucracy, limiting upward mobility by maintaining examination quotas. Competition for jobs caused favoritism, bribery, and corruption. Labor became dirt cheap, and with this rise in poverty a rise in crime, cheating, prostitution, smuggling, and violence grew. This all led to the spread of opium addiction. - Connor Young Rules for tribute system Guangzhou/Canton British problems Qianlong’s response Opium trade and its effects: on China and Britain: It was very very good for Britain and terrible / badly hurt the Chinese in the end. Opium Wars- China inaugurated the Canton System in 1756 which restricted trade to only one port and did not allow foreign entrance into China. British trade struggled to flourish and rested heavily on its Opium export to China. In China the British sold opium to smugglers who willingly distributed the drug among the Chinese people. The Chinese Emperor attempted to stop the European countries but when they ignored his threats he shut down all foreign trade. The British then sent forces that ravaged the Chinese coast and took power over the trade. The Treaty of Nanking opened the door for further trade and gave the territory of Hong Kong to the British. Treaty ports Missionaries Extraterritoriality Hong Kong Legalization of opium Sino-Japanese War- War between China and Japan with Japan emerging as the victor. This victory proved to the world that Japan was powerful and the title of central power in East-Asia moved from China to Japan. Winning this war cemented Japan's control over Korea and eventually lead to the annexation of Korea. Open Door Policy -//the Americans became increasingly involved by 1900 in colonizing the region of Southeast Asia, but were not hugely embedded in China itself. To prevent other colonial powers such as the British or French (who were directly involved in controlling Chinese territory) from stifling trade and cutting out American merchants, the US declared an Open Door Policy, an agreement allowing all colonial powers unimpeded free access to Chinese markets. Rather than being cut up by competing powers (as in much of Africa) China was instead dominated by international commercial interests and administration, similar in practice but different in principle. -Adam H.L.// Ti and Yong - why did it fail? Empress Dowager Ci Xi Emperor Guang Xu 100 Days reform Taiping Rebellion Boxer Rebellion
 * //Qing Dynasty 1644- 1911 CE//**