1. 7.3 Han Emperors in China

2. The Han Restore Unity in China
 Troubled Empire
• In the Qin
Dynasty the
peasants resent
high taxes and
harsh labor, and
rebel.

3. The Han Restore Unity in China
 Liu Bang Founds the Han Dynasty
• Liu Bang defeats Xiang Yu, a rival for power,
and founds the Han Dynasty
• The Han Dynasty begins about 202 B.C. and
lasts about 400 years.
• Han Dynasty has great influence on Chinese
people and culture
• Liu Bang establishes centralized government—
a central authority rules.
• Liu Bang lowers taxes and reduces
punishments to keep people happy

4. Depiction of Emperor Liu Bang

5. The Han Restore Unity in China
 The Empress Lü
• Liu Bang dies in 195 B.C.; wife Lü
seizes control of empire
• Empress Lü rules for her young son
and outlives him.
• There are palace plots and power
plays occur throughout Han
Dynasty

6. The Han Restore Unity in China
 The Martial Emperor
• Liu Bang’s great-grandson Wudi
rules from 141 to 87 B.C.
• “Martial Emperor” Wudi defeats
Xiongnu (nomads) and mountain
tribes
• Colonizes Manchuria, Korea,
and as far south as what is
now Vietnam

7. A Highly Structured Society
 Emperor’s Role
• Chinese believe their emperor has
authority to rule from god.
• Believe prosperity is the reward of good
rule, and troubles reveal poor rule.

8. A Highly Structured Society
 Structures of Han Government
• Complex bureaucracy runs Han
government
• People pay taxes and supply labor and
military service
• Government uses peasant labor to carry
out public projects

10. A Highly Structured Society
 Confucianism, the Road to Success
• Wudi’s government employs 130,000;
bureaucracy of 18 ranks of jobs
• Civil service jobs—government jobs obtained
through examinations.
• Job applicants begin to be tested on knowledge
of Confucianism
• Wudi favors Confucian scholars, builds schools
to train them
• Only sons of wealthy can afford expensive
schooling
• Civil service system works well, continues unil
1912

11. Han Technology Revolutionizes
Chinese Life
Technology, Commerce, and
Culture
• Invention of paper in A.D. 105 helps
spread education
• Collar harness, plow, and wheelbarrow
improve farming

13. Han Technology, Commerce, & Culture
 Agriculture Versus Commerce
• As population grows, farming regarded
as important activity
• Government allows monopolies—control
by one group over key industries
• Techniques for producing silk become
state secret as profits increase

14. Han Unifies Chinese Culture
 Bringing Different Peoples Under
Chinese Rule
• To unify empire, Chinese government
encourages assimilation
• Assimilation—integrating conquered
peoples into Chinese culture
• Writers encourage unity by recording
Chinese history

15. An emperor translating classical
texts from the history of the
Chinese emperors.

16. Han Unifies Chinese Culture
 Women’s Roles—Wives, Nuns, and
Scholars
• Most women work in the home and on
the farm
• Some upper-class women are educated,
run shops, practice medicine

17. The Fall of the Han and Their
Return
 The Rich Take Advantage of the
Poor
• Large landowners gain control of
more and more land
• Gap between rich and poor
increases

18. The Fall of the Han and Their
Return
 Wang Mang Overthrows the Han
• Economic problems and week
emperors cause political instability
• In A.D. 9, Wang Mang seizes
power and stabilizes empire
• Wang Mang is assassinated
in A.D. 23;
Han soon regain control

19. The Fall of the Han and Their
Return
 The Later Han Years
• Peace is restored. The Later Han
Dynasty lasts until A.D. 220