Han Dynasty 206 BC 220 AD The first

Han Dynasty (206 BC -220 AD) –The first dynasty to embrace the philosophy of Confucianism, which became the ideological underpinning of all regimes until the end of imperial China - Han rulers strengthened the economy and government of China. ECONOMY They improved canals and roads. They set up granaries across the empire. They reorganized finances. They imposed a government monopoly on iron and salt. They opened up the Silk Road, a trade route linking China and the West. GOVERNMENT They made Confucianism the official belief of the state. They relied on well-educated scholars to run the government. They used a civil service exam to find the most qualified officials.

5 The Han Golden Age Han China made such tremendous advances in so many fields, that the Chinese later called themselves “the people of Han. ” SCIENCE Wrote texts on chemistry, zoology, and botany. Measured movements of stars and planets. Invented seismograph to measure earthquakes. TECHNOLOGY Made paper out of wood pulp. Pioneered advanced methods of shipbuilding. Invented the rudder, fishing reels, wheelbarrows, and suspension bridges. MEDICINE Diagnosed diseases. Used herbal remedies and other drugs for treatments. Developed anesthetics. Explored uses of acupuncture. THE ARTS Built grand temples and palaces. Produced jade and ivory carvings and ceramic figures. Improved bronzeworking and silkmaking techniques.

Silk Road(s) –Emperor Wu consolidated and extended the Chinese empire by pushing back the Huns into the steppes of modern Inner Mongolia. This enabled the first opening of trading connections between China and the West, the Silk Road

Questions Where did the Silk Road begin and end? Which “empires” were located on and directly around the Silk Road? What goods were traded on these trade routes? Some historians believe that there was “unequal trade” on the Silk Road and this weakened the Roman Empire. Why? HINT: you may need to do a little research on the internet.

Decline –Han power declined again amidst land acquisitions, invasions and feuding between consort clans and eunuchs –The Yellow Turban Rebellion broke out in 184, ushering in an era of warlords –In the ensuing turmoil, three states tried to gain predominance in the period of the Three Kingdoms. This time period has been greatly romanticized in works such as Romance of the Three Kingdoms

The Three Kingdoms (220 – 280 AD)