Shang Dynasty
(1750 BC - 1027 BC) Huang He River Valley

Zhou Dynasty
(1027 BC -221 BC) Mandate of Heaven

Qin Dynasty
(221 BC - 206 BC)

Shi Huangdi - First Emperor Great Wall of China Terra Cotta Soldiers

Han Dynasty
(206 BC - 220 AD)

Liu Bang - Founder
Wudi - Emperor during Pax Sinica
Silk Road

Zhou Dynasty
(1027 BC - 221 BC)

Background Information

In 1027 BC, the Zhou people marched out of their kingdom to overthrow the Shang.  They set up the Zhou Dynasty.  To justify their rebellion against the Shang, the Zhou promoted the ideas of the Mandate of Heaven, or divine right to rule. They later expanded this idea to explain the dynastic cycle, or rise and fall of dynasties. As long as a dynasty provided a good government, it enjoyed the Mandate of Heaven.  If the rulers became weak and corrupt, the Chinese believed that Heaven would withdraw its supports.  Floods, famine, or other catastrophes were signs that a dynasty lost the favor of heaven.

Feudal Government
The Zhou kings granted control of large areas of land to their supporters.  In a system called feudalism, local lords controlled their own regions but owed military service to the ruler. Over time, feudal lords came to hold the real power in China.

Zhou Contributions
First books, studied planet movement and eclipses, developed accurate calendar, silk, etc.

Qin Dynasty
(221 BC - 206 BC)
THIS DYNASTY ONLY LASTED 15 YEARS BUT UNIFIED THE ENTIRE COUNTRY! Government

During the Qin Dynasty, the idea that the state exists for the good of the people became less important than the power of the ruler.  The philosophy of Legalism influenced the Qin ruler.  Legalism considered humans to be selfish, and to control the people and keep the nation or empire strong
and unified, a ruler must hold all of the power.  The only Qin ruler was Shi
Huangdi, which means "First Emperor."  He built his kingdom into an
empire by extending control southward to the South China Sea.  To rule his vast empire, Shi Huangdi established a strong, central government.  To
keep control, he jailed all philosophers and teachers and burned their books.

Achievements
To speed communications throughout his empire, Shi Huangdi ordered roads, bridges, and canals to be built. He also made sure that a uniform law code was observed throughout China.  To promote unity, he standardized weights and measures.

The Great Wall

Nomadic tribes living in the north of China called the Mongols threatened the Qin Dynasty.  In earlier times, northern states built walls to prevent these tribes from invading their land.  Shi Huangdi ordered his people to join all these walls together in one massive fortification called the Great Wall of China.  Shi Huangdi ordered hundreds of thousands of laborers to work for years on the Great Wall. They pounded earth and stone into a mountainous wall almost
25 feet high topped with a wide, brick road.  Many workers died in harsh conditions. It extends across 1,500 miles of northern China.
The Great Wall is the only manmade object visible from orbiting satellites and still stands today.

Terra Cotta Soldiers

In 1974, the Terra Cotta soldiers were accidentally discovered by peasants while digging a well. These life-like warriors were placed
all around the burial tomb of Emperor Shi Huangdi.  He was buried
with an army of life-sized terra cotta soldiers, chariots, and horses made of clay. No two look alike!  These 6,000 figures guarded the emperor's body and the many possessions buried with him in his afterlife.

Han Dynasty
(about 200 BC to 200 AD)

PAX SINICA - CHINESE PEACE AND PROSPERITY, LASTED 400 YEARS!
Occurred around the same time as the Pax Romana...

Government

After the death of the Qin emperor, his generals fought with one another for control of China.  Liu Bang, a peasant who had worked his way into the bureaucracy became the first emperor of the Han Dynasty.

One of the most famous Han emperors, Wudi, agreed with Confucius that education was the key to good government.  He started a system of public schools to educate boys. The Han Dynasty ruled their empire with the help of a bureaucracy. This consisted of appointed officials, who received salaries for their services.  Candidates for these jobs took civil service examinations based on law, mathematics, and the writings of Confucius. The men who scored the highest on the exams got the jobs. The exam enabled the poor, but talented men to enter into the Han civil service, allowing a men equal opportunity to succeed.  This new class of well-educated civil servants became known as mandarins and controlled the government.

Achievements

Trade
Life was very good for many people during the Han Dynasty because of the demand for silk and the creation of the major trade route, the Silk Road.  Construction of the Silk Road allowed trade to flourish more easily with
the Roman Empire and allowed for the exchange of goods, ideas, and religions among many cultures.

Arts
Since many books were burned during the Qin Dynasty, the Han people created new works of literature and music.  Craftsmen made jade jewelry and carvings. Bronze
workers and silk makers improved on earlier techniques and set a high standard for future generations.

Science and Medicine
Han scientists calculated the solar year (365 1/4), and recorded the appearance of Halley's Comet.  Han scientists also designed the first form of cartography, or mapmaking.

Chinese physicians diagnosed diseases and developed anesthetics.  Some doctors explored the
use of acupuncture, where the doctor inserts needles under the skin to relieve pain or treat various illnesses. They also developed veterinary medicine along with writing
    books on chemistry, zoology, and botany.

Technology
Han China was the most technologically advanced civilization in the world at its time.  They invented a method for making durable paper out of wood pulp.  They also made advancements in

shipbuilding and invented the rudder to steer.

Other inventions include bronze and iron stirrups, fishing reels, wheelbarrows, suspension bridges, and chain pumps.  They also developed the compass and gun
powder.