Strong Rulers Unify China
What factors helped Buddhism spread through China?
Buddhist missionaries and traders from India had spread Mahayana Buddhism to China. Buddhism was popular in times of crisis, as it promised escape from suffering. The Buddha was seen as a compassionate god. Through prayer, good works, and devotion, anyone could hope to gain salvation.
How was the Silk Road used to bring ideas to and from China?
Chinese technologies such as paper, printing, gunpowder, and the magnetic compass all traveled west on the Silk Road, as did Confucian ideas. Cultural influences, like Buddhism and Islam, were absorbed into China from its trading partners. New knowledge about astronomy and mathematics also spread to China from Arab, Indian, and European sources.
How did Shi Huangdi impose allegiance to a central government?
He abolished feudalism and replaced feudal states with military districts run by loyal government officials. He gave the nobles' lands to peasants and forced noble families to move to the capital so he could monitor them.
Why was a well-ordered civil service of benefit to the Han government?
It created a network of Confucian scholar-officials who had won their government positions through merit rather than family ties. This would suggest they were the most qualified to be an official. Also, it created a strong system of Confucian values within Chinese government that lasted for centuries.
After his death, Emperor Shi Huangdi was buried in a 20-square mile tomb, guarded by thousands of life-sized terra cotta soldiers. These soldiers are now one of the most famous and important archaeological sites in China. View the image of the terra cotta soldiers at the bottom of Shi Huangdi Unifies China. What can you conclude about the kind of ruler Shi Huangdi was based on the terra cotta army that he commissioned for his tomb?
Shi Huangdi was a strong, ruthless, controlling, and highly organized leader capable of overseeing large-scale building projects. The text says that Shi Huangdi was a strong military leader who unified China after "nearly 20 years conquering most of the warring states." As emperor, Shi Huangdi had a sense of his own importance. Shi Huangdi shared traditional Chinese beliefs in the afterlife, since the army was created to protect his mausoleum.
