3.5 Strong Rulers Unite 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.
Based on the information from your Two-Column Chart, pretend you are the official historian of either Emperor Shi Huangdi or Emperor Wudi. Your task is to write a brief (4-5 sentence) argument on why your chosen emperor was a more effective ruler than the other. In your argument, be sure to include at least one of your chosen emperor's specific accomplishments, and one specific criticism of the other emperor.
Emperor Shi Huangdi was by far the more effective ruler. The first job of any ruler is to keep the people safe. Emperor Shi Huangdi achieved this by bringing rule of law and stability to a warring nation. In addition, he began construction on the Great Wall. Emperor Wudi, on the other hand, abandoned the important Legalist principles of his predecessor, bringing crime into China and making it less safe for all. Emperor Wudi was the most effective ruler of the time. He ushered in China's Golden Age through the promotion of scholarship, an increase in technology, and the burgeoning of the arts. Most importantly, unlike Huangdi, who ruled by fear and favoritism, Wudi promoted government officials because of merit—leading to an increase in effectiveness and efficiency.
Read the third paragraph of "Buddhism Spreads in China." Recall what the phrase "filial piety" means. How does the concept of filial piety relate to Buddhist principles?
Filial piety refers to the Confucian teaching of honoring one's parents. By A.D. 400, Chinese Buddhist monks had absorbed some of the ideas of Confucianism, and stressed the importance of filial piety.
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.
Why do you think the Silk Road is sometimes called the Road of Civilization?
It was the way in which far-flung cultures exchanged goods, technologies, and ideas. This exchange of ideas, goods and technologies contributed to the growth of civilization.
What are some of the key contributions made by the Qin and Han dynasties that had a long-lasting effect on China's development as a classical civilization?
Qin dynasty: Great Wall, standardized weights, measures, and coins, uniform system of writing, extended roads and canals; Han dynasty: Silk Road; civil service system, expansion, Confucian government and belief system
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.
What are some examples of Han inventions still used today?
the basic method of paper-making, metal riding stirrups, wheelbarrows, steering rudders for ships, acupuncture, suspension bridges.
