The main theme that entangles itself in all of the source material is the idea of how governments should be run in such a powerful empire, such as Imperial Rome and the Han Dynasty. Starting with the first source, it is evident that the first Qin emperor believed that only the orthodox teachings should be tolerated, which meant that the works of the Five Classics and its teachings were to be extinguished. The next primary source serves as a supplement to explaining the fall of the Qin dynasty due to its warring ideas and Jia Yi argues that if Confucius teachings were implemented then the dynasty would have still been intact. The third source explains how the Qin dynasty was unjust in its equal appropriation of punishment against criminals regardless of motives or social class. Essentially, Dong Zhongshu believed that a dynasty could not be successful if it failed to establish a fair and righteous justice system for its citizens.
Qin Shi Huangdi was the first emperor to unify all regions of China into one single empire, taking drastic steps and measures to achieve this aim. He conquered six kingdoms and survived many attempts on his life. Through his barbarity and brutality, he had earned himself the title of the most successful and influential man of China. The State of Qin believed in a political philosophy called Legalism, which justified strict and centralized control and using the people to strengthen Qin. They believed that part of strengthening his rule was to force everyone to simply obey, not speak out against him and by decreeing even how people could write, what they could believe and what they could do.
Source 6 says walls has been built as early as the seventh century BCE to defend against tribes in the north and other warring kingdoms. One million people were forced to build this wall for the whole country's stake. He standardized money, and currency and made laws to impact Ancient China. Source 4 says that his government made weights, measures, and currency the same throughout Ancient China. Qin Shi Huang made weights and measures the same for the country and sent them to govern for his mentality and power to grow and for the country to believe in his worth as an emperor.
Qin Shi Huang made many changes to how he wanted to rule China, however, some of the most important and famed revisions were his different methods of managing his land. Distribution of lands during previous dynasties, like the Zhou dynasty(1046 BCE-256 BCE) (Britannica, Zhou dynasty, 2016, 2018), was too lax compared to the Qin; because they allowed pre-existing rulers to maintain their land. “Zhou kings sent members of their family to set up fortresses and rule new territories in the conquered lands. They also made local rulers into feudal lords who ruled for them.
The ruler Han Gaozu changed many laws and polices and “promoted the welfare of its subjects”(p.81) unlike the ruler Qin. After the Han Dynasty there was not another great dynasty four hundred years later after the fall of the Han
Farmers paid taxes to the lords, who passed some along to the kings and the emperor. The emperor recruited a lot of armed forces to deter barbarians from attacking their territories and to keep internal conflicts under control. Mandate of heaven is a cycle at which all the dynasties functioned; rise in power and slowly deduct in power as powerful lords try to overthrow the government. The government past metal coins also created first evidenced paper currency. The area of ancient Chu, while is also using Bu coins, operated largely with Yi Bi coins, which were usually perforated, shell-shaped and has pronounced inscriptions on the front surface.
One of the key players in the unification of China was the emperor of China himself, Ying Zheng or Shi Huangdi. He controlled all major powers in China. Advised by his advisers who are legalists, he implemented many reforms. He began to appoint his officers to enforce his policies. He started also to standardize the currency and implemented the standardized laws, weights and measures.
Han was different from Qin because the poor could be able to rise up in the economy when in the Qin Dynasty couldn’t. And the only thing that was driving was the trade and economy system. Another thing that changed was the government was able to rule a state instead of a person. Also, there was prized education for people!
He killed millions of people and many people suffered under his rule. Emperor Qin was a very strict ruler. He believed in Legalism. He believed in strict rules and strict punishments.
The Qin and Han employed different philosophies on how to run their dynasties. The Qin used controlling Legalistic ideas while the Han used the relationship building Confucianism. The Qin and Han had a different relationship with outsiders because the Qin preferred to keep foreigners out while the Han wanted to build a relationship with them. The Qin and the Han each contributed to the growth of China’s culture and expansion. The developments in trade, foreign relations, and building expansive building projects in the Qin and Han Dynasties effected the design of every dynasty
The Han Dynasty in China and the Roman Empire shared many similarities and differences when it came to political rule and the nature of their political authority. The most significant difference between the two is how the Han dynasty enacted policies that were shaped to counter the wrongdoings of the previous Qin dynasty, whereas the Roman Empire enacted policies shaped to create and promote peace and stability. The difference in the two empire’s coming to power was to account for their variance in political rule. After the Qin dynasty, the Han ruled China for four centuries, enacting numerous political changes and governing one of the most efficacious dynasties in Chinese history.
Qin Shi Huang-di is often regarded as a great leader within history. However, he was also paranoid and got rid of anyone who disagreed with him, but without Qin, there might be no China. Furthermore, despite his mixed reputation today, he brought six warring kingdoms together to form the basis of a country that has lasted to this day, an impressive feat that was a huge turning point in Chinese history. Qin’s effect on China and by default, on the other countries of the world was enormous. In fact, his dynasty, the Qin dynasty, even gave China its name (“Shi Huangdi Becomes Emperor”).
China’s Last Empire. The Great Qing. William T. Rowe. The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2009. 360 pages including Emperors and Dynasties, Pronunciation Guide, Notes, Bibliography, Acknowledgements, Index, Maps and Figures.
Qin and Caesar had numerous ways which showed the way they established their political authority and justification to lead. To show his political authority, Qin “created regulations and made laws intelligent.” By establishing
Intro The Tang Dynasty is commonly referred to as the golden age of Ancient China. They had a strong and stable government that supported trade and created equality. Tang China also possessed immense wealth and a strong military, as well as inventing various technological advancements. Trade greatly boosted the Tang Dynasty 's prosperity and it was the leading source of China 's immense wealth during its golden age.
