LESSON 2.3 - CHINA
THE QIN & SUI DYNASTIES
Students are to go the the following website and learn about Chinese pronunciation. The website is at : http://www.pronouncenames.com/
Please print off this chart labelled "CHINESE PRONUNCIATION CHART" and using the above website record the pronunciation. The link is below:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BxIkQvEHk4XzRlJBZUtEZVFBRTQ/edit
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BxIkQvEHk4XzRlJBZUtEZVFBRTQ/edit
VOCABULARY:
Using the handout "VOCABULARY ORGANIZER" for the Qin and Sui Dynasties and the info either in your text or on this page, complete the handout below:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BxIkQvEHk4XzSTBrRFFjdkczQ2c/edit
1. CENTRAL GOVERNMENT - A government that is concerned with areas that affect an entire nation or empire.
2. REDISTRIBUTION - To re-assign ownership.
3. TAXES - Mandatory fees paid to the government.
4. PUBLIC WORKS - Major construction projects owned by the government.
5. CONSCRIPTED WORKERS - People forced to become laborers by government.
Using the handout "VOCABULARY ORGANIZER" for the Qin and Sui Dynasties and the info either in your text or on this page, complete the handout below:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BxIkQvEHk4XzSTBrRFFjdkczQ2c/edit
1. CENTRAL GOVERNMENT - A government that is concerned with areas that affect an entire nation or empire.
2. REDISTRIBUTION - To re-assign ownership.
3. TAXES - Mandatory fees paid to the government.
4. PUBLIC WORKS - Major construction projects owned by the government.
5. CONSCRIPTED WORKERS - People forced to become laborers by government.
DISCUSSION
NOTES:
THE QIN AND
SUI DYNASTIES
THE QIN DYNASTY
Ë
BY
221 BCE, Ying Zheng had defeated all of the Zhou Kings and conquered every army
in the land
Ë
Ying
Zheng gave himself the name Shi Huangdi which means “First
Emperor” because he was the first ruler of a
united China.
Ë
He
called his new dynasty, The Qin Dynasty which lasted until 206 BCE.
Ë
Shi
Huangdi set up a strong central government and divided China into 36 districts.
Ë
Previously,
nobles had complete power over their lands and peasants, but Shi Huangdi
redistributed the nobles’ lands, and
every peasant family was given enough land to make a living and pay taxes.
Ë
Shi
Huangdi used his government to improve the economy and standardize the systems
of money, weights, writing and measures so that trade within China would be
easier.
Ë
THE
GREAT WALL – is one of Shi Huagdi’s
most significant achievements.
Ø The Great Wall
brought peace and protection to most Chinese people.
Ø It took more
than 2000 years to complete.
Ë
Shi
Huangdi was a Legalist who believed that he and the state were more important
than the people.
Ë
He
disagreed with Confucianism, and burned many Confucian and Daoist books as well
as killing scholars of Confucianism.
THE HAN
DYNASTY
Ë
The
first Han Emperor was Gaozu.
Ë
Gaozu
thought the central government that Shi Huangdi created was good, but he
decided that Shi Huangdi’s laws were
too tough and he instructed his government to follow Confucian ideas.
Ë
Gaozu’s
dynasty lasted for more than 4 centuries (206 BCE –
220 CE)
Ë
The
Han emperors strengthened Chinese society by:
Ø
Building
roads and canals.
Ø
Building
more flood control and irrigation projects.
Ø
Building
granaries where grain could be stored in case of famine.
Ë
The
Han Dynasty began to weaken with less capable emperors and several natural
disasters.
THE SUI
DYNASTY
Ë
In
581, Emperor Wen founded the Sui Dynasty by successfully defeating other
kingdoms and uniting China.
Ë
The
Sui were successful with many projects such as the creation of the capital of
Chang’an which was
at the time the largest city in the world with 1 million people.
Ë
The
Sui ruled with cruelty and forced many people to work on projects with harsh
working conditions which led to many deaths.
Ë
Their
greatest accomplishment was the completion of the Grand Canal.
Ë THE GRAND
CANAL
Ø The Canal was
used for transportation of crops and other goods.
Ø Emperor Wen
decided to link a number of small existing canals into one large one that ran
from the Huang He river to the Yangtze river and then to the city of Hangzhou.
Ø This canal
allowed for the crops grown in the southern farmlands to be used to feed the
people in the north.
POWERPOINT:
Check out this powerpoint about the Great Wall of China!!
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BxIkQvEHk4XzR3ZfdVpIUzVfS28/edit
BIG QUESTIONS:
WHAT WERE THE MAIN IDEAS ABOUT THE QIN AND SUI DYNASTIES OF ANCIENT CHINA?
ANSWER:
- Taxes collected to build public works projects during the Qin Dynasty.
- Shi Huangdi was the emperor who created taxes.
- The Han Empire kept the central government which allowed for road and canal projects, and flood-control and irrigation projects.
- The Sui built the Grand Canal which led to food being redistributed to those who grew in the south to those who couldn't grow in the north.
- Parts of the Great Wall were built during these empires.
WHY WAS CHINA A CIVILIZATION?
ANSWER:
- They celebrate their arts and culture. For example: Shi Huangdi died in 210 BC and a whole army of terra cotta warriors were buried with him.
- They had many organized religions such as Confucianism, Laoism, and Daoism.
- They had organized commerce in that the people paid taxes and the government built publics works projects like roads and bridges.
- They had central government. For example: the Sui dynasty divided the country in to 36 districts and redistributed the nobles' land and every peasant family was given enough land to make a living and pay taxes.
HOW CAN CENTRAL GOVERNMENT ADVANCE A CIVILIZATION?
ANSWER:
- Shi Huangdi redistributed the land that was previously run by nobles and he gave everyone enough land to make a living and pay taxes.
- Taxes collected by the government along with free peasant labour allowed the Qin Dynasty to provide public works projects like roads, bridges, and an army.
- Trade within the Qin Dynasty became easier due to standardization of money, weights, measures, and writing system.
- The Han empire kept the central government which strengthened Chinese society by allowing the building of roads and canals, as well as more flood-control and irrigation projects.
- The Han also built granaries to store food in case there is a famine.
- The Sui Dynasty united China after the Han’s fell.
- The Sui created the capital city of Chang’an with a population of 1 million.
- The Sui built the Grand Canal which helped link communities and trade.
- The Grand Canal allowed for food to be grown in the south and transported and sold to those in the north.
_________________________________________________________________________________
STUDENT ACTIVITY
-Students are to create a 5-6 sentence summary of what they have learned about the Chinese Empire.
- -Students are to get a peer to edit their summary and then record it on the blog comments section.
- -Students are to get a peer to edit their summary and then record it on the blog comments section.
- REFERENCES:
Cranny, Michael. (2012). Pathways - Civilizations Through Time. Pearson. Toronto.