Unit 1: Age of Exploration

Classical China (1200bce-250bce) This is from hw reading

- The Zhou fell

- Ruled through alliances not real power gave land for military support

- Increased settlement in Yangtze River Valley

- Used Mandate of Heaven (the divine right to rule)

- After decline is the period of warring states

- Confucius’s life time

- Next is Qin Dynasty

- Shi Huangdi centralized gov

- started Great Wall

- standardized money language etc.

- Next Han Dynasty

- The major ethnic group in China is the Han

           -peaceful

- Gov in Qin and Han included emperors over regional leaders over local leaders; gov played a role in both culture and economy

- Gov taxed people and required some labor

-Religion

- Dao: harmony w/nature (leaded by Laozi)

- Ancestor worship

- Confucian Philosophy: bureaucracy and relationship between people important (father and the household and emperor over people)

-Arts usually decorative

9/10/09- Golden Age of China

- Sui to Tang and Song Dynasties

-Sui Dynasty created by Wendi

- United N and S by defeating Chen of the S.

- Lowered tax and created granaries

- Yangdi restored exam for bureaucracy

- forced unsuccessful wars and projects eventually executed

- Tang created by Sui supporter Li Yuan and later Tang Taizong

- reconquered other kingdoms, created army at frontiers and rebuilt Great Wall

- Reestablished civil service exam given by ministry of rites

- Buddhism becomes influential Empress Wu supported it

-But stopped due to rival philosophies denouncing it

-Empress Wei attempts to seize power but is stopped by Xuanzong, he reformed gov but spent an excess on concubine Yang Guifei = negligence of state affairs

- A revolt was crushed but regional rulers become more independent

- General Zhao Kuangyin gains control of S China creates Song Dynasty

Sorry... probably not going to be able to finish this