Extensive territory
Single supreme authority
Diversity of subject people
Assyrian Empire (911-612 BCE)
Combined
City-states of Mesopotamia and Phoenicia
Kingdoms of Egypt and Hebrews
Kingdom of Macedon
Phillip II (r. 359-336)
Empire
Alexander the Great (r. 336-323 BCE)
1) Growth by conquest
2) Extraction of resources (plunder and taxes)
3) Promotion of legitimacy
4) Fall
*Warring States (463-222 BCE)
*Qin Empire (221-206 BCE)
*Han Empire (202 BCE-220 CE)
External Origins Native Origins Hardware Bronze? Agriculture Iron Cities Wheel Crossbow Horse domestication Software Writing Administrative and legal systems Philosophy of government and warfare
*“Cradle of Dynasties"
*Legalism
*"Blueprint for Empire"
Ends aristocratic control of land
Centralized state
31 counties
Land registers
Law system
Autocracy
Meritocracy
Rewards and Punishments
Group responsibility
5 or 10 households
Master Han Fei (d. 233 BCE)
*Sima Qian (ca. 145-86 BCE)
Records of the Grand Historian
Abnormal psychology?
Soap opera childhood?
Prince Zheng
Hostage in Zhao
King of Qin (r. 246-221 BCE)
Mother’s intrigues
Lao Ai
Assassination attempts
Elixirs of immortality
Military Campaigns, 231-221 BCE
Title of Huangdi (Emperor) replaces Wang (King)
*First Emperor of Qin
Legalist "Blueprint for Empire"
Written script
Weights, measures, currency, & axle length
Thought
Burning of books, 213 BCE
Execution of scholars, 212 BCE
Northern Campaign
"300,000 soldiers"
Southern Campaign
"500,000 soldiers"
Defensive walls
"1 million" die
Capital at Chang'an
120,000 feudal families as hostages
New Palace
Roads
4,000 miles
Imperial tomb
"700,000 laborers"
1. What are the general characteristics of empires? How did empires differ from city states and kingdoms?
2. What "tools of empire" were available to all of the Warring States of China by around 400 BCE?
3. Why did the First Emperor of Qin succeed in conquering the other Warring States of China and creating the first Chinese empire? Consider: the roles of the Qin Kingdom's "blueprint for empire" and the psychology of the First Emperor.
1. Why did Confucius become so famous? How did Confucius believe that a gentleman should conduct himself? How did he believe a son should treat his parents?
2. What reforms did Prime Shang Yang implement to create a "blueprint for empire" in 359 BCE?
3. How did the First Emperor of Qin unify the empire after conquering the last of his rival rulers in 221 BCE?
4. How did Sima Qian portray the First Emperor in his history of China called Records of the Grand Historian? How reliable is Sima Qian's account of the First Emperor?
1. According to Han Fei: What is the value of regulations? What are the two handles?
2. Who was supposed to benefit the most from Han Fei's Legalist system?
3. Critical thinking: How did Legalist ideas differ from those of Confucius?