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| The extent of the Han Dynasty in China. Public Domain |
Like other societies at the time, Han China had a highly structured society. At the top was the supreme ruler, the emperor. Since the belief in the "Mandate of Heaven" was embedded deep within Chinese culture, most people accepted his rule. The Mandate of Heaven held that a family could rule as long as they had the favor of the gods. Once the family displeased the gods, their rule would be over.
But the emperor was not alone in ruling this large empire. China had an efficient bureaucracy, and the everyday management of the country was left to lesser kings, governors and government officials.
But the emperor was not alone in ruling this large empire. China had an efficient bureaucracy, and the everyday management of the country was left to lesser kings, governors and government officials.
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| Confucius |
Confucius taught that everyone had a duty and responsibility to others in society. His philosophy stressed loyalty and tradition. One key element of Confucianism is the idea of filial piety, the respect all must show to members of their family, both living and dead.
Confucius was so important that in order to get a job with the government, you had to take an exam to show how much you know about the teachings of Confucius!
Out of all of the cultures during the classical age, China was the most technologically advanced. During the Han Dynasty, China began adding to a wall begun during the Qin Dynasty in order to protect its northern borders. The wall was a project that continued on and off for the next 1000 years, with dynasties adding to it and enhancing it over the years. In all, the Great Wall of China today stretches for over 5,500 miles.
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| This is a section of the Great Wall today. So many people died making the wall, the bodies were buried within the wall. It is often known as the "longest graveyard." (By Georgio (Own work) CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)], via Wikimedia Commons |
In addition to the Great Wall, the Han Dynasty also added hundreds of miles to a series of canals throughout northern China, making connections to the vitally important Huang He River. These canals would be further extended by Sui Dynasty, which reunited China after the collapse of the Han. The work done by the Sui would connect all of these canal systems and create what became known as the Grand Canal--the largest canal in the world. The canal extends from Beijing in the north and travels over 1100 miles to Hangzhou, effectively connecting the Huang He and Yangtze rivers.
The Han Dynasty is known for its many important technological innovations and inventions. One of the most important is the invention of paper. In addition, the Han developed the wheelbarrow, cast iron, acupuncture and hot air balloons.
The Han Dynasty was connected through trade to other regions of the world including, for the first time, to Europe. It was the trade of silk that connected China to the rest of the world. Silk was so precious that Chinese rulers made it a crime to give away the secrets of silk making.
Silk lead to the establishment of a trade route between Han China and Rome called the "Silk Road." All sorts of goods traveled the Silk Road. But also other things moved as well. Buddhism from India was spread by merchants along the silk roads and became one of the most important religions in China.
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| The Modern Course of the Grand Canal By Ian Kiu (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons |
The Han Dynasty is known for its many important technological innovations and inventions. One of the most important is the invention of paper. In addition, the Han developed the wheelbarrow, cast iron, acupuncture and hot air balloons.
The Han Dynasty was connected through trade to other regions of the world including, for the first time, to Europe. It was the trade of silk that connected China to the rest of the world. Silk was so precious that Chinese rulers made it a crime to give away the secrets of silk making.
Silk lead to the establishment of a trade route between Han China and Rome called the "Silk Road." All sorts of goods traveled the Silk Road. But also other things moved as well. Buddhism from India was spread by merchants along the silk roads and became one of the most important religions in China.
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| The Silk Road was actually several trade routes that carried all sorts of good over land. The red lines represent the Silk Roads. The blue lines are routes in the Indian Ocean trade. |
Like what was to happen in Rome, the Han experienced some problems near the end of the empire too. They started to be attacked by nomadic invaders from the north. In addition, economic troubles plagued the empire. By 220 CE, the Han Dynasty was in deep decline and would soon be replaced by another empire.
Important Points to Remember:
Important Points to Remember:
- The Han Dynasty expanded China's border's through trade, diplomacy and military power
- Chinese society was organized under the ideas of Confucius, the most famous Chinese philosopher
- Silk was the most important item traded from China
- Han China was known for its many inventions and innovations, most notably the development of paper