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The Han Dynasty. The Qin dynasty came to a close shortly after Qin Shihuandgi death, he was the first emperor of China. With his death came a golden age to China, a long period of stability and wealth with the Han dynasty.
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The Han Dynasty The Qin dynasty came to a close shortly after Qin Shihuandgi death, he was the first emperor of China. With his death came a golden age to China, a long period of stability and wealth with the Han dynasty. The Han Dynasty incorporated Confucian ideals of moral behavior into the Chinese government. Emperor Wu Han Wudi founder of the Han Dynasty
Warfare • The Han excelled in warfare and their military methods helped them expand the dynasty. • The Han army was large with historians estimating that the army ranged from 130,000 to 300,000 men. • The Han were the first people to make Iron swords and they also introduced the crossbow.
Government • The Han emperors adopted the centralized government of the Qin dynasty, but brought Confucian ideas back to government. • The government of China during the Han dynasty was a bureaucracy. • The highest level Han officials lived in the capital and gave advice to the emperor, while the lower level officials lived throughout the empire.
Government • The Han dynasty was the first dynasty to employ civil servants not on bloodline, but ability. • Once hired they were not allowed to be a civil servant in their home district to avoid corruption.
Agriculture • The Han dynasty made important advances in agriculture that improved their lives • In china droughts and flooding were challenges for farmers. • One invention that helped farmers was a chain pump. The chain pump made it easier to move water from low irrigation ditches and canals up to the fields.
Agriculture • The Han dynasty also learned how to pour melted iron into molds, making a stronger plow and they also invented the wheelbarrow to help carry heavy loads.
Industry • The Han dynasty controlled the two most important industries Silk and Salt. • Silk was a material made from fibers of a silkworm cocoon. The Han developed a foot powered reeling machine that threaded the silk faster, which improved production. • Salt was another important part of industry because it was used to preserve food and for a seasoning.
Industry • Salt water or brine exists deep within the earth’s surface and the Han developed a bamboo pole that helped the salt water enter the pole, which produced more salt.
Art • During the Han Dynasty, a key advance was made in art with the invention of paper. • Before paper the Chinese used bones, silk, and bamboo. • A variety of materials were used to make paper. They included silk fibers, hemp, bamboo, straw, and seaweed. They were boiled into a soupy pulp and dried on a screen.
Medicine • The Han Dynasty believed that illness occurred when the yin and the Yang were out of balance. • One technique developed by Chinese healers was acupuncture. • Acupuncture is believed to be useful for curing illnesses like headaches.
Medicine • A second healing method was moxibustion, in this method a moxa, a small cone of powdered leaves or sticks is placed near or on the skin. The heat is believed to reduce pain and promote healing. • The Han also discovered that heartbeat as a way to judge health and that blood circulates from the heart throughout your body.
Science • Chinese astronomers closely observed the heavens and recorded comets, eclipses, and the moon. • The Chinese of this period also invented two very useful instruments, the seismograph and the magnetic compass. • The invention of the seismograph led the Chinese to detect earthquakes several hundred miles away and using a loadstone would help them with direction and exploring.
