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Course: AP®︎ World History > Unit 2
Lesson 5: Ancient and Imperial ChinaLesson summary: Ancient and Imperial China
Key terms
Term | Definition |
---|---|
dynasty | a series of rulers from a single family who succeed one another |
Zhou Dynasty | a long-lived Chinese dynasty. Its government was decentralized, as it was made up of a series of feudal kingdoms that pledged allegiance to the Zhou Dynasty but held their own power |
The Warring States Period | the period after the fall of the Zhou dynasty, during which China was divided into seven powerful, competing nations |
Qin Dynasty | a short-lived dynasty, which is often credited as the first unified and centralized Chinese state |
Han Dynasty | a long-lived dynasty, which expanded territory, further centralized governmental authority, and created a bureaucratic system that outlasted the dynasty for nearly two millennia |
Mandate of Heaven | the idea that a ruler has received a divine blessing and has been approved by the gods to rule; Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty, was the first ruler to claim the Mandate of Heaven. |
Confucianism | philosophy of moral uprightness, social order, and family responsibility |
Daoism | philosophy of universal harmony that urged people not to get too involved in worldly affairs |
Legalism | political theory of autocratic, centralized rule that emphasized strict penalties |
Key dates
Date | Event |
---|---|
c. 1046—c. 256 BCE | Zhou (Chou) Dynasty |
c. 475 BCE—c. 221 BCE | Warring States Period |
c. 221 BCE—c. 206 BCE | Qin (Ch'in) Dynasty |
206 BCE—220 CE | Han Dynasty |
Key themes
State building: Different forms of governance have been constructed and maintained over time. Imperial China's government went from feudal and decentralized during the Zhou Dynasty to highly centralized under the Han Dynasty. The Qin dynasty contributed significantly to the creation of a centralized imperial state.
Culture: Religions, belief systems, philosophies, and ideologies affected political, economic, and social developments over time. Confucianism’s core beliefs outlined proper rituals and social relationships for all people
in China. For example, Confucianism encouraged filial piety, which structured family relationships. The Daoist core belief of balance between humans and nature encouraged political inaction. Legalism's emphasis on order and strict penalties helped shape Qin imperial power.
Review questions
- How did government in China change after the Warring States Period?
- How did philosophies and beliefs like Confucianism, Daoism, and Legalism affect government and social hierarchy?
- What are other early civilizations and early empires that formed dynasties as a form of ruler succession?
Want to join the conversation?
- can you please explain the mandate to heaven?(1 vote)
- A mandate of Heaven is a ruler who has been approved by gods to rule. Basically Divine ruler.(3 votes)
- Do people ever have any say on what goes on inside the government? If not, why wouldn't they try to challenge against the government?(1 vote)
- That's how some Chinese dynasties were formed, through uprisings.(4 votes)