Han Dynasty Research Paper
China was unified in 221 B.C.E. for the first time in many centuries after decades of constant warfare (also called the “Warring States Period”) for the first time in centuries under the leadership of Qin (McKay, 178). The king of Qin did not feel that the title of king was grand enough and created the title “Emperor” (huangdi) and he called himself the First Emperor (Shihuangdi) in hopes of many successors (McKay, 178-179). The Qin state soon fell apart and led to the beginning of the Han Dynasty, which managed to take power and keep China unified until 220 C.E. The unification of China affected many parts of politics, culture, and social life during the Qin and Han Dynasties.
After the Qin Dynasty managed to unite all of China, the First …show more content…
and the Han Dynasty began. Gaozu removed many of its most unpopular features, which resulted in Reduced taxes, cancelled laws, and a noninterference policy to help with China’s much needed economic recovery. In 141 B.C.E., Emperor Wu ascended to power; at the time, “the Han government was largely supported by the taxes and forced labor demanded if farmers, but this revenue regularly fell short of the government’s needs” (McKay, 181). In order to supplement the income of the government, Wu took charge of the situation by a number of means including the confiscation of noble’s lands, increased taxes on private businesses, and he also sold offices and titles. Soon the government even went so far as to go into business competing with private business, often selling what was paid to the government in taxes.
The Han Dynasty contrasted from the Qin Dynasty in that it embraced Confucianism and was even proclaimed “to be [the] state ideology and … all future officers of the Han [were required to] be trained in Confucian teachings” (Eno, 5). The Qin Dynasty had distrusted Confucianism and the work of other earlier scholars, which resulted in a massive book burning; however, many dedicated scholars had hidden and/or memorized whole works. Ancient books recovered this way were called the Confucian classics and “were revered as repositories of the wisdom of the past” (McKay,
After the Qin Dynasty managed to unite all of China, the First …show more content…
and the Han Dynasty began. Gaozu removed many of its most unpopular features, which resulted in Reduced taxes, cancelled laws, and a noninterference policy to help with China’s much needed economic recovery. In 141 B.C.E., Emperor Wu ascended to power; at the time, “the Han government was largely supported by the taxes and forced labor demanded if farmers, but this revenue regularly fell short of the government’s needs” (McKay, 181). In order to supplement the income of the government, Wu took charge of the situation by a number of means including the confiscation of noble’s lands, increased taxes on private businesses, and he also sold offices and titles. Soon the government even went so far as to go into business competing with private business, often selling what was paid to the government in taxes.
The Han Dynasty contrasted from the Qin Dynasty in that it embraced Confucianism and was even proclaimed “to be [the] state ideology and … all future officers of the Han [were required to] be trained in Confucian teachings” (Eno, 5). The Qin Dynasty had distrusted Confucianism and the work of other earlier scholars, which resulted in a massive book burning; however, many dedicated scholars had hidden and/or memorized whole works. Ancient books recovered this way were called the Confucian classics and “were revered as repositories of the wisdom of the past” (McKay,