Cornell Notes Chapter 2 World History

Name _Shayne Wathen Date 6/613

Class/Subject AP world history Teacher Josh Henderson

Cornell Note-taking

Main Points Evidence/Details/Location

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-Confucius was a brilliant man who believed he was on a mission.

-China was weak during the Zhao dynasty’s rule, but gained strength as it changed control.

-In china a pattern arose where a dynasty would rule with great vigor and then decline.

-Each Dynasty focused on a different point of government.

-China had a unique religion and culture.

-Confucius went on a lifelong quest to become advisor to a ruler who possessed vision and skills to restore centralized control, peace, and order. Along the way he made many disciples that spread his teachings, but he never completed his mission.
-The Zhao dynasty’s ability to control its vassals broke down and the land became vulnerable to invaders. The Qin dynasty then emerged with Shi Huangdi leading and he founded a new imperial dynasty. Yet he proved to be a tyrant and has overthrown by the long lasting Han dynasty.
-The Zhao dynasty flourished around 700 B.C.E. then was beset by a decline in political infrastructure. And frequent invasions. The Qin Dynasty was short lived with a Brutal ruler Shi Huangdi. He fixed the internal disorder of china and made several innovations, but once he died peasants revolted and it gave way to the Han dynasty. The Han dynasty expanded Chinese territory and they improved the state bureaucracy. After two centuries it declined, central control weakened, and there were invasions from Central Asia.
-The Han dynasty focused on a strong bureaucracy. The Qin focused on a strong central government. Neither- really focused of military expansion.
-Chinese rulers stressed the importance of harmonious earthly life; they believe in deities but didn’t really give a nature to the deities. Confucius also came into play later preaching ideas of political virtue and good government.

-China had a very distinctive economy and society.

Legalism came in late which required restraint and discipline. Classical china also produced a more religious philosophy Daoism. Daoism embraced tradition Chinese beliefs of nature’s harmony and added a sense of nature’s mystery. Now china also had a great culture. In literature, a set of five classics provided an important tradition. They were used as a basis for civil service examinations. Chinese art was largely decorative, stressing every detail. In science practical work was encouraged and the Chinese developed an accurate calendar. Chinese mathematics also stressed practical and encouraged the exploration of the orderly process of nature.
As in many societies there was a huge gap between the higher class and the peasant farmers. Slaveholding was common in china. The Chinese peasantry depended on intensive cooperation particularly in the southern rice region. Classical china existed with three main social groups. The top class of land owning aristocracy plus the educated bureaucrats or mandarins formed the top group. Next came the laboring masses, and then finally came the mean people, the people without any meaningful skills. Trade became very important to the economy of china. Much trade focused on luxury items for the upper class, but there was also a food exchange. In family life the parents were never wrong and the father was the head of the family who could punish anyone.