📜 HAN CHINA: CIVIL SERVICE RISE
PAGE 1 OF 5, AFTER THE QIN
206 BCE: A NEW DYNASTY
FROM REBELLION TO RESTORATION
When the short-lived Qin dynasty collapsed in 206 BCE, China had already tasted unity but hated Qin cruelty. Peasant rebel leader Liu Bang defeated rival generals and founded the Han dynasty, taking the title Emperor Gaozu. The Han kept Qin achievements like unified roads, commanderies, and standard weights, but eased some punishments. Liu Bang famously said an empire could be won on horseback but not ruled from a saddle. His successors knew they needed trained administrators, not just soldiers. This shift opened the door for scholars to enter government. Topic 10 showed how Qin Legalism unified China by force. The Han would try to govern through learning and moral example as well.
🔄 206 BCE
The Han dynasty began in 206 BCE after Qin fell. It lasted over four centuries in two main periods, Western and Eastern Han, shaping Chinese identity.
HAN!
QIN LEGACY
- Qin unification in 221 BCE ended the Warring States but used fear and forced labour.
- Revolts exploded after Qin Shi Huang died in 210 BCE.
- Han rulers wanted unity without the same level of terror.
GAOZU
- Liu Bang rose from a common background, unusual for an emperor.
- He kept Qin-style commanderies run by appointed officials.
- Early Han emperors still relied heavily on noble and military allies.