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#204 The World of the Han

9/28/2018

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Picture
Debrief from yesterday’s debate: “Looking back from the twenty-first century, did Qin Shihuangdi help make China great again?”

Points in favor
  • Emperor (43)
  • Centralized rule through xian and jun (43)
  • Bureaucratic legacy(44)
  • Greatest possible mobilization of resources (44)
  • Uniformity of laws (44)
  • Universal application of punishment (44)
  • Built Great Wall (46)
  • Built roads and other public works (46)
  • Defeated the Xiongnu (46)

Points against
  • Destroyed the great houses (44)
  • Burden of imperial travel (44)
  • Superstitious, sometimes at great cost, e.g. search for great Zhou bronze vessel (45)
  • Many people died in construction of Great Wall (46)
  • Xiongnu defeat very costly and only temporary (46)
  • Did not tolerate dissent from loyal ministers (47)
  • Burned books (and scholars!) (48)
  • Did not last (50)​

World of the Han: Context:
  • Last night’s reading was a flurry of information. Our task today is to try to make some sense of it with the purposes of (a) building on previous themes and discussions, (b) emphasizing and explaining the important aspects of the reading, (c) engaging in at least some discussion that rises above the level of fact collection.
  • First, the basics:
    • The Han dynasty (Han chao 漢朝, 206 BCE–220 CE) succeeded the short-lived Qin dynasty (Qin chao 秦朝, 221–206 BCE) and was, in turn, succeeded by the Three Kingdoms period (Sanguo shidai 三國時代, 220–280 CE).
    • While the Qin (“Ch’in”) may be the source of the English term “China” and similar variations in other European languages, it is certain that Han is the inspiration for the Chinese terms for the dominant Han nationality (Hanzu 漢族, according to the Chinese government the group comprises 92 percent of the population) and the most common term in Chinese for the Chinese language (Hanyu 漢語).
    • The Han dynasty is considered among the most successful in the nation’s history.
    • Han emperors ruled over much of the land that comprises the People’s Republic of China today, and some land that is today part of Korea, Vietnam, and—depending on how one defines “rules”—several Central Asian republics.
    • The Han dynasty saw the emergence of several significant and longstanding trends in Chinese history, including state Confucianism, an aspirationally meritocratic bureaucracy, tensions with northern “barbarians,” and tales of overbearing empress dowagers.

Discussion:
  • Roles:
    • In today’s discussion, you will be assigned two roles:
      • one will refer to the content that you will specialize in, and
      • the other will mark your role in supporting the facilitation of our conversation around the table.
  • Content groups:
    • A. Han Confucianism: the invention of the civil service examination and the creation of a state ideology.
    • B. Domestic reforms: centralization and monopolies.
    • C. Foreign policy: northern threats and borderland conquests.
  • Discussion roles:
    • Facilitator: Moderates team discussion and keeps the group on task.
    • Recorder: Focuses on taking excellent notes to share with classmates.
    • Timekeeper: Keeps the group aware of time constraints.
    • Devil’s Advocate: Raises counter-arguments and (constructive) objections, introduces alternative explanations and solutions.
    • Harmonizer: Strives to create a harmonious and positive team atmosphere and reach consensus (while allowing a full expression of ideas).
    • Prioritizer: Makes sure group focuses on most important issues and does not get caught up in details.
    • Explorer: Helps press the group to consider new perspectives or areas of inquiry.
    • Checker: Checks to make sure all group members understand the concepts and the group’s conclusions.
    • Researcher: Leads the search for evidence needed during the discussion.

Summarizing in Digital Notebook
  • Spend about 15 minutes to review your notes and write a summary for the last week or so.
  • “Questions & development of course themes (red font). These notes should take no more than fifteen minutes, once every week. You should review the other notes you have taken and write questions or themes that stand out from your review.”​
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    Course Info
    In-Class
    Assignments

    Unit Overviews

    • ​I. Finding a Path
    • ​II. Making China Great Again
    • ​III. "The Empire, Long Divided, Must Unite . . ."
    • IV. China's Golden Age
    • Course Project
    • V. The Death of Woman Wang

    Timelines

    Axial Age
    (600-200 BCE
    )
    ​Early Empires
    ​(200 BCE-200 CE)

    Archives

    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018

    Categories

    All
    Archaeology
    Axial Age
    Confucianism
    Confucius
    Daoism
    Death Of Woman Wang
    Han Dynasty
    Legalism
    Literature
    Mengzi
    Mozi
    Qin Dynasty
    Sima Qian
    Song Dynasty
    Tang Dynasty
    Three Kingdoms
    Wang Mang
    Xunzi

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  • Courses
    • Archived Courses >
      • Chinese History >
        • Ancient/Early Modern: Living China's History >
          • Living China's History (fall 2017) >
            • Course Information
            • Course Project
            • In-Class
            • Assignments
          • Living China's History (fall 2018) >
            • In-Class >
              • The Death of Woman Wang
            • Assignments
        • Modern: China's Fall and Rise >
          • China's Rise and Fall (spring 2019) >
            • Course Info
            • In Class
            • Assignments + Units
          • China's Fall and Rise (spring 2018) >
            • Course Information
            • In-Class
            • Assignments
        • Contemporary: Thinking about a Changing China >
          • Thinking about a Changing China (spring 2017) >
            • Course Information
            • In Class
            • Assignments
      • Global Thinking (grade 9 seminar) >
        • HS150 Course Information
        • HS150 In-Class
        • HS150 Assignments
      • Japanese History >
        • Japan's Empire and its Legacies (fall 2016) >
          • Course Information
          • Daily Review
          • Schedule >
            • JE Unit 1
            • JE Unit 2
            • JE Unit 3
            • JE Unit 4
            • JE Unit 5
            • JE Unit 6
          • Research >
            • Issues of History
            • Research Schedule >
              • Checkpoint #2: Annotated Bibliography
              • Checkpoint #3: Outline
              • Checkpoint #4: Supplemental Pages
      • U.S. History >
        • Humanities History (2017-18) >
          • Course Information
          • In-Class
          • Assignments
        • Humanities History (2016-17) >
          • Course Information
          • In Class
          • Assignments >
            • U1: The American Revolution & the Constitution
            • U2: Defining the Nation
            • U3: 19th Century Social & Cultural Transformations >
              • Cemetery Project
            • U4: A House Divided
            • U5: Industry & Empire
            • U6: Progressive Promise & Disillusion
            • U7: Global Conflicts
            • U8: Civil Rights & Human Rights
      • More Course Descriptions
  • Skills
    • Reading >
      • Active Reading
      • Advanced Reading Strategies (Upper Mids and Seniors)
      • Outlining for Reading
      • Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Sources
      • Analyzing Primary Sources with SOAPSTone
      • Analyzing Visual Primary Sources
      • Selecting & Evaluating Secondary Sources
    • Thinking >
      • What is History?
      • Historical Thinking Chart (PDF)
      • Breaking Down History with the SPICE Factors
    • Discussing >
      • Engaging in Class Discussion
      • Evaluating Discussion
    • Researching >
      • Identifying Research Topics & Questions
      • Note Cards
    • Writing >
      • Zero Draft
      • Thesis Statements
      • Forming Counterarguments
      • Formatting Chicago-Style Papers
      • Ford Library Guide to Chicago-style Citations (PDF)
    • Tech Tips
  • Reference
    • Chinese History Tools
    • Further Reading in Asian Studies >
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      • News
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    • Current Events around the World
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