Government in China was based upon the dynastic cycle:

One ruling family (a “dynasty”) gains the “mandate of heaven” then rules until the dynasty grows weak and is over thrown

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• Established by Liu Bang

• During the Han Dynasty, China became a “classical civilization” marked by its advanced gov’t, trade, & technology

• Chinese emperors added thousands of gov’t workers (called bureaucrats) to collect taxes, enforce laws, & oversee building projects

Han kings built a powerful army & expanded into Asia to form China’s first empire

• In order to gain one of the 130,000 gov’t jobs, citizens had to pass a civil service exam

Exams were based on Confucian teachings

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The desire for Chinese luxury goods led to the Silk Road which connected China with Indian, Persian, & Mediterranean societies

Chinese technologies became advanced, especially silk & paper making. Paper made books cheaper & increased literacy in China

Word Box:

Buddhism

Liu Bang

The Spice Route

Wang Mang

The Silk Road

Confucianism