Chinese Dynasty Research Paper

POLITICAL STRUCTURE OF ANCIENT CHINA

WORLD CIVILISATIONS

Ancient China was governed by “dynasties” or by ascribed status which was when a person is born into a social status. A dynasty is a system of government whereby political power is passed down from family to family. There were four prominent dynasties in Ancient China and they were the Xia, Shang, Zhou, Qin and Han dynasties. It was traditional to identify the supreme authority of the ruler with a higher power in ancient China. It is known as the “mandate of heaven”. The Xia Dynasty (c.2070-1600 BCE) was the first government in ancient china and the also the first dynasty. The first emperor of the Xia dynasty Zhuanxu also known as Yao initiated the policy of dynastic

Talent became more important. The main intellectual focus shifted towards practical political and social concerns while philosophical speculations remained secondary. The Qin Dynasty (c.221-207 BCE) was brief and cruel but important in the Chinese history. The boy king Ying Zheng and his minister completed the Qin conquests and created Qin empire. He proclaimed himself Qin Shi Huangdi (first sovereign emperor of Qin). The Qin also entrenched the first Chinese empire and also derived the name china from it, setting the approximate boundaries and basic administrative system. And like the Zhou dynasty, china became involved in a continuous conflict involving the various regions for control of the country which was known as the “warring states period”. Qin was lacking in skilled politicians and intellectuals and had to look past its borders for talented people, Shang Yang was one of them and it was he who implemented legalism. Legalism is based on the belief that humans are evil by nature and can only be brought to follow the right path by stiff laws and harsh punishments, advocated by a strong ruler and a rigid set of laws. The form of government consisted of a collective program that made everyone

It helped to create a strong army, a submissive government, an obedient populace and the unquestioned authority of a central government. Although Confucianism was preferred in the later dynasties, legalism became the standard for the Chinese government and is maintained in some form today. The Han Dynasty (206BCE-220 CE) was the longest lasting of China’s major dynasties and lasted a span of over four centuries and was considered a golden age in Chinese history especially in arts, politics and technology. The Han almost rivalled its contemporary roman empire in the west. Emperor Gaozu’s original name was Liu Bang. He had been a minor official during the Qin dynasty, raised an army and claimed the vacant throne. He was the first Chinese emperor who was originally a commoner. Confucianism taught that government should not only be available to those of noble birth but should also be open to men of intellectual prowess. It opened the door to civil service which were exams used in later dynasties to find qualified