Internal Decay of the Han Dynasty
- The Han dynasty had many different internal problems which caused their downfall.
- Some of the problems dealt with the development of faction within the ruling elite, the marriages between the imperial and aristocratic families.
- The marriages between the imperial and the aristocratics led to many trying to move up in the government and exclude others from their positions in the govenment.
- Due to these problems it caused the elite to do a lot of fighting withhin the govenment and this in turn diminished the effectiveness of the government.
- There was not only issues that dealt with the government but also the land and its distribution.
- At one point Wang Mang tried to redistribute land but it failed to work.
- The landowners in the last two centuries had a influence on the government they lowered their taxes and put more on the peasants and they also created an army for their own benefit because they could advance in class.
Peasent Rebellion
- Due to the downfall the peasants were under a lot of economic pressure.
- The Yellow Turban rebellion was a uprising of the peasants. They wore yellow headbands which represented the Chinese earth.
- After five years the government suppressed the fighting.
Collapse of the Han Dynasty
- The Han generals started to take a rise in the poltical world.
- They started to rule the regions of the Han dynasty that were controlled by their armies in 190 C.E.
- They became known as warlords because they made a partnership with the wealthy land owners.
- By 220 C.E the Han dynasty was gone and split into three kingdoms.
- The people of the Han dynasty went to China once the dynasty came to an end.
Cultural Change in Post-Han China
- Many things went on after the decline of the Han dynasty.
- Kingdoms constantly overturned each other to the point were they had a temporary successor.
- Due to the wars and the invasions going on led to a population decline in northern China.
- The area around Chang'an and Luoyang suffered from devastation because of the armies that came in search of food.
Sinicization of Nomadic Peoples
- Many things were happening in regards to the chaos going on such as the Nomadic people adapting to the Chinese lifestyle.
- They took on Chinese ways such as agriculture. The nomadic people also married the Chinese and took their names as well.
- The nomadic people became sinicized and as time went on the differences between the Chinese and nomadic people became less apparent.
- Confucicianism became irrelevant once the Han dynasty fell. At one time Confucianism was used by the people during the chaos as a sense of stability.
- Daoism was another was another way the people found peace during the chaos. It was originally was a school that then turned into religion.
Popularity of Buddhism
- Buddhsim was a religion based on four religious truth. Buddhism was mainly the religion of foreign merchants and the native Chinese had little interest in Buddhism.
- The nomadic people supported Buddhism once the Han dynasty fell.
- Between the fourth and sixth centuries C.E Buddhism became well known in China.
- Buddhism became a cultural foundation for reconditioning of a unified political order.
Questions?
How did the peasants and military officials contribute to the fall of the Han Dynasty?
The peasants of the Han Dynasty formed a rebellion against economic pressures and poor government representation. Their largest uprising was known as the Yellow Turban rebellion. The name originated from yellow headbands the peasants wore to symbolize the Chinese earth and their humble origin. The military leaders on the other hand, took a different approach. They stopped following the edict of the emperor and instead controlled their own regions and became warlords. Eventually, the generals successfully divided the dynasty into three large kingdoms.
How did the decline of the Han society ultimately help bring China together?
Nomadic peoples began to integrate themselves into Chinese society. Nomads set up permanent settlements, married Chinese people and took Chinese names. They even adopted other Chinese customs like their food and dress. Also, after the collapse of the Han dynasty Confucianism lost its foothold in the society and Buddhism and Daoism took hold. Buddhism and Daoism were able to unite people due to gathering in temples to worship together and consulting each other on the inner workings of the religion.
The peasants of the Han Dynasty formed a rebellion against economic pressures and poor government representation. Their largest uprising was known as the Yellow Turban rebellion. The name originated from yellow headbands the peasants wore to symbolize the Chinese earth and their humble origin. The military leaders on the other hand, took a different approach. They stopped following the edict of the emperor and instead controlled their own regions and became warlords. Eventually, the generals successfully divided the dynasty into three large kingdoms.
How did the decline of the Han society ultimately help bring China together?
Nomadic peoples began to integrate themselves into Chinese society. Nomads set up permanent settlements, married Chinese people and took Chinese names. They even adopted other Chinese customs like their food and dress. Also, after the collapse of the Han dynasty Confucianism lost its foothold in the society and Buddhism and Daoism took hold. Buddhism and Daoism were able to unite people due to gathering in temples to worship together and consulting each other on the inner workings of the religion.