Compare And Contrast The Three Classical Dynasties

Classical China was primarily ruled by three dynasties, all of whom had different ideologies and practices, however each dynasty followed a similar cyclical pattern. The Zhou, the first of the three classical dynasties, did not “establish a powerful government,” rather they divided China into regions ruled by their family members or noble supporters, who were subordinate to the emperor. As a result of their split empire, the Zhou emperors relied heavily on the regional lords for militant troops, taxes and control over the empire. In 258 B.C.E., the weak government of the Zhou collapsed under the pressure of the frequent invasions from nomadic tribes and internal struggles caused by revolting regional princes who were fighting for power. During the duration of the Zhou’s …show more content…
Despite the political and economical improvements, however, the Chinese people disliked the Qin’s legalistic government and led “massive revolts organized by aggrieved peasants,” which led to the end of the Qin dynasty, and a brief period of political unrest, similar to the one which followed the fall of the Zhou empire. After the Qin fell, the Han rose to power and, once again, restored order and stability. Under the Han dynasty, the Chinese were no longer a subject to the harsh rule of legalistic emperors, since the Han ruled with a Confucian view point, emphasizing behavioral mandates. Standardized weights, measurers and coinage remained, as well as the uniform language and laws, and, under Han rule, bureaucrats could be “drawn from… lower ranks of society” which worked to diminish the separations between the lower and upper classes and promote education because in order to become a bureaucrat one had to pass civil service