HISTORY DOCUMENTARY: GREAT WALL OF CHINA & CHINESE EMPIRES: Qin, Han, Xin...

• published: 26 Apr 2015
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advexontube.com https://www.facebook.com/advexon The Qin empire was founded at end of a war between a few powers that had lasted for more than two centuries. And it was the result of a development that created a highly centralized bureaucratic state out of a loose feudal system. While the rule of the two Qin emperors endured not even two decades, it marks nonetheless the beginning of a more than two thousand years long history of a centralized state with an emperor being the head of thousands of officers in a state with a likewise uniform culture. Literature, thought, religion and philosophy Apart from his great achievements that were actually the base for the foundation also of the Han empire, the First Emperor was blamed to have burned the books (fen “burning” might be a writing error for the character jin “prohibiting”) and buried alive the (Confucian) scholars. The only books that were not forbidden, are writings about medicine, herbs, divining and agriculture. Inspite of later slanderings by Han time scholars which made him not only a murderer but also a bastard of a merchant, arts and thinking were still going on under the First Emperor and prepared the great flourishing of literature and philosophy under the Han Dynasty. Although the practical polity of the Qin rulers was legist and thus severe, bureaucratic and austere, the inscriptions in the steles the First Emperor had erected, also show that Confucian thinking like filial piety, humanity and righteousness of the ruler was still going on. The emperor himself was very interested in Daoist practices to prolong his life or to gain immortality. He sent out an expedition to search for the islands of immortality called Penglai. Generations of scholars tried to find out what country was meant with “Penglai” , some say, Japan, some even argue Penglai was America. After the proclamation as the First Emperor, he changed the official colors to black according to the theory of the Five Elements and their cosmic influence. Metors, flood and drought was a heavenly hint to him as well as it has been to the former Zhou kings. A comprehensive anthology of philosophical thinking around 250 BC is the “Spring and Autumn collection of Master Lü” Lüshi Chunqiu, compiled by the chancellor Lü Buwei. Like the Zhou Dynasty, the Qin Dynasty’s homelands were in the far west, between nomadic tribes, giving it probably more warfare energy than the people of the states in the Yellow River basin. One king of Qin is said to have died from an injury sustained during a contest in lifting a bronze vessel. Hundred Schools of Thought In the turbulent Spring and Autumn Period (770-476BC) and Warring States Period (475-221BC), many schools of thought were flourishing. The four most influential schools of thought that evolved during this period were Confucianism, Taoism, Mohism, and Legalism. There were also other schools like Yin & Yang, Eclectics, Logicians, Coalition persuaders and Militarism. The hundred schools of thought showed the fierce political and class struggles for survival among regional wars between the rising landed class and slaveholder class. The flouring thoughts intensified activities and debates in the intellectual and ideology system in ancient China and exerted great influence on Chinese culture. Confucianism Confucius was the founder of Confucianism. He advocated a set of moral code on basis of five merits: benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom and trustworthiness. Among them, benevolence was considered as the cornerstone, which stands for faithfulness, filial piety, tolerance and kindness. He also requested people to keep in good harmony with each other and establish a community ruled by standard manners and behavior. Mencius (372-289BC) was a Confucian in the Warring States Period (475-221BC). He repeatedly tried to convince rulers that the ruler should cultivate moral perfection in order to set a good example to the people and the ruler who governed benevolently would earn the respect of the people. He held the view that human nature was fundamentally good as everyone is born with the ability to recognize what is right and act upon it. He also believed that people were more important than rulers. Thank You! God Bless!!! #WorldTravel #Travel #TravelChannel #Europe #Asia #America #Australia #Russia #Ukraine #Isis #Topdestinations #Sightseeing #Food #Food&Travel; #Tour #Cruise #Adventure #Googlemap #traveleurope #travelasia #China #Korea #southkorea #northkorea #Discovery #Discoverychannel