BC, BCE

1
China history 1
Yellow Emperor," Huang-ti 2700 BCE?
BC, BCE
1200

• most advanced use of bronze in world
• earliest complete record of writing

Shang
1027
1000
Classic China Golden Age of Chinese Thought
Increased growth, creativity. Build canals,
irrigation. Also greater conflict. Age of
Philosophers and Classics. Intellectual outburst
parallel Greeks, Hebrew prophets, Buddha. Phil
Questions similar, answers different Chinese
people as social/political creatures social
phil society not individual. Compare to other
worldly of Mediterranean and India. Maybe from
Warring State Anarchy. Classics Look to past
increase respect for and venerate old texts
last until recent times. Confucian texts 5
choose 4 1000 yr later as embodiment of
Confucius and Mencius teach. Confucius carnage
of warring state, return to Zhou founders.Taoism
Lao Zi Yin/Yang Theory 5 Element
Theory Mencius Govt exercise in ethics .
True leader provide for well being of people
hence mandate from heaven. Legalist (Hsun Tzu)
men not good by nature like Hobbes state of
nature social contract First totalitarians.
West
800
770
Overrun by barb. From west, move east
Zhou (Chou)
Spring/ Autumn 722-481

East
600
Confucius Lao zi Mencius Xunzi
450
400
Warring States 403-221
Shih-Huang Ti lead Qin victory. (Terracotta
warriors) unite people, massive public works
projects Great Wall, Canals) Legalist govt
sourer people on law. Set up weights,
measures Rid (burn) old books. Start iron age,
used in making weapons.
Qin (Chin)
Shih-Huang Ti
200 BCE
0
Han
Language Characters Radicals
220
200 ACE
AD, ACE
2

• First Golden Age of China
• contemporaries of Romans. Still threat from
  family of empress, pastoral people Grew to
  present size of China.
• Previous philosophies survive piecemeal (YY/
  5E) Taoism get primitive. Confucianism survive
  with some changes.
• Set up 1st Cent. BC Confucian schools for civil
  admin model last forever. Legalist, in attempt
  to destroy Confucianism, set up state where it
  flourished.
• Trade increased Silk road used. start of paper,
  porcelains, glazes
• Both Roman and Han complex technological
  societies. No adjust to increase population,
  wealth, institution.
• Roman and Chinese Empires Parallels both
  overrun by barbarians- swept by new religions.
  
• Roman empire die while Chinese succeed. Why
• - southern dynasties less influenced by Northern
  barbarians which had stronger influence on North
  than Greek Byzantine culture
• Han ideals superior. Just and Ethical rule by
  emperor with mandate from heaven and support
  people with bureaucracy with educated people
  chosen by merit
• Written language give China greater culture
  continuity than Latin or Greek
• Size of China lead to absorption of Barbarians

• Two factors lead to fall
• shift population N (Yellow) to S (Yangzi)
• barbarian invasion from N
• collapse, 350 yr chaos/disunity

3
China history 2
2 Major social changes 1st barbarians into
North and assimilate, while Han move south Import
of Buddhism (64 AD) one of greatest import of
ideas and challenges til 19th century. Passed
from rich to poor not v/v as Christianity.
Compete and ultimately compromised with
Confuciansim. Spread from China
200
Six Dynasties (3 Kingdoms,Dynasties N S,Sui
which help reunify)
400
620
600

• 2nd Golden Age of China
• Xian (Changan) capital, 2 M people, Silk Road
  - strongest, richest country in world. 1/4
  (90M) of world. - Efficient central govt.,
  religious tolerance, tech. lead. - Paper money
  Great age of poetry (Li Bo, Du Fu), art,
  sculpting Advances in astronomy
• Start of 1000 yr of China as most advance,
  strongest, richest country in world
• start of true civil service meritocracy one of
  greatest achievements in Chinese History.
  Intellectually unify country. Confucian ideology
  entrenched. Education valued Poor could advance
  
• Absorbed and modified Buddhism. Culture
  tolerant. Secular art

Empress Wu (only female)
Tang
Emperor Xuanzong, Yang Guifei ,An
Lushan Rebellion
800
900
Ten Kingdoms/ 5 Dynasties
960

• Great advances in agriculture (sufficient food)
  techniques still in use today
• gunpowder, weapons, printing textiile, painting
  modern
• golden age formal prose. Caligraphy high art.
• printing press Large number printed books
• Commercial revolution within organized
  bureacracy no great effect as in feudal Europe.
  Govt of scholar officials through exams
• city dweller dominate status women decrease
• Neoconfucian Zhu Xi (Chu His) and after
  become orthodoxy. Social structure becomes
  static surplus human labor
• Turn inward. Tired of foreign invasion.

Northern
1000
Song (Sung)
Chin
Southern
Mongols
Zhu Xi
1279
1200

• G. Khan, and grandson, Khubilia Khan conquer
  Beijing capital City of Khan, within which
  Forbidden City Mongol empire, linking E and W,
  promote trade and travel.
• Rid of exams scholar-official class excluded
• Maintained order by foster conservative
  neoconfucianism but use foreigners for
  positions.
• Great travel through Mongol empire. Marco Polo
  visit Christians come Arab influence great.

Khubilia Khan
Yuan
1368
Chinese Millenium
4
1368

• Greatest era of orderly government, social
  stability in history strong, central govt, sea
  explorations porcelains widely recognized
  (blue/white pieces) Eventually overthrown by
  Manchu, yet structure maintained even then.
• fortify Great Wall, Build Forbidden City,
  Capital in Beijing
• This at time when 30 yr War(1618-48) wreck
  Europe. And Europe go through Renaissance,
  Reformation, Growth National states, expansion
  into new world, rise modern science, industrial
  revolution, rise of capitalism.
• Why look to past for ideals look in since many
  foreign invasions and alien rule. Growing
  ethnocentrism
• 17 Ming Emperors. Mostly autocratic. Use of
  Grand secretaries (like cabinet) Eunuchs got
  power.
• want to return to pre-Mongol rule so built up
  exam system. Anyone rise to top 300 private
  academies. 1407 encyclopedia with 11000 volumes
• 200 yr peace increased economic growth,
  population, etc.
• Wang Yang-Ming influential philosopher.
  Meditation and intuitive knowledge, and not
  investigation of things as Zhu Xi.
• Foreign relations anticommericallism. China
  oldest, parent. Source of knowledge hence not
  aggressive, imperialistic, even though sailed
  100s yrs before Europe. Gave up seafaring E
  coast left to non Chinese from which emerge
  imperialism.

1400
Zheng He Ship, Map
Ming
Wang Yang-Ming vs Bacon
Chinese Millenium (cont)
1662
1600
Qing (Ching
1912
KMT
1949
PRC
2000
5

• Manchu conquest of Ming, Last dynasty. Reach
  peak of power and influence. Orderly, prosperous
  until 19th century when fell due to
  inflexibility, rebellions, and invasion again -
  from the West.
• Rise of Manchu dynasty same time as Am. Colonies.
  Social system change little. Stable in 1700s.
  Disaster in 1800s. Keep order but no adapt to
  outside forces.
• Manchus strong leader like Mongols. Only 2 of
  population. Manchu no engage in trade,
  intermarrying or follow Chinese customs. But
  require all Chinese to braid hair in queue and
  shave rest as symbol of submission. However,
  Chinese culture overtook Manchus.. Stayed in
  power by becoming as Chinese as possible. Very
  conservative and rigid. Reject other nations
  views, ideas.
• Decline in 1800s military ineffective
  political corruption jobs pressure with great
  growth. Increase in local rebellions. 142
  million in 1741 to 432 mill in 1851. Hard to
  handle.
• Now Western contact First Portuguese pirates,
  1514, island fortress outside Canton River mouth
  expel in 1522 to Macao. Jesuits in late Ming,
  early Ching. Matteo Ricci accommodate message
  to Chinese. Adopted Confusion culture.
  Christianity as system of wisdom and ethics like
  Han Confuc. Many converts. Introduce West
  science, medicine. Missionaries saw emperor
  daily. Jesuits became sinicized. Add to
  Confucian ideas, but try to rid Buddhism, Taoism.
  Split. Confucian scholars hostile to
  Christianity. Increasingly viewed as secret
  cult. 1722 turn against, suppress.
• Canton trade taken over by British and others in
  guilds, 1784 Americans.
• Decline at same time as West. Imperialism
  increase. Slow to change, Govt passive.
• Brits start opium trade. Chinese starting
  smoking opium after tobacco introduced from US.
  Chinese merchants couldnt pay taxes, into debt
  of British merchants. Brits bring in Navy.
  First Anglo-Sino War 1839, when Chinese govt try
  to stop opium trade- opium war. Brit. Won cede
  Hong Kong, open 5 ports to Brits.
• Brits start opium trade. Chinese starting
  smoking opium after tobacco introduced from US.
  Chinese merchants couldnt pay taxes, into debt
  of British merchants. Brits bring in Navy.
  First Anglo-Sino War 1839, when Chinese govt try
  to stop opium trade- opium war. Brit. Won cede
  Hong Kong, open 5 ports to Brits.
• West impact undermine traditional order. More
  wars. Opium trade expands. New missionaries.
  Protestant Robert Morrison . Catholic priest
  dress like Chinese but protestant own culture,
  attach Taoist and Buddhist idols.
• Increased rebellions by peasants from 1850-1870.
  Pop , floods, famine, poor govt plus West.
  Secret societies.Largest rebellion led by Hong
  Xiuquan based on old testament. Equality, no
  slavery alcohol, tobacco, opium, idols. Try to
  eradicate demon devils alien Manchus. End,
  20 Mill dead.
• Govt restrengthen temporarily. But more ports
  open, legalize import of opium. Missionaries
  travel interior. Behind changes stood power of
  British Empire. Increase challenge of West to
  China, but structure still unchanged. In
  contrast to Japan, which underwent Meiju
  restoration, China slow to change. And 1862-1875
  weak boy emperor, dominate by mother, Emperor
  Dowager, who had no clue. Great reconstruction
  tasks like Civil War but lack industrial
  capacity. Inflation, treasury spend.
• China lose war to Japan in 1894 destabilize,
  divide China into spheres of influence.Decline.

1662
1600
Matteo Ricci
Qing (Ching
Hong Xiuquan
1912
6
1912
KMT
1949
PRC