06 History of China 2013

The History of ChinaThe History of China

Lecture for SS2 Asian Studies, prepared by Martin Benedict Perez, PSHS Main CampusLecture for SS2 Asian Studies, prepared by Martin Benedict Perez, PSHS Main Campus

Second Part in a Lecture on Empires

SY 2010/11

I. Preface: From Bones to Philosophers

II. The First EmpiresA. The Qin: The idea of ChinaB. The Han: The empire expands

III. Analysis: Patterns in Chinese History

IV. The Golden AgeA. The Tang: The cultural powerhouseB. The Song: The commercial powerhouse

V. The Asian SuperpowerA. From the Yuan to the MingB. Impact on KoreaC. Impact on Japan

OUTLINE OF THE PRESENTATIONOUTLINE OF THE PRESENTATIONOUTLINE OF THE PRESENTATIONOUTLINE OF THE PRESENTATION

Shang 1750 – 1100 BCE

Tang 618 – 907

Zhou (Chou) 1100 – 256 BCE

Song 960 – 1279

Qin (Chin) 221 – 206 BCE

Yuan (Mongol) 1279 – 1368

Han 206 BCE – 220 CE

Ming 1368 – 1644

Sui 589 – 618

Qing (Ching, Manchu) 1644 – 1912

TEN MAJOR DYNASTIES OF CHINATEN MAJOR DYNASTIES OF CHINA

PREFACE

FROM BONES TO FROM BONES TO PHILOSOPHERSPHILOSOPHERS

AXIAL AGE (800 – 200BCE)

Eastern Zhou (770 – 221BCE)Western Zhou (1027 – 771BCE)

Confucius(551 – 479BCE)

Lao Zi

Mencius(370 – 290BCE)

Xun Zi(300 – 237BCE)

Zuang Zi(370 – 301BCE) Sun Tzu

Born during the chaotic Eastern Zhou period, Chinese philosophy was primarily preoccupied with restoring social order and harmony.

Qin Han

Qin Shi Huang Diand the Legalists

Shang

Buddhism enters

THE CHINESE AXIAL AGETHE CHINESE AXIAL AGE

1THE FIRST EMPIRESTHE FIRST EMPIRES

The Qin and the Han

Under the guidance of Li Si, The First Emperor utilized Legalism.

He centralized all power to himself by placing only giving power to those loyal to him. At his command was a powerful army.

He also established a network or roads and canals, and built frontier walls for protection.

Furthermore he unified currency, system of writing, and even philosophical thought (through book burning) throughout the empire.

Qin Shih Huang Di“The First August God of the Qin”

QIN DYNASTY (221 – 206BCE)QIN DYNASTY (221 – 206BCE)

Coins from the Qin dynasty (left) and Qing dynasty (right)

Location of the Great Wall (NASA)

HAN DYNASTY (206BCE – 220CE)HAN DYNASTY (206BCE – 220CE)


In 138BCE, Zhang Qian was sent on a diplomatic mission to form an alliance with the Yuezhi against the Xiongnu. After many adventures and misadventures, he would return to the capital in 125BCE with new knowledge of grand civilizations to the west.

Silk Routes, over-land and over-sea

THE SILK ROADTHE SILK ROAD

China silk, clothing, lacquerware, spices

Indo-China spices, ivory, timber, pearls

North India precious stones, ivory, tortoise shell, incense, spices, cloth, timber

South India ivory, tortoiseshell, spices, precious stones, cloth, timber

Arabia spices, slaves, precious stones

East Africa gold, ivory, exotic animals, slaves, incense

Trans-Sahara ivory, gold, slaves

North Africa grain

South Europe olive oil, wine, glassware, coinage

West Europe silver, tin

North Europe slaves, amber

Asia Minor silver, precious stones, timber, wine

THE SILK ROADTHE SILK ROAD

Roman Empire (27BCE to 476BCE)



Parthian Empire (247BCE to 224)




Society during the Han

Confucianism became the state philosophy. “Men of wisdom and virtue” were put in place through the civil service examinations.

Scholar-officials were expected to be junzi. Women, however, were not allowed to take the exam.



Science and technology

Innovation during the Han would be unmatched until the Song. It was the most civilization of its age.

It exemplified the insight of the Arab philosophers who said that the purpose of science is “to put up a city”. Seismograph invented by Zhang

Feng in the year 132.

2ANALYSIS

PATTERNS IN PATTERNS IN CHINESE HISTORYCHINESE HISTORY

PATTERN 1

TERRITORIAL PRESSURE

Incursions from China's north by nomadic groups, are from those attracted by the wealth of the settled, agricultural civilization of China.

The most illustrative examples are those of the Mongols, who conquer China and establish the Yuan dynasty (1279-1368 CE), and of the Manchus, who again conquer China and establish the last dynasty, the Qing, that rules for 300 years (1644-1911 CE).

Each of these invaders rules through the Chinese bureaucracy, leading to the expression that China "sinicizes its conquerors."


PATTERN 2

CULTURAL CONTINUITY

Dynasties rise and fall but Confucian values keep China intact. This is seen manifested in several ways:

1.the evolution of the bureaucratic structure — the civil service examination system, the scholar-gentry who sit for exams and staff the civil administration;

2.the refinement of the Confucian classics as the basis of education and elite selection;

Thus there emerged a tendency in China towards political unification and reunification.


PATTERN 3

STRENGTHENING OF THE IMPERIAL CENTER

Beginning with the legalistic approach of the First Emperor of the Qin, the emperors of China continued a trend of concentrating power towards the center. Instruments of government were strengthened as they moved authority further towards the emperor.

The irony however is that it is during moments when power is too concentrated at the center at the expense of the rest of Chinese society that a dynasty becomes more vulnerable to rebellion.

The height of imperial concentration can be seen in the Ming dynasty.


3THE GOLDEN AGETHE GOLDEN AGE

The Tang and the Song

The Tang (618-907), along with the Song dynasty (960-1279 CE) that follows, is often referred to as China's "Golden Age“.

Poetry, calligraphy, landscape painting, philosophy, political thought, historical writing, scientific advances in astronomy, chemistry, and medicine, and the production of fine silks, porcelain, and teas all flourish, particularly in the period from the 7th to the 12th centuries.

The Tang capital at Changan (modern day Xian) was the most cosmopolitan at that time. The first cities in Japan emulated this.

PREFACE TO THE GOLDEN AGEPREFACE TO THE GOLDEN AGE

Buddhism’s impact is felt throughout ChinaSlowly entering China during the Han dynasty, Buddhism plays an

expanded role in the Tang and beyond.

1.Provided a philosophical ‘bridge’ between Confucianism and Daoism. The three coexist as the primary religions in China.

2.Buddhist (along with Daoist) philosophy inspired and cultivated art, literature, and various creative forms.

3.It also played a very important economic role. Buddhism entered via the Silk Road and henceforth became a vehicle for cultural exchange.

TANG DYNASTY (618 – 917)TANG DYNASTY (618 – 917)

Chinese culture spreads throughout East AsiaKorea, Japan and Vietnam shared in Chinese culture particularly through:

a. Confucian thought and social and political values;

b. Buddhism (in forms developed and refined in China after its origination in India);

c. Literary Chinese and its writing system which becomes the language of government and that used by the elites of these societies to communicate among themselves.

d. Architectural styles and many other art forms

TANG DYNASTY (618 – 917)TANG DYNASTY (618 – 917)

Map showing the use of Chinese characters

Himeji Castle, Japan

Palace of the Heavenly Purity, Forbidden City, Beijing

Gyeongbokgung Palace, Seoul

Trade, business, and innovation boom…

The Song is distinguished by enormous commercial growth.

The use of paper money, the introduction of tea drinking, and the inventions of gunpowder, the compass, and printing all occur under the Song.

Urbanization accompanies commercial growth and Chinese cities are the largest and most sophisticated in the world at this time.

SONG DYNASTY (960 – 1279)SONG DYNASTY (960 – 1279)



…so does their population

During the Song there is enormous growth in Chinese population and a shift in the locus of this population to southern China.

Traditionally, Chinese cities rested in the north and its people subsisted on wheat. After 1127, there is a shift in the concentration of the Chinese population to southern China. There people subsisted on rice.

By the end of the Song, 2/3 to 3/4 of the Chinese population is concentrated below the Yangtze.



3THE EAST ASIAN THE EAST ASIAN SUPERPOWERSUPERPOWER

The Emperors of China once believed that it was their task to unite All

Under Heaven (Tian Xia).

How large did China really become?

TIAN XIATIAN XIA

The Mongols invade China from the northThey defeat the Song, and establish the Yuan dynasty in 1279 to 1368.

Under Khubilai (Kublai) Khan (1215-1294), the supreme leader of the Mongols and a grandson of Chinggis (Genghis) Khan (d. 1227), the Mongols move the Chinese capital to Beijing and establish the capital of their empire there. The Mongol empire spans Eurasia in the 13th and 14th centuries and facilitates trade and exchange across the Eurasian land mass.

YUAN DYNASTY (1279 - 1368)YUAN DYNASTY (1279 - 1368)

YUAN DYNASTY (1279 - 1368)YUAN DYNASTY (1279 - 1368)

THE MONGOL EMPIRE AT ITS HEIGHTTHE MONGOL EMPIRE AT ITS HEIGHT

THE TRAVELS OF MARCO POLO (1271 – 1298)THE TRAVELS OF MARCO POLO (1271 – 1298)

The Ming dynasty is a new focus in modern-day Chinese historiography. Modern historians use the imagery of the time to promote the image of a global and friendly China.

However, there was a contradiction during the Ming: As China became more integrated with the world, the further the Imperial government closed themselves off.

MING DYNASTY (1368 - 1644)MING DYNASTY (1368 - 1644)



THE FORBIDDEN CITYTHE FORBIDDEN CITY






By the Qing dynasty, the Chinese empire saw themselves as the Celestial Empire.

In a letter to the King of England, Qian Long declared that they had everything they need and had no use for the manufactures of the West.

THE CELESTIAL EMPIRETHE CELESTIAL EMPIRE

THE CELESTIAL EMPIRETHE CELESTIAL EMPIRE

END OF THE PRESENTATION

OTHER PRESENTATIONS IN

THE SS2 ASIAN STUDIESCIVILIZATION LECTURE SERIES

I.Introduction to Civilization

II.History of India

III.History of China

IV.History of Islam

MARTIN BENEDICT PEREZ © 2009

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06 History of China 2013

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