A Short History of China Outcome: Geography & Culture, Imperialism, and Civil War

What will we learn? 1.Development of Chinese culture 2.Zhou and the Dynastic Cycle 3.Ming & Qing China 4.Imperialism in China 5.Chinese Nationalism 6.Chinese Civil War

Satellite Image

Geography & Culture 1.Setting the Stage: a.China’s first city walls were built 1000 years after the walls of Ur, the great pyramids, and the planned cities on the Indus River. b.Unlike most cultures on earth, the civilization that began in China 4000 years ago still thrives there today.

Earliest Dynasties

Zhou & Shang Culture

Geography & Culture 3.The Development of Chinese Culture a.According to legend, the first Chinese dynasty, The Xia Dynasty, started about 2000 B.C. b.Chinese viewed everyone outside of their culture as barbarians c.Viewed themselves as center of civilized world d.Chinese name for China was Middle Kingdom e. Family is central to Chinese society; respect for one’s parents

Geography & Culture f.No links between spoken and written language g.One could read Chinese without being able to speak the language h.All parts of China learned the same system of writing even if spoke different language thus unifying parts of China i.Needed to know 1500 characters just to be considered literate; scholars knew 10,000 characters

Chinese alphabet

Zhou dynasty contributions

Geography & Culture 4.Zhou and the Dynastic Cycle a.1027 B.C. a people called the Zhou overthrew the Shang, culturally similar b.Zhou believed in Mandate of Heaven or divine approval to rule c.Mandate of Heaven became central to Chinese view of government d.This helped explain the dynastic cycle : a pattern of rise, decline, and replacement of dynasties if the spirits did not approve of one king’s rule

Mandate of Heaven

Dynastic Cycle

2.Ming & Qing China a.The Chinese people had rebelled and driven out their Mongol (Yuan) rulers and had established the Ming Dynasty ( ) b.The Ming government had ruled for 200 years and was weakening c.Later, the Manchus, people from Manchuria, invaded China and established the Qing Dynasty which ruled for 260 years The Age of Exploration

4.Ming Relations with Foreign Countries & Rules a.China’s trade policies in the 1500s reflected isolation b.If foreign states wanted to trade with China, they would have to follow Chinese rules because the Chinese did not want Europeans threatening the peace and prosperity the Ming had brought to China. c.China had a long history of being self-sufficient as well The Age of Exploration

4.Ming Relations with Foreign Countries & Rules d.Rules a.Only the government was allowed to conduct foreign trade b.Trading was only allowed at certain ports c.China expected Europe to pay tribute to Ming leaders; d.Tribute is a peace tax The Age of Exploration

Imperialism in China © Student Handouts, Inc.

Imperialism in China 5. Early Contact with Europeans a. a.16 th century – Portuguese traded for silk and tea. The Portuguese were followed by the Dutch and English

Imperialism in China b. First Opium War ( ) i.British brought opium from India to Canton 1.Many Chinese became addicts ii.Chinese emperor forbade opium imports 1. War between British and Chinese iii.Treaty of Nanking (1842) 1. Four additional British ports in China 2.British control over Hong Kong – Ended in 1997

Imperialism in China e. Other Westerners in China i.Belgium, France, Holland (Netherlands), Portugal, Prussia (Germany), United States

Imperialism in China 6. Boxer Rebellion (1900) a.Chinese people resented foreign influence and power i.Called “Boxers” by Westerners ii.Demanded that foreigners leave China iii.Killed circa 300 and vandalized foreign property b. European imperialists, Americans, and Japanese put down the rebellion a.China paid $333,000,000 in damages and had to permit military forces in Peking (Beijing)

Republican Revolution 7. Sun Yat-sen (Sun Yixian) a.Founded Nationalist party i. Overthrew Manchu (Qing) dynasty ii. ii.Established a republic Nationalist party symbol

Three Principles of the People a.Book published by Sun Yat-sen before his death in 1925 i. Principle of Mínquán: Democracy – the people are sovereign ii. Principle of Mínzú: Nationalism – an end to foreign imperialism iii. Principle of Mínsh ē ng: Livelihood – economic development, industrialization, land reform, and social welfare – elements of progressivism and socialism

Growth of Communism a.Sun Yat-sen appealed for Russian (Soviet) aid following the Versailles Conference i – China received advisors, arms, communist propaganda, and loans ii.Russia revoked its imperialist rights in China Chinese flag,

The Nationalist Party Splits a. Right wing i.Business people, Politicians b. Left wing i.Communists, Intellectuals Radicals, Students

Nationalist Revolution a.Sun Yat-sen succeeded by Chiang Kai-shek b. Communists expelled by Kuomintang c – war to control the warlords d. Capital moved from Peiping (a.k.a. Peking, today’s Beijing) to Nanking (Nanjing) Presidential Palace under Kuomintang Government in Nanjing

Civil War in China a. a and – war between Communists and Nationalists b. b.Communists – Mao Tse-tung (Mao Zedong) c. c.Nationalists – Chiang Kai-shek d. d.War halted and to fight Japanese aggression e. e. Communists were victorious in 1949 f. f. Nationalists retreated to Formosa ( Taiwan ) g. g.End of imperialism in China