The History of China

The Middle Kingdom Geography High mountain ranges to the west and southwest – the Tien Shan and the Himalayas. The Gobi desert is located in the north and the Pacific Ocean is to the east. The Chinese heartland lay along the east coast and the valleys of the Huang He, or Yellow River, and the Yangzi.

Huang He River The Huang He is also known as the Yellow River. The Huang He got its name from the loess, or fine windblown yellow soil, that it carries from Siberia and Mongolia. The river is also called the River of Sorrows because once the loess settles on the bottom of the river, it raises the water level.

Early China Some of the oldest examples of writing are on oracle bones. Calligraphy is a form of elegant handwriting. The Mandate of Heaven is the divine right to rule. The Mandate of Heaven explains the Chinese dynastic cycle (rise and fall of dynasties).

Philosophy and Religion in China Confucianism The Analects are a collection of the teachings of Confucius. Confucianism is a philosophy that was concerned with worldly goals, especially how to ensure social order and good government. Harmony develops when people accept their place in society.

The Five Relationships Father to Son Elder Brother to Younger Brother Husband to Wife Ruler to Subject Friend to Friend Confucius put filial piety, or respect for ones parents, above all other duties.

Legalism Legalism grew out of the teachings of Hanfeizi. He believed all humans are naturally bad and goodness is acquired. Greed was the motive for most actions. The only way to achieve order was to pass strict laws and harsh punishments.

Buddhism in China Buddhism originated in India. Its great appeal was the promise of escape from suffering. Through prayer, good works, and devotion, anyone could hope to gain salvation. By 400 CE, Buddhism had spread throughout China.

The Dynasties 1. Zhou Shi Huangdi was the first emperor. The Great Wall of China 2. Han dynasty Civil Service System; government officials should win positions by merit. Emperor Wudi opened up the Silk Road which linked China with the west. Confucianism became the belief system of the government. Weak rulers, high taxes, peasant uprisings, and outside invaders brought about the fall of the Han dynasty.

Two Golden Ages of China 3. Tang and Song dynasties Expansion (Vietnam, Korea, and Tibet had to pay tribute to China) Redistributed land to the peasants The Grand Canal linked the Huang He to the Yangzi River. Economic expansion Increase in rice production Most scholar-officials came from the gentry. The gentry were experts in Confucianism. Foot binding Gunpowder, block printing, and the pagoda

The Mongols in China Under the protection of the Mongols, who now controlled the great Silk Road, trade flourished across Eurasia. Cultural exchanges increased as foods, tools, inventions, and ideas spread along trade routes.

5. The Yuan dynasty Kublai Khan wanted only Mongols in the military and to hold top government jobs. Marco Polo visited Kublai Khan’s palace and remained in China for 17 years. Polo’s book astonished readers in Europe.

6. Ming dynasty Restored civil service system and Confucianism Rooted out government corruption and disloyalty Peasants produced huge rice crops. The sweet potato and corn reached China from the Americas.

Voyages of Zheng He In 1405, Zheng He commanded the first of seven expeditions. He was at the head of 62 large ships and hundreds of smaller ones, carrying 25,000 sailors.

The Manchu Conquest By the early 1600s, the Manchu invaders pushed through the Great Wall. They set up a new dynasty called the Qing dynasty. They adopted a Confucian form of government. Crops from the Americas boosted farm output and contributed to a population increase.

19 th Century China Opium Wars, 1840 to 1842 British merchants sold opium, which was grown in northern India, in China. The British East India Company wanted to reverse the trade deficit that has made China wealthy. In 1842, the Treaty of Nanking was the first of the unequal treaties that China was forced to sign. The treaty opened up five ports to foreign trade, extraterritoriality, an indemnity to British citizens, and control of Hong Kong.

Boxer Uprising, 1899 to 1901 Nationalist movement to remove foreigners from China. The Boxers fought against imperialism in China. The Great Powers intervened and defeated the Boxers.

Chinese Revolution of 1911 Established the Republic of China Sun Yat-sen became the first president of the Republic of China. Three Principles of the People  Nationalism  Democracy  Social Welfare