History of China

1. History of China • Humans have been living in China since at least 19,000 BCE • Farming of grains begins approx 7,000 BCE, with rice and soybeans at 5,000 BCE. • Chinese history begins along the Yellow River (3,000 BCE). • Cultural Hearth for East Asia

2. Early civilization • Earliest form of writing dates back to 5,500 BCE. • Pictographic • Later used in Chinese character symbols

3. Early States of China • Most early Chinese governments were Dynasties (ruled by a select few or royal family). • Xia- (2100-1600BCE) Probably oldest, but poorly recorded or understood. • Shang Dynasty- (1600-1046BCE) • Known for keeping records on Oracle Bones

4. Development of Chinese Pictograms

5. Shang Dynasty • Fought constant wars with nomads of the steppes • Developed bronze as a metal • Shang Zhou is the last Emperor- faces rebellion, commits suicide. • Lost the “Mandate of Heaven”- fell out of favor with the Gods and could be replaced by the Gods.

6. Zhou Dynasty- (1027-221BCE) • Longest of the Chinese Dynasties • Tended to weaken over time; rival warlords and governors created chaos and disorder • Kung-fu Tzu (551-479BCE) • Philosophy based on Relationships (Filial Piety) • Proper rituals time the day • Known as Confucianism

7. Rise of Daoism • Sometimes spelled Taoism • Developed by Lao Tzu (600sBCE) • Means “the Path” or “Way” • Focus on nature, and living in harmony with nature • Man is unhappy because he is unbalanced • Live in moderation, simplicity, compassion • Belief in spirits and many gods.

8. Qin Dynasty (221-206BCE) • Brutal warlords that unite much of northern China • Legalism- EVERYTHING must be put into law, under the power of the Emperor. • Qin: Ying Zheng became Shi Huangdi after uniting China- possibly crazy, built both the Great Wall of China and a Terra Cotta Army. • Wanted to be immortal, and burned books and banned any ideas other than Legalism.

9. Qin Accomplishments

10. Han Dynasty (202BCE-220CE) • Continue to unify China • Open the Silk Route to the West. • Confucianism becomes the dominant Chinese philosophy.

11. The Silk Road

12. Buddhism arrives in 1st Century • Heated debates as to whether Buddhists should be allowed into China • Granted in the 400’sCE. • Becomes the dominant religion during the 600’CEs.

13. Rise and fall of Chinese Dynasties • Various families take control of China from 220-1211. • Mongols invade in 1211-1376 • Ming Dynasty (1300’s-1644)are vast builders- • Canals connecting the Rivers • Completed the Great Wall • Built a huge military Navy and Army. • “Forbidden City”

14. Ming Dynasty Construction

15. Forbidden City

16. The Ming Navy- • Set out under Admiral He to explore the Indian and Pacific Oceans in 1403 • Visited and traded with Africa, India…and North America!

17. So..why didn’t China colonize America? • Think about and this and share with the class.

18. So, why don’t we speak Chinese? • After the death of Admiral He, money is diverted to other projects • Conquest of Vietnam draws off troops and funds • Court distrust of men like He (he’s Muslim) • Mongol invasions in the North

19. Results: • Chinese ships pulled out of water; allowed to rot. • Court records about He’s expeditions are burned. • All trade with the outside world was cut. • Canals were allowed to be filled. • Other Ming innovations ended.

20. End of the Ming Dynasty • Europeans arrive in 1513 • Reign of Wan Li (1572-1620) • Emperor withdraws into studying Confucianism • Earthquakes, plagues, crop failure and economic collapse • Manchu soldiers revolt; overthrow the Emperor

21. Manchu Qing Dynasty (1644-1912) • Will rule China until overthrown in the 20th Century • “Queue Order”- get a haircut- on pain of death! • Writing heavily censored • Reigns are marked with serious rebellions • Growing outside control of China

22. Europeans gain control of China • 1793- China refuses to buy European goods; only wants silver, gold • 1838- Opium War • 1842- China surrenders; Treaty of Nanking open ports to Europeans • Europeans divide China into Mandate areas

23. “Boxer Rebellion” (1898-1901)

24. Monarchy Overthrown (1911) • Revolution is led by Dr. Sun Yat-Sen • Republic of China declared • Republic begins to dissolve into warlordoms • Power passes to Nationalist and Communist Rivals

25. Chinese Civil War • Fought between 1927-1950 • Stopped during WWII (1937-45) • Fought between General Chang Kai-Shek (Nationalists) • Mao Tze Dung (Mao Zedong)- leading the Communists

26. China & WWII (1937-45) • Invaded by Japan in 1937 • Major war crimes committed by Japanese • Liberated by Russian forces, 1945 • Allied nation during the War • Member of the United Nations Security Council

27. End of the Chinese Civil War • Chang Kai-Shek’s Nationalists are defeated after WWII • Flee to Formosa (Taiwan) • China becomes a Communist People’s Republic of China • Fights in the Korean War against the United Nations/United States

28. China in Korean War

29. Images of the Civil War

30. Modern China • China remains divided between Taiwan and Mainland China • Chinese Communist Party remains in control of China • Communism abandoned in the 1990’s- moving toward market economy • Major industrialand financial leader today • Own’s over half of the United States Debt.

31. Modern China • The world’s most populous country. • In the 1870’s there was a terrible drought. Crops failed and people began to starve. • 10 million die of starvation.

32. Modern China • In the 1980’s, China became the first country to reach 1 billion people. • Feeding a huge population is challenging. • China is working to achieve a zero population growth. This happens when a the number of births match the number of deaths each year.

33. Modern China • China is working to achieve a zero population growth. This happens when a country’s population stops growing. • One-Child Policy implemented by Mao Zedong. • Families receive benefits, including cash, for having just one child.