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
Early civilization
Earliest form of
writing dates back
to 5,500 BCE.
Pictographic
Later used in
Chinese character
symbols
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
Development of Chinese Pictograms
Shang Dynasty
Fought constant wars with
nomads of the steppes
Developed bronze as a metal
Shang Zhou is the last Emperorfaces rebellion, commits suicide.
Lost the “Mandate of Heaven”fell out of favor with the Gods and
could be replaced by the Gods.
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
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.
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.
Qin Accomplishments
Han Dynasty (202BCE-220CE)
Continue to unify
China
Open the Silk Route
to the West.
Confucianism
becomes the
dominant Chinese
philosophy.
The Silk Road
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.
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 buildersCanals connecting the Rivers
Completed the Great Wall
Built a huge military Navy and
Army.
“Forbidden City”
Ming Dynasty Construction
Forbidden City
The Ming NavySet out under Admiral He
to explore the Indian and
Pacific Oceans in 1403
Visited and traded with
Africa, India…and North
America!
So..why didn’t China colonize
America?
Think about and
this and share with
the class.
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
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.
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
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
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
“Boxer Rebellion” (1898-1901)
Monarchy Overthrown (1911)
Revolution is led by Dr. Sun YatSen
Republic of China declared
Republic begins to dissolve into
warlordoms
Power passes to Nationalist and
Communist Rivals
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
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
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
China in Korean War
Images of the Civil War
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 industrial and financial leader today
Own’s over half of the United States Debt.
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.
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.
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.