QING CHINA AND A REVIEW OF ANCIENT CHINESE HISTORY.
Transcript of QING CHINA AND A REVIEW OF ANCIENT CHINESE HISTORY.
QING CHINAAND A REVIEW OF
ANCIENT CHINESE HISTORY
ESSENTIAL QUESTION: How was China affected
by global changes during the Qing Dynasty?
From ancient times to 1900, China was the most dominant and influential society in Asia
Chinese culture spread to neighboring countries in Asia, including Korea and Japan
China was one of the most
innovative cultures in world history by
developing technologies such as the compass,
printing, silk, paper, and gunpowder
Many elements of Chinese culture remained constant over the course of Chinese history
(from 3000 BCE to 1900 CE)
Chinese civilization is unique in the world with its continuity over 4000 years of history
Core Ideas Across Chinese History
China was isolated from outsiders by deserts and the Himalayan Mountains
This isolation led the Chinese
to refer to themselves as the “Middle Kingdom”
The Chinese thought of outsiders as barbarians and rarely traded with foreign merchants
Core Ideas Across Chinese History China was ruled by
emperors who claimed to have the Mandate of Heaven
(approval of the gods)
Dynasties could be justifiably overthrown if it was decided that they had lost the Mandate of Heaven;
this was called the dynastic cycle
Since the Classical Era of the Han Dynasty, Chinese government was run effectively by educated
bureaucrats because of the examination system
Core Ideas Across Chinese History Rather than following a major world
religion, China was influenced by the ethical
system of Confucianism
Later, Buddhism was introduced and spread from India to China during the Han Dynasty
Chinese luxury goods spread through Asia and Europe across the Silk Road trade routes
China was a reluctant trade nation, but it was the trend-setter: other Asian nations adopted Chinese
writing, government, and artistic styles
Eras in Chinese history are named after the dynasties that were in power during
that era; each of these dynasties added unique contributions in Chinese history
Review of Chinese Dynasties
River Valley Era (5000-1700 BCE)China began along the unpredictable
Yellow and Yangtze Rivers, but only 10% of China’s land is
suitable for farming
Qin Dynasty (316-206 BCE)
China’s first emperor (Qin Shi Huang-di) came to power, gave “China” its name, and built the Great
Wall to protect against northern invasions
Han Dynasty (206 BCE to 220 CE)
China became an empire for the first time during the Han Dynasty (206 BCE to 220 CE)
and entered the Classical Era (alongside other “Classical” civilizations like Greece and Rome)
It was during the Han Dynasty that trade on the Silk Road began, linking Asia and Europe for the first time
Han Dynasty (206 BCE to 220 CE)
Chinese artisans
mastered the arts
of making silk and paper
The Confucian Examination System began during the Han Dynasty; if one
wanted to become a government worker,
he had to pass an exam that showed he had the strong
ethics of Confucius
Buddhism was first introduced during the Han Dynasty
and began to spread in China
During the Tang and Song Dynasties, China experienced an extended “golden age”
China became the richest, most powerful, and most advanced country in the world
Tang and Song Dynasties (618 CE to 1279 CE)
For the first time, foreign trade was encouraged during the Tang and Song Dynasties
During the Tang and Song Dynasties, a series of advanced inventions were developed: gunpowder,
compass, printing press, and vaccinations
The Song Dynasty came to an end
when Genghis Khan and the Mongols took over China
In 1279, Genghis’ grandson Kublai Khan
became the first foreign leader to
directly rule China; the Mongols created the
Yuan Dynasty
Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368)
Marco Polo’s visit during the Yuan Dynasty would
increase European demand for Chinese
goods even more
During the Mongol Peace, (Pax Mongolica), the Silk Road was
highly protected by the Mongols and trade with China increased
enormously
The Mongols were eventually pushed out of China and the Ming Dynasty began; during the Ming Dynasty, Chinese rule
was restored and foreign trade was again encouraged
During the Ming Dynasty, emperors encouraged exploration for the first and ONLY time in Chinese history
The Chinese admiral Zheng He led the overseas exploration; however, after his death, the Chinese
decided to stop exploration and go back to isolation
To protect Ming emperors from future invasions, the Forbidden City was built in Beijing; no one other than
royalty or approved bureaucrats could enter
In 1644, northern
invaders from Manchuria conquered China and
created the second foreign
dynasty in Chinese
history, the Qing Dynasty
Qing Dynasty (1644 CE to 1911 CE)
■ Text
During this era of Manchu rule, China grew to its largest size by claiming Taiwan, Central Asia,
Mongolia, and Tibet
Like the era of Mongol rule, Chinese rejected their Manchu rulers and led rebellions against them
However, the Manchurian emperor of
China, Kangxi, earned Chinese
respect by keeping Confucian
beliefs, lowering taxes,
and restoring peace and
prosperity to China
■ Text
Kangxi also earned respect of the Chinese people he ruled over by being the first emperor to tour
China and personally visit peasant villages
Kangxi and later Manchu rulers returned China to isolationism by restoring strict adherence to
being the “Middle Kingdom”
But, Qing China faced TWO important challenges that would threaten China’s future strength
First, the introduction of new American crops like
corn and sweet potatoes led to a
dramatic increase in the Chinese
populationIn a relatively short
amount of time (from the 1500s to the 1900s), China’s
population went from less than 100
million to over 1 billion
The sharp rise in the number of Chinese peasants would lead to intense competition for land and
violent rebellions when poverty grew
The second challenge to Qing China was the arrival of European missionaries and merchants in Asia who
were eager to gain access into China
Europeans arrived with superior military technology, demanded that China trade with them, and refused
to accept Chinese customs
The policy of isolationism would come back to haunt
China; as China remained relatively
stagnant in terms of technological
advancement for 300 years, the
Europeans developed far more powerful weapons
When the Europeans demanded trade with
China in the 1800s, the
Chinese were unable to
resist them
Closure Activity: Advice to KangxiImagine that you are an advisor to the Manchu emperor Kangxi and give suggestions as to how to deal with China’s problems–Working with a partner, identify China’s 2
major problems during the Qing Dynasty; Write these on one side of an index card–On the same side of the card, brainstorm at
least 3 potential solutions to each problem–Rank order these potential solutions–On the other side of the card, offer your
best solution for each problem
Revamped and redone byChristopher Jaskowiak
Original version by Brooks Baggett