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Chinese History Overview

Chinese history spans over 50,000 years, with key themes being China's identity as land, time, and people. Major dynasties that ruled China include the Shang Dynasty which established early Chinese writing and the Zhou Dynasty which saw the rise of Confucianism. The Qin Dynasty first unified China under centralized rule, while the Han Dynasty expanded China's territory and influenced many. Subsequent dynasties such as the Tang and Song saw periods of cultural and economic prosperity, though China also experienced foreign rule under the Mongols and Manchus. In modern times, China transitioned to a republic and communist government under the leadership of Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping.

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Chinese History Overview History & Themes
Three Fundamentals • China is land. • China is time. • China is people.
Geography Matters • China tilts down from west to east. • Sown lands & steppe lands • North & South Dry & wet Wheat/barley & rice • Authority & pacified • Simplicity & luxury
China’s Antiquity • Antiquity is part of Chinese identity. • 50,000 years ago - modern humans • Local Neolithic Cultures • 6000 years ago - Banpo - women’s power, pottery marks • Yangshao Culture - farming • Longshan Culture - walled communities
Multiple Origins • Old Theory – Northerners created Chinese culture. • Many different of Bronze Age cultures • Yangshao & Longshan (Yellow River) • Sanxingdui (Sichuan) • Majiabang & Liangzhu (Lower Yangzi River) • Dawenkou (East Coast) • Qujialing (Middle Yangzi)
The Main Current The Shang Dynasty 1800 BCE - 1045 BCE • Rises from Longshan Culture in North China • Silk technology • Walled cities - centers of administration • Ancestor worship & shamanism • Bronze technology • First writing
The Feudal Age The Zhou Dynasty 1045 BCE - 256 BCE • The Mandate of Heaven • Chariots & Crossbows • Cast Iron & Mass Production • Coins • One Hundred Schools - Confucianism, Daoism, Legalism, Logicians, Yin- Yang
Empire The Qin Dynasty 221 BCE - 206 BCE • The First Emperor - Qin Shi Huangdi • Legalism - efficient government but does not provide legitimacy • Reduces regional autonomy - taxes, army, writing, measurement • Centralized bureaucracy • Mass enslavement
The Han Dynasty 206 BCE - 220 CE • Qin Legalism blends with Han Confucianism - legitimating • Technology & arts - paper, porcelain, water mills, distillation • The Silk Route • Buddhism from India via central Asia • Most Chinese are Han people.
Unity & Disunity • China takes unity as the norm. • Europe takes disunity as the norm. • Disunity was often very creative in China.
The Cosmopolitan Empire The Tang Dynasty 618 CE - 907 CE • The Golden Age - poetry, painting, calligraphy • Capital at Chang’an - international trade hub, largest city in the world • Wu Zetian - only female emperor ever • Buddhism dominant
China’s Mature Imperial System The Song Dynasty 960 CE – 1276 CE • Mature imperial system of government • Knowledge = Power • Exam System • Commercial Revolution - paper money • Industrial Evolution - iron, coal • Printing presses • Neo-Confucianism as religion • Foot Binding
Wider Influences The Mongols • Violent conquest by Central Asians • Pax Mongolica: peaceful exchange of goods and ideas across Asia and Europe • Unable to manage huge Chinese population for long
The Last Native Dynasty The Ming Dynasty 1276 CE - 1644 CE • Suspicion & Intrigue • Zheng He’s Voyages • Economy contracted. • Secluded empire • Imperial capital moved to Beijing. • The great novels • The Great Wall
The Last Emperors The Qing Dynasty 1644 CE - 1911 CE • The second major foreign dynasty • Better organized than the Mongol government • Strong and wealthy into the 1800s • Western imperial powers • Western merchants & gunboats • Missionaries • Rebellions - Tai Ping & many others • Opium Wars
The Twentieth Century • Republic of China ~ 1911 to 1949 • Warlord Era • Japanese Invasion & World War Two • Chinese Civil War • 1949 People’s Republic of China (PRC) - Mao Zedong • 1966 - 1976 Cultural Revolution • 1978+ Deng Xiaoping’s Reforms
The Twenty-First Century • “Socialism with Chinese Characteristics” • World’s fasting- growing modern economy • Many social issues