中国古代文明-英文-对导游和学习英语有帮助

Dynasties,theMandateofHeaven,theSilkRoad中国古代文明王朝行政与丝绸之路AncientChineseCivilizationChinesecivilizationextendsbackwardsinhistoryinanunbrokenchainfornearlyfourthousandyears.Throughoutthistime,theChinesepeoplehavebeeninstrumentalindevelopingnewtechnologiesandadvancinghumanknowledge.TheChinesehavebeenruledbyasuccessionofdynasties(familiesthatpasstherighttorulethenationfromonegenerationtothenext).BeforeChinadevelopedtheabilitytowritedowntheirhistory,storieswerepasseddownorallyfromonegenerationtothenext.ThestoryoftheXiaDynastyissuchacase.FordecadeshistorianshavebelievedthattheXiaDynastywasjustlegend.Thenin1959evidencewasfoundthatshowedthatthisdynastymaynothavejustbeenlegend,butmayhavereallyexisted.ThetruthaboutwhetherornottheXiaDynastyreallyexistedisstillbeingdebated.TheXiafamilywouldhaveruledChinafromaround2100B.C.E.untilaround1800B.C.E.TheyarebelievedtohavebeenAryans,whomigratedintothearea,andwhowereabletoconquerthelocalpeoplesusingtheirsuperiorweaponryandtechnology.LiketheXiaDynasty,theShangDynastywasoncethoughttobeonlyamythorlegend.Itisnowconsideredbyallhistoriansasatruedynasty.BecausemanyhistoriansdonotconsidertheXiaDynastyatruedynasty,theShangDynastyisoftencalledthefirsttrueChinesedynasty.TheShangDynastyruledChinafromaround1500B.C.E.until1100B.C.E.Duringthis400yearperiodofhistory,Chinesetraditionstatesthatthirtyseparatekingsruledfromasuccessionofsevendifferentcapitals.OneofthemostimportantcontributionsmadeduringtheperiodthattheShangDynastyruledChinawastheinventionofwriting.TheearliestwrittenrecordsfoundinChinacomefromthistimeperiod.TheZhoufamilywasabletodefeatandoverthrowthelastShangDynastykingin1028B.C.E.TheyclaimedthattheShangDynastyhadlostthemandateofheavenduetotheirpoorgoverning.TheZhouDynastywouldbecomethelongestlastingdynastyinChinesehistory,lastingover800years.TheZhousetupaneweconomy,rearrangingtheaffairsofthekingdom.Astheydidso,thebordersoftheirkingdomswelled,andtheywereabletomaintaincontroloverthepeopletheyconqueredeffectively.Zhoukingsassignednobleman,whowereusuallymembersoftheroyalfamily,toserveasregionalrulers.Thesenoblemanownedtheland,andweregivenabsoluteauthorityoverit.Thepeasantscouldnotownland,butinsteadworkedthelandforthenoblemen.Thisformofgovernmentworkedwellforseveralhundredyears.However,overtimethekingslowlybecamelesspowerful,whilethenoblemangrewinpower.In771B.C.whilefightingagainstarebellion,theZhouarmiessufferedaterribledefeat.Asaresult,theZhouDynastylostevenmorepowertothenoblemen.Theymanagedtohangontopowerforanother500years.Thenin256B.C.E.theZhouDynastywasfinallyoverthrown.By221B.C.E.amanbythenameofQinhadoverthrownallremainingmembersoftheZhouDynasty,andallotheropposition,allowinghimtoplacehimselfastherulerofChina.TheQinDynastywouldonlylastabout11years.Yetduringtheseshortyears,thisdynastywouldmakechangesthatwouldeffectthehistoryofChinaforthousandsofyears.SoinfluentialwasQin,thatthenameofthenation,China,isaderivativeofhisname.Inordertoshowhisimportanceandpower,Qinaddedanewnametohisown.HebegancallinghimselfQinShihuangdi,whichmeansQin,thefirstemperorofChina.QinShihuangdiagainreorganizedtheaffairsofChina.Insteadofasystemofnobleman,Qinwantedeverythingtobeunderhisdirectauthorityandcontrol.HeestablishedastrictsetofwrittenlawsthatwererecognizedthroughoutChina,andsetupmilitarycontrolineachregionofChinasothatlocalnoblemancouldnotrebelagainsttheemperor.Allpeoplearesubjecttome,Everyfieldharvest,andEveryonecanhaveenoughfood.TomakeChinathemostgloriousnationonEarth,Qinneededlabor.Heusedthepeasants,forcingthemtoworkunderslaveconditions,sothathecouldbuildroads,bridges,canals,buildings,andhismostfamousbuildingprojectofall,theGreatWallofChina.Earlyemperorshadbuiltwallsinthenorthernterritoriestoprotecttheirnationagainstattackfromoutsideforces.Thesewallswerespreadacrossthelandscape,andnotconnected.Qinorderedhispeopletoconnecttheexistingwallstogether,andtoexpandthem,eventuallycoveringadistanceofover4000miles.THEGREATWALLOver300,000peasantswereforcedtohelpbuildtheGreatWallofChina.Manyofthemdiedduringtheconstruction.Afterworkingforseveralyears,theGreatWallofChinawascompleted,andstillstandstodayasoneofthegreatbuildingprojectsinhumanhistory.Intheyear207B.C.anewdynastybegantoruleChina.ThisdynastywasledbyapeasantwhosenamewasLiuBang.LiuBanghadgrowntiredofthebrutalleadershipoftheQinDynasty.ManyotherpeoplealsoweretiredoftheQinPeacethruwarandplunder.LiuBangproclaimedthattheQinhadlostthemandateofheaven,ortherighttorulethenation.Hewasabletooverthrowthem,andestablishhimselfasthenewemperorofChina,andthefirstemperoroftheHanDynasty.TheHanDynastywouldruleChinaforthenext400years.DuringthistimeperiodtheywouldbeoneofthewealthiestandmostpowerfulnationsonEarth.TheirachievementswouldonlybesurpassedbytheRomanEmpire.Becauseofitslocationamidsthighmountainsandsurroundedonmanysidesbywater,Chinawasisolatedfrommuchoftherestoftheworld.Astheircivilizationflourishedandtheirwealthincreased,theywerelargelyunawareofwhatadvancementsweretakingplaceinthenationsaroundthem.In139B.C.E.,aHanemperorbythenameofWudisentoutoneofhi