Chinese_history

ChineseHistoryMelodytheoldestnationsintheworldAlongwithEgypt,BabylonandIndia,Chinaisoneoftheoldestnationsintheworld.TheancientHuangrivervalleyisthecradleofgreatChinesecivilization.4phasesofChinesehistoryThefirstphaseThefirstphaseisfromthebeginningto221BC.Thisphaseisthechildhoodofthenation.Herownunifiedlanguage,uniquephilosophy,traditionandpoliticalsystemwereformedduringthisphase.Thewholecountrywasalsounifiedthefirsttime.ThesecondphaseThesecondphaseisfrom221BCtotheendof6thcentury.Duringthisphase,Chinawasapowerfulempire,expandingforwardineachdirection,annexingmanycountriesandraces.It’saphaseofgrowthandhomogenization.ThirdphaseThirdphaseisfromtheendof6thcenturyto1840.Chinaagainreachedherpeak.Althoughempire’spowerdecreasedintheendofthisphase,Thecountrybecomemorecoherentandunity.Thenationalcharacteristicismoreprominentthenbefore.ThefourthphaseThefourthphaseisfrom1840untilnow,inwhichChineseancientcivilizationconflictedwithothercivilization,especiallythewesterncivilization.ThenChinaisre-estimatingherowntraditionalcultureandjoiningtheinternationalcommunityinacompletelynewway.ShangdynastyMorethan3600yearsago,during17thcenturyBCand11thcenturyBC,ChinawasruledunderShangdynasty.Atthattime,ChinesecarvedancientChinesecharactersintortoiseshellsandanimal’sbones.It’scalled“JiaGuWen”(Alanguagewritteninshellsandbones).AncientChinesewrotetheirreligiousrituals,warfareinthiswayaswellastheoraclefromGodsinwhichtheybelieveGodstoldthemomenandauspicious.Therearearound4500differentcharactersinJiaGuWen.JiaGuWenAtthattime,ChinesecarvedancientChinesecharactersintortoiseshellsandanimal’sbones.It’scalled“JiaGuWen”(Alanguagewritteninshellsandbones).WhatwerewritteninJiaGuWenAncientChinesewrotetheirreligiousrituals,warfareinthiswayaswellastheoraclefromGodsinwhichtheybelieveGodstoldthemomenandauspicious.Therearearound4500differentcharactersinJiaGuWen.twogreatphilosophersIn6thcenturyBC,thereweretwogreatphilosophersinChina,ConfuciusandLaoZi.ItwaswhenSocrateswasdebatinginGreece,BuddhawaspreachinginIndia.Inthatsplendidcenturyofphilosophy,Chinacontributedherownideas,generatedherownphilosophersandphilosophiesthatinfluencedthisnationthousandsofyears.Spring-AutumnWarring-StatePeriodInChinesehistory,thatperiodiscalledSpring-AutumnWarring-StatePeriod.Itwasaperiodofgreatdisorder.Thereweremanykingdomswhichfoughteachotheroverland,power,treasure,andhonor.Confucius---1ThemoreConfuciussawthedisorder,themorehecravedthesocialharmony.Soheestablishedatheoryofbehavior,moral,andetiquette.Hehopedhecouldfindoutakingwhoiswillingtocarryonhistheory.Confucius---2Forhisgreatcause,Confuciustraveledmanykingdoms,visitedmanykings.However,itwasfrustratingjourney.Thosekingsaresoenthusiasticatpowerandluxuriouslife.Nobodyhadinterestsinhissublimemoraldoctrines.Confucius---3Atlast,disappointedConfuciussetupaprivateschoolathishometown,preachinghisownteachings.Heisaverysuccessfuleducationist.Confucius---4Itisallegedthathehas3000disciples.Manyofhisdisciplesbecamefamousscholarsandhigh-rankofficers.ThetextbookshecompliedorhisdisciplescompiledalsobecameclassicbooksinChina.QinempireItwastimetohavegreatmonarch.Afterhundredsofyearsofwar,millionsofpeoplewerekilledinnumerousbattles.Finally,thestrongestkingdomemerged.Theemperor,QinShiHuangdefeatedotherremainedsixkingdomsofChinain221BC,foundedthefirstunitedempire,theQinempire.Thatyearwas177yearsbeforeCaesarwasassassinatedinRome,41yearsafterAsoka’sarmiesconqueredKalingainIndia.QinShiHuang---1QinShiHuangdidsomethingextremelyimportanttoChina.Hecreatedafeudalmonarchy,bringingthewholesystemunderhisruling,mappedoutandstandardizedaunionofweightsandmeasures,orderedtheconstructionofaroadsandcanalslinkingmainpartsofChina,abolishedthecurrenciesofthesixkingdomsheconqueredinexchangefortheusageofQincurrency.QinShiHuang---2OneofthemostimportantthingshedidisheunifiedtheChinesewrittenlanguage.ThesemadeChinabearallcharacteristicsofagreatcivilization.QinShiHuang---3Todefensethegreatempirefromharassmentofnorthernnomadicnation,hebuiltGreatWallofChina.Tokeeptheempireunitedandunderhiscontrol.Heenacteddraconianlawstopunishanyonewhodareoffensethelaw,confiscatedalltheweaponsofnormalpeople.QinShiHuang---4Furthermore,heordered,exceptQin’shistorybooks,medicinebooks,divinationbooks,agriculturebooks,andthebooksinnationallibrary,anyotherprivatebooksmustbeconfiscatedandburned.AnyonewhodaretalkaboutConfucianbookswillbesentencedtodeath.Anyonewhodarecriticizethecurrentpoliticalpolicieswillbekilledaswellashisrelatives.Allprivateschoolswerebanned.In212BC,460dissidentscholarswereburiedaliveincapital,Xianyang(now,Xi’an).Hewantedtocontrolpeople’sideasalongwithpeople’sbehaviors.QinShiHuang---5That’snotall.Hedidmoreforhimself,hugepalaceswerebuiltforhisluxuriouslife.Heordered700,000laborstobuildhismausoleum,thefamousTerraGottaWarriorswerejustburiedwithhimashisunderworldguards.ThecollapseofQinempireAtthattime,itwasthebiggestcountryintheworld,however,Theempiresooncollapsedafterhisdeath.Itwasn’tdefeatedbyforeigninvasion.Millionsoffuriousfarmersoverturnedit.HandynastyTherecamethegreatHandynas