Chinese history for beginners

The origins of chinese civilization: c. 2200-221 BC

Xia (c. 2200 - c. 1750 BC)

Xia Dynasty was, until recently, an unknown series, regarded as a myth by historians from around the world. However, after the discovery of a series of archaeological remains back to life this family. These findings situation to Xia in the valley of the Neolithic as creators of culture known as the Longshan, whose major contribution was a long tradition of ceramic coated in black.
The Xia are the predecessors of the Shang, and who laid the foundations of writing.

Shang (c. 1750 - c. 1040 BC)

The Shang characterized by a long tradition in the world of bronze, being considered the most advanced civilization in its management.
The Shang also continued the written tradition of their predecessors, although not yet established a complete set of alphabet, as evidenced by the writings found in the vessels that left a heritage.
At Shang liked everything that had to do with human sacrifice, is recorded, just as in the paintings of the vessels. According to the explanations, some of these representations may be accompanied by one hundred dead kings sacrificed slaves, suggesting his fondness for the practice.

Western Zhou (c. 1100 - 771 BC)

Zhou differ from their predecessors in two respects:

1 - not worship human sacrifice

2 - not experts in working with bronze

The story states that the Xia, Shang and Zhou are three cultures that, although different, were born in the same area and shared qualities and customs. Thus, the Xia would be conquered by the Shang and these, in turn, by the Zhou.

Of the three, the Zhou were the most powerful, and a dynasty capable of maintaining peace and stability in their state to the saqueamiento of the barbarians of the West in the year 771 a. C.

Eastern Zhou (771 - 256 BC)
Spring & Autumn Period (722 - 481 BC)
Warring States Period (403 - 221 BC)

After the sack of the year 771, Zhoo dynasty was divided into Western and Eastern, due to displacement of some of its members to the east. Thus, the first dynasty lost power, emergence of new thoughts, ideas and philosophies. It is at this time when there are Taoism, Confucianism and Legalism.

Taoísmo

This philosophy is usually translated as 'study of the road' and its first and thus oldest manifestation was the book Jing Tao (the Way and Virtue), of Lao-zi.
Nevertheless, and over the years and research is not yet clear if Lao-zi actually existed, if it exists, if Lao-zi was his real name and if this work is in Indeed, one author.
There are also inconsistencies regarding the texts, as several of the prayers included in it have different translations, but with the same meaning is paradoxical.
Taoism influence the Cha'an (also known as Zen) Buddhism..

Confucius

Confucianism focuses mainly on the value of human virtues. His whole approach was developed around the idea of ??virtue. Thus, some of their approaches established that the most moral men would be better rulers and that virtue was achieved following the right path, ie good behavior.
Although Confucius is the most representative, it is believed that most of the texts of this philosophy were written by the disciple Mencius

Legalism

Legalism comes from other disciples of Confucius, including Xunzi, who believed that before addressing external issues, the man had to look after their own interests.
In the legalistic owes its set of laws to better control a nation, they aim to achieve the reunification of China. Although legalism shares this goal with Confucianism, the difference in methods, since although the Confucian bet by virtue, the legalists preferred to stand.
Therefore, the legalists can be considered more 'Machiavellian' in their methods, because not only established the burning of books, but also the murder of opponents to his ideas.
Other measures taken by the secret police were legalism (to encourage the accused the neighbors) and a general atmosphere of terror.

The early Empire: 221 BC - AD 589

Qin (221 - 206 BC)

The year 221 BCE marked the history of China, as syrgía the first emperor, Qin Shi huangdi (these were considered kings).
However, did not reach this position in a clean, because as a descendant of legalistic, began to burn books contrary to their opinion and to kill some generals.
In addition, it was another time, he worked more with the iron, so you had better weapons with which to fight.
In addition, Qin Shi huangdi was a great warrior, linked to large buildings such as walls that lay the foundations for future Great Wall of China.
Shi huangdi Quin dynasty ended soon after his death in 210.

Earlier Han (206 BC - AD 8)
Wang Mang Interregnum (AD 8 - 25)
Later Han (25 – 220)

This dynasty is crucial in the history of China, it is considered that it was they who invented the story as it is, and leaving behind the country's largest ethnic group, which bears the same name.
They were also due a new administrative model later copied by the subsequent dynasties.

During this period it was written an important book in the history of China, the Records of the Grand Historian, the historian Sima Qian. This is a book unlike any other, which only spoke about a topic. In this, each chapter is devoted to one issue: the Greeks, the Romans, the average age ...

Between 8 and 25, a man named Wang Mang ruled China. Had been part of the royal house of Han, he, however, was a commoner and had no royal blood in his veins. He had been appointed emperor after a power struggle in the house of Han history mixed in it. While that seemed to have some good ideas, reform-oriented (eg, power to the people), which really was not the task of governing. After his death in AD 25, the Han royal family took back the reins of power, and established the Later Han Dynasty.

This was terminated due to the barbarian invasions that cause people to flock to the south, losing control and making China sprovincias lived about 350 years of chaos.

Three Kingdoms (220 – 265)
Dynasties of the North and South (317 - 589)

This period is characterized by successive wars and in the social field, by two major events: the Han Chinese continued their way south and the barbarians to the north. Moreover, Buddhism came to China (mid first century AD), which spread rapidly across the country.

The second Empire: 589 – 1644

Sui (589 - 618)

The most important thing to know about this dynasty is that it was very short (by dynastic standards) and that it did a pretty good job of re-unifying China. Because it had a northern power base, it was part barbarian, as was the Tang. Despite the fact that the royal houses of Sui and succeeding Tang were not entirely Han Chinese, both of these dynasties are considered to be Chinese, as opposed to the Mongols and Manchus later on.

Tang (618 - 907)

This is one of the great dynasties of Chinese history. They established the Chinese border in Siberia, Korea and Vietnam, controlling these areas and also some from Afghanistan.

From this house include the Empress Wu, the only woman who took the title of Emperor, and the revolt of An Lushan, who marked the end of the Tang.

Following Wu, Xuanzong happened, who, in the middle of the An Lushan rebellion, was forced to flee.

This rebellion would end the control of the Tang, resulting in 150 years of incertudumbre and control that led to a gradual disintegration of the country.

Northern Song (960 - 1125)
Southern Song (1127 - 1279)

Following the collapse of the Tang, Song Dynasty was who restored the country. It was a time marked by major advances and developments in sectors such as culture, technology or entertainment. However, said policy failure.
The most important event of this era was the development of agricultural technology that allowed faster growing rice, and the emergence of printing.

These improvements have made ??the country self-sufficiency.

However, in parallel to these developments, the northern half of China was conquered by barbarians, rather forcing the dynasty to abandon the capital. Finally, years later the country would be conquered by the Mongols.

Yuan (Mongol) (1279 – 1368)

This period can not be regarded as the domain of a dynasty, but as an occupation government, as they used their language and their officers, not counting on China's population.

Ming (1368 - 1644)

The Ming were characterized by a lazy attitude and crazy, lost in the controversy and the occasional victim of decapitation.

In the Ming is attributed to the displacement of the Chinese capital Beijing.

The birth of modern China: 1644 – present

Qing (Manchu) (1644 - 1911)

In 1644, the Qing dynasty, from Manchuria, conquered Beijing.

In China, the Qing dynasty has been regarded as oppressive. The Manchus imposed their hair style and dress the way China's population, and the Manchu language was used for the most important issues in court, dominated by the ruling class of Manchu origin.

The Qing dynasty consolidated the territorial expansion of China, incorporating the rule Taiwan, Tibet, Xinjiang and Mongolia.

Despite the Qing empire's military strength is followed rebellions against it. The most important of the rebellions antimanchúes was the Taiping Rebellion, which cause millions of deaths between 1851 and 1864.

Throughout the nineteenth century succeeded trade disputes with Western powers, which led to the Opium War, which pitted China and the United Kingdom between 1839 and 1842, and the Second Opium War between 1856 and 1860 , where a Franco-British took the city of Canton. The result of these wars was the signing of treaties of Nanjing and Tianjin, by which the United Kingdom won sovereignty over part of the current territory of Hong Kong, as well as trade and shipping rights for the Western powers.

In the last decades of the Qing Dynasty, under the command of the powerful Empress Dowager Cixi continued conflicts with foreign powers for trade disputes. In addition, the rivalry with Japan for influence in Korea led to the Sino-Japanese war between 1894 and 1895. Following China's defeat in this war, we signed the Treaty of Shimonoseki, by which China recognized the independence of Korea, it came under Japanese influence, and ceded Taiwan to Japan.

The defeat against Japan grew the prestige of the Qing dynasty. Dissatisfaction with the Manchu imperial government was manifested in the appearance of numerous revolutionary movements calling for the formation of a republic.

Republican China (1911-1949)

On October 10, 1911 occurs Wuchang Uprising, uprising against the Qing dynasty in the modern city of Wuhan, which causes the Xinhai Revolution, which ends with the final overthrow of the last Qing emperor, Pu Yi in 1912.

The Chinese revolutionary leader Sun Yat-sen, on hearing of the Wuchang uprising, returned to China from the United States. Although the Sun comes to being appointed President of the Republic of China, the country is divided, dominated by local leaders, and reaches an agreement with the military leading Yuan Shikai, who controlled the remains of the Qing army in the north, so that it president.

The ambition of Yuan Shikai, who later proclaimed himself emperor in 1915, increases the opposition to it. China was still divided, and Sun Yat-sen returned from exile to settle in Guangzhou, from where he directs the Kuomintang, the political party he founded. In Guangzhou, Sun Yat-sen founded the Whampoa Military Academy, which will form the army under the command of Chiang Kai-shek, the successor of Sun Yat-sen in front of the Kuomintang, get conquered much of China and established in Nanjing the capital of the Republic of China, fulfilling the ambition of Sun Yat-sen.

Chiang Kai-shek becomes president of the Republic and, from the start, will face two problems. On the one hand, the Chinese Communist Party, despite several periods of cooperation with the Kuomintang, struggle to establish a communist regime. On the other hand, pressed Japanese imperialism in China. In 1931 Japan conquered Manchuria, and established there the puppet state of Manchukuo. In 1937 the Japanese army began an invasion of China.

During the Japanese invasion, the government of Chiang Kai-shek left the capital Nanjing, occupied by Japan, and is folded inside, settling in the city of Chongqing.

After the end of World War II in 1945, Japan abandoned its conquests in Asia, and China recovered Taiwan and Manchuria.

When it seemed that the government of Chiang Kai-shek could achieve and consolidate stability in the republic, the Communist Party organized an armed rebellion against the Kuomintang. This becomes a civil war since 1947.

Contrary to expectations, the Communists succeed in defeating the army of the Republic. The KMT government, with the army and many of his supporters, will Taiwan, where hoped to reconquer the mainland. This situation, however, end up staying and the Republic of China still exists today on the island of Taiwan.

Present

With the CPC's victory, and their proclamation of the People's Republic of China on October 1, 1949, Taiwan was again politically separated from mainland China, and continues to be governed by the Republic of China to the present day. No peace treaty has ever been signed between the two opposing parties. For the history of the People's Republic of China since 1949, see History of the People's Republic of China. For the history of the Republic of China since 1949, see Republic of China on Taiwan (1949-present).