History of China reveals that China is one of the ancient civilizations of the
world and the way of life developed here also found its way to the neighboring
lands. The ancient history of China reveals that by 4th or 3rd millennium B.C
people began to settle down and also made tools for cultivation.
History of China can be seen in the mentioned periods
Origin of the Chinese Civilization (2200 B.C.- 221 B.C.)
From the Shang Dynasty (1766- 1122 B.C.) to the Chou Dynasty (1122- 221 B.C.)
things changed for China. The Shang peoples were known for their use of jade,
bronze, horse-drawn chariots, ancestor worship, and highly organized armies.
The sage Confucius (551-479 BC) developed the code of ethics that dominated
Chinese thought and culture for the next 25 centuries.
The Early Empire Phase (221 B.C.- 589 A.D.)
The Chin established the first empire in 221 B.C. The Han Dynasty (202 B.C-
A.D. 220) in which the Chinese take great pride and call themselves the Han
people. It was during this period under the Chin the Great Wall of China and
the Terra Cotta armies were built.
The Second Empire (589- 1644)
History of China saw the establishment Sui dynasty (589 A.D). Things changed
again with the coming of Tang dynasty (618 A.D.- 917 A.D.). During the Tang
Dynasty China was the largest, richest and most civilized country in the world.
Under the Song (Sung) Dynasty (960 A.D.-1276 A.D.) the Chinese sailing ships
were the biggest and best in the world, navigating through the use of chart
and compass.
During the medieval history of China one finds that the Mongols defeated the
Song in the first war where firearms played a significant role. Kublai Khan
became the first emperor of the Yuan (Mongol) Dynasty (1276 A.D- 1368A.D.).
The Ming Dynasty (1368 A.D.- 1644 A.D.) during this time threatened by both
the Japanese and the Mongols -- and later by the Europeans, the Great Wall was
extensively rebuilt.
The Birth of Modern China (1644- present)
The next change in the history of China was the establishment Quing dynasty
(1644- 1911) under the Manchus. By 19th and early 20th century the country was
driven to the brink of collapse. In the 19th century the Europeans forcibly
initiated trade with the Chinese and brought a large tract of land under them.
An important historical event in the history of China is 1912 when the Cantonese
Dr. Sun Yatsen led a rebellion that ended the Quing Dynasty and established
the Chinese Republic.
The modern history of China marks the Cultural Revolution to revive the declining
spirit of revolution in China under the leadership of Mao. Industrial production
dropped precipitously during the Cultural Revolution -- down 20% in 1967 alone.
But in 1979 China's new leader Deng Xiaoping broke Mao's communes into smaller
units and allowed a free market for excess crops. In 1971 mainland China joined
the United Nations. China was admitted to the International Monetary Fund in
1980.
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