They isolated themselves from other countries; but after their imperialisms in the late 1800s, the countries went on different paths. China remained traditional and denied modernization and suffered because of it, while Japan emulated the imperial powers and became an imperial power themselves. Before the early 1700s and the late 1800s, China was a leading nation. China was fairly strong during earlier periods of history. It had a strong and peaceful government during the Qing Empire and imperial powers such as Britain and the U.S. were interested in Chinese goods.
Under these precarious conditions, the empires borders were left less guarded. Another similar internal factor was the corruption in both Rome and Han China. The government in Rome was an Emperor and a senate which was like a dictator and a law making body. Many of the emperors of Rome like Marcus Aurielius who spent more money than he had for military campaigns. The Han had very similar political corruption with the Han Dynasty.A further similarity between the fall of the Romans and the Chinese was externally.
After the fall of the Han Empire there was a vacuum of political instability. In less than forty years the Sui rulers reunified China. They reestablished Confucianism as the central philosophy of government. The Sui period is also distinctive because of the strong political influence of Buddhism. The accomplishments of the Sui Empire were the 1,100 mile Grand Canal that linked the Yellow River in Northern China with the Yangzi River in Southern China.
Han China vs. Imperial Rome The methods of political control used in Han China (206 B.C.E-220 C.E.) were similar to that of Imperial Rome (31 B.C.E-476 C.E. ); however, these societies greatly differed on their oppositions of governing and the techniques used in maintaining control over citizens, expansions, and their falls. Han China and Imperial Rome had similar governments because they were ruled under one central leader, however, Han China had an emperor that enforced policies and Imperial Rome had a republic because they felt the monarchy did no good to the people. The Senate of Rome had most control over the citizens.
The British government retaliated with much force, resulting in Chinese defeat, which then forth became the Treaty of Nanking. The Treaty of Nanking is labeled as one of the “Unequal Treaties” for many reasons. When Britain implemented the Treaty of Nanking, much of the life that China knew would soon be no more, the island of Hong Kong was forced over to British ownership and control, rights were taken away, tariffs implemented, and the destruction of Opium by Lin caused a six million dollar “refund” to England. Since China was a closed nation, with an old-fashioned way of life and military technology, this caused a great disadvantage for them, trying to fight against what British was doing to their country. China had no say or control to what Britain was doing to them, and no way of fighting back or retaliating.
Japan and China Paper HIS/275CA Global Civilizations to 1400-1700 Japan and China Paper China has had some interventions from the Western countries that changed China overall. In 1693 two French Jesuits using western medicine saved the life of Emperor Kangxi, emperor of the Qing Dynasty who was suffering from a malaria attack. The emperor being so grateful granted the Jesuits with funds and land for their church as well as two more establishments, a library and an observatory to study astronomy. This may not seem like a drastic change in china, but it was because the emperor survived the malaria attack. He went on to battle the Dzungars in Dzuunmond to attain Outer Mongolia as part of the Qing dynasty.
The Chinese Open Door Policy was a major event in recent Chinese history, because The Open Door Policy that was argued for by John Hay’s Open Door Notes, advocated an impartial system of taxation to set up a system of equal trading rights, and prevented European nations from carving China into separate colonies. Although the Open Door Notes was not written with Chinese interests at heart, it greatly benefited China in the long run. The Open Door Notes was a very influential document in Chinese history. Written at the turn of the century by Secretary of State, John Hay, the Open Door Notes was a letter that was sent to all nations with interests in China. After acquiring the Philippines, the United States gained interest in the vast resources of Asia.
A major turning point in history is the ‘conversion’ of the emperor Constantine to Christianity in, or about, 312 AD. Historians have wondered at this idea. This occurred when the Roman Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity. The result was the end of harassment of Christians and the beginning of Christendom. Emperors were not at all glad and felt indifferent to Christianity.
Both the empire started in the same way and ended up in a similar way. Both empires were once powerful under one well-educated emperor. After the death of that emperor, internal conflicts aroused, which led to the civil war. This became an advantage for the external opportunist that finally led the collapse of both the empire. Concisely, both empires collapsed because of internal conflicts and external pressure.
CAC China Between the years 500 and 1750, China’s involvement in trade and decisions regarding global trade greatly affected their economy. China has always participated in local trade amongst Chinese societies, however new technologies brought change in the trading system and the people the Chinese traded with. There were also time periods of isolation from other countries that were established in order to have less western influence. Transitions with new rulers, advancements in technologies, and expansion of their empire caused for Chinese economic growth or continuance. Many foreign invaders tried to conquer the empires of China for thousands of years, one of which was actually successful.