China and Japan’s Reaction to Imperialism Throughout history, European powers have tried and succeeded in imperializing lesser developed countries, countries that did not fall under or follow the European standards. This was the case with China and Japan. Both China and Japan were self-sufficient countries that only trade with neighboring countries. They had the necessities they needed to live and did not want trifle gadgets. That was the problem.
The importance of politics in China can be shown because, in order to live a good life you need to be part of the society, politics in India did not develop because of the structures implanted in the caste system, (regional political units were often highlighted). The importance of politics in China can be attributed to Confucius belief, that in order to live a good life, one must participate in politics. In India, due to the caste system, there really was no need to have a strong political system like China’s. Present time in India it seems that there is a stronger political system than caste system, but in China there is still a stronger political system. In both Han China & Gupta India, there were some similarities in their imperial governments.
This theory speculated that Tutankhamun’s famous Mask was not originally made for him but was in fact stolen from his stepmother Nefertiti’s tomb and reconstructed to fit the boy king. The theory was put forth by Joann Fletcher. One of the major pieces of evidence for this theory is on the mask itself. On the inside of the mask there are remnants of an old mask that has perhaps been turned inside out and re-decorated to suit the boy king Tutankhamun. Another major piece of evidence to support this theory is the tomb of who they believe to be Nefertiti.
Confucius argues that good men posing moral authority would rule effectively. “Advance the upright and set aside the crooked, and then the people would submit. Advance the crooked and the set
Huan Guan says that technology is an essential part of peasant production and the government is responsible for its suppor. Huan Guan explains the Confucian Han perspective that technology is advantageous while the government uses it to benefit its people. The use of poor quality tools do not give much help and give a negative reputation towards the government. (D#2) Huan Tan, upper-class Han philosopher in 20 C.E, illustrates that Fuxi, a mythological wise emperor invented the pestle and mortar. Huan Tan says that technology is sent as a “gift” from enlightened emperors, Confucian benevolence is involved through the progress.
Hatshepsut’s reign was essentially a peaceful one, and her foreign policy was based on trade rather than war. But scenes on the walls of her Dayr al-Baḥrī temple, in western Thebes, suggest that she began with a short, successful military campaign in Nubia. More-complete scenes show Hatshepsut’s seaborne trading expedition to Punt, a trading centre on the East African coast beyond the southernmost end of the Red Sea. Gold, ebony, animal skins, baboons, processed myrrh, and living myrrh trees were brought back to Egypt, and the trees were planted in the gardens of Dayr al-Baḥrī. Hatshepsut sent many ships on voyages to bring back other country’s goods.
He also talks about Akhenaten’s mother, Tiye, and gives more insight on the chief wife Nefertiti. Aldred shows Akhenaten’s change of character from being praised as a good pharaoh to being considered a madman. Akhenaten was originally named Amenophis IV and was found south of Cairo on the west bank of the Nile in Amarna. The place had been in ruins; the tombs were in terrible condition due to the years of not being taken care of and evidence shows that people had defaced the figures and removed their names. In the beginning, Akhenaten’s sculpted body came off as feminine, and the thought of two queens created more interest as Aldred stated “This enigma, so far from discouraging visitors, only enhanced the appeal of the place” (18).
During her settlement as the father of Kao Tsung’s Concubine to Kao Tsung’s Empress, Wu campaigned in the elimination her opposition and promotion her supporters. At the end, the Elder Statesmen of the Court were decimated. Despite the sinister overtones, there is ingenuity shown even from her career’s beginning. Charisma and persuasion shown, was reflected in Wu’s rule of the people of China as her later policies aimed to gain their support as she knew theirs would trump the ones in the royal court. This mindset outlines her as being very capable in the royal court’s politics.
The legalists believed that having an efficient and strong government would bring social order. An ideal ruler in the legalists mind was someone who used law to keep order and rewarded those who carried out their roles in society correctly. Also the ruler should punish those who were noncompliant. One distinguished leader of the Qin and legalist rule was Shi Huangdi who defeated all the opposition that came his way. He stopped anyone who wished to invade China and subsequently doubled the size of China.
1 Some estimates claim 20,000 human sacrifices a year. The loss of human life would not only weaken the Aztec empire but brought hatred upon the people of the powerful city of Tlaxcala. Many of their own people had been sacrificed, and at the end, the people of Tlaxcala joined forces with the Spanish army to fight the Aztecs. 2 Aztec authority, Henry Nicholson said that among the Aztecs, “human sacrifice was practiced on a scale not even approached by any other ritual system in the history of the world”. Spanish sources report that over 80,000 victims were sacrificed at the dedication of the Great Temple in 1487.