At this time the Chinese had imported than it exported, but after the discovery of opium by Westerners, they began to notice the exact opposite. For the first time the Chinese exported more than they imported! After this occurred the current government at the time sought to stop this growing market to regulate the exports and imports back to normal. They proceeded to ban opium markets in the region, which maddened the British since they had already established a prosperous market on the drug. The settling of this financial problem led to the first opium war from 1839 – 1842.
The invention of paper in 105 C.E. and the development of sciences such as chemistry and physics starting around the late 500’s were major developments. A political change during this time was China’s ruling dynasties. From 100 C.E. to 220 C.E., the Han dynasty ruled over China.
Borderland Nomads invaded and attacked China, with little resistance from the Chinese, because they did not have an organized military or a military leader. These attacks contributed too much of the chaos during these three hundred years. After the three hundred years the dynastic cycle resumed, this was on continuity of the classical era. The Han, Qin and Zhou dynasties were all examples of the dynastic cycle, dynasties rising and falling. Although during the classical era there was a small break in the dynastic cycle it came back with the rise of the Tang dynasty, which was the dynasty that came to power after the three hundred years of chaos.
Documents 4 and 6 all discourage the spread of Buddhism in first century C. E. China. Document 4 ridicules Buddhism as “a cult of barbarian peoples,” citing Confucian sayings as the truth amongst Buddhist lies. Han Yu’s position in the imperial court certainly
On the other hand, the other countries weren’t able to succeed because they conquered by Europeans or their population died out from diseases or plagues (DOC 4, 5, 8). An additional document that would be used, would be a map of the different voyages and attacks Europe went on and did, this would help to see how they were able to succeed. Before Europe went on voyages at sea, China did, they had huge ships that were at the size of 400 ft. long, but they receded from this project and went on to another one. Admiral Zheng he was the main leader of the Chinese voyages that took place before the European explorations. These Chinese explorations were really helpful, but also really expensive because of the large timber ships that they built.
China-v-India During the classical age, when nations were first able to develop individual, and unique cultures and traditions, the outcomes were shaped not only by political power, but also by the social atmospheres and customs created at the time. China and India had many of the same promising beginnings within their governing structures, and class relations. However, India progressed more in a cultural way, and China in a more politically based fashion. China and India continued to both have societal gaps, and central government success’ and failures, but the political and social divides kept them from paralleling religiously or economically. The regions had a lot in common socially from a wide perspective.
In contrast the British had a strong democratic tradition that refused to recognize another nation's superiority. All these economic and philosophical tensions came to a head when the Chinese government had many supplies of the British East India Company's opium burned. This threatened the tea trade, in which the British government had a vested interest. The result was the First Opium War between Britain and China. The British navy, with its modern weaponry, quickly and
setting up embassies in each others’ territories, expanding the trading relations: open more trading ports, free trade. However, these seem reasonable requests in today’s world had all rejected by the Qing Emperor, Qian Long. Britain failed to open the door of China via a modern diplomatic way, 46 years later, this long-cherished wish has finally come true by gunpowder. The Macartney Embassy to China has always been seen as one of the dramatic event as well as the beginning of modern Chinese history. Critics on China’s historical isolationism, Sino-centricism and independence from the outside world have always been denounced, which caused China had gradually lagging behind the world, resulting disastrous and humiliated consequences in the end.
8-UNIFICATION OF CHINA This chapter explores the unification and expansion of China during the Qin and Han dynasties (221 B.C.E. to 220 C.E.). A rich tradition of the social and political philosophies of Confucians, Daoists, and Legalists was the foundation on which these and later dynasties rested. Some of the significant elements contributing to the unification of China in this period were: * The building of a centralized bureaucracy staffed with professionals educated in Confucian thought and values * A prosperous economy based on technological and industrial development and long-distance trade * The standardization of the written language NOTES: * In search of political and social order * Confucius (551-479 B.C.E.)
Chinese Migrate to America The time period between the 1870’s to the 1930’s was a crucial time in American history. During this time was not only the industrial era and the beginning of modernization for America, but it was a immigration hot spot. When America started to industrialize and become more modern, it opened a big window for opportunity and other countries saw this as a once in a lifetime opportunity. Many people from other countries all around the world began to migrate over to America for so many reasons especially the Chinese. The Chinese are a prime example of taking the opportunity that America brought to many people.