Kunlun Mts. Himalayan Mts.

Gobi Desert

Huang He (Yellow) RiverYangtze River

Physical Features

•Mountains & Deserts in the north & west & Pacific in the east isolated China from outsiders

•Ethnocentrism-China was the center of the world

•All foreigners were Barbarians

•Lacked interest in foreign cultures

Founded by Confucius 6th Century B.C.

Texts – Analects/ writings of Confucius

•Filial Piety Respect for elders

•5 relationships Father/son, Ruler/subject, husband/wife, older brother/ younger brother, friend/friend

Founded by Lao-tzu 3rd century BC

•Tao- “The Way” of the universe

•Live in Harmony with nature

•Balance between Ying & Yang

•Rejected government

•Highly powerful government is the key to social order

•Punishment for offenses should be severe

Siddartha Gautama5th Century BC

•Eightfold Path, ethical behavior & good deeds (Meditation)

•Ultimate goal is Nirvana

•Rise, decline, and replacement of dynasties

•Mandate of Heaven- Rule by divine right.

•210BC-220 AD

•Legalism/confucianism

•Centralized government

•Civil Service Exam

•221BC-210BC

•Legalism/ unified China

•Shi Huangdi

•Burned rival books/regulated coinage

•Unified Great Wall of China

•618-907 AD

•Revived Confucianism

•Expanded Trade (Silk Road) connected china to the Middle East

•Ruled China from 1279-1368AD

•Mongols- Invaders from the north

•Led by Genghis Khan

•China first experienced foreign rule under Kublai Khan

•Opened China to foreign contacts (Marco Polo)

•Conflict between England & China over Opium Trade

•Chinese easily defeated & forced to sign Treaty of Nanking

•Gave Britain Island of Hong Kong & extraterritoriality

•Right to live under own laws

•Sun Yixian establishes republic of China 1911

•3 Principles Nationalism, Democracy, livelihood

•Chiang Kai Shek takes over leadership of Kuomintang (Nationalists) 1925

Civil War between Nationalists & Communists

Mao Zedong & Communist defeat Nationalists under Chiang Kai Shek (Taiwan)

Great Leap Forward- Program to increase industrial & Agricultural Output (Collectivization)

Cultural Revolution- Renewal of Loyalty to Communism & purge China of non revolutionary forces

•Leaders after Mao are more moderate

•UN membership in 1971

•President Nixon visits China in 1972

•US Recognizes China in 1979

•Leader: Deng Xiaoping promoted foreign trade and contact with western World•4 modernizations: Industry,Farming, Science & technology, Defense.•Eliminated communes

•Economic Reform: supported capitalist ideas but remained strongly Communist

•Tiananmen Square- 1989 student uprising in May 1989 1000’s killed or wounded. 10,000 arrested

Human rights violations still a huge issue

Leader Jiang Zemin (1997-today)

•Economically open/ politically closed

•Transfer of Hong Kong (1997) from British control

•Agreed not to change Hong Kong’s political or economic system for 50 years