PowerPoint Presentation

National Anthem of the Peoples Republic of China (link)

Image you are a student in China. What emotions does the anthem stir? What do you think the lyrics might be about?

Qli! Byun zu nl de rnmen!B wmen de xuru,zhchng wmen xn de Chngchng!Zhnghu mnz do lio zu wixin de shhu.Mi ge rn bip zhe fch zuhu de hushng.Qli! Qli! Qli!Wmen wnzhng yxn,Mozhe drn de pohu, qinjn!Mozhe drn de pohu, qinjn!Qinjn! Qinjn! Jn!Arise, we who refuse to be slaves.With our very flesh and bloodlet us build our new Great Wall!The peoples of China are at their most critical time;everybody must roar defiance.Arise! Arise! Arise!Millions of people become one,braving the enemy's gunfire, March on!Braving the enemy's gunfire, March on!March on! March on, on!

Maos China 1949-1976What happened in China in 1949?

But, it is impossible to understand Maos China without some knowledge of Chinas history before that date

and that is going to be our initial focus for the next few weeks.

1 Oct 1949 The Chinese Communists completed their seizure of power and Mao set up the Peoples Republic of China. What do you know about Chinese history / culture / civilization? (Rulers? Inventions? Art? Language? Etc.)Try to focus on the period before 1949 but if you get stuck add your knowledge Maos China and/or modern China also.

Beer 2000BC

Mechanical clock 700s

Tea 3000BC

Silk 3500BC

Porcelain 1500BC

Compass - 1100Chinese inventions

Gunpowder 900s (discovered by Chinese chemists while searching for an elixir of immortality!)

Movable type printing 1040s (not discovered in Europe until 1400s)

Paper-making 200BC

Matches 600BCA word on Chinese transliteration into English

The first fully-recognised romanization system for Mandarin Chinese was completed in 1892 by 2 English scholars, Thomas Wade and Herbert Giles (the Wade-Giles system).

After 1958, the Government of the Peoples Republic of China introduced a new (and much better) system called Pinyin.

PinyinThis matters because textbooks and other sources generally use Pinyin but sometimes still use Wade-Giles.

You need to be aware of this

Mao Zedong and Mao Tse-tung are the same guy not different guys and Beijing and Peking are the same place.

This is a pain but youll get used to it.

(Probably.) Calligraphy, silk & swordsmanship A clip from the movie Hero, which tells the story of the unification of China by the First Emperor, Qin Shi Huang in 221BC

In this clip, two Zhao warriors defend a calligraphy school from Qin soldiers

The famous underground army of Terracotta Warriors, which was rediscovered in 1974 in Xian, Shaanxi province, was built to protect the First Emperor, Qin Shihuang, after his death.

Important starting pointsChina is an ancient and glorious civilization with 5,000 years of historyFor the vast majority of this time it was the most powerful country on earth and inventor of pretty much everything worth inventingBy 2050, if not sooner, it will again be the worlds dominant powerFrom c.1800-1949 China was at its weakest. It was bullied by the great European powers, and later Japan, into a series of unequal treaties, giving up land and trading rights. From 1931-45 its people suffered terribly at the hands of the invading Japanese army. This period justifiably remains a source of anger and hurt pride in China today. Maos revolution of 1949 as well as being a Communist one promised to return China to greatness Emperors of China

From 221BC to 1911 China was ruled by a series of Emperors. The Emperor was referred to as the Son of Heaven (tianzi) and recognised as the ruler of all under heaven (tianxia). Succession usually passed from father to son. Unlike Japan, where the Imperial Family has an unbroken line of succession for over 100 generations (!), Chinese political theory allowed for a change in ruling house. This was based on the concept of the Mandate of Heaven. As long as the Emperor served the people well and could show stability, he enjoyed the mandate of heaven. Natural disasters, famine and poor rule were all evidence of an emperor who had lost this mandate.In these cases rebellion was justified. Foreign warlords (e.g. Genghis Khan) and peasant rebel leaders could and did rise up to become Emperor in this way. The last 2 Imperial dynasties

Ming Dynasty 1368-1644Took over from the Yuan (Mongol) dynasty of Genghis & Kublai Khan. Was the last Chinese dynasty ruled by ethnic Han Chinese.

Qing Dynasty 1644- 1911

Qing China was at its largest in 1820. Led by foreign (Manchu) invaders from the North who adopted most Chinese customs once in power. Chinas relationship with its neighbours in 1800

Who/what are these?How does power work in the fictional world of Panem?The Tribute system of Imperial China

Read the handout. Highlight (or underline) key points/ideas as you go. Discuss these points on your tables:How did the tribute system demonstrate and/or maintain Chinese superiority over its neighbours?What do you learn about Chinese attitudes to the rest of the world in the 1780s?How was this likely to lead to a clash with expanding European powers?The Chinese word for China Zhongguo () literally means middle kingdom.The traditional Chinese view of the world was that China was the centre of world civilization.

The closer neighbouring countries were to China and the more that they adopted Chinese cultural norms the more civilized they were. In 1800 Britain was an awfully long way away from China and Chinese cultural norms. Chinese officials therefore saw Britain as unimportant and backward The Macartney trade mission to Emperor Qianlongs court - 1793

In 1793 George III sent Lord George Macartney to Beijing. He was instructed to try to open up trade with China, including: through establishing a permanent British Envoy (ambassador) in Beijing; andby securing a lease on an island or landmass that British traders could use as a trading hub. At the same time, he was instructed to assess the strength of the Chinese empire

The mission failed in its primary aims and Macartney was sent home by Qianlong with a letter to deliver to George III. Read the letter, highlighting key points as you go. What do you learn about the Chinese worldview in 1793 from the letter? Does anything surprise you?

The story of the Macartney mission includes a telling story of the challenge caused by Macartneys refusal to kowtow (see above) to the Chinese emperor. Mac. refused to do this on the basis that it wasnt a British custom.Eventually a compromise was worked out where he would bow (not kowtow) to the Emperor provided an equal-ranking Chinese official bow to a portrait of George III at the same time. The Chinese thought this rude and an affront to their customs, but the mission would have failed anyway

The Empire of China is an old, crazy, first-rate Man of War, which a fortunate succession of able [men] have contrived to keep afloat for these hundred and fifty years past, and to overawe their neighbours merely by her bulk and appearance. But whenever an insufficient man happens to [take over] adieu to the discipline and safety of the ship. She may, perhaps, not sink outright; she may drift some time as a wreck, and will then be dashed to pieces on the shore; but she can never be rebuilt on the old bottom.Macartney after the trade missionAnother British official after the trade mission

Until this letter ceases to appear utterly remarkable and absurd we will be no closer to understanding China.