QING CHINAAND A REVIEW OF

ANCIENT CHINESE HISTORY

ESSENTIAL QUESTION: How was China affected

by global changes during the Qing Dynasty?

From ancient times to 1900, China was the most dominant and influential society in Asia

Chinese culture spread to neighboring countries in Asia, including Korea and Japan

China was one of the most

innovative cultures in world history by

developing technologies such as the compass,

printing, silk, paper, and gunpowder

Many elements of Chinese culture remained constant over the course of Chinese history

(from 3000 BCE to 1900 CE)

Chinese civilization is unique in the world with its continuity over 4000 years of history

Core Ideas Across Chinese History

China was isolated from outsiders by deserts and the Himalayan Mountains

This isolation led the Chinese

to refer to themselves as the “Middle Kingdom”

The Chinese thought of outsiders as barbarians and rarely traded with foreign merchants

Core Ideas Across Chinese History China was ruled by

emperors who claimed to have the Mandate of Heaven

(approval of the gods)

Dynasties could be justifiably overthrown if it was decided that they had lost the Mandate of Heaven;

this was called the dynastic cycle

Since the Classical Era of the Han Dynasty, Chinese government was run effectively by educated

bureaucrats because of the examination system

Core Ideas Across Chinese History Rather than following a major world

religion, China was influenced by the ethical

system of Confucianism

Later, Buddhism was introduced and spread from India to China during the Han Dynasty

Chinese luxury goods spread through Asia and Europe across the Silk Road trade routes

China was a reluctant trade nation, but it was the trend-setter: other Asian nations adopted Chinese

writing, government, and artistic styles

Eras in Chinese history are named after the dynasties that were in power during

that era; each of these dynasties added unique contributions in Chinese history

Review of Chinese Dynasties

River Valley Era (5000-1700 BCE)China began along the unpredictable

Yellow and Yangtze Rivers, but only 10% of China’s land is

suitable for farming

Qin Dynasty (316-206 BCE)

China’s first emperor (Qin Shi Huang-di) came to power, gave “China” its name, and built the Great

Wall to protect against northern invasions

Han Dynasty (206 BCE to 220 CE)

China became an empire for the first time during the Han Dynasty (206 BCE to 220 CE)

and entered the Classical Era (alongside other “Classical” civilizations like Greece and Rome)

It was during the Han Dynasty that trade on the Silk Road began, linking Asia and Europe for the first time

Han Dynasty (206 BCE to 220 CE)

Chinese artisans

mastered the arts

of making silk and paper

The Confucian Examination System began during the Han Dynasty; if one

wanted to become a government worker,

he had to pass an exam that showed he had the strong

ethics of Confucius

Buddhism was first introduced during the Han Dynasty

and began to spread in China

During the Tang and Song Dynasties, China experienced an extended “golden age”

China became the richest, most powerful, and most advanced country in the world

Tang and Song Dynasties (618 CE to 1279 CE)

For the first time, foreign trade was encouraged during the Tang and Song Dynasties

During the Tang and Song Dynasties, a series of advanced inventions were developed: gunpowder,

compass, printing press, and vaccinations

The Song Dynasty came to an end

when Genghis Khan and the Mongols took over China

In 1279, Genghis’ grandson Kublai Khan

became the first foreign leader to

directly rule China; the Mongols created the

Yuan Dynasty

Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368)

Marco Polo’s visit during the Yuan Dynasty would

increase European demand for Chinese

goods even more

During the Mongol Peace, (Pax Mongolica), the Silk Road was

highly protected by the Mongols and trade with China increased

enormously

The Mongols were eventually pushed out of China and the Ming Dynasty began; during the Ming Dynasty, Chinese rule

was restored and foreign trade was again encouraged

During the Ming Dynasty, emperors encouraged exploration for the first and ONLY time in Chinese history

The Chinese admiral Zheng He led the overseas exploration; however, after his death, the Chinese

decided to stop exploration and go back to isolation

To protect Ming emperors from future invasions, the Forbidden City was built in Beijing; no one other than

royalty or approved bureaucrats could enter

In 1644, northern

invaders from Manchuria conquered China and

created the second foreign

dynasty in Chinese

history, the Qing Dynasty

Qing Dynasty (1644 CE to 1911 CE)

■ Text

During this era of Manchu rule, China grew to its largest size by claiming Taiwan, Central Asia,

Mongolia, and Tibet

Like the era of Mongol rule, Chinese rejected their Manchu rulers and led rebellions against them

However, the Manchurian emperor of

China, Kangxi, earned Chinese

respect by keeping Confucian

beliefs, lowering taxes,

and restoring peace and

prosperity to China

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Kangxi also earned respect of the Chinese people he ruled over by being the first emperor to tour

China and personally visit peasant villages

Kangxi and later Manchu rulers returned China to isolationism by restoring strict adherence to

being the “Middle Kingdom”

But, Qing China faced TWO important challenges that would threaten China’s future strength

First, the introduction of new American crops like

corn and sweet potatoes led to a

dramatic increase in the Chinese

populationIn a relatively short

amount of time (from the 1500s to the 1900s), China’s

population went from less than 100

million to over 1 billion

The sharp rise in the number of Chinese peasants would lead to intense competition for land and

violent rebellions when poverty grew

The second challenge to Qing China was the arrival of European missionaries and merchants in Asia who

were eager to gain access into China

Europeans arrived with superior military technology, demanded that China trade with them, and refused

to accept Chinese customs

The policy of isolationism would come back to haunt

China; as China remained relatively

stagnant in terms of technological

advancement for 300 years, the

Europeans developed far more powerful weapons

When the Europeans demanded trade with

China in the 1800s, the

Chinese were unable to

resist them

Closure Activity: Advice to KangxiImagine that you are an advisor to the Manchu emperor Kangxi and give suggestions as to how to deal with China’s problems–Working with a partner, identify China’s 2

major problems during the Qing Dynasty; Write these on one side of an index card–On the same side of the card, brainstorm at

least 3 potential solutions to each problem–Rank order these potential solutions–On the other side of the card, offer your

best solution for each problem

Revamped and redone byChristopher Jaskowiak

Original version by Brooks Baggett