Download chinese dynasties and governments

CHINESE DYNASTIES AND GOVERNMENTS
The founder of a Chinese dynasty is known as the Taizu.
1. Three Sovereigns and the Five Emperors (3500-2070 BC)
a. Three Sovereigns were benevolent demigods
b. Five Emperors were sages of great morals
c. Mythological; I Ching supposedly dates to this period
2. Xia Dynasty (2070-1600 BC)
a. Capital at Yangcheng
b. Established by Yu the Great
c. No concrete evidence, though thought to exist
3. Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 BC)
a. Capital at Zhaoge, later at Yin
b. First dynasty of which there is concrete evidence (i.e. contemporary oracle bones)
c. Ended at the Battle of Muye
4. Zhou Dynasty (1046-221 BC)
a. Established by Wu at the Battle of Muye
b. Western Zhou Dynasty (1046-771 BC)
i. Western capital at Haojing, eastern capital at Luoyang
c. Eastern Zhou Dynasty (771-221 BC)
i. Zhou held much nominal power, but real power only around capital at Luoyang
ii. Spring and Autumn Period (771-476 BC)
1. Many states
2. Philosophers include Confucius, Laozi, Sun Tzu
3. Ironworking arose in China
iii. Warring States Period (476-221 BC)
1. Zhou became minor state; subdued by Seven Warring States
2. Seven Military Classics of China
3. The warring state of Qin was greatly strengthened by Shang Yang
5. Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC)
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Capital at Xianyang
Arose from the Seven Warring States to unify China
Made dominant by Qin Shi Huang
Great Wall of China started, Chinese proto-feudalism abolished, currency and measure was
standardized, writing was standardized and improved, Chinese history purged
6. Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD)
China’s majority ethnic group is the Han people, her characters are the Han characters
Established by Liu Bang, posthumously called Gaozu
Golden age, often considered similar to the Roman Empire
Invention of the compass, paper (Cai Lun),
Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-9 AD)
i. Capital at Chang’an
ii. Wu remembered for massive expansion, instituting Confucianism
f. Xin Dynasty (9-23 AD)
i. Capital at Chang’an
ii. Brief interruption of Han Dynasty by Wang Mang
g. Eastern Han Dynasty (23-220 AD)
i. Capital at Luoyang, later at Xuchang
ii. Yellow Turban and Five Pecks of Rice Rebellions
iii. Empire weak due to bureaucracy
iv. Fell under Xian to Cao Pei
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7. Three Kingdoms Period (220-265 AD)
a. Extremely bloody, extremely unstable politically
b. Great technological advances
8. Jin Dynasty (265-420)
a. Greenish celadon porcelain; Buddhist and animal in nature
b. Western Jin (265-316)
i. Much more stable politically
ii. Capital at Luoyang
c. Eastern Jin (316-420)
i. Much less stable; many military revolts, small rival states
ii. Capital at Jiankang
iii. Sixteen Kingdoms Period (304-439)
1. After retreat of Jin to south China,
9. Southern and Northern Dynasties (420-589)
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Spreading of Mahayana Buddhism and Daoism
Technological advances
Han migration south of the Yangtze
Four Southern Dyansties
i. First was Liu Song
e. Five Northern Dynasties
i. First was Northern Wei
10. Sui Dynasty (581-618)
a. Capital at Chang’an
b. Founded by Wen, persisted under Yang
c. Compared to Qin in the reunification, reforms, and brutality
i. Expansion of the Great Wall of China, improved defense
ii. Three Departments and Six Ministries, coinage standardized, equal field system
iii. Grand Canal built and unified
iv. Buddhism encouraged
d. Weakened by unsuccessful, but expensive, campaigns in Korea against Gugoryeo
11. Tang Dynasty (618-907)
a. Capital at Chang’an, the world’s most populous city
b. Founded by Li Yuan
c. Extreme Chinese golden age
i. Exerted influence over Korea, Vietnam, Japan; controlled the Silk Road
ii. Woodblock printing on paper was invented during this age
iii. Buddhism became a major influence on China
d. Second Zhou Dynasty (609-705)
i. Brief interruption by Wu Zetian, the only empress of China
12. Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period (970-960)
a. The North was ruled by five dynasties in quick succession
b. All over China, there were at least ten kingdoms, as a whole, politically unstable
13. Song Dynasty (960-1279)
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960 – 1279
First Chinese dynasty to establish standing navy
First in the world to use banknotes, gunpowder, true north, and movable type
Over 200 years, population doubled due to imported rice from Southeast Asia
Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127)
i. Capital at Bianjing
ii. Established by Zhao Kuangyin
iii. Dominated most of China
iv. Relations with Fatimids, Chola India, Srivijaya, and considered Liao as equals
Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279)
i. Capital at Lin’an
ii. Lost control of the north to the Jin, pushed to the Yangtze, had 60% of people
iii. Built strong navy
iv. Repelled Mongols under Mongke, later conquered by Kublai
14. Liao Dynasty (916-1125)
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Capital at Shangjing
Founded by Yelu Abaoji
Also known as the Khitan (the word Cathay), its Mongolic founders
Dominated Manchuria, Mongolia, and parts of northern China
15. Jin Dynasty (1115-1234)
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Capital at Huining, later at Zhongdu, later at Kaifeng
Founded by Wanyan Aguda
Also known as the Jurchen dynasty, its proto-Manchu founders, and the Jinn
Dominated north China, taking it from the Song
Calvary was extremely strong
16. Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368)
a. Capital at Xanadu before being moved to Beijing
b. Founded by Kublai Khan; Genghis gets credit as the Taizu
i. A division of the Mongol Empire and a Chinese Coimperial dynasty
ii. Founded after years of Mongol invasion eventually triumphed over the Song
c. Drama and the novel were developed
d. Islam and Catholicism enjoyed a period of toleration
e. Marco Polo traveled during this dynasty
17. Ming Dynasty (1368-1644)
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Capital at Nanjing, later Beijing
Founded by the Hongwu Emperor
Great Wall reconstructed, Grand Canal restored, Forbidden City built
One million man standing army, vast navy built
i. Zheng He sailed a fleet along coasts to East Africa, collecting tribute as he went
e. Started trading with the Portuguese, Spanish, and the Dutch
i. Brought China into the Columbian exchange
ii. Silver became medium of exchange; its shortage collapsed the economy
f. Bureaucracy instated with mandarins, those who had passed elite tests
18. Qing Dynasty (1644-1912)
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Capital at Beijing
Established by Hong Taiji, who belonged to Manchurian tribes
Tricked naïve gatekeepers into letting them through the Great Wall to invade
Manchus integrated with Chinese culture
i. Exams remained, and Han served alongside Manchu
ii. Queue hairstyle enforced on penalty of death, servitude common in early dynasty
e. Reached height under the Qianlong emperor, dominating most of East Asia
f. Later fell under foreign domination
i. Opium wars with Great Britain over foreign trade
1. 1839 – 1842, ended with Treaty of Nanking, cession of Hong Kong
2. 1856 – 1860, France participated, ended with Treaties of Tienstin
ii. Russians and Japanese expanded into Manchuria
iii. Germans seized Qingdao following the Juye Incident in 1897
iv. Empress Dowager Cixi attempted to use Boxer Rebellion to expel “foreign devils”
1. Righteous Harmony Society vs. Eight Nation Alliance. Latter won
2. Japan, USA, Italy, UK, France, Russia, Germany, Austria-Hungary
g. Empress Dowager Longyu and Puyi (Xuantong Emperor) deposed in Xinhai Revolution
i. Republic declared, Warlord era begins
ii. Puyi restored in Beijing in 1917, and by the Japanese in Manchukuo
19. Republic of China (1912-1949)
a. Capital at Beijing, later at Nanking, later at Chongqing
b. People to know:
i. Sun Yat-sen (1866-1925)
1. Father of the Nation
2. Founded the KMT and organized the coup to overthrow the Qing
ii. Chiang Kai-shek (1887-1975)
1. Unified (nominally) the ROC
2. Dictator of Taiwan from 1949 to 1975
iii. Yuan Shikai (1859-1916)
1. Qing general who cast military support behind the ROC
2. Elected President in 1913, declared himself emperor in 1915, abdicated
c. Xinhai Revolution led to its rise
i. Started October 10, 1911, Wuchang Uprising from a poorly handled railway crisis
ii. Ended February 12, 1912, when Puyi abdicated
iii. Sun compromised with Qing military strongman Yuan to overthrow monarchy
d. From 1913 – 1916, politics were dominated by Yuan, who attempted to become emperor
i. Many military men defected after his declaration and started small, warring states
e. Warlord era (1916-1928)
i. Small factions around the country dominated various parts
ii. Beiyang Government was internationally recognized as the ROC
1. Military regime starting with Yuan
iii. Sun organized the Kuomintang (KMT) in Guangzhou in 1917
iv. Chiang led the Northern Expedition, made Nanjing the capital
1. 1926 – 1928
2. Unified China with the Northeast Flag Replacement of Beiyang flags
f. Nanjing decade (1928-1937)
i. Characterized by much less violence than the warlord era
ii. Warlords cooperated with the KMT
iii. Intraparty fighting, Communists suppressed
g. Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945)
i. Japan invaded Manchuria in 1931 and minor skirmishes began
1. Set up the puppet state of Manchukuo
ii. Japan invaded “China proper” in 1937
1. Rape of Nanking – pillaged and looted the city, killed 200,000
2. Unit 731 – massive chemical and biological tests on Chinese prisoners
3. Chinese government forced to retreat to Chongqing
iii. Chinese beat the Japanese back with German, Soviet, and American help
h. Post World War II (1945-Present)
i. United States backed coalition government talks failed, civil war ensues
ii. Civil war lasts until 1949, when Chiang retreats to Taiwan, PRC established
20. People’s Republic of China (1949-Present)
a. Capital at Beijing
b. Proclaimed on October 1, 1949, by Mao Zedong
c. Mao’s reign (1949-1976)
i. “Little Red Book” was his philosophical treatise and China’s required reading
ii. Population went from 550 million to 900 million
iii. Great Leap Forward (1958-1961)
1. Economic and social plan to industrialize China rapidly
2. Failure; 45 million people starved before its abandonment
iv. Cultural Revolution (1966-1976)
1. Attempt to rid China of all non-Communist, non-Maoist influence
2. Led to the rise of Deng and now regarded as negative
v. Sino-Soviet split (1961-1989)
1. Ideological and national interest differences led to split
a. In 1961, Mao denounced Marxism-Leninism as ‘traitorous’
2. Exploited by Richard Nixon in 1972 with his Beijing visit
3. In 1972, PRC took ROC’s permanent seat on the Security Council
d. Hua Guofeng’s reign (1976-1978)
i. Gang of Four led the country
1. Blamed for the Cultural Revolution
ii. Quickly deposed by Deng
e. Deng Xiaoping’s reign (1978-1992)
i. Great economic liberalization
1. Communes disbanded, peasants own land and have incentives for labor
2. China goes from being planned to being mixed
a. “Market socialist” or “Socialism with Chinese characteristics”
ii. Adopted current constitution in 1982
iii. Tiananmen Square protests of 1989
1. Asking for democracy and freedom of expression
2. PLA called in to put down protests (“Tank man”)
f. Jiang Zemin’s reign (1992-2004)
i. Led with another former Shanghai mayor, Zhu Rongji, in a “testy relationship”
ii. Economic growth – average of 11.2% annually, 150 million people left poverty
g. Hu Jintao’s reign (2004-Present)
i. Economic advisor Wen Jiabao serves as Premier
ii. Worried about disparity between urban and rural areas
1. Displaced 40 million farmers for economic development
iii. Living conditions and freedom continue to improve
1. Political controls remain very tight
a. Ai Weiwei, Liu Xiaobo (Nobel Peace Prize, 2010) persecuted