Download 3. Explain why the trade routes between Europe and China changed

The Silk Road
The Roman people learned of silk, a beautiful fabric
that came from a mysterious place in the east. The
fabric was soft and seemed to glow. Clothing made
of silk was a source of pride and a sign of great
wealth. Even the smallest pieces of silk would be
displayed by wealthy Romans.
The Silk came from China, and the Chinese were
careful to keep the secret of how they made the
beautiful fiber. We know today that silk is made
from a sticky substance produced by silkworms. The
silkworms are not actually worms, but the tiny
caterpillars of silkmoths. When silkworms hatch,
they are fed mulberry leaves until they are big
enough to spin cacoons. Silk makers boil the cacoons
and extract the shimmering fibers that are woven
into silk.
Silk traveled west to Rome and other parts of Europe
on what historians would later call the Silk Road. The
Silk Road was not an actual road, but a 4,000-mile
long network of trade routes that connected China to
Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. Very few
people traveled the entire length of the Silk Road.
Trade resembled a chain, with each trader and
segment of the trade route representing a link in the
chain.
In addition to silk, Chinese merchants sold tea, spices
and jade. Jade is a hard, shiny stone used to create
beautiful carvings. In exchange, the Chinese received
gold, silver, precious stones, glass, ivory, horses,
elephants and wool.
Many Europeans first became aware of China when
the armies of Alexander the Great expanded his
empire along the Silk Road into Central Asia. In
329BC, Alexander founded the city of Alexandria
Eschate ("Alexandria the Furthest") about 400 miles
west of the Chinese frontier. In the centuries that
followed, trade grew between the Roman Empire in
the west and the equally extraordinary Han Dynasty
in China.
Travel was very dangerous along the Silk Road.
Merchants who traveled the routes were often
robbed and killed. In the thirteenth century, Mongol
armies used the Silk Road to expand their empire.
The first Mongol warriors were nomadic warriors
who attacked and looted the markets along the trade
routes, but in time, the Mongols developed their
own efficient trade along the Silk Road.
In 1269, Marco Polo traveled from his home in Italy
to China on the Silk Road. Marco Polo wrote a book
about his adventures, but the stories of China were
so amazing that many Europeans could not believe
Polo's stories were true.
Ideas also traveled the Silk Road. Buddhism was
introduced to China during the Han Dynasty by
merchants from India. Over time, Buddhism lost
much of its influence in India, but became very
popular in China.
The Black Death was a devastating illness that took
the lives of nearly half of the people of Europe
between 1348 and 1350. Scientists believe the
plague began as a bacterial disease in Central Asian
rats. People on land were usually safe because the
rats did not like the smell of their horses, but at the
western of the Silk Road, goods were loaded into
ships on the Black Sea. The ships transported goods
to cities throughout Europe. In addition to sailors,
the ships were home to rats and fleas. Fleas living on
the blood of the rats bit the sailors on board. When
the sailors returned to their homes in Europe, they
carried the deadly, contagious disease.
The Silk Road lost its importance when the Mongols
Empire disintegrated. The Mongols no longer
policed the routes. The Silk Road became even more
dangerous when bandits learned to make Chinese
gunpowder. By the fifteenth century, Portuguese
sailors learned to circumnavigate Africa in order to
create sea routes that were faster and safer than the
Silk Road.
1. Why did the Roman people value silk?
2. Why do you think the Chinese were careful to keep the secret of how they made silk?
3. Explain why the trade routes between Europe and China changed by the fifteenth century.
The Dynasties of China
Hsia (c. 2200-1766BC) -- Most historians believed the Hsia
to be a mythical dynasty, but recent archaeological
findings have verified their existence.
Shang (1766- c.1040BC) -- Excavations have confirmed
descriptions in ancient Chinese literature of a highly
developed culture. The Shang Dynasty was
distinguished by an aristocratic government, great
artistry in bronze, a writing system still in use today,
an agricultural economy, and armies of thousands
whose commanders rode in chariots.
Chou (c.1040BC- 256BC) -- The semi-nomadic Chou
people from northwestern China overthrew the Shang
king. The Chou court developed a feudal society in
China.
Ch’in (221BC-206BC) -- The group of warlords known as
the Legalists strengthened state power and control
over the people. Weights and measures, and the
Chinese writing system were unified. Chinese
defenses were strengthened by creating the Great
Wall.
Han (206BC-AD220) -- The Han Dynasty is often compared
to the Roman Empire. It is considered the "Golden
Age of Chinese History." Today the Chinese word for
Chinese person means "a man of Han."
Sui (589-618) -- The Sui, Tang and Song Dynasties were
quite similar. The short-lived Sui dynasty reunified
China after four hundred years of fragmentation.
Tang (960-1279) -- Li Yuan was a Sui general who founded
the Tang Dynasty, the largest, wealthiest, and most
populous in the world at that time. The Tang based
their laws on based on Confucian thought.
Song (1279-1368) -- The Song Dynasty continued the
flowering of Chinese culture.
Yuan (1279-1368) -- Kublai Khan established the Yuan
Dynasty after his Mongol tribes defeated China. The
Yuan encouraged Europeans to travel overland to
China; Marco Polo was the most famous of the early
Europeans to make the journey.
Ming (1368-1644) -- Founded by a Buddhist monk who
led a peasant army to victory over the Mongols.
Qing (1644-1911) -- Founded by conquerors from
Manchuria in 1644, the Qing was the last imperial
dynasty of China. When it was overthrown in 1911,
China became a republic.
Dynasty
From at least 1766BC to the twentieth century of the
Common Era, China was ruled by dynasties. A dynasty is
a ruling family that passes control from one generation
to the next. One Chinese dynasty lasted more than 800
years, while another lasted only fifteen years. The
ancient Chinese people often supported their rulers
because of what they called the Mandate of Heaven. The
ancient Chinese believed their ancestors in heaven had
chosen their leaders. The people would rebel against a
weak leader if they believed he had lost the Mandate of
Heaven.
known as the Age of Warring States. It was during this
period that a great teacher named Confucius tried to
develop good government.
The Shang Dynasty ruled China from approximately
1766BC to about 1040BC. The Shang were the first
dynasty to leave written records. The Shang rulers
expanded the borders of their kingdom to include all of
the land between Mongolia and the Pacific Ocean. The
Shang practiced human sacrifice. If a king died, many of
his subjects would join the ruler in his grave. Some
people were beheaded first but others were buried alive.
When a Shang king died, his next oldest brother replaced
him. When there were no brothers, the oldest nephew
became king.
A group known as the Legalists influenced the Ch'in
Dynasty. The Legalists tried to suppress all thoughts
that disagreed with their philosophy. People who
discussed ideas not approved by the Legalists faced
execution. One Ch’in ruler ordered 460 scholars to be
buried alive because the scholars disagreed with the
teachings of the Legalists.
The Chou were nomads who lived west of the Shang.
The Chou overthrew the Shang and ruled China from
1040BC to the third century before the Common Era. The
Chou gained power in part from their ability to extract
iron. They used the metal to create powerful weapons.
The Chou developed a feudal system in China. In a
feudal system, the rulers appoint nobles to control
smaller parts of an empire. The nobles divided the land
into farms for extended families. An extended family
might include many generations and would often include
cousins and second cousins. The families were loyal to
their nobles and the nobles were in turn loyal to the
Chou rulers. The Chou rulers taxed their subjects, but
they used the wealth they collected to build huge walls
around their cities to defend the citizens from nomadic
warriors. The Chou also built roads, irrigation systems,
and dams.
The Chou dynasty ended slowly as nobles became
more powerful. Eventually, the nobles became more
powerful than the emperor in a period that became
The Ch'in state managed to unify China by 221BC.
The Ch'in rulers clearly explained and strictly enforced
laws. They standardized weights and measures and
carried out irrigation projects. The Ch’in also gave
peasant farmers the land they lived on. The West first
learned of China during the Ch'in dynasty. It is from Ch'in
that we get the word China.
China grew into a powerful empire during the Han
Dynasty, between 202BC and AD220. Scholars trained in
the teachings of Confucius ran the Han governments
with great skill. During the Han Dynasty, the Chinese
invented paper, Chinese writers recorded the history of
their land, and the Chinese first learned of Buddhism.
The last Chinese dynasty to rule came from
Manchuria, in northeast China. The Manchus were
unable to stop other nations from interfering with China.
The British defeated China in the Opium Wars. The
outsiders seized Hong Kong, but more importantly, the
British forced the Chinese government to allow them to
sell a dangerous drug called opium to the Chinese
people. Japan seized the island of Formosa, which later
became known as Taiwan. By the turn of the twentieth
century, foreigners had overrun China. Parts of China
were ruled by British, French, American, German,
Russian, and Japanese forces. The Chinese people
believed that the Manchus had lost the Mandate of
Heaven. Many people began to support a group known
as the Nationalists, who pledged to free China from
foreign rule. In 1911, the Nationalists drove from power
a six-year-old boy, who was the last of the Manchu
rulers.
Answer in complete sentences
Use the reading passage to find the correct answers.
4. What was the Mandate of Heaven?
5. Why do we not know if any dynasties preceded the Shang?
4. Explain why historians do not have an exact date for the ending of the Chou dynasty.
5. Why did the Legalists order that many Chinese books be burned?
6. Were the Manchus a strong or a weak dynasty? Support your answers with facts from the text or outside
research.
7. Why did many Chinese people support the Nationalists at the beginning of the twentieth century?
Confucius
Confucius was a sage. A sage is a very wise man. Although he was not well known when he was alive, today
Confucius is the most remembered person from ancient China. Confucius was born in 551BC, in a period of
Chinese history known as the Age of Warring States. During the Age of Warring States, China was divided into
many small kingdoms. The local warlords fought one another and were often cruel to the people they ruled.
Confucius advised many leaders that peace and justice was not possible without good government, and that
good government was possible only when there were good leaders.
Confucius was concerned with how people treated one another. The great sage said, "What you do not
want done to yourself, do not do to others." He stressed that any person, rich or poor, could become superior.
The Chinese word jen refers to the kindness and love each person should have for all others and for nature.
Confucius taught that the person who develops jen becomes superior. Confucius taught that government
officials should not use family connections to get their positions. The officials should instead earn their jobs
through education and talent. Many years after Confucius died, China set up an examination system that
lasted over 1300 years. Students had to show they read and wrote well. They also had to demonstrate their
knowledge of Confucius and his philosophy. Although the Confucian examination system is no longer used in
China, government workers do have to pass tests that are inspired by the old Confucian system.
Confucius believed that society functioned best if everyone respected laws and behaved according to their
positions. He taught that parents were superior to children, men superior to women, and rulers superior to
subjects. Confucius said, "Let the ruler rule as he should and the minister be a minister as he should. Let the
father act as the father should and the son act as the son should."
Despite his obscure life, Confucius left an amazing legacy. A legacy is something handed down from the
past. Confucius never wrote down his philosophy, but he made an enormous impact on many people. His
students compiled a book known as the Analects after Confucius died. The Analects became the model for
official and personal behavior for many Chinese people. Many governments tried to suppress the teachings of
Confucius, but his philosophy remains an important part of Chinese culture to this day.
8. Name someone in modern society who might be considered to be a sage. Explain why you chose this
person.
9. Why was China not ruled by dynastic rulers for a period during the third century before the Common Era?
10. What is your opinion of Confucius’ view of the role of women in society?
11. What are the Analects?
The Legalists
Confucius believed that people are good, but a group of ancient Chinese scholars known as the Legalists
had a different view. The Legalists believed that people look out for themselves first and therefore humankind
is evil. Like Confucius, the Legalists wanted to unify China and end the Age of Warring States, but they believed
in using force rather than persuasion. The Legalists believed that society functioned best through strong state
control and absolute obedience to authority, so they created laws that provided rewards and strict
punishments for behavior. Confucius believed in virtue and natural order, but the Legalists
believed that all human activity should be directed toward increasing the power of the ruler
and the government. The Legalists held power by suppressing anyone who disagreed with
them.
The Legalists ruled China for about fifteen years, ending the Age of Warring States. The
ruler of the Ch’in state embraced the Legalist philosophy and united all of China about 214BC. He took the title
Shih Hwang-ti, which means August Lord or First Emperor. To stop any criticism, Shih Huang-ti and the
Legalists banned all books on history and books that glorified past rulers. The First Emperor ordered all "nonessential" books collected and burned. He allowed only books on agriculture, medicine and pharmacy. Books
written about Conf ucius and his philosophy were destroyed. During this period hundreds of scholars were
put to death. Many scholars were buried alive.
The Legalists lost power shortly after the death of the First Emperor, and the succeeding rulers enacted
laws against burning books. Confucius’ teaching managed to survive the Burning of the Books because his
philosophy was often handed down orally from master to student; thus it was possible to reconstruct the texts
from memory and preserved manuscripts.
12. Write a paragraph that explains why you prefer the philosophy of either Confucius or the Legalists.
The Great Wall of China
Mongols were nomadic people who lived north of China. Mongol raids into China
caused a great deal of destruction during the Age of Warring States. In 214BC, when
Shih Haung-ti unified China and began the Ch’in Dynasty, he decided to end the
Mongol threat by constructing one of the largest public works projects in history. To
this day, the Great Wall of China is the longest human-made structure on earth. More
than a million Chinese workers connected a number of existing defensive walls into a
single system fortified by watchtowers in order to keep out the Mongols.
Very little remains of the original construction, but later rulers made the wall stronger and longer. Today the Great
Wall of China stretches more than 1,500 miles. The wall is generally twenty-five feet high with forty-foot towers. It is
wide enough for wagons to pass each other in opposite directions. If a 1,500 mile wall began in Miami, Florida, it might
end in Boston,
Massachusetts, Des Moines, Iowa, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, or San Antonio, Texas. Gates through the wall became
centers of trade and contact with the northern nomads. Ironically, the Ming Dynasty fell to Manchu invaders from
northeast China when a traitor opened a gate in the wall.
Many people believe that the Great Wall of China can be seen from the moon without a telescope, in fact, a question in
the game Trivial Pursuit says as much. Astronaut Alan Bean has been on the moon.,and said otherwise.
"The only thing you can see from the moon is a beautiful sphere, mostly white (clouds), some blue (ocean), patches of
yellow (deserts), and every once in a while some green vegetation. No man-made object is visible on this scale. In fact,
when first leaving earth's orbit and only a few thousand miles away, no man-made object is visible at that point either."
13. Approximately how old is the Great Wall of China?
14. Explain why the gates in the Great Wall of China became centers of trade.
15. What role did the Great Wall of China have in the fall of the Ming Dynasty to Mongol invaders?
Genghis Khan and Kublai Khan
Genghis Khan was one of the world’s greatest conquerors. The son of a minor chief in what is now eastern
Mongolia, he was born in AD1167 and was originally named Temujin. Temujin united the nomadic tribes of
Mongolia in a disciplined military state. His followers called him Genghis Khan, or "Universal Ruler."
In 1207, Genghis Khan led the Mongols on the first of many destructive, bloody invasions. Nobody knows
exactly how many people were slaughtered by his destructive raids, but even the most conservative estimates
suggest that the armies of Genghis Khan killed several million people. Ganghis Khan never learned how to
read, but his success as a ruler resulted from his superior military organization, strategy and mobility.
Genghis Kahn’s grandson, Kublai Khan, conquered China and moved his capital to the city now known as
Beijing in 1271. Kublai Khan probably did not know how to speak Chinese, but he took the Chinese name Yuan
for his dynasty. The Yuan was the only foreign dynasty to rule all of China. At its height, the Mongol empire
stretched from Korea to Hungary and as far south as Vietnam. It was the largest empire the world has ever
known. The Mongols are remembered mostly for their ferocious military force, but they improved the road
system linking China with Russia and promoted trade throughout the empire and with Europe.
After Kublai Khan died in 1294, the Mongols became less warlike. They were resented as an elite, privileged
class exempt from taxation. Several natural disasters and a peasant rebellion caused the Mandate of Heaven
to shift to a Buddhist peasant, Hung-wu. Hung-wu expelled over 60,000 Mongols, ending almost a century of
Mongol rule and beginning the Ming Dynasty.
16. What does Ganghis Khan mean? Why do you think that name was appropriate for Temujin?
17. Do you think the Yuan Dynasty was popular with most Chinese people? Explain your reasoning.