Located in East Asia, China has been around for over 5,000 years and is known as one of the four ancient civilizations. As China developed into a great nation, the government began to form “dynasties” in which China is ruled by a specific emperor. The first dynasty to have an emperor was the Qin Dynasty, established by Shi Huang Di. This notorious name was self-proclaimed by him and literally translates into the “First Emperor” of China. At the end of the Qin Dynasty, Shi Huang Di was overthrown and China became conquered by another. Furthermore, these events spawned a new dynasty called the “Han Dynasty,” which ultimately fell and created the opportunity for another dynasty and so on. This incessant succession in governing Ancient China continued …show more content…
Likewise, China produced inventions that contributed to not only their culture, but the vast world of our past and present. Particularly, “The Four Great Inventions” have made a tremendous impact on our society as humans. These are the inventions of: Papermaking, Printing, Gunpowder, and the Compass, developed during the Song and Yuan Dynasties. Starting with the art of papermaking, this process created a writing surface other than bones, silk, or bamboo. Using plant fibers, Cai Lun of the Eastern Han created a lightweight and smooth textured piece of paper--- as opposed to heavy, rough bones or expensive silk. Then, Bi Shang of the Northern Song Dynasty invented movable type printing, which was later updated and succeeded by Europe. By applying baked clay in which text could be composed, Shang could print the frame onto paper. Therefore, paper and printing were used as expected: creating a source of entertainment in books, information on news, producing art, and more. Progressively, the compass was conceived shortly afterwards. The initial compass had a magnetic rod among a bronze case with twenty-four directions etched into it and was used until the 8th Century. Its “brother” instrument used water to suspend itself and minimize movement, thus allowing long-distance sea navigation. Finally, the introduction of gunpowder had revolutionized China and the world. Gunpowder, which is made of sulfur, charcoal, and potassium nitrate, was discovered to burn rapidly, releasing immense volumes of gases. At first, this was used for firework displays, but was found to also be a powerful weapon. With the advantage of gunpowder, China had become a callous adversary in
As one of the first civilizations, ancient China grew into the largest superpower in all of Asia (Strayer, 2012, pp. 133). Ancient China impacted history through their military conquests, major historical figures, and most significantly, founded a technological breakthrough for the world, metallurgy. Metallurgy is the branch of science and technology concerned with the properties of metals and their production and purification (Oxford, 2010). The Chinese made great advancements in metallurgy as it emerged from the Neolithic period and then as it progressed into the Iron Age. Early evidence of the origination of the technologies used to make bronze alloys is debated, however, superbly crafted bronze objects have been found in China dating back from around 2000 B.C.E. from the Shang dynasty. However, there is no debate over where the unique metallurgical methods to melt and cast iron were developed over a thousand years prior to any evidence found of it the
The following are the Chinese dynasties in order from oldest to most recent: Xia, Shang, Zhou, Qin, Han, Sui, Tang, Song, Jin, Yuan, Ming, and Qing. The legendary dynasty is the Xia, which is believed to be around 2000 BC. The Shang (1700-1000BC) developed the first written Chinese language. The Zhou (1028-221BC) built the first roads, expanded trade contacts and trade routes, and also developed plows and irrigation systems. Trade at this time was expanding in China. The Qin Dynasty (221-207BC) built the famous Great Wall of China as a defense mechanism and also united all of China under one central government. Next is the Han Dynasty (207BC-AD220), which did a lot for China in terms of trading. They developed the Great Silk Road, a trading route that stretched from China all the way to the Mediterranean Sea. The Sui Dynasty (589-618) united almost all of China. Followed in suit by the Tang Dynasty (618-917) discovered one of Chinas' leading exports, porcelain. During the Tang Dynasty, the first block-style printing press was invented. The Song Dynasty (960-1279) came next, which took over all of China and later took the southern rule after being conquered by the Jin. The Song Dynasty is responsible for developing Chinese cuisine as we know it today. During this time period the compass and gunpowder were also discovered. The Jin Dynasty (1127-1234) took rule over Northern China from the Song. The Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368) brought a long period of peace to
Tracing back the history of China, Xia Dynasty of the second millennium BCE was the earliest dynasty in China, which was centered along the Yellow River. Before China was unified, it was the time during which most of China's cultural tradition arose. Chinese civilization ascended and developed in a vast area, one-third larger than the United States if such dependencies as Manchuria, Inner Mongolia, and Tibet are included. For centuries China was almost completely isolated from the other centers of civilization by mountains, deserts, and seas. This isolation helps explain the great originality of China's culture. China has many mountain ranges and three river systems that rise close together on the high Tibetan plateau and flow eastward to
Chinese Dynasties: 1. Shang: Also called Yin, dynasty that was China's earliest historically verifiable state 1766 B.C. to 1122 B.C. A. Reason's for Rise: Unlike the early accounts of history by the Chinese, there is archaeological evidence of the Shang, who built their cities in northern China around the eastern parts of the Yellow River. For this reason they are called the Yellow River civilization. They were a bronze age people; bronze-working seems to have entered China around 2000 BC (about one thousand years after its invention in Mesopotamia). B. Territorial Location & size at height of power (map): The Shang ruled the area from the North China Plain northward into present-day Shantung Province and westward to the tip of Honan
Major changes in political structure, social and economic life define the Sui, Tang, and Song dynasties. Each period laid the foundation for the next, with changes and improvements to create a new order. China is one of the world’s richest historical countries boasting of ancient civilization. China has a mysterious and long history, about 5,000 years. China traces her culture to a blend of small tribes like any other great civilizations of the world. These small original tribes expanded to what is China today. The history of China records that Xia Dynasty is the oldest dynasty with Yuanmou man being the oldest hominoid in China. The country also documents a number of eminent people who contributed to the nation’s enrichment and development experienced today. However, this essay seeks to discuss the major changes in political structures, social and economic life that occurred during the Sui dynasty, the Tang dynasty and the Song dynasty in China.
The ancient China was characterized by many dynasties (Kissinger & Henry 72). The Xia dynasty was the first. The Shang dynasties succeed the Xia dynasty (1600-1046). Then there was the Zhou Dynasty. It was followed by the
Records of Chinese history can be traced back to around 1766 B.C.E. The Shang Dynasty were the first to record their history. The Shang Dynasty would remain in power until 1059 B.C.E. when they were defeated by the Zhou. The Zhou Dynasty would rule for over a thousand years. No other dynasty has ruled that long. China was ruled by a feudal state until the Qin united the feudal lords. Qin was the first emperor in 221 B.C.E. He was a very harsh ruler. He demanded that the teachings of Confucious be abolished, he ordered the construction of canals, roads, and walls. The building of the wall would be the beginning of the Great Wall. The Qin Dynasty only lasted 3 years. The Han Dynasty would come into power for almost 400 years and built the foundation
Have you ever wondered how medieval china was like? How everyday life was like? Or how gunpowder was invented. Medieval China is known for their famous inventions, their unique way of life moreover being one of the leaders of many developed civilization. Medieval Chinese people went threw slavery, starvation, pressured marriages, torturing fashion trends nevertheless unpleasant diseases. Medieval China is a thrilling part of history and there's a lot to learn.
“Archaeological evidence suggests that China is one of the cradles of the human race.”(Chinese Cultural) The first human in China dates back all the way to 600,000 BC so that’s where they start out in the history books. However, the first nameable society in China was the Shang Dynasty which existed from 1766-1122 BC. “The highly developed hierarchy consisted of a king, nobles, commoners, and slaves.” (Chinese Cultural) This way of governing did them very well; they created their own form of writing with a complex system of picture writing
There were several important inventions during medieval times in Ancient China, but there were three key inventions that advanced Chinese culture. China is very popular when it comes to inventing, and making items that help make life easier, so it's not surprising when you hear of China inventing something new. Those three inventions were, the umbrella, compass, and the moveable type printing technique. By researching Chinese culture, I found that these three inventions, helped the Chinese culture advance in many ways.
China which is located in East Asia, is one of the world’s most oldest and civilized nation, which dates back to around more than 10,000 years. China is also recognized as one of the four greatest civilizations because it contained records that date back 4,000 years ago. China was founded by a group called the Shang Dynasty, one of the three historic dynasties. But the Xia Dynasty were the first group of people to prosper and develop in China. Much of China’s culture, literature, and lifestyles has developed over the years and influenced the world today. Not only that, but it is the world’s most populous country, with over 1.35 billion people.
Some basic Chinese inventions from the past are the reason for amazing inventions into the future. Three inventions from China, however, are by far the most significant inventions created. These inventions include the Mechanical Clock, Smallpox Inoculation, and Moveable Type. These all had importance in the future, whether it was healing the sick, telling the time or simply writing an essay. These three Chinese inventions are the reason those things are possible today.
There were several inventions during medieval times in China. However, there were three key inventions that advanced the Chinese culture. These three inventions were kites, compasses, and boat rudders. All of these inventions played significant roles in the advancement of navigation.
The Chinese invented many things in their time and paved the way for many new inventions throughout the world. The Chinese were more advanced than most countries. They invented the compass, which allowed for further travel aboard ships. They even knew that iron had magnetic properties. So this proves that the Chinese were advanced. These inventions are still used today and were adopted from the Chinese. The Europeans adopted inventions like the crossbow and the gun. The most important invention from the Chinese is paper. Paper still heavily influences mankind today.
China’s long history dates back to almost 5000 years ago and have a written past of 3000 years. In the 21st century China’s first dynasty the “Xia Dynasty” was the first clan to set up a government and rule over China. The beginning of the Xia Dynasty started from the legendary “Yu the Great” who was known for controlling violent floods. During this time China struggled with floods overflowing their crops and lands,