CIVILIZATION

IN CHINA
THE CIVILIZATION OF CHINA IS ONE OF THE
OLDEST IN THE WORLD, DATING BACK FOR
NEARLY 4,000 YEARS. SINCE EARLY TIMES
THE CHINESE WERE DEEPLY CONCERNED
WITH ACHIEVING GOOD GOVERNMENT
FOLLOWING THE IDEALS AND ETHICS OF TH
PHILOSOPHER CONFUCIUS, THEY DEVELOPED
A SYSTEM IN WHICH GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS
WERE CHOSEN BY MERIT. IT ENDURED FOR
HUNDREDS OF YEARS, SURVIVING THE RISE
AND FALL OF MANY RULING HOUSES AND THE
CONSTANT THREAT OF INVASION. THE JAPAN BORROWED MANY IDEAS FROM
BRILLIANT CULTURE OF THE CHINESE EMPIRE CHINESE CULTURE BUT DEVELOPED
THEM IN A DISTINCTIVE WAY. A FEUDAL
WAS A MODEL FOR ALL ASIA.
SOCIETY GREW UP, AND MILITARY
LEADERS CENTRALIZED THE COUNTRY'S
GOVERNMENT. BOTH JAPAN AND CHINA
PRESERVED THEIR TRADITIONAL
CULTURES WELL INTO THE NINETEENTH
CENTURY BY DELIBERATELY ISOLATING
THEMSELVES FROM FOREIGN
INFLUENCES.
 THE CHINESE
ESTABLISHING LASTING
TRADITION
LIKE THOSE IN THE NEAR EAST AND INDIA, CHINA'S
FIRST CIVILIZATION DEVELOPED ALONG A GREAT
RIVER. THE YELLOW RIVER (HWANG HO IN CHINESE)
BEGINS IN THE MOUNTAINS OF WESTERN CHINA
AND FORMS A HUGE LOOP AS IT FLOWS NEARLY
3,000 MILES TO THE YELLOW SEA. THE RIVER HAS
CHANGED COURSE MANY TIMES, CREATING A
BROAD VALLEY, THE NORTH CHINA PLAIN.

THE FARMING PEOPLE OF THE RIVER VALLEY WERE

CUT OFF GEOGRAPHICALLY FROM THE REST OF
ASIA BY DESERT AND MOUNTAINS. BELIEVING
THEMSELVES TO BE THE ONLY CIVILIZED PEOPLE IN
THE MIDST OF TRIBES THEY CONSIDERED
"BARBARIAN," THE CHINESE CAME TO CALL THEIR
LAND CHUNG-KUO, "THE MIDDLE KINGDOM."
LEGENDS RELATE THE RISE OF CHINA'S EARLY RULERS.

LIKE THE NILE, THE YELLOW RIVER REGULARLY

OVERFLOWS ITS BANKS AND LEAVES RICH TOPSOIL
ON THE LAND. THE NORTH CHINA PLAIN IS SO FLAT,
THAT DISASTROUS FLOODS ARE COMMON.
ACCORDING TO LEGEND, THE HSIA/SHIA, CHINA'S
FIRST RULING HOUSE, OR DYNASTY, WAS STARTED
ABOUT 2000 B.C. BY YU, A GREAT HERO. YU
SUPPOSEDLY FOUND A WAY TO CONTROL THE
FLOOD WATERS OF THE YELLOW RIVER SO THAT
FARMERS COULD LIVE IN THE VALLEY
THE SHANG DYNASTY RULES IN NORTH CHINA.

EARLY CHINESE RULERS WERE THOUGHT TO

BE "SONS OF HEAVEN" WHO WERE GIVEN THE
"MANDATE OF HEAVEN" THE APPROVAL OF
THE GODS TO RULE AS LONG AS THEY RULED
WELL. ACCORDING TO TRADITION, THE LATER
HSIA RULERS WERE SO CRUEL THAT THEY
LOST THE MANDATE OF HEAVEN TO THE
SHANG DYNASTY ABOUT 1600 OR 1500 B.C.
LOCAL RULERS GAIN POWER UNDER EARLY CHOU KINGS.

THE CHOU REIGNED NEARLY 900

YEARS, LONGER THAN ANY OTHER
DYNASTY IN CHINESE HISTORY.
ALTHOUGH THE CHOU RULERS
THEMSELVES GRADUALLY LOST
ALL REAL POWER, THE PERIOD
NAMED AFTER THEM WAS AN
IMPORTANT ONE
CHINESE CULTURE AND TECHNOLOGY ADVANCE.

THE EASTERN CHOU RULERS HAD LITTLE POWER

AND LESS LAND THAN MANY OF THE GREAT
LOCAL LORDS. THEIR LONG REIGN (770-256 B.C.)
WAS A TIME OF WAR, LAWLESSNESS, AND
DISUNITY, BUT ALSO OF IMPORTANT
DEVELOPMENTS IN CHINESE SOCIETY.
AGRICULTURE, TECHNOLOGY, TRADE, AND METALWORKERS OF THE CHOU PERIOD LEARNED
TRANSPORTATION ALL WERE UNDERGOING TO WORK WITH IRON, MAKING STURDY PLOWS
CHANGES AND SHARP WEAPONS. CANALS FOR SHIPPING
GRAIN WERE BUILT, AND IRRIGATION SYSTEMS
WERE DEVELOPED. TOWNS GREW UP AS TRADING
CENTERS, AND A CLASS OF MERCHANTS AND
TRADERS FORMED. MERCHANTS BECAME
WEALTHY AND INFLUENTIAL, ALTHOUGH THEY
WERE CONSIDERED THE LOWEST SOCIAL CLASS.
INDIVIDUAL STATES DEVELOP SYSTEMS OF GOVERNMENT.
NEW STATES GREW UP IN A RING AROUND THE
OLD CENTRAL STATES OF THE NORTH CHINA
PLAIN. CHINESE CULTURE NOW SPREAD OVER
AN AREA FROM THE BORDERS OF MONGOLIA IN
THE NORTH TO THE YANGTZE RIVER IN THE
SOUTH. THIS AREA INCLUDED MANY PEOPLE
WHOM THE INHABITANTS OF THE MIDDLE
KINGDOM CONSIDERED UNCIVILIZED
BARBARIANS.
THE RULERS IN THE ALMOST-INDEPENDENT
OUTLYING STATES BEGAN TO CENTRALIZE
THEIR RULE.
THEY ESTABLISHED TAX SYSTEMS, MILITARY
ORGANIZATIONS, AND CODES OF LAW.
SOME TOOK CONTROL OF THE TRADE IN SALT
AND IRON, WHICH BROUGHT THEIR STATES A
GOOD INCOME.
STATES IN NORTH CHINA BEGAN TO BUILD
WALLS ALONG THEIR FRONTIERS TO KEEP OUT
NOMADIC INVADERS.
INDIVIDUAL STATES DEVELOP SYSTEMS OF GOVERNMENT.

BUREAUCRATS
MOST OF THESE MEN WERE NOT HIGH-
RANKING NOBLES BUT SCHOLARS AND
TEACHERS. SOME WERE PHILOSOPHERS WHO
WERE INTERESTED IN THEORIES OF POLITICS
AND GOVERNMENT.
THE BUREAUCRATS TRAVELED FROM STATE
TO STATE WORKING FOR DIFFERENT RULERS
AS TUTORS, CONSULTANTS ON CORRECT
BEHAVIOR, AND POLITICAL ADVISERS.
SOME ATTRACTED STUDENTS AND SET UP
SCHOOLS.
THE WRITINGS OF SOME OF THESE TEACHERS
BECAME GUIDES FOR LATER CHINESE
SOCIETY AND THEIR BOOKS CAME TO BE
KNOWN AS "THE CLASSICS," AND THE PERIOD
WHEN THE TEACHERS LIVED HAS BEEN
CALLED CHINA'S CLASSICAL AGE.
CONFUCIUS CONSIDERS THE ROLES OF PEOPLE IN SOCIETY.

KUNG FU-TZU ("MASTER KUNG") REGARDED AS CHINA'S

GREATEST PHILOSOPHER AND TEACHER.
LIVED AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME AS THE BUDDHA IN
INDIA. (551-479 B.C.)
WAS NOT CONCERNED WITH THE SOUL, AN AFTERLIFE,
OR THE WORSHIP OF GODS. HE WAS MOST INTERESTED
IN QUESTIONS OF ETHICS AND OF MORALITY IN
POLITICS.
CONFUCIUS OUTLINED FIVE BASIC SOCIAL
RELATIONSHIPS: INTEGRITY,
BETWEEN RULER AND SUBJECTS LOYALTY
FATHER AND SON GENEROSITY
HUSBAND AND WIFE GOOD MANNERS
OLDER AND YOUNGER BROTHERS CULTURE
FRIENDS OR MEMBERS OF A COMMUNITY. POLITENESS
MENCIUS TEACHES THAT THE INDIVIDUAL IS GOOD.

MENG-TZU
LIVE FOR ABOUT 200 YEARS AFTER CONFUCIOUS,
HE TAUGHT THE IDEAS OF CONFUCIOUS AND ALSO
CONTRIBUTED SIGNIFICANT IDEAS IN CHINESE
PHILISOPHY.
HE ARGUES THAT INDIVIDUALS ARE NATURALLÝ GOOD
AND THAT THIS GOODNESS CAN BE DEVELOPED TO
CONFUCIAN VIRTUES.
HE ALSO DEFENDED THE PEOPLE'S RIGHT TO
OVERTHROW A RULER WHO DID NOT LIVE UP TO HIGH
PRINCIPLES AND SO LOST THE MANDATE OF HEAVEN
TAOISM URGES HARMONY WITH NATURE

TAOISTS REJECTED CONFUSIAN PHILOSOPHIES

CLAIMING IT AS ARTIFICIAL.
AIM WAS TO DISCOVER THE TAO OR "WAY" OF THE
NATURAL UNIVERSE AND LIVE IN HARMONY WITH
NATURE.
LAO-TSE
IN ABOUT THE THIRD CENTURY B.C., THE PRINCIPLES
OF TAOIST THOUGHT WERE COLLECTED IN A BOOK
CALLED THE TAO TE CHING. SOME TAOISTS BECAME HERMITS
TAOIST THINKERS AGREED, THOUGH, THAT THE TAO AND WENT TO LIVE IN THE
COULD NOT REALLY BE EXPLAINED IN WORDS. IT HAD MOUNTAINS AND FORESTS.
TO BE SENSED OR FELT. THEIR MYSTICAL PHILOSOPHY
TYPICAL TAOIST SYMBOLS : (NATURAL STATE, SERVED AS A BALANCE TO THE
UNCHANGED BY SOCIETY) PRACTICAL RULES OF
RAW SILK CONFUCIANISM
AN UNCARVED BLOCK OF WOOD
NEWBORN CHILD.
THE LEGALISTS PLACE THE STATE ABOVE THE PEOPLE'S WELFARE.

HSUN-TZU
LIVED ABOUT THE SAME TIME AS MENCIUS
PEOPLE WERE BASICALLY EVIL AND SELFISH BUT
COULD BE IMPROVED BY EDUCATION, GREAT
TEACHERS, AND STRICT LAWS.
IN THE THIRD CENTURY B.C., TWO OF HIS FOLLOWERS
EVOLVED THE PHILOSOPHY KNOWN AS LEGALISM.
LEGALISTS FELT THAT A RULER MUST HAVE ABSOLUTE
POWER SO THAT HE COULD TURN ALL HIS PEOPLE'S
EFFORTS TOWARD MAKING THE STATE WEALTHY AND
POWERFUL, RULERS AND STATESMEN IN THE STATE OF
CH'IN ADOPTED MANY LEGALIST IDEAS.
CHINESE PHILOSOPHIES STRESS THE IMPORTANCE
OF THE FAMILY. (FILIAL PIETY)

WOMEN ARE GIVEN A LESSER ROLE

AGE BRINGS RESPECT

CHINA'S RULERS CREATE
AN EMPIRE
ALTHOUGH THE LAST CHOU
RULERS HAD LITTLE REAL
POWER, THE FALL OF THIS
DYNASTY IN 256 B.C., AFTER
900 YEARS, WAS A TURNING
POINT IN CHINESE HISTORY.
THE DYNASTIES THAT
FOLLOWED THE CHOU
ESTABLISHED, EXTENDED,
AND MAINTAINED THE
CHINESE EMPIRE
CHINESE DYNASTIES RISE AND FALL.
 THE RULER OF THE POWERFUL STATE OF CH'IN
OVERTHREW THE LAST OF THE CHOU RULERS IN 256
B.C.
BY 221 THE CH'IN HAD BROUGHT TOGETHER THE
OTHER STATES UNDER A STRONG 'CENTRAL
GOVERNMENT.
THE CH'IN DYNASTY LASTED LESS THAN FIFTEEN
YEARS, BUT IT ESTABLISHED THE BASIS FOR THE
CHINESE EMPIRE, WHICH ENDURED INTO THE
TWENTIETH CENTURY.
THE CH'IN DYNASTY SHIH HUANG TI "FIRST EMPEROR." HIS MOST
TRUSTED ADVISER WAS LI SSU
UNITES CHINA. ,ONE OF THE ORIGINATORS OF LEGALISM. THEY
BEGAN TO APPLY LEGALIST THINKING TO ALL OF
THE FIRST EMPEROR EXTENDED THE
CHINA,
WALLS BUILT BY THE RULERS OF STATES
STRENGTHENING DEFENSES AND CRUSHING THE
ON THE NORTHWEST BORDER.
LOCAL LORDS. TO PROTECT THE EMPIRE FROM
ABOUT ONE MILLION LABORERS WERE
NOMADIC TRIBES, THE FIRST EMPEROR EXTENDED
FORCED TO WORK ON THE GREAT WALL
THE WALLS BUILT BY THE RULERS OF STATES ON
. WHEN COMPLETED, IT STRETCHED FROM
THE NORTHWEST BORDER.
THE YELLOW SEA TO CHINA'S WESTERN
FRONTIER,
A DISTANCE OF ABOUT 1,500 MILES
SOLDIERS WERE STATIÓNED ON THE WALL
TO DEFEND CHINA'S FRONTIER.
 AS FOLLOWERS OF LEGALISM, THE CH'IN OFTICIALS
FELT AT OTHER WAYS OF THINKING WERE
DANGEROUS TO THE STATE.
IN 213 B.C LI SSU BEGAN A WIDESPREAD PROGRAM
OF BOOK BURNING
SCHOLARS WHO DISCUSSED EARLIER TIMES,
CRITICIZED THE GOVERNMENT, OR OBJECTED TO THE
CONTROL OF IDEAS WERE EXECUTED OR BANISHED,
ALONG WITH THEIR FAMILIES
THE CH'IN SUPPRESS ENDED THE CREATIVITY OF CHINA'S CLASSICAL AGE
WEAKENED THE DYNASTY
FREEDOM OF MANY INFLUENTIAL AND EDUCATED PEOPLE COULD
THOUGHT. NOT WHOLEHEARTEDLY SUPPORT THE RIGID
LEGALISTS POLICIES.
PEASANTS AND SOLDIERS REBELLED, AND THE
DYNASTY FELL ONLY FEW YEARS AFTER THE
DEATH OF THE FIRST EMPEROR
 202 B.C A MILITARY LEADER DECLARED EMPEROR
AND ESTABLISHED THE HAN DYSNASTY
KAO TSU (GREAT ANCESTRAL FATHER) CAME FROM A
PEASANT FAMILY AND A BANDIT BEFORE BECOMING
A SOLDIER
FOLLOW THE CH'IN PATTERNS OF GOVERNING BUT
AVOIDED THE EXTREMES
ENABLED THE HAN DYNASTY TO RULE UNTIL 220 A.D
WITH ONLY FEW YEARS OUT OF POWER
HAN RULE LASTS FOR THE 400 YEARS UNDER THE HAN RULE WAS SO

FOUR CENTURIES REMARKABLE THAT CHINESE PEOPLE STILL CALL

THEMSELVES "THE HAN PEOPLE"
HAN CAPITAL AT CH'ANG-AN IN THE WEI RIVER
VALLEY BECAME A MODEL CITY WITH GREAT
PARKS, PALACES AND PUBLIC BUILDING
 DURING WU TI'S REIGN(141 - 87 B.C) THE HAN'S HAD
THE GREATEST GROWTH IN LAND AND POWER
HAN ARMIES CONQUERED MANY NON-CHINESE
PEOPLE ALONG THE SOUTHERN COAST AND YHE
SOUTHEAST ASIA.
TO THE NORTH AND EAST, THE EMPIRE EXPANDED
FAR BEYOND THE GREAT WALL TO INCLUDE LARGE
PARTS OF KOREA AND MANCHURIA
WU TI EXPANDS THE WU TI ALSO LAUNCHED A CAMPAIGN AGANIST THE
HAN EMPIRE NOMADIC HUNS OF CENTRAL ASIA
AFTER WU TI'S DEATH, THE CHINESE CONQUERED
MOST OF THE BAREEN MOUNTAINS AND STEPPES OF
CENTRAL ASIA, INCLUDING THE TARIM BASIN.
ABOUT FIRST CENTURY B.C THE BORDERS OF
CHINA REACHED AS FAR IN THE WEST (KUSHAN
EMPIRE IN CENTRAL ASIA) AND NORTHERN INDIA.
 SINCE ANCIENT TIMES THE CHINESE RAISE
SILKWORMS AND WEAVE SILK CLOTH FROM
FIBERS SPUN BY THE WORMS
NO OTHER PEOPLE KNOW THIS TECHNIQUE
THATS WHY CHINESE SILK WAS VERY
VALUABLE FOR TRADE.
MERCHANTS CARRIED SILK AND JADE
TRADE DEVELOPS FROM CHINA TO INDIA, PERSIA AND THE
BETWEEN CHINA AND EASTERN PROVINCES OF ROMAN EMPIRE
CHINESE CALLED ROMAN EMPIRE
THE WEST "GREAT CH'IN" AND ROMANS REFERRED
CHINA AS SERICA "THE SILK COUNTRY"
 HAN RULERS NEEDED WELL EDUCATED
OFFICIALS
WRITTEN EXAMINATIONS TO FIND
EDUCATED AND COMPETENT MEN
SCHOLAR OFFICIALS REPLACED MEN OF
NOBLE BIRTH IN THE LEADING CLASS
CONFUCIAN IDEAS
THE EXAMINATION SYSTEM WAS LATER
RETURN TO DEVELOPED INTO THE FIRST REAL CIVIL

GOVERNMENT SERVICE SYSTEM

 IMPORTANT ADVANCES IN SCIENCE MADE
IN HAN PERIOD
RECORDING INFORMATION ABOUT THE
STARS AND PLANETS
COMETS, SUNSPOTS AND ECLIPSES WERE
THOUGHT TO BE MESSAGES FROM HEAVEN
CHINESE ASTRONOMERS DEVICED
SCIENCE AND ACCURATE CALENDAR, STAR MAPS, AND
SEVERAL ASTRONOMICAL INSTRUMENTS.
TECHNOLOGY MAGNETIC COMPASS FOR DIRECTION
DEVELOP INSTRUMENT TO RECORD EARTHQUAKES
EXPERIMENTS IN CHEMISTRY AND
DISCOVERIES IN MEDICINE
FIRST CENTURY A.D THEY LEARNED TO
MAKE PAPER
FINE PORCELAIN "FINE CHINA"
 EARLY ON SECOND CENTURY A.D THE
LATER HAN RULERS WERE FACING
ECONOMIC RUINS
RIVALRIES AMONG POWERFUL FAMILIES
PEASANT REBELLIONS
EXAMINATION SYSTEM BECOME CORRUPT
220 A.D THE HAN EMPIRE SPLIT INTO
THE AGE OF DISUNITY THREE KINGDOMS
CONSTANT WARFARE
BEGINS MORE THAN 300 YEARS UNTIL YEAR 589
IMPERIAL CHINA
DOMINATES ASIA
CHINESE EMPIRE WAS REUNITED BY THE
SUI DYNASTY IN 6TH CENTURY
IMPERIAL CHINA SURPASSES EUROPE IN
CULTURE AND TECHNOLOGY
CHINESE CIVILATION BECAME A MODEL
FOR ALL EASTERN ASIA
 THERE ARE ONLY TWO
EMPERORS
LASTED FROM 589 TO 618,
LESS THAN THIRTY YEARS
THE SUI REUNITE THE REBUILT THE GREAT WALL OF
CHINA
EMPIRE RECONQUERED PART OF
SOUTHEAST ASIA
CANAL BUILDING, INCLUDING
THE RAND CANAL LINKING TO
YELLOW RIVER AND YANGTZE
 TIRED OF WAR AND FORCED LABOR ON
CANALS AND GREAT WALL, THE PEOPLE
REBELLED AGAINST SUI RULE
FORMER SUI OFFICIAL AND HIS SON TOOK
CONTROL OF THE THRONE IN 618.
LASTED UNTIL 907
CREATING ANOTHER GOLDEN AGE IN
CHINA
THE T'ANG BUILT A SECOND EMPEROR: TAI-TSUNG, A
WARRIOR , SCHOLAR , A GOOD
STRONGER EMPIRE ADMINISTRATOR
IN 655 ALL OF KOREA WAS BROUGHT
UNDER CHINESE CONTROL
LEADER WAS EMPRESS WU HOU
660 SHE HELD REAL POWER AT
COURT, 690 BECAME AN EMPEROR ON
HE OWN RIGHT
THE ONLY WOMAN TO HOLD THE
TITLE IN CHINA
COURT OFFICIALS FORCED HER FROM
THE THRONE IN 705 A.D WHEN SHE
WAS 80 YEARS OLD.
 MIDDLE OF TANG DYNASTY, THE
THE EXAMINATION SYSTEM PROVIDED ENOUGH
SYSTEM GAINS NEW TRAINED SCHOLARS TO FILL
MOST HIGH GOVERNMENT
IMPORTANCE POSITIONS
TANG CULTURE BECOMES A TEA WAS INTODUCED INTO
CHINA FROM SOUTHEAST ASIA
MODEL FOR ASIA
NEW IDEAS IN MATHEMATICS
AND ASTRONOMY DEVELOPED
FROM CONTACT WITH INDIA
BUDDHISM, ISLAM, EASTERN
SECTS OF CHRISTIANITY WAS
INTRODUCED
TANG CAPITAL AT CHANG-AN
DREW BOTH CHINESE AND
FOREIGN VISITORS
THE TANG CULTURE WAS
COPIED BY OTHER COUNTIRES
LIKE JAPAN, KOREA AND TIBET
 FIRST REACHED IN CHINA IN FIRST
CENTURY A.D ENCOURAGED BY KING
KANISHKA OF THE KUSHAN EMPIRE
BUDDHISM IS INFLUENTIAL IN SOME BUDDHIST IDEAS SEEMS TO
VIOLATE CONFUSIAN RULES FOR
CHINESE CULTURE PROPER CONDUCT AND FAMILY
RESPONSIBILTY BUT IT APPEALED TO
THOSE WHOLE LOOKED FOR PEACE
AND SPIRITUAL COMFORT.
BUDDHIST MONASTERIES IN CHINA
BECAME CENTERS OF LEARNING,
PLACES OF PILGRIMAGE, HOSPITALS
AND SCHOOLS
THEY WERE ENCOURAGED AND
PROTECTED BY EARLY TANG
RULERS, LIKE EMPRESS WU HOU
BECAUSE OF GIFTS OF LANDS AND
MONEY BUDDHISTS MONASTERIES
ACQUIRED POLITICAL POWER
AROUND MIDDLE OF THE NINTH
CENTURY, A TANG RULER ORDERED
THE DESTRUCTION OF THOUSANDS
OF BUDDHIST MONASTERIES AND
TEMPLES
THE TANG DYNASTY ENDS IN
POLITICAL CONFUSION
FROM THE EIGHT CENTURY, THE
IMPERIAL GOVERNMENT WAS
WEAKENED BY ENEMY ATTACKS
MILITARY LEADERS REBELLED AND
DROVE THE LAST TANG EMPEROR IN
907
MORE THAN FIFTY YEARS OF
DISORDER BEFORE A NEW DYNASTY
AROSE
THE SUNG PROSPER IN
SOUTHERN CHINA

ESTABLISHED IN 960 A.D

OCEAN-GOING TRADE BECOME
IMPORTANT
CHINESE LEARNED TO BUILD
LARGE SHIPS
NAVIGATE USING COMPASS
POPULATION SHIFTED TO THE
CITIES, WHICH GREW INTO BUSY
URBAN CENTERS.
THE ARTS AND
TECHNOLOGY FLOURISH IN
IMPERIAL CHINA PAINTING AND POETRY
FLOURISHED
PRODUCED BEAUTIFUL SILKS AND
PORCELAINS
WHEELBARROW AND GUN
POWDER(FOR FIREWORKS ONLY)
BY SUNG ERA, NATURE
INFLUENCED ART
•PRINTING PRESS (CARVED
WOODEN BLOCK)
CHINA COMES UNDER MONGOL RULE EARLY 1200, GENGHIS KHAN
INVADED NORTHERN CHINA
BY 1215, MONGOL ARCHERS AND
HORSEMEN DEFEATED
NORTHERN RULERS AND WENT
TO CENTRAL ASIA
WHEN GENGHIS KHAN DIED IN
1227, HIS GRANDSON KUBLAI
KHAN CONTINUED HIS
CONQUEST OF SOUTHERN
SUNG.
"GREAT KHAN" OF MONGOL
EMPIRE AND EAST ASIA
°RULED FOR 34 YEARS
YUAN DYNASTY
EUROPEAN TRAVELERS VISIT CHINA

PRINTING, GUN POWDER, AND

COMPASS WAS BROUGHT BACK
TO EUROPE
MARCO POLO

THE MING DYNASTY EMPHASIZES
CLASSICAL SCHOLARSHIP
WHEN KUBLAI KHAN DIED IN
1294, THE MONGOL RULE
WEAKENED AND THEN
REBELLION BROKE THOUGHOUT
CHINA
1368, A PEASANT LEADER OF A
REBEL ARMY SEIZED PEKING
AND DECLARED HIMSELF AN
EMPEROR
BROUGHT BACK TRADIONAL
PURE CHINESE IDEAS
EXAMINATION SYSTEM (MING
DYNASTY'S VERSION LASTED
INTO TWENTIETH CENTURY)
KNOWLEDGE OF
CONFUCIAN CLASSICS
SCHOLARS MADE AN
ENCYCLOPEDIA TO PRESERVE
CHINA'S CLASSICS AND
ANCIENT KNOWLEDGE
CHINA BECOMES A
BETWEEN 1405 AND 1433, THE
SEA POWER
MING RULERS SENT AN
ADMIRAL, CHENG HO, ON
SEVEN EXPEDITIONS TO
INDIA, ARABIA AND THE EAST
COAST OF AFRICA
HELPED BRING MOST OF
ASIA INTO THE CHINESE
TRIBUTARY SYSTEM
 IN 1590'S THE MING RULERS WERE
THE CHINESE LOOK INWARD WEAKENED IN FIGHTING OFF A
JAPANESE INVASION OF KOREA.
TO THEIR TRADITIONS •NTERNAL DISORDER AND
REBELLION BROUGHT THE
DYNASTY TO END IN 1644
HOWEVER, CHINESE CULTURE
WAS ALREADY WELL-
ESTABLISHED THAT IT ENDURED
THROUGH THE REIGN OF
ANOTHER FOREIGN DYNASTY:
MANCHU (1644-1912)
CHINAS STABILITY DEPENDS ON
MAINTING ITS TRADITIONAL
VALUES AND TAKING NO PART
FROM THE CHANGES THATS
HAPPENING IN THE REST OF THE
WORLD