Development of Medieval China

INTRO TO DEVELOPMENT STUDIES

Submitted By:
Rida Mehmood (43441)
Amna Rashid (45123)
Rafique Ahmed (42787)
Shan Ladak (49697)
Iqra Hanif (42698)
Muhammad Ali (41046)

Submitted To:
Marium Sara Minha
Table of Contents
Table of Contents..........................................................................................................................1
I. Introduction..........................................................................................................................3
Timeline.....................................................................................................................................3
II. Development and Progress..................................................................................................5
1. Chinese World Changing Inventions..............................................................................5
Paper Making 105 A.C...........................................................................................................5
Paper Money 9th century A.D.............................................................................................5
Movable Type Printing 960-1279 AD..................................................................................5
2. Trade commodities...........................................................................................................6
What is trade commodity?..................................................................................................6
Trade Commodities of China..............................................................................................6
Exports...................................................................................................................................6
Imports..................................................................................................................................7
3. HDI and GDP of China.....................................................................................................7
Nominal GDP Rankings by Country...................................................................................7
United States.........................................................................................................................7
China......................................................................................................................................8
Japan......................................................................................................................................8
4. HDI Value and Rank........................................................................................................9
China’s HDI value and rank.................................................................................................9
Japan’s HDI value and rank.................................................................................................9
United States’ HDI value and rank.....................................................................................9
5. Education System of China.............................................................................................10
6. Rostow stages...................................................................................................................11
Traditional society- limited technology – static society (stable and remains unchanged for
most of the generations).........................................................................................................11
Pre-Conditions or the Preparatory Stage- Commercial exploitation of agriculture and
extractive industry.................................................................................................................12

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 Take-off Stage......................................................................................................................12
Drive to maturity Stage.......................................................................................................12
High mass consumption Stage...........................................................................................12
III. Military and Politics........................................................................................................13
1. ROLE OF MILITARY IN DEVELOPMENT OF CHINA:...............................................13
2. POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT:.......................................................................................14
3. CHINA’S POLITICAL PATH:..........................................................................................14
4. Democracy:......................................................................................................................14
5. CHINA’S INTERNATIONAL PATH: PEACEFUL DEVELOPMENT, GOOD
RELATIONS WITH ALL NATIONS.......................................................................................15
6. CHINA’S ECONOMIC PATH: THE RIGHT MIX BETWEEN A MARKET AND
PLANNED ECONOMY...........................................................................................................15
Domestic Adjustments:.......................................................................................................15
Restructuring and Urbanization:.......................................................................................15
IV. Conclusion.......................................................................................................................15
REFERENCES...............................................................................................................................16

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 I. Introduction
The first form of civilization in China dates back to roughly 5000 BC. Most of the
villages were concentrated around the Yellow Rivers, mostly inhabited by farmers. The
first centralized government that emerged in China was the Xia Dynasty (2070-1600
BC), followed by the Shang, Zhou (divided into western and eastern Zhou), Qin and Han
(divided into western and eastern Han) dynasties. The major developments throughout
these dynasties include the advent and spread of Confucianism, the formation of The
Great Wall of China, invention of the chariot and paper.

The Middle ages of China started from 220 CE with the rise of The Three Kingdoms
and lasted till 1368 CE with the fall of the Yuan Dynasty.

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 TIMELINE

~Period of disunity and

Six Dynasties period instability following the fall
Three Kingdoms (220-265) of the Han

220-589 CE Jin Dynasty (265-420) ~Buddhism introduced to

China
Northern and Southern Dynasties
(386-589) ~ The empire was
fragmented.

~China reunified
581-618 CE Sui Dynasty ~The Grand Canal is
completed

~a time of cosmopolitanism
and cultural flowering
occurred.

~repression of Buddhism

~wood block printing first

618-906 CE Tang Dynasty used in china to print an
entire book called “Diamond
Sutra”

~Mechanical clock was

invented

~emergence of porcelain

era of political upheaval and

division in 10th-century
Imperial China. Five states
quickly succeeded one
907-960 CE Five Dynasties period another in the Central Plain,
and more than a dozen
concurrent states were
established elsewhere,
mainly in South China.

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 ~great social and economic
changes

~monetization of the
economy

Song Dynasty ~growth in commerce and

maritime trade
960-1279 CE Northern Song (960-1127)
~urban expansion and
Southern Song (1127-1279) technological innovations

~invention of movable type

printing, gunpowder,
magnetic compass

1279-1368 CE Yuan Dynasty The Mongols took over

II. Development and Progress

1. CHINESE WORLD CHANGING INVENTIONS

Paper Making 105 A.C

The invention of paper greatly affects human history. Paper already existed in
China since 105 A.C, however, a eunuch named Cai Lun (ca. 50 AD – 121) made
significant innovation and helped drive its widespread adoption. His advanced
paper-making technology then spread to central Asia and the world through the
Silk Road.

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Paper Money 9th century A.D.

Paper money were first developed by the ancient Chinese, who started using
folding money at the end of the 8th or beginning of the 9th century AD. Paper
bills were originally used as privately issued bills of credit or exchange notes. A
merchant could deposit his cash in the capital, receiving a paper “exchange
certificate” which he could exchange for metal coins in other cities. Actually
Chinese are responsible for countless inventions that have helped shape the world
history. Without these inventions by the ancient Chinese, the humankind would
have taken more centuries to develop to the current phase.

Movable Type Printing 960-1279 AD

Woodblock printing was already a widely used technique in the Tang Dynasty.
However, this kind of printing tech was expensive and time-consuming. Until the
Song Dynasty (960-1279), a man named Bi Sheng (990–1051) invented movable
type printing, making it quicker and easier. He first carved individual characters
on pieces of clay and then harden them with fire. These movable type pieces were
later glued to an iron plate to print a page and then broken up and redistributed for
another page. This kind of printing tech rapidly spread across Europe, leading up
to the Renaissance, and later all around the world.

2. TRADE COMMODITIES

What is trade commodity?

A commodity market involves buying, selling, or trading a raw product, such as

oil, gold, or coffee. There are hard commodities, which are generally natural
resources, and soft commodities, which are livestock or agricultural goods.

Trade Commodities of China

Modern China dominates world trade following major reforms, introduced in

1978, that were more focused on market-oriented economic development. The

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 country’s economy is ranked #2 in the world after the United States, but China
has been the world’s biggest exporter of goods since 2009.
China accounts for a significant proportion of global trade in natural resources
such as aluminum, coal, copper, and iron ore.

Exports

In 2019, China exported $82.7B in Office Machine Parts, making it the 1st largest
exporter of Office Machine Parts in the world. At the same year, Office Machine
Parts was the 4th most exported product in China. The main destination of Office
Machine Parts exports from China are: Hong Kong ($20.3B), United States
($15B), Netherlands ($4.92B), Japan ($4.32B), and Mexico ($3.84B).
The fastest growing export markets for Office Machine Parts of China between
2018 and 2019 were Chinese Taipei ($511M), Vietnam ($459M), and Japan
($252M).

Imports

In 2019, China imported $17.6B in Office Machine Parts, becoming the 3rd
largest importer of Office Machine Parts in the world. At the same year, Office
Machine Parts was the 17th most imported product in China. China imports
Office Machine Parts primarily from: South Korea ($4.47B), Chinese Taipei
($3.05B), Philippines ($2.31B), Thailand ($2.14B), and Hong Kong ($1.15B).
The fastest growing import markets in Office Machine Parts for China between
2018 and 2019 were Philippines ($1.02B), Chinese Taipei ($656M), and Germany
($114M).

3. HDI AND GDP OF CHINA

Nominal GDP Rankings by Country

What are the largest economies in the world? According to the International Monetary

Fund, these are the highest ranking countries in the world in nominal GDP:

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 1. United States (GDP: 20.49 trillion)

2. China (GDP: 13.4 trillion)

3. Japan: (GDP: 4.97 trillion)

United States

The United States has been the world’s largest economy since 1871. The nominal
GDP for the United States is $21.44 trillion. The U.S. GDP (PPP) is also $21.44 trillion.
Additionally, the United States is ranked second in the world for the approximate value
of natural resources. In 2016, the U.S. had an estimated natural resource value of $45
trillion.

Several factors contribute to the U.S.’s powerful economy. The U.S. is known globally
for cultivating a society that supports and encourages entrepreneurship, which encourages
innovation and, in turn, leads to economic growth. The growing population in the U.S.
has helped diversify the workforce. The U.S. is also one of the leading manufacturing
industries in the world, coming only second to China. The U.S. dollar is also the most
widely used currency for global transactions.

China

As the second-largest economy in the world, China has seen an average growth
rate of 9.52% between 1989 and 2019. China is the second-largest economy considering
nominal GDP, at $14.14 trillion, and the largest using GDP (PPP), which is $27.31
trillion. China has approximately $23 trillion in natural resources, 90% of which are rare
earth metals and coal.

China’s economic reform program of 1978 was a large success and resulted in the rise in
average economic growth from 6% to over 9%. The reform program emphasized the
creation of private and rural businesses, easing the state regulations on prices, and
investment in workforce education and industrial output. Another driving force behind
the growth of China’s economy is worker efficiency.

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Japan

Japan has the third-largest economy in the world with a GDP of $5.15 trillion.
Japan’s GDP (PPP) is $5.75 trillion. Japan’s economy is market-driven so businesses,
production, and prices shift according to consumer demand, not governmental action.
While the 2008 financial crisis took a hit on the Japanese economy and has stunted its
growth since then, it is expected that the 2020 Olympics will give it a boost.

The Japanese economy’s strength comes from its electronic goods industry, which is the
largest in the world, and its automobile industry, which is the third-largest in the world.
Going forward, the Japanese economy faces some large challenges such as a declining
population and an ever-increasing debt that, as of 2017, is 236% of its GDP.

4. HDI VALUE AND RANK

China’s HDI value and rank

China’s HDI value for 2019 is 0.761— which put the country in the high human
development category— positioning it at 85 out of 189 countries and territories. Between
1990 and 2019, China’s HDI value increased from 0.499 to 0.761, an increase of 52.5
percent. Table A reviews China’s progress in each of the HDI indicators. Between 1990
and 2019, China’s life expectancy at birth increased by 7.8 years, mean years of
schooling increased by 3.2 years and expected years of schooling increased by 5.2 years.
China’s GNI per capita increased by about 993.4 percent between 1990 and 2019.

Japan’s HDI value and rank

Japan’s HDI value for 2019 is 0.919— which put the country in the very high human
development category— positioning it at 19 out of 189 countries and territories. The rank
is shared with Israel and Liechtenstein. Between 1990 and 2019, Japan’s HDI value

PAGE 9
increased from 0.818 to 0.919, an increase of 12.3 percent. Table A reviews Japan’s
progress in each of the HDI indicators. Between 1990 and 2019, Japan’s life expectancy
at birth increased by 5.6 years, mean years of schooling increased by 3.2 years and
expected years of schooling increased by 1.9 years. Japan’s GNI per capita increased by
about 32.8 percent between 1990 and 2019.

United States’ HDI value and rank

United States’ HDI value for 2019 is 0.926— which put the country in the very high
human development category—positioning it at 17 out of 189 countries and territories.
Between 1990 and 2019, United States’ HDI value increased from 0.865 to 0.926, an
increase of 7.1 percent. Table A reviews United States’ progress in each of the HDI
indicators. Between 1990 and 2019, United States’ life expectancy at birth increased by
3.6 years, mean years of schooling increased by 1.1 years and expected years of
schooling increased by 0.9 years. United States’ GNI per capita increased by about 55.9
percent between 1990 and 2019.

5. EDUCATION SYSTEM OF CHINA

Since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, the Chinese
Government has attached great importance to the development of education. The
state has promulgated a series of laws on education that ensure that all the
Chinese people, particularly school-age children, ethnic minorities, women, and
the handicapped have the right to receive education. Through 50 years of efforts,
China has made big strides in education. Indeed, China runs the biggest education
system in the world.
Nine-year compulsory education is now being implemented by stages and in a
systematic way. In areas inhabited by 91% of the entire population, the goal of
universalizing primary education has been attained. Enormous progress has been
made in higher education, vocational and technical education, adult education and
education of the ethnic minorities. A multi-level educational system with various

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modes of educational delivery and diversified programs, covering all major
subject areas has taken shape in China. International cooperation and exchange in
education have expanded over the years.
The System of Educational Administration and Management in China
China has introduced an educational system under which schools are primarily
run by the government with the support of various sectors of society. At present,
local governments take charge of primary education, while the central and
provincial governments (including governments of autonomous regions and
municipalities directly under the central government) are responsible for running
institutions of higher education. Under the guidance of the government,
vocational and adult education should rely mainly on various sectional
departments, enterprises, institutions and other sectors of society. The government
encourages all sectors of society to pool their resources in extending educational
provision of all types and levels.
The overall level of educational development in China is still comparatively
backward, as China is a country with a large population and there are large
regional disparities in economic and cultural development. The transition rates of
graduates of primary, junior secondary and general senior secondary schools to
the next higher level educational institutions are important indicators of
educational development in China. According to the statistics of 1995, 90.8% of
primary school graduates continued their study in lower secondary schools, 48.3%
of lower secondary school graduates continued their study in general upper
secondary schools, specialized secondary schools, vocational high schools or
skilled workers schools, 45.92% of general upper secondary school graduates
continued heir study in regular tertiary institutions. However, only about 4% of he
college age cohort can expect to have a place in the regular HEls. According to
the data from the sampling investigation in 1995 on one percent of the total
population, among every 100,000 people, 2,065 persons received higher
education, 8,282 persons senior secondary education and
27,283 junior secondary education. There is still a long way to go for China to

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 have her educational undertakings to fully meet the needs of economic and social
development and the aspirations of her youth to receive education at the upper
secondary and tertiary levels.

6. ROSTOW STAGES

Theory of economic growth - China:

Traditional society-limited technology – static society (stable and remains unchanged

for most of the generations).
- The engineering system of agriculture included use of bone, stone, wood, shell,
and pottery was designed to dig and move soil for planting. For vegetation
slashing, axe and knives were used.
- Harvested crops were processed at stone mills. A primitive plough called Leisi
was an important tool.
- Copper smelting technique was considered the least option due to limited
availability of copper resources.
- Farmland irrigation tools were water wheels, channels, and wells.

Pre-Conditions or the Preparatory Stage- Commercial exploitation of agriculture and

extractive industry.
- The quality of tools was upgraded by use of iron ores and ironmaking techniques
for example shovels and hoes. Iron plough was considered one of the most
significant improvement.
- Industrialization of China did occur on a significant scale only from the 1950s
- Beginning in 1953 Mao introduced a 'Five Year Plan' reminiscent of Soviet
industrialization efforts
- he Soviet assistance in kickstarting industrialization was a key component in the
larger process of Chinese industrialization, and economic development as a
whole.
- As political stability was gradually restored following the cultural revolution of
the late 1960s.

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Take-off Stage- Development of a manufacturing sector.
- Universities began to reopen, and foreign contacts were expanded (Tianjin
University, 1895 as Pei yang University)
- significant increase in investment, chemical fertilizer production, Coal industry,
and oil extraction and refining.
- Yumen wells (This was the first major oil field in China, Gansu province)
- Tongshan Coal industry in Chihli

Drive to maturity Stage- Development of wider industrial and commercial base.

High mass consumption Stage

- In this stage of development per capita income of country rises
- consumption basket of the people increases beyond food, clothing and shelters to
articles of comforts and luxuries on a mass scale
- New types of industries producing durable consumer goods come into existence
which satisfies the wants for more consumption.

III. Military and Politics

1. ROLE OF MILITARY IN DEVELOPMENT OF CHINA:

China's army is undergoing major reforms, and the government is spending more on
defense than ever before. The Chinese government is working to advance its armed
forces stronger, more efficiently and more technologically to become top power within
30 years. With budget surges over the last decade, the PLA is already a world leader in
areas such as artificial intelligence and anti-ship ballistic missiles. China's Ministry of
Finance has announced that its defense budget for 2019 is $ 177 billion. According to the
Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), defense spending has
increased more than seven times from US $ 31 billion in 1998 to US $ 239 billion in
2018, making it the second largest donor in the world after the United States.

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Army: According to the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), the Army has
shrunk to about 975,000 soldiers. The reforms focused on streamlining the command
structure that attracted its attention. Create smaller, more agile units. Empower lower-
level commanders. The army is also upgrading its weapons.

Navy: The Navy has grown at a remarkable pace, becoming the world's largest navy in
terms of number of ships. Modernization priorities include test runs of additional nuclear
submarines and aircraft carriers.

Air Force: The Air Force also grew with 395,000 active-duty soldiers in 2018. She
acquired advanced equipment that appears to have been copied from a stolen US design,
such as air traffic control systems, bombers, and unmanned aerial vehicles. The Air Force
also has a collection of stealth aircraft, including J20 fighters. In 2015, RAND
Corporation estimated that half of Chinese fighters and fighter-bombers were modern.

China wants to become the dominant military force in the Asia-Pacific region and, if
necessary, be able to deter and defeat the United States in future conflicts. China has built
another base in Cambodia. China is conducting more and more joint military exercises,
including members of Pakistan, Russia and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. PLA
soldiers are also participating in UN peacekeeping operations, with more than 2,500
active peacekeepers working to further strengthen the army. The Chinese army has
announced that it will improve military training in all respects, strengthen its ability to
win wars, and establish a new training system that will make the Chinese army a world-
class army.

2. POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT:

As part of its tremendous nation-building efforts, the Chinese government is working to

build democracy, the rule of law and protect the rights of its citizens. Since 1978, China's
efforts have rescued millions of people from poverty and created a more open society.

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 3. CHINA’S POLITICAL PATH:

Institutionalization: The development of democracy in China has been institutionalized at

the National People's Congress (NPC) and the Chinese People's Political Consultative
Conference (CPPCC). These organizations are responsible for listening to people's
opinions and maintaining government voice, control and balance, and the CPPCC is
important in building consensus. Decisions are made according to an extensive
institutionalized process.

4. DEMOCRACY:

Chinese Democracy develops in a unique way to meet its unique needs. It has many
important needs, such as eradicating corruption and training local civil servants for the
betterment of the society.

5. CHINA’S INTERNATIONAL PATH: PEACEFUL DEVELOPMENT, GOOD

RELATIONS WITH ALL NATIONS

China's pursuit of peaceful international development was a strategic choice for the
following reasons:

• It is in China's interest to have a stable and peaceful international environment,

especially as the interests of China and the world are intertwined.

• Globalization has benefited both sides in trade, trade and investment, allowing
wealth to be successfully distributed around the world.

• Seeking a common foundation and pursuing harmony by avoiding war is part of

Chinese culture and values.

6. CHINA’S ECONOMIC PATH: THE RIGHT MIX BETWEEN A MARKET

AND PLANNED ECONOMY

Domestic Adjustments:Beijing is investing in the high technology industry to create an

environment that will lead to higher domestic spending, especially in the services sector.

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Restructuring and Urbanization:China is developing and rebuilding its economy
towards a more modern industrial base. 55% of the population is still engaged in
agriculture and urbanization efforts continue.

IV. Conclusion
China the upcoming strongest economical state of the world, if you ever saw vector map
of china you might know to how civilized they are, wide dimension of borders and many
canals across the country and then bureaucracy and technology which is necessary for
controlling water, ancient china represent a hydraulic civilization, one that maintaining its
population by diverting irrigation and one that developed writing thousands of years ago.

In fact their unbroken Chinese literacy and scientific tradition this time and on, no doubt
Chinese scholars developed a critical invention knowledge transmission and state control.

From the beginning science and china was a product of state from past they are very
sincere with productivity and innovation, this state always pay their attention in
development and interest in profitability to provide opportunities to their public.

First Chinese dynasty Xia, supported astronomical research to create more accurate
calendars, later between 400BC Chinese scholar’s measure the length of solar year to
365.25 days, predicted eclipses, recorded supernovas and sunspots, founded a bureau of
astronomy. Also Buddhism is introduced in china. In the era of Sui dynasty the Grand
Canal is completed which starts from Hangzhou in the south to Beijing the north, the
Grand Canal allowed to merchant to ship up to four hundred tons of grain every year it is
social and economic one. The canal also represented the powerful Chinese state’s ability
to engineer vast regions: they connected small water regions to main rivers, coming up
where good and people could travel.

The northern and southern Songs dynasties, a time of great technological innovations,
which boosts the economy of china. That was the time when china increases there trade
and maritime businesses as well commerce across the world. After that, Yuan dynasty
takes over china which is ruled by Mongols.

Many revolutionary technical achievements in medieval china were made by over long
period of time by anonymous, lower class artisan, not individual, named scholars. In
another sense, a scientifically revolution, did happen, coal, water, powered bellows, gun
powder, compass assisted, navigation, centuries long hydraulic engineering schemes,
movable type presses and massive urbanization, many of these inventions traveled
beyond china.

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World History Encyclopedia. 2021. Ancient China.

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Hdr.undp.org. 2021. United States. The Next Frontier: Human Development and the
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