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Overview of China's Geography, History, and Cultural Legacy

Explore China's geographic features, population distribution, dynastic history, agriculture, belief systems, and significant events like the Mongol invasions and Ming Dynasty. Learn about key figures, such as Confucius and Genghis Khan, and understand China's contributions to world civilization.

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Overview of China's Geography, History, and Cultural Legacy

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  1. The P.R.C.

  2. Geography • 20% of world’s population • Middle Kingdom • Geographic isolation causes ethnocentrism • Cultural Isolation • Population Density • 80% live on eastern 10% of land

  3. Percentages of Different Landforms

  4. Pacific “Rim of Fire”

  5. Rivers • Huang He • 1st civilization • China’s Sorrow • Loess • Yangtze River • Provide fish, irrigation, hydropower, living space and transportation

  6. The Polluted Yellow River Population Density

  7. Winter Monsoons

  8. Summer Monsoons

  9. Agriculture • Intensive agriculture and terrace farming attempt to feed 1,600,000,000Chinese

  10. “Brown” China vs. “Green” China Wheat Dominant Pasture and Oasis Rice Dominant Double-crop rice

  11. Fuels, Power, Minerals, & Metals in China

  12. Belief Systems • Confucius philosophy • Creates basis of culture • Family most important • Human nature is good • Duty is to obey • Filial Piety

  13. Belief Systems • Buddhism • Four Noble Truths • Eightfold Path • Nirvana

  14. Neolithic 3,000 B.C. 1,500 B.C. Shang 1523 B.C. – 1028 B.C. Chou 1027 B.C. – 256 B.C. Ch’in 221 B.C. - 206 B.C. Han 206 B.C.-220A.D. Sui 581-618 T’ang 618-906 Sung 960-1279 Yuan (Mongol) 1280-1365 Ming 1368 - 1644 Ch’ing (Manchu) 1644-1912

  15. Qin [Ch’in] Dynasty, 221-206 B.C.E. • Established China’s first empire • Shi Huangdi (221-206 B.C.E) • Legalist rule • Bureaucratic administration • Centralized control • Military expansion • Book burnings --> targetedConfucianists • Buried protestors alive! • Built large section of the Great Wall

  16. Shi Huangdi’s Terra Cotta Army

  17. The Great Wall - 200 B.C. - keep foreigners out Dynastic Rule (1200-1912) - Feudal System Emperor Nobles War Lords Peasants Merchants

  18. Han Dynasty, 206 B.C.E.-220 C.E. • “People of the Han” --> original Chinese • Paper invented [105 B.C.E.] • Silk Road trade develops; improves life for many • Buddhism introduced into China • Expanded into Central Asia • Liu Sheng Tomb (d. 113 BCE) His jade suit has 2498 pieces!

  19. Han – Roman Empire Connection

  20. Sui Dynasty, 581-618 C.E. • “Land Equalization” System –> land redistribution. • Unified coinage. • Grand Canal constructed. • Established an army of professional soldiers. • People were overworked and overtaxed!

  21. Cultural Diffusion

  22. Tang Dynasty, 618-907 C.E. • Imperial examination system perfected. • Liberal attitude towards all religions. • Spread of Buddhism in China • Golden Age of foreign relations with other countries. • Japan, Korea, Persia

  23. Tang Dynasty, 618-907 C.E. • New technologies: • Printing --> moveable print  • Porcelain • Gunpowder • Mechanical clocks • More cosmopolitan culture. • Reestablished the safety of the Silk Road. • Tea comes into China from Southeast Asia. 

  24. Foot-Binding in Tang China • Broken toes by 3 years of age. • Size 5 ½ shoe on the left

  25. Song [Sung] Dynasty, 960-1279 C.E. • Creation of an urban, merchant, middle class. • Increased emphasis on education & cheaper availability of printed books. • Magnetic compassmakes China a great sea power!

  26. Rice Cultivation Began Under the Song

  27. Mongol Invasions

  28. Mongolian Empire

  29. Xinjiang Region – Typical Uygher [Mongol] “Yurt”

  30. The MONGOLS [“Golden Horde”] • Temujin --> Genghis Khan [“Universal Ruler”] 1162 - 1227 • from the steppe [dry, grass-covered plains of Central Asia]

  31. The MONGOLS [“Golden Horde”] • Genghis Khan’s Tax Laws: • If you do not pay homage, we will take your prosperity. • If you do not have prosperity, we will take your children. • If you do not have children, we will take your wife. • If you do not have a wife, we will take your head. • Used cruelty as a weapon --> some areas never recovered from Mongol destruction!

  32. Mongol Rule • Mongols Unite China under Genghis Khan • Build capital at Beijing • Marco Polo visits and finds noodles, gunpowder, ice cream and coal.

  33. Yuan (Mongol) Dynasty, 1279-1368 C.E. • Kublai Khan [1260-1294] • Pax Mongolica [“Mongol Peace”] • Tolerated Chinese culturebut lived apart from them. • No Chinese in top govt. posts. • Believed foreigner were moretrustworthy. • Encouraged foreign trade & foreign merchants to live and work in China. • Marco Polo

  34. Marco Polo’s Travels • A Venetian merchant who traveled through Yuan China: 1271-1295 • “Black Stones” [coal] • Gunpowder. • Noodles.

  35. Yuan Dynasty, 1279-1368 C.E. • The Black Plague was spread by the Mongols in the mid-14c. • Sent fleets against Japan. • 1281 --> 150,000 warriors • Defeated by kamikazi [“winds of the gods”] • Kublai Khan experienced several humiliating defeats in Southeast Asia late in his life.

  36. The Ming Dynasty 1368-1644

  37. Ming Dynasty, 1368-1644 C.E. • Golden Age of Chinese Art • Moderation • Softness • Gracefulness • Three different schools ofpainting developed. • Hundreds of thousands ofworkers constructed theForbidden City.

  38. Admiral Zheng He (Cheng Ho) • Ming “Treasure Fleet” • Each ship 400’ long & 160’ wide • China’s “Columbus?” 1371-1435

  39. Admiral Zheng He’s Voyages • First Voyage: 1405-1407 [62 ships; 27,800 men]. • Second Voyage: 1407-1409 [Ho didn’t go on this trip]. • Third Voyage: 1409-1411 [48 ships; 30,000 men]. • Fourth Voyage: 1413-1415 [63 ships; 28,500 men]. • Fifth Voyage: 1417-1419 • Sixth Voyage: 1421-1422 • Emperor Zhu Gaozhi cancelled future trips and ordered ship builders and sailors to stop work. • Seventh Voyage: 1431-1433 • Emperor Zhu Zhanji resumed the voyages in 1430 to restore peaceful relations with Malacca & Siam • 100 ships and 27,500 men; Cheng Ho died on the return trip.

  40. Imperialism in China

  41. Manchu Dynasty(1644-1912) • No European had visited China since Marco Polo • China had products that Europe wanted • Porcelain, silk, jade and tea

  42. Pre-Industrial Revolution • Pre 1800s British had unfavorable balance of trade • strict limits on foreign traders. • China enjoyed a trade surplus, exporting more than it imported. Westerners had a trade deficit with China, buying more from the Chinese than they sold to them

  43. Opium War 1839-1842 • British smuggle opium • Chinese become addicted • Chinese gov. resent opium trade • destroys 20,000 chests of opium

  44. Opium War - Results • 1842 - Treaty of Nanjing • Chinese pay indemnities • British receive several trading ports • Britain gains Hong Kong • Extra-territoriality granted to British citizens living in China

  45. Decline of Manchu Irrigation systems neglected= massive flooding of Huang He valley. • The population explosion = hardship for China’s peasants. • Continued Chinese isolation • Political corruption

  46. Taiping Rebellion - 1850-64 • Peasants revolt against: • high taxes needed to pay for Opium War • gov.’s failure to control opium and foreigners • Westerners help weak Manchu put down rebellion • Over 40 million Chinese killed

  47. Manchu became puppets of the west

  48. Sino-Japanese Wars 1894 &1910 • Japan wins • Takes • Korea • Taiwan • Manchuria

  49. Spheres of Influence in China

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