about china-History

1HistoryChinaisacountrywithaveryearlycivilizationandalongandrichhistory.Thecompass,gunpowder,theartofpaper-makingandblockprintinginventedbytheancientChinesehavecontributedimmenselytotheprogressofmankind.TheGreatWall,GrandCanalandotherprojectsbuiltbytheChinesepeopleareregardedasengineeringfeatsintheworld.ManhaslivedforaverylongtimeinwhatisnowChina,accordingtoarchaeologicalfinds.Inmanypartsofthecountry,forinstance,fossilremainsofprimitiveapemenhavebeenunearthed.AmongthemarethefossilremainsoftheYuanmouApeManwholivedinYunnanProvincesome1.7millionyearsago.ResearchfindingsshowthatthePekingMan,wholivedabout500,000yearsago,wasabletomakeandusesimpleimplementsandknewtheuseoffire.Likeallotherpeoplesonearth,theChinesehavepassedthroughtheprimitive,matriarchalandpatriarchalcommunesandtheslaveandfeudalsystems.PeopleinChinatakeprideincallingthemselvestheoffspringofHuangDiorYellowEmperor,atribalchiefwhodwelledintheYellowRiverValleymorethanfourmillenniumsago.PrehistoricallegendsabouttheYellowEmperorandotheroutstandingpersonagesofhistimeaboundinancientChinesebooks.LegendhasitthattheYellowEmperormadeweaponsoutofjadetoconquerothertribes,whilehiswife,LeiZu,introducedtherearingofsilkworms.TheYellowEmperortaughttribementodomesticatewildanimalsandtogrowcereals,andasaresulthistribesgrewinstrengthanddefeatedthetribesunderYanDi(EmperorYan).Later,theYellowEmperorandEmperorYanformedanalliancethatconqueredalltheothertribesintheYellowRiverValley.TodaytheYellowEmperorisregardedastheancestoroftheChinesepeople,whocallthemselvesthedescendantsofYanDiandHuangDi(EmperorYanandYellowEmperor).Societyinthosebygonetimes,asreflectedinthelegends,wasbasedontheprimitivecommunionwhichprivatepropertyandtheexploitationofmanbymanwasunknown.AfterthedeathoftheYellowEmperor,theprimitivetribesintheYellowRiverValleywereruledinsuccessionbysuchlegendaryfiguresasYao,ShunandDaYu(GreatYu)whosubduedfloodsandharnessedRivers.TheXiaDynasty(21stcenturyBC-16thcenturyBC),thefirstdynastythatemergedinChina4,100yearsago,wasfoundedbyQi,sonofGreatYuwhoconqueredfloodsandtamedrivers.TheXiadynasty,whichwasaslave-owningsociety,wasoverthrownbywarriorscommandedbyShangTang,thefounderoftheShangDynasty(16thcenturyBC-11thcenturyBC)duringwhichtheslave-owningsystemdevelopedwiththegrowthoffarmandhandicraftproduction.TheartofsmeltingandcastingbronzereachedahigherlevelofdevelopmentinthisperiodduringwhichrecordedhistorycommencedinChina.Aspaperwasthenunknown,someofthewritingsinShangtimewerecastinbronze,andsomeinscribedontortoiseshellsoranimalbones.TheShangDynastywassupersededbytheWesternZhouDynasty(11thcenturyBC-771BC)duringwhichtheslave-owningsystemgrewmoreprosperous.TheWesternZhourulersinstitutedanenfeoffmentsystemunderwhichnobleswereinvestedwithhereditarytitlesaswellaslandalongwiththeslavesworkingonit.Introducedthenwasthe9-squarepatternoffarminginwhichatractoflandwaspartitionedintoninesquares.Theeightoutersquareswereallocatedtoslaveswhohadtoworkthecentralsquaregratisfortheirmasters.2TheSpringandAutumnPeriod(770BC-476BC)witnessedtheadventoftheoxasadraughtanimalandtheuseofironimplementsonthefarm.Thisboostedfarmoutputandmadeitpossiblefortheopeningupofmorelandforcropcultivation.Asaresult,morefarmlandcameunderprivateownershipandthedisintegrationoftheslavesystemcommencedtogivewayforafeudalsociety.Theup-and-comingland-owningorlandlordclassintroducedreformstochangethelandownershipsystemtoitsownadvantageatthebeginningoftheWarringStatesPeriod(475BC-221BC).Therewerethensevenvassalstatescontendingwithoneanotherforhegemony.Inthestruggleforsupremacy,thestateofQinbasedinShaanxiProvince,whichhadbecomepowerfulbecauseofthefactthatithadadopteddrasticmeasurestoreformthelandownershipsystem,conqueredalltheotherstatestoestablishtheQinDynasty(221BC-206BC),thefirstcentralized,autocraticfeudalempireinChina.Thiswasasignalvictoryforthenewlandlordclass.EmperorQinShiHuangoftheQinDynastycarriedoutalotofreformmeasures,includingstandardizationofweightsandmeasuresandtheinitiationofasinglecurrencyandaunitaryscript,etc.Whilebuildinganetworkofroadsacrosstheland,heconscripted300,000laborerstobuildtheGreatWallanddispatched500,000warriorstogarrisonLingnan(present-dayGuangdongProvince)and700,000mentoerecthismausoleum.TheQinShiHuangMausoleumalongwithabigarmyoflife-sizedterracottawarriorsandbattlesteeds,whichhavebeenunearthedinthecityofXi'an,areabigattractionfortouristsfromallovertheworld.Pauperizedbysuchextravagances,thepeasantmassesroseupinarmsandoverthrewtheQinrulerstosetuptheWesternHanDynasty(202BC-AD8).Duringthisdynasticperiodagricultureandhandicraftmademarkedprogressalongwiththeflourishingofscience,cultureandthearts.Linksbetweenthedifferentethnicgroupsinthecountrywerestrengthenedandexchangeswiththeoutsideworldbroadened.ZhangQian,adiplomatofthattime,whowasdispatchedasenvoytotheWesternRegions,openedtheworld-famousSilkRoad.AstheWesternHanDynastywaslaterweakenedbycorruption,LiuXiu,takingadvantageofthestrengthofpeasantuprisers,replacedtheWesternHanDynastywiththeEasternHanDynastyfoundedinAD25.Fromthistimeonwardeconomy,scienceandculture