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Overview
Man in China
passed from primitive society to slave society
with the founding of the first dynasty, Xia and
continuing through the following dynasties.
The slave era
was followed by the Spring and Autumn and
Warring States periods, which started the
transition to a feudal society. This period had
thriving philosophy with representatives of
various schools vying with each other in writing
books to discuss politics and analyze society.
Famous philosophers in this period included Lao Zi,
Confucius, Mo Zi and Sun Zi.
The first
emperor was Shi Huang Di (Ying Zheng) of the Qin
Dynasty (221-207 BC), who standardized the script,
currencies, weights and measures, and established
a system of prefectures and counties. He
constructed the Great Wall in addition to a large
palace, mausoleum and regal lodges in several
locations around China. The terra cotta armies
(found underground) are known to be the eight
wonder of the world.
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 In
1206, Genghis Khan unified all the tribes in
Mongolia and founded the Mongol Khanate. In 1271,
his grandson Kublai Khan, conquered the Central
Plain, founded the Yuan Dyanasty (1271-1368) and
made Dadu (Beijing) the capital. Many merchants
came from abroad and the handicraft industry along
with domestic and foreign trade boomed. Marco
Polo came from Venice and traveled extensively in
China and later described his travels the
country's prosperity. The "four great inventions"
of the Chinese people were further developed
during this and the Song era (paper making,
printing, the compass and gun powder).
The Opium War
of 1840 marked a turning point in Chinese
history. The corrupt and incompetent Qing
government capitulated to the foreign invaders
time and again, and finally signed the Treaty of
Nanjin with Britain, a treaty of national betrayal
and humiliation. From then on, China was reduced
to a semi-colonial and semi-feudal country.
The Revolution
of 1911, a bourgeois-democratic revolution led by
Dr. Sun Yat-sen, ended the rule of the Qing
Dynasty and is of great significance in modern
Chinese history.
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