1. AND A REVIEW OF ANCIENT CHINESE HISTORY
QING CHINA
AND A REVIEW OF ANCIENT CHINESE HISTORY

2. How was China affected by global changes during the Qing Dynasty?
ESSENTIAL QUESTION:
How was China affected by global changes during the Qing Dynasty?

3. From ancient times to 1900, China was the most dominant and influential society in Asia
Chinese culture spread to neighboring countries in Asia, including Korea and Japan

4. China was one of the most innovative cultures in world history by developing technologies such as the compass, printing, silk, paper, and gunpowder

5. Chinese civilization is unique in the world with its continuity over 4000 years of history
Many elements of Chinese culture remained constant over the course of Chinese history (from 3000 BCE to 1900 CE)
Historical Setting
The History Of China, as documented in ancient writings, dates back some 3,300 years. Modern archaeological studies provide evidence of still more ancient origins in a culture that flourished between 2500 and 2000 B.C. in what is now central China and the lower Huang He ( orYellow River) Valley of north China. Centuries of migration, amalgamation, and development brought about a distinctive system of writing, philosophy, art, and political organization that came to be recognizable as Chinese civilization. What makes the civilization unique in world history is its continuity through over 4,000 years to the present century. The Chinese have developed a strong sense of their real and mythological origins and have kept voluminous records since very early times. It is largely as a result of these records that knowledge concerning the ancient past, not only of China but also of its neighbors, has survived.
Chinese history, until the twentieth century, was written mostly by members of the ruling scholar-official class and was meant to provide the ruler with precedents to guide or justify his policies. These accounts focused on dynastic politics and colorful court histories and included developments among the commoners only as backdrops. The historians described a Chinese political pattern of dynasties, one following another in a cycle of ascent, achievement, decay, and rebirth under a new family.
Of the consistent traits identified by independent historians, a salient one has been the capacity of the Chinese to absorb the people of surrounding areas into their own civilization. Their success can be attributed to the superiority of their ideographic written language, their technology, and their political institutions; the refinement of their artistic and intellectual creativity; and the sheer weight of their numbers. The process of assimilation continued over the centuries through conquest and colonization until what is now known as China Proper was brought under unified rule. The Chinese also left an enduring mark on people beyond their borders, especially the Koreans, Japanese, and Vietnamese.
Another recurrent historical theme has been the unceasing struggle of the sedentary Chinese against the threat posed to their safety and way of life by non-Chinese peoples on the margins of their territory in the north, northeast, and northwest. In the thirteenth century, the Mongols from the northern steppes became the first alien people to conquer all China. Although not as culturally developed as the Chinese, they left some imprint on Chinese civilization while heightening Chinese perceptions of threat from the north. China came under alien rule for the second time in the mid-seventeenth century; the conquerors--the Manchus--came again from the north and northeast.
For centuries virtually all the foreigners that Chinese rulers saw came from the less developed societies along their land borders. This circumstance conditioned the Chinese view of the outside world. The Chinese saw their domain as the self-sufficient center of the universe and derived from this image the traditional (and still used) Chinese name for their country--Zhongguo () , literally, Middle Kingdom or Central Nation. China saw itself surrounded on all sides by so-called barbarian peoples whose cultures were demonstrably inferior by Chinese standards. This China-centered ("sinocentric") view of the world was still undisturbed in the nineteenth century, at the time of the first serious confrontation with the West. China had taken it for granted that its relations with Europeans would be conducted according to the tributary system that had evolved over the centuries between the emperor and representatives of the lesser states on China's borders as well as between the emperor and some earlier European visitors. But by the mid-nineteenth century, humiliated militarily by superior Western weaponry and technology and faced with imminent territorial dismemberment, China began to reassess its position with respect to Western civilization. By 1911 the two-millennia-old dynastic system of imperial government was brought down by its inability to make this adjustment successfully.

6. Core Ideas Across Chinese History
China was isolated from outsiders by deserts and the Himalayan Mountains

7. This isolation led the Chinese to refer to themselves as the “Middle Kingdom”
The Chinese thought of outsiders as barbarians and rarely traded with foreign merchants

8. Core Ideas Across Chinese History
China was ruled by emperors who claimed to have the Mandate of Heaven (approval of the gods)

9. Dynasties could be justifiably overthrown if it was decided that they had lost the Mandate of Heaven; this was called the dynastic cycle

10. Since the Classical Era of the Han Dynasty, Chinese government was run effectively by educated bureaucrats because of the examination system

11. Core Ideas Across Chinese History
Rather than following a major world religion, China was influenced by the ethical system of Confucianism

12. Later, Buddhism was introduced and spread from India to China during the Han Dynasty

13. Chinese luxury goods spread through Asia and Europe across the Silk Road trade routes

14. China was a reluctant trade nation, but it was the trend-setter: other Asian nations adopted Chinese writing, government, and artistic styles

15. Review of Chinese Dynasties
Eras in Chinese history are named after the dynasties that were in power during that era; each of these dynasties added unique contributions in Chinese history
The Qin came to power in 221. The king of the Qin state, Yinzheng conquered the other six states and unified the country. Yinzheng named his new dynasty as Qin with the capital at Xianyang, today's Xianyang in Shaanxi province. Yinzheng named himself the First Emperor, or Shi huangdi, thus beginning the tradition of having emperors for rulers

16. River Valley Era (5000-1700 BCE)
China began along the unpredictable Yellow and Yangtze Rivers, but only 10% of China’s land is suitable for farming

17. Qin Dynasty ( BCE)
China’s first emperor (Qin Shi Huang-di) came to power, gave “China” its name, and built the Great Wall to protect against northern invasions

18. Han Dynasty (206 BCE to 220 CE)
China became an empire for the first time during the Han Dynasty (206 BCE to 220 CE) and entered the Classical Era (alongside other “Classical” civilizations like Greece and Rome)

19. Han Dynasty (206 BCE to 220 CE)
It was during the Han Dynasty that trade on the Silk Road began, linking Asia and Europe for the first time

20. Chinese artisans mastered the arts of making silk and paper

21. The Confucian Examination System began during the Han Dynasty; if one wanted to become a government worker, he had to pass an exam that showed he had the strong ethics of Confucius

22. Buddhism was first introduced during the Han Dynasty and began to spread in China

23. Tang and Song Dynasties (618 CE to 1279 CE)
During the Tang and Song Dynasties, China experienced an extended “golden age”
China became the richest, most powerful, and most advanced country in the world

24. For the first time, foreign trade was encouraged during the Tang and Song Dynasties

25. During the Tang and Song Dynasties, a series of advanced inventions were developed: gunpowder, compass, printing press, and vaccinations

26. The Song Dynasty came to an end when Genghis Khan and the Mongols took over China
In 1279, Genghis’ grandson Kublai Khan became the first foreign leader to directly rule China; the Mongols created the Yuan Dynasty

27. Yuan Dynasty ( )
Marco Polo’s visit during the Yuan Dynasty would increase European demand for Chinese goods even more
During the Mongol Peace, (Pax Mongolica), the Silk Road was highly protected by the Mongols and trade with China increased enormously

28. The Mongols were eventually pushed out of China and the Ming Dynasty began; during the Ming Dynasty, Chinese rule was restored and foreign trade was again encouraged

29. During the Ming Dynasty, emperors encouraged exploration for the first and ONLY time in Chinese history

30. The Chinese admiral Zheng He led the overseas exploration; however, after his death, the Chinese decided to stop exploration and go back to isolation

31. To protect Ming emperors from future invasions, the Forbidden City was built in Beijing; no one other than royalty or approved bureaucrats could enter

32. Qing Dynasty (1644 CE to 1911 CE)
In 1644, northern invaders from Manchuria conquered China and created the second foreign dynasty in Chinese history, the Qing Dynasty

33. During this era of Manchu rule, China grew to its largest size by claiming Taiwan, Central Asia, Mongolia, and Tibet
Text
Manchus Found the Qing Dynasty
By 1600, the Ming had ruled for more than 200 years, and the dynasty was weakening. Its problems grew—ineffective rulers, corrupt officials, and a government that was out of money. Higher taxes and bad harvests pushed millions of peasants toward starvation. Civil strife and rebellion followed. Northeast of the Great Wall lay Manchuria. In 1644, the Manchus (MAN•chooz), the people of that region, invaded China and the Ming dynasty collapsed. The Manchus seized Beijing, and their leader became China’s new emperor. As the Mongols had done in the 1300s, the Manchus took a Chinese name for their dynasty, the Qing (chihng) dynasty. They would rule for more than 260 years and expand China’s borders to include Taiwan, Chinese Central Asia, Mongolia, and Tibet.
China Under the Qing
Many Chinese resisted rule by the non-Chinese Manchus. Rebellions flared up periodically for decades. The Manchus, however, slowly earned the people’s respect. They upheld China’s traditional Confucian beliefs and social structures. They made the country’s frontiers safe and restored China’s prosperity. Two powerful Manchu rulers contributed greatly to the acceptance of the new dynasty.
The first, Kangxi (kahng•shee), became emperor in 1661
and ruled for some 60 years. He reduced government expenses and lowered taxes. A scholar and patron of the arts, Kangxi gained the support of intellectuals by offering them government positions. He also enjoyed the company of the Jesuits at court. They told him about developments in science, medicine, and mathematics in Europe. Under his grandson Qian-long (chyahn•lung), who ruled from 1736 to 1795, China reached its greatest size and prosperity. An industrious emperor like his grandfather, Qian-long often rose at dawn to work on the empire’s problems. These included armed nomads on its borders and the expanding presence of European missionaries and merchants in China.
Manchus Continue Chinese Isolation
To the Chinese, their country—called the Middle Kingdom—had been the cultural center of the universe for 2,000 years. If foreign states wished to trade with China, they would have to follow Chinese rules. These rules included trading only at special ports and paying tribute. The Dutch were masters of the Indian Ocean trade by the time of Qian-long. They accepted China’s restrictions. Their diplomats paid tribute to the emperor through gifts and by performing the required “kowtow” ritual. This ritual involved kneeling in front of the emperor and touching one’s head to the ground nine times. As a result, the Chinese accepted the Dutch as trading partners. The Dutch returned home with traditional porcelains and silk, as well as a new trade item, tea. By 1800, tea would make up 80 percent of shipments to Europe. Great Britain also wanted to increase trade with China. But the British did not like China’s trade restrictions. In 1793, Lord George Macartney delivered a letter from King George III to Qian-long. It asked for a better trade arrangement, including Chinese acceptance of British manufactured goods. Macartney refused to kowtow, and Qian-long denied Britain’s request. In the 1800s, the British, Dutch, and others would attempt to chip away at China’s trade restrictions until the empire itself began to crack
Like the era of Mongol rule, Chinese rejected their Manchu rulers and led rebellions against them

34. However, the Manchurian emperor of China, Kangxi, earned Chinese respect by keeping Confucian beliefs, lowering taxes, and restoring peace and prosperity to China

35. Kangxi also earned respect of the Chinese people he ruled over by being the first emperor to tour China and personally visit peasant villages
Text
By 1600, the Ming had ruled for more than 200 years, and the dynasty was weakening. Its problems grew—ineffective rulers, corrupt officials, and a government that was out of money. Higher taxes and bad harvests pushed millions of peasants toward starvation. Civil strife and rebellion followed. Northeast of the Great Wall lay Manchuria. In 1644, the Manchus (MAN•chooz), the people of that region, invaded China and the Ming dynasty collapsed. The Manchus seized Beijing, and their leader became China’s new emperor. As the Mongols had done in the 1300s, the Manchus took a Chinese name for their dynasty, the Qing (chihng) dynasty. They would rule for more than 260 years and expand China’s borders to include Taiwan, Chinese Central Asia, Mongolia, and Tibet.
Manchus Found the Qing Dynasty
China Under the Qing
Many Chinese resisted rule by the non-Chinese Manchus. Rebellions flared up periodically for decades. The Manchus, however, slowly earned the people’s respect. They upheld China’s traditional Confucian beliefs and social structures. They made the country’s frontiers safe and restored China’s prosperity. Two powerful Manchu rulers contributed greatly to the acceptance of the new dynasty. The first, Kangxi (kahng•shee), became emperor in 1661 and ruled for some 60 years. He reduced government expenses and lowered taxes. A scholar and patron of the arts, Kangxi gained the support of intellectuals by offering them government positions. He also enjoyed the company of the Jesuits at court. They told him about developments in science, medicine, and mathematics in Europe. Under his grandson Qian-long (chyahn•lung), who ruled from 1736 to 1795, China reached its greatest size and prosperity. An industrious emperor like his grandfather, Qian-long often rose at dawn to work on the empire’s problems. These included armed nomads on its borders and the expanding presence of European missionaries and merchants in China.
Manchus Continue Chinese Isolation
To the Chinese, their country—called the Middle Kingdom—had been the cultural center of the universe for 2,000 years. If foreign states wished to trade with China, they would have to follow Chinese rules. These rules included trading only at special ports and paying tribute. The Dutch were masters of the Indian Ocean trade by the time of Qian-long. They accepted China’s restrictions. Their diplomats paid tribute to the emperor through gifts and by performing the required “kowtow” ritual. This ritual involved kneeling in front of the emperor and touching one’s head to the ground nine times. As a result, the Chinese accepted the Dutch as trading partners. The Dutch returned home with traditional porcelains and silk, as well as a new trade item, tea. By 1800, tea would make up 80 percent of shipments to Europe. Great Britain also wanted to increase trade with China. But the British did not like China’s trade restrictions. In 1793, Lord George Macartney delivered a letter from King George III to Qian-long. It asked for a better trade arrangement, including Chinese acceptance of British manufactured goods. Macartney refused to kowtow, and Qian-long denied Britain’s request. In the 1800s, the British, Dutch, and others would attempt to chip away at China’s trade restrictions until the empire itself began to crack
Kangxi and later Manchu rulers returned China to isolationism by restoring strict adherence to being the “Middle Kingdom”

36. But, Qing China faced TWO important challenges that would threaten China’s future strength

37. First, the introduction of new American crops like corn and sweet potatoes led to a dramatic increase in the Chinese population
In a relatively short amount of time (from the 1500s to the 1900s), China’s population went from less than 100 million to over 1 billion
Manchus Found the Qing Dynasty
By 1600, the Ming had ruled for more than 200 years, and the dynasty was weakening. Its problems grew—ineffective rulers, corrupt officials, and a government that was out of money. Higher taxes and bad harvests pushed millions of peasants toward starvation. Civil strife and rebellion followed. Northeast of the Great Wall lay Manchuria. In 1644, the Manchus (MAN•chooz), the people of that region, invaded China and the Ming dynasty collapsed. The Manchus seized Beijing, and their leader became China’s new emperor. As the Mongols had done in the 1300s, the Manchus took a Chinese name for their dynasty, the Qing (chihng) dynasty. They would rule for more than 260 years and expand China’s borders to include Taiwan, Chinese Central Asia, Mongolia, and Tibet.
China Under the Qing
Many Chinese resisted rule by the non-Chinese Manchus. Rebellions flared up periodically for decades. The Manchus, however, slowly earned the people’s respect. They upheld China’s traditional Confucian beliefs and social structures. They made the country’s frontiers safe and restored China’s prosperity. Two powerful Manchu rulers contributed greatly to the acceptance of the new dynasty. The first, Kangxi (kahng•shee), became emperor in 1661 and ruled for some 60 years. He reduced government expenses and lowered taxes. A scholar and patron of the arts, Kangxi gained the support of intellectuals by offering them government positions. He also enjoyed the company of the Jesuits at court. They told him about developments in science, medicine, and mathematics in Europe. Under his grandson Qian-long (chyahn•lung), who ruled from 1736 to 1795, China reached its greatest size and prosperity. An industrious emperor like his grandfather, Qian-long often rose at dawn to work on the empire’s problems. These included armed nomads on its borders and the expanding presence of European missionaries and merchants in China.
Manchus Continue Chinese Isolation
To the Chinese, their country—called the Middle Kingdom—had been the cultural center of the universe for 2,000 years. If foreign states wished to trade with China, they would have to follow Chinese rules. These rules included trading only at special ports and paying tribute. The Dutch were masters of the Indian Ocean trade by the time of Qian-long. They accepted China’s restrictions. Their diplomats paid tribute to the emperor through gifts and by performing the required “kowtow” ritual. This ritual involved kneeling in front of the emperor and touching one’s head to the ground nine times. As a result, the Chinese accepted the Dutch as trading partners. The Dutch returned home with traditional porcelains and silk, as well as a new trade item, tea. By 1800, tea would make up 80 percent of shipments to Europe. Great Britain also wanted to increase trade with China. But the British did not like China’s trade restrictions. In 1793, Lord George Macartney delivered a letter from King George III to Qian-long. It asked for a better trade arrangement, including Chinese acceptance of British manufactured goods. Macartney refused to kowtow, and Qian-long denied Britain’s request. In the 1800s, the British, Dutch, and others would attempt to chip away at China’s trade restrictions until the empire itself began to crack

38. The sharp rise in the number of Chinese peasants would lead to intense competition for land and violent rebellions when poverty grew

39. The second challenge to Qing China was the arrival of European missionaries and merchants in Asia who were eager to gain access into China
By 1600, the Ming had ruled for more than 200 years, and the dynasty was weakening. Its problems grew—ineffective rulers, corrupt officials, and a government that was out of money. Higher taxes and bad harvests pushed millions of peasants toward starvation. Civil strife and rebellion followed. Northeast of the Great Wall lay Manchuria. In 1644, the Manchus (MAN•chooz), the people of that region, invaded China and the Ming dynasty collapsed. The Manchus seized Beijing, and their leader became China’s new emperor. As the Mongols had done in the 1300s, the Manchus took a Chinese name for their dynasty, the Qing (chihng) dynasty. They would rule for more than 260 years and expand China’s borders to include Taiwan, Chinese Central Asia, Mongolia, and Tibet.
Manchus Found the Qing Dynasty
China Under the Qing
Many Chinese resisted rule by the non-Chinese Manchus. Rebellions flared up periodically for decades. The Manchus, however, slowly earned the people’s respect. They upheld China’s traditional Confucian beliefs and social structures. They made the country’s frontiers safe and restored China’s prosperity. Two powerful Manchu rulers contributed greatly to the acceptance of the new dynasty. The first, Kangxi (kahng•shee), became emperor in 1661 and ruled for some 60 years. He reduced government expenses and lowered taxes. A scholar and patron of the arts, Kangxi gained the support of intellectuals by offering them government positions. He also enjoyed the company of the Jesuits at court. They told him about developments in science, medicine, and mathematics in Europe. Under his grandson Qian-long (chyahn•lung), who ruled from 1736 to 1795, China reached its greatest size and prosperity. An industrious emperor like his grandfather, Qian-long often rose at dawn to work on the empire’s problems. These included armed nomads on its borders and the expanding presence of European missionaries and merchants in China.
Manchus Continue Chinese Isolation
To the Chinese, their country—called the Middle Kingdom—had been the cultural center of the universe for 2,000 years. If foreign states wished to trade with China, they would have to follow Chinese rules. These rules included trading only at special ports and paying tribute. The Dutch were masters of the Indian Ocean trade by the time of Qian-long. They accepted China’s restrictions. Their diplomats paid tribute to the emperor through gifts and by performing the required “kowtow” ritual. This ritual involved kneeling in front of the emperor and touching one’s head to the ground nine times. As a result, the Chinese accepted the Dutch as trading partners. The Dutch returned home with traditional porcelains and silk, as well as a new trade item, tea. By 1800, tea would make up 80 percent of shipments to Europe. Great Britain also wanted to increase trade with China. But the British did not like China’s trade restrictions. In 1793, Lord George Macartney delivered a letter from King George III to Qian-long. It asked for a better trade arrangement, including Chinese acceptance of British manufactured goods. Macartney refused to kowtow, and Qian-long denied Britain’s request. In the 1800s, the British, Dutch, and others would attempt to chip away at China’s trade restrictions until the empire itself began to crack
Europeans arrived with superior military technology, demanded that China trade with them, and refused to accept Chinese customs

40. The policy of isolationism would come back to haunt China; as China remained relatively stagnant in terms of technological advancement for 300 years, the Europeans developed far more powerful weapons

41. When the Europeans demanded trade with China in the 1800s, the Chinese were unable to resist them

42. Closure Activity: Advice to Kangxi
Imagine that you are an advisor to the Manchu emperor Kangxi and give suggestions as to how to deal with China’s problems
Working with a partner, identify China’s 2 major problems during the Qing Dynasty; Write these on one side of an index card
On the same side of the card, brainstorm at least 3 potential solutions to each problem
Rank order these potential solutions
On the other side of the card, offer your best solution for each problem
Qing Dynasty (Manchus) ( )

43.  Christopher Jaskowiak Revamped and redone by
Original version by Brooks Baggett