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CHINA. China: History. For most of China ’s history the country was ruled by dynasties, or families of rulers In A.D. 1211 , China’s greatest fear came to pass—foreign invaders (the Mongols)conquered China . They were led by Genghis Khan and later by his grandson Kublai Khan .
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China: History • For most of China’s history the country was ruled by dynasties, or families of rulers • In A.D. 1211, China’s greatest fear came to pass—foreign invaders (the Mongols)conquered China. • They were led by Genghis Khan and later by his grandson Kublai Khan. • Warfare eventually broke out among the Mongol leaders, weakening their leadership significantly.
China: History • The dynasty that took over was called the Ming. • Because of his great military success, Ming founder Zhu Yuanzhang (joo yoo•ahn•jang) was called the Hongwu emperor—meaning “vast military power.” • In his battles, China won from the Mongols the Yunnan province. • With this piece of land in his charge, he unified the region that is China today.
China: Religion • Confucius(kuhn•FYOO•shuhs) taught the importance of moral character and of individuals taking responsibility for the state of their society. • He also taught that a ruler, like a good father, should take care of his people and be kind to them.
China: Religion • Buddhism teachings of how to escape suffering appealed to many Chinese. • However, Buddhism did not replace Confucianism or Taoism in China. • The Chinese belief system today includes elements of all three philosophies.
China: Religion • Taoism a force that guides the universe, though it cannot be seen or named. • The force is called the Tao, which means “way of nature.”
China: Inventions • China has also given the world some important inventions. • Silk cloth, a new system of writing, paper, a type of pottery called porcelain, gun powder, and the first compass can be traced back to China.
China: Inventions • The Silk Road was one of the first traveled roads on record. • Along it, the Chinese carried not only silk but also much desired items such as porcelain, tea, incense, and spices. • It was the first established trade route between China and Europe.
China: Revolts • In 1839, the Chinese government seized all the opium the British had stored in the Chinese port of Canton. • The British responded with an attack, and the first Opium War began. • The British overpowered the Chinese. • The Opium War ended in 1842 with the signing of the Treaty of Nanking.
China: Revolts • In 1900 the Boxers (a rebel group in China), rose up in the Boxer Rebellion. • The Boxers hoped to force all foreigners out of China. • British, French, Russian, Japanese, and American troops joined together to defeat the Boxers, leaving China’s government in turmoil.
China: Revolts • Communist Revolution • During the turmoil left behind by the Boxer Rebellion a leader emerged in the Communist Party— Mao Zedong(mow dzuh•dohng). • On October 1, 1949, Mao declared China a Communist state called the People’s Republic of China.
China: Government • Mao Zedong became head of the Chinese Communist Party and China’s government. • The party set policy and the government carried it out, giving Chairman Mao nearly absolute power.
China: Government • The Communists instituted many reforms. • They seized land from the wealthy and gave it to the peasants. • They also took China’s industry under government control. • In 1958, Mao Zedong launched a program, called the Great Leap Forward, to speed up economic development.
China: Government • Collective farms became huge communes of 25,000 people. • The communes grew crops, ran small industries, and provided education and health care for their members. • In one year, this program shattered China’s economy.
China: Government • After the Great Leap Forward, many people in government called for reform. • Mao feared that they wanted to make China a capitalist country. • In 1966, Mao launched a movement called the Cultural Revolution, which aimed to remove opposition to the Communist Party.
China: Government • Mao’s new supporters were called the Red Guards. • They sought out and punished people who spoke against Mao’s principles or who had contact with Western people or ideas. • China fell into chaos once again.
China: Government • During the rule of Mao, there was a population explosion as the government promoted population growth. • As a response to the problems this is causing, the government of the Peoples Republic of China has enacted a birth control policy, commonly known as the One-child policy.
China: Economy • The Economy of the People's Republic of China, is the one of the largest economies in the world. • It is the world's largest developing economy, and its continued growth is critical to the overall health of the world economy.
China: Economy • People's Republic of China (PRC) government has been reforming its economy from a Soviet-style centrally planned economy (command economy) to a more market-oriented economy (market economy). • Combining these two economic systems is known as a Mixed Economy
China: Economy • A mixed economy is where some industries are owned by the state and others are privately owned.
