Imperial China: Difference between revisions

Content deleted Content added

Inline

Revision as of 05:57, 19 April 2013

Imperial China (also called the Empire of China or the Chinese Empire) refers to the history of China from 221 BC to AD 1912, or to the government of China in that period.
See:

Early Imperial China

Early Imperial China spans a period from the unification of China under the Qin Dynasty in 221 BCE to the re-unification of China under the Sui Dynasty in 589 CE. A brief list of Chinese dynasties during this period:

Qin Dynasty (221 BCE - 206 BCE),
Western Han, (206 BCE - 9 CE)
Eastern Han, (23 - 220)
Three Kingdoms Period (220 - 280): Cao Wei, Shu Han, Eastern Wu
Western Jin (265 - 316)
Northern Dynasties (420 - 589): Northern Wei, Northern Zhou and Northern Qi
Southern Dynasties (316 - 589): Eastern Jin, Southern Qi, Liu Sung, Southern Liang, and Chen
Sui Dynasty (581 - 618)
Numerous short-lived states set up by usurpers and revolters, e.g.Chu, Xin Dynasty, Zhong, and the Sixteen Kingdoms.

Mid-Imperial China

Mid-Imperial China begins with the reunification of China by the short-lived Sui dynasty in 589. The Sui replaced the nine-rank system with the imperial examination and embarked on major public works such as connecting the various canals to form the Grand Canal. They also replaced the state structure with the Three Departments and Six Ministries, a system that would remain little changed until the adoption of a cabinet in May 1911 just prior to the Xinhai Revolution.

After the Sui were overthrown, the Tang dynasty ruled for three centuries in prosperity. Its collapse was followed by decades of upheaval known as the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. Tribes from the north took advantage of the disunity to set up the Northern Conquest Dynasties. Most of China proper was reunified by the Song dynasty in 960 which saw major technological, economic, and cultural advances and the rise of neo-Confucianism. China was conquered by the Mongol Empire in 1279. The period spanning the Tang and Song dynasties is also known as the Golden Age of China.

Late Imperial China

Late Imperial China refers to the period between the end of Mongol rule in 1368 and the establishment of the Republic of China in 1912 and includes the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Sometimes it includes the Yuan Dynasty also.

The use of early/mid and late Imperial China is preferred by many economic, cultural, and social historians over the standard dynastic periodization in that it emphasizes social and economic continuities between dynasties. In particular, there is a consensus among historians that unlike the Yuan Dynasty, the Manchu invasions did not mark a relatively sharp discontinuity in Chinese history and that most of the cultural and social trends of the period crossed the Ming–Qing division.

At the same time, some historians point out that this periodization tends to regard the periods of stable united dynasties as "normal" and "standard" and the periods in between as "abnormal."

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{merge|History_of_China#Imperial_China}}
-'''Imperial China''' (also called the '''Empire of China''' or the '''Chinese Empire''') may refer to the history of China from 221 BC to AD 1912, or to the government of China in that period.<br>See:
+'''Imperial China''' (also called the '''Empire of China''' or the '''Chinese Empire''')  refers to the [[history of China]] from 221 BC to AD 1912, or to the government of China in that period.<br>See:
 {{Short history of China}}
+==Early Imperial China==
-* [[History of China#Imperial era|Imperial era of Chinese history]]
-** [[Early Imperial China]]
+{{main|Early Imperial China}}
+'''Early Imperial China''' spans a period from the unification of [[China]] under the [[Qin Dynasty]] in 221 BCE to the re-unification of China under the [[Sui Dynasty]] in 589 CE.
-** [[Mid-Imperial China]]
+A brief list of Chinese dynasties during this period:
-** [[Late Imperial China]]
+* [[Qin Dynasty]] (221 BCE - 206 BCE),
-* [[Empire of China (1915–1916)]], the short-lived dynasty proclaimed by Yuan Shikai
+* [[Western Han]], (206 BCE - 9 CE)
+* [[Eastern Han]], (23 - 220)
+* [[Three Kingdoms Period]] (220 - 280): [[Cao Wei]], [[Shu Han]], [[Eastern Wu]]
+* [[Western Jin]] (265 - 316)
+* Northern Dynasties (420 - 589): [[Northern Wei]], [[Northern Zhou]] and [[Northern Qi]]
+* Southern Dynasties (316 - 589): [[Eastern Jin]], [[Southern Qi]], [[Liu Sung]], [[Southern Liang]], and [[Chen Dynasty|Chen]]
+* [[Sui Dynasty]] (581 - 618)
+* Numerous short-lived states set up by usurpers and revolters, e.g.[[Xiang Yu|Chu]], [[Xin Dynasty]], [[Yuan Shu|Zhong]], and the [[Sixteen Kingdoms]].
+==Mid-Imperial China==
+'''Mid-Imperial China''' begins with the reunification of China by the short-lived [[Sui dynasty]] in 589.  The Sui replaced the [[nine-rank system]] with the [[imperial examination]] and embarked on major public works such as connecting the various canals to form the [[Grand Canal (China)|Grand Canal]].  They also replaced the state structure with the [[Three Departments and Six Ministries]], a system that would remain little changed until the adoption of a [[Cabinet (government)|cabinet]] in May 1911 just prior to the [[Xinhai Revolution]].
+After the Sui were overthrown, the [[Tang dynasty]] ruled for three centuries in prosperity.  Its collapse was followed by decades of upheaval known as the [[Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period]].  Tribes from the north took advantage of the disunity to set up the [[Northern Conquest Dynasties]].  Most of [[China proper]] was reunified by the [[Song dynasty]] in 960 which saw major technological, economic, and cultural advances and the rise of [[neo-Confucianism]].  China was conquered by the [[Mongol Empire]] in 1279.  The period spanning the Tang and Song dynasties is also known as the '''Golden Age of China'''.
+==Late Imperial China==
+'''Late Imperial China''' refers to the period between the end of [[Mongol]] rule in 1368 and the establishment of the [[Republic of China]] in 1912 and includes the [[Ming Dynasty|Ming]] and [[Qing Dynasty|Qing]] Dynasties. Sometimes it includes the Yuan Dynasty also.
+The use of [[Early Imperial China|early]]/[[Mid-Imperial China|mid]] and late Imperial China is preferred by many economic, cultural, and social historians over the standard [[Dynasties in Chinese history|dynastic]] periodization in that it emphasizes social and economic continuities between dynasties.  In particular, there is a consensus among historians that unlike the [[Yuan Dynasty]], the Manchu invasions did not mark a relatively sharp discontinuity in Chinese history and that most of the cultural and social trends of the period crossed the Ming–Qing division.
+At the same time, some historians point out that this periodization tends to regard the periods of stable united dynasties as "normal" and "standard" and the periods in between as "abnormal."
 ==See also==
+* [[Empire of China (1915–1916)]], the short-lived dynasty proclaimed by Yuan Shikai
 * [[Foreign relations of Imperial China]]
 * [[History of China]]