Nicole J Rivera

Imperialism in China
Imperialism is defined as "an unequal human and territorial relationship, usually in
the form of an
empire, based on ideas of superiority and practices of dominance, and involving the
extension of
authority and control of one state or people over another. Therefore, I am against
Imperialism. Before, in China, bureaucrats were appointed by the emperor, in whom
the emperor would usually choose close relations and aristocrats. People were able
to join the bureaucracy by taking the Civil Service Exam, some plebeians took part
in the Assembly. Even if there was a rift in the social stratification of the political
structure, there were only certain types of people that were allowed to join.
According to The Early Chinese Empires: Qin and Han, Han China used the nomads
on the edges of the territory as part of the military instead of citizens. Most of the
military power was given to non-Chinese tribesmen the nomads near the border
because they were skilled in the practice of war. Because of this, the Chinese were
able to prevent local powers from challenging China, but it also led to those who
were not Chinese taking over China. In Han China, poetry, stories, and books
dominated, and many works of literature were written during this dynasty. The
societies of Han China differ as well. There was a large difference between the
predominant classes of China.
In China, women were not allowed to participate in government. They had a
patriarchal imperial rule, where the emperor was male. The government system of
China favored the upper class. In Han China, only the aristocrats had the time or
money to learn the complex Chinese characters as well as Chinese history,
literature, and much more. Because only the aristocrats had this luxury as well as

Nicole J Rivera
Imperialism in China
familial connections, they, therefore, had a higher advantage of passing the Civil
Service Exam, which tested over these subjects. Aristocrats had enough money to
learn, while peasants and farmers had neither the time, nor the resources to be able
to learn anything. Because there was less social ranking in the government system
of Han China, and the bureaucracy was occasionally based off merit rather than
social class, and age, this limited the emperors power in both of these empires.
Even though the emperors power was limited, the style of government was still
autocratic, meaning the emperor possessed essentially unlimited power. Most of
the military power was given to non-Chinese tribesmen the nomads near the
border because they were skilled in the practice of war. Because of this, the
Chinese were able to prevent local powers from challenging China, but it also led to
those who were not Chinese taking over China. Many aspects of Han Chinas
society and politics have influenced present day China. It is my opinion that China is
one of the greatest empire the world has ever seen but at the same time it makes
China look selfish and unfair.