Chinese History Notes
● Prehistory
Chinese settlements were
agricultural; not unified as a kingdom
● The Formation of China
Social philosophy and political
theory; warring states period was
500 years--led to currency and
calligraphy
● The Qin Dynasty
First unified dynasty; standardize
EVERYTHING
● The Han Dynasty
Dynasty gave people their names:
90% of Chinese are ethnically Han
● The Middle Ages
War for 350 years, foreigners invade
the north; xenophobia
● Unification and Stability
Sui and Tang dynasties; Tang are
accepting of other religions ALSO
had Empress Wu
● The Song Dynasty
compass, gunpowder,
paper-making, and printing: four
great inventions
● The Yuan Dynasty
Most territory in Chinese history;
isolationist
● The Ming Dynasty
Great Wall of China; Zhu Di the
traveller; establishes trade
Name________________________
● The Qing Dynasty
Self-sufficient; rebellions (White
Lotus) trade tension with the WEST
British sell OPIUM to the Chinese;
Opium wars!; British win, force
China to end isolation; China has
Taiwan and Korea; Japan kicks
China’s butt (Sino-Japanese War)
● The Republic of China (1912)
Student protests; the communist
party emerges (CCP) with Mao
Zedong at its head; tension between
the KMT (Nationalist Govt) and the
CCP (commies)
● The Mao Years
Mao leader of China; starts well,
Cultural Revolution (execute
enemies of the communist party);
man-made famine
● The Deng Years
One-Child policy due to large pop.
(900 million)
● The 21 Century
Economic boom! 2nd largest
economy in the world