Chapter 1

The Yellow river

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1. A Brief History of China

1.1 The origins of the nation

1.2 Rise and fall of the empire

1.3 China in the new millennium

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Keywords:

• Chinese nation,

• Chinese civilization,

• dynasty,

• Confucius,

• feudalism,

• revolution,

• collectivism

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1.1.1 Cradle of the nation

1.1.2 Xia, Shang and Zhou dynasties

1.1 The origins of the nation

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King Wu (c 1066 BC):

“Here [Luoyi, a place in central China] is the center under heaven, from which all other states bear same distance when they come to pay tributes.”

(ci tianxia zhi zhong, sifang rugong daoli jun)

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Hezun: Early stories about China:

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1.2 Rise and fall of the empire

1.2.1 Qin, Han and Jin dynasties

1.2.2 Sui, Tang and Song dynasties

1.2.3 Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties

1.2.4 Fall of the empire

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Events in the early 20th century:

• 1912, China‘s final dynasty, the Qing, was replaced by the Republic of China (ROC);

• 1921, Chinese Communist Party (CCP) was founded;

• 1931, Japan invaded the Northeast China (Manchuria);

• 1937, Japan invaded China and the War of Resistance Against Japan began;

• 1945, Japan surrendered unconditionally and, thereafter, the Civil War between the Nationalists and the Communists broke out;

• 1949, the People‘s Republic of China (PRC) was founded, followed by the large-scale land reform and socialist transformation.

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1.3 China in the new millennium

1.3.1 Socialism in transition

1.3.2 Capitalism, Chinese style?

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0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

1500 1600 1700 1800 1900 2000

Year

Shar

e of

GD

P (%

)

W. Europe USA

China India

Figure 1.1 A dynamic view of the Chinese economy, AD 1500-2000Source: Created by the author based on Maddison (2001).

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Confucius said:• Since the age of 15, I have devoted myself

to learning; • since 30, I have been well established; • since 40, I have understood many things

and have no longer been confused; • since 50, I have known my heaven-sent duty; • since 60, I have been able to distinguish

right and wrong in other people‘s words; and

• since 70, I have been able to do what I intended freely without breaking the rules.

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Case study 1

Understanding Chinese culture

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Confucianism Taoism

Founder’s name Kongzi (Confucius) Laozi (Lao Tzu)

Founder’s year of birth 551 BC c. 600 BC

Founder’s place of birth / living

Qufu – lower reaches of Yellow river

Luyi/Luoyia – middle and upper reaches of Yellow river

How the founder suffered from river flood

Very serious Not serious

Overall goalFind peaceful and harmonious place of life

No overall goal

Rule of behaviorFollow a certain relationship between people

Follow the life according to the Tao

Attitude toward flood control

Narrow channel by high levees

Wider flood plain between lower levees

(a) Laozi spent most of his career first at Luoyi (capital of the Eastern Zhou dynasty) and later at the mountain areas in western China.

Table 1.1 Confucianism versus Taoism: some basic facts

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Chapter conclusion:

Starting with a brief history of China (called “ zhongguo” in Chinese, meaning “center under heaven”), this chapter is focused on various factors that could have shaped China’s existing political, economic and cultural characteristics. It investigates the causes and consequences of China’s periodic changes of feudal dynasties as well as their political, economic and cultural implications to the Chinese economy in the new millennium.

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Suggested reading

Analects of Confucius (lunyu) by Confucius (an English text is available at: http://www.confucius.org/lunyu/lange.htm).

Bolton, P., and G. Roland (1997). “The Breakup of Nations: A Political Economy Analysis,” The Quarterly Journal of Economics, Volume 112, pp. 1057-89.

Friedman, D. (1977). “A Theory of the Size and Shape of Nations,” Journal of Political Economy, Volume 85(1), pp. 59-77.

Shiji (records of the grand historian) by Sima Qian (an English introductory text is available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Records_of_the_Grand_Historian).

Tao Te Ching (or daodejing) by Lao Tzu (or Laozi) (an English text is available at: http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/core9/phalsall/texts/taote-v3.html).

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