An Introduction to Chinese History and Culture (China Academic Library)

✍ Scribed by Qizhi Zhang

• Publisher: Springer
• Year: 2015
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 472
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

This book breaks with convention and provides an overview of Chinese history in the form of special topics. These topics include the major issues of “A Scientific Approach to the Origins of Chinese Civilization,” “Ancient Chinese Society and the Change of Dynasties,” “The Golden Ages of the Han, Tang and Qing Dynasties: a Comparative Analysis,” “Transportation Systems and Cultural Communication in Ancient China,” “Ethnic Relations in Chinese History,” “The Systems of Politics, Law and Selecting Officials in Ancient China,” “Agriculture, Handicraft and Commerce in Ancient China,” “The Military Thought and Military Systems of Ancient China,” “The Rich and Colorful Social Life in Ancient China,” “The Evolution of Ancient Chinese Thought,” “The Treasure House of Ancient Chinese Literature and Art,” “The Emergence and Progress of Ancient Chinese Historiography,” “Reflection on Ancient Chinese Science and Technology,” “New Issues in the Modern History of China,” and “A General Progression to the Socialist Modernization of the People’s Republic of China.”

The book is based on current literature and research by university students. The modern history section is relatively concise, while the topics related to ancient Chinese history are longer, reflecting the country’s rich history and corresponding wealth of materials. There is also an in-depth discussion on the socialist modernization of the People’s Republic of China.

The book provides insights into Chinese history, allowing readers “to see the value of civilization through history; to see the preciseness of history through civilization.”  It focuses on the social background, lifestyle and development processes to illustrate ideologies and ideas.

✦ Table of Contents

Acknowledgements
Contents
1 A Scientific Approach to the Origins of Chinese Civilization
1.1 Emperors Huang and Yan: The Mythic Age of Chinese Ancient History
1.2 Emperors Huang and Yan in the Eyes of Modern Historians
1.3 A Civilization of Multi-origin and Great Diversity
1.4 Primitive Agriculture and the Progress of Civilization
References
2 Ancient Chinese Society and the Change of Dynasties
2.1 The Succession of the Xia, Shang, and Zhou Dynasties and the Shaping of the Chinese Nation
2.2 The Social Composition of the Shang and Zhou Dynasties
2.3 Social Changes in the Spring and Autumn and the Warring States Periods
2.4 Reflections upon the Rise and Fall of the Qin Dynasty
2.5 Dynastic Change and Peasant War
3 The Golden Ages of the Han, Tang, and Qing Dynasties: A Comparative Analysis
3.1 From the Wen-Jing Age of Order to the Zhao-Xuan Revival
3.2 From the Zhenguan Age of Order to the Kaiyuan Golden Age
3.3 The Golden Age of Emperors Kangxi, Yongzheng, and Qianlong
3.4 Overview of the Golden Ages
References
4 Transportation Systems and Cultural Communication in Ancient China
4.1 Traffic Construction in Ancient China
4.2 Standardization of Vehicles and Roads and Unification of Languages
4.3 Zhang Qian's Camel Caravan and Zheng He's Voyage to the Western Oceans
4.4 Contacts with Foreign Civilizations in Ancient China
Reference
5 Ethnic Relations in Chinese History
5.1 Geographical Environment and Ethnic Relations
5.2 “Middle Kingdom” and “Land Under Heaven”
5.3 Boundary Between Han Chinese and Barbarians and Their Unification
5.4 Unified Economic Base
5.5 The Political System of Diversity and Unity
5.6 Process of Unification and National Integration
5.7 Several Issues About Ethnic Relations
Reference
6 The Systems of Politics, Law, and Selecting Officials in Ancient China
6.1 Patriarchal Consanguinity and the System of State (the Xia, Shang, and Zhou Dynasties to the Spring and Autumn Period)
6.2 The Naissance of the Central Authority and the Absolute Monarchy (the Warring States Period and the Qin and Han Dynasties)
6.3 The Rise and Fall of Family Politics (the Wei and Jin Period and the Southern and Northern Dynasties)
6.4 The Improvement of Bureaucratic Politics and the Founding of the Imperial Examination (the Sui and Tang Dynasties)
6.5 The Consolidation of the Imperial Authority and the Perfection of the Imperial System (the Northern and Southern Song Dynasties)
6.6 The Features of the Political and Legal System in the Liao, Jin, and Yuan Dynasties
6.7 The Further Consolidation of Imperial Authority and the Disadvantages of the Political System (the Ming and Qing Dynasties)
Reference
7 Agriculture, Handicraft, and Commerce in Ancient China
7.1 The Development of Ancient Agriculture
7.2 Achievements of Agricultural Theories
7.3 The Administration of Agriculture in Historical Dynasties
7.4 The Characteristics of the Development of the Handicraft Industry
7.5 The Preference for Agriculture over Commerce in Chinese History and the Difficult Development of Commerce
Bibliography
8 The Military Thought and Military Systems of Ancient China
8.1 The Military Thought of Ancient China
8.2 Famous Cases of Warfare from Ancient China
8.3 Military Systems of Ancient China
9 The Rich and Colorful Social Life in Ancient China
9.1 Life in the Ancient Age
9.2 Social Activities in the Xia, Shang, and Zhou Dynasties
9.3 Changes to Social Life in the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods
9.4 The Prevailing Social Customs in the Qin and Han Dynasties
9.5 Social Life During the Wei, Jin, Southern, and Northern Dynasties
9.6 Characteristics of Social Life in the Sui and Tang Dynasties
9.7 An Analysis of Aspects of Social Life in the Song and Yuan Dynasties
9.8 Social Practice in the Ming and Qing Dynasties
10 The Evolution of Ancient Chinese Thought
10.1 Introduction
10.2 Moral Doctrine in Ancient China: Confucian Foundations
10.3 Natural Philosophy in Ancient China: Laozian Foundations
10.4 The Debate over the Way of Heaven and the Way of Humanity During the Warring States Period
10.4.1 Mencius
10.4.2 Xunzi
10.4.3 Zhuangzi
10.5 Attempts to Reconcile the “Hundred Schools of Philosophical Thought”
10.6 Taoism, Buddhism, and Indigenous Chinese Thought
10.7 Innovations and Points of Reconciliation Achieved Between Confucianism, Taoism, and (Siddhattha Gotama) Buddhism
Bibliography
11 The Treasure House of Ancient Chinese Literature and Art
11.1 The Long History of China's Literary Heritage
11.2 An Extraordinarily Diverse Legacy of Calligraphy and Painting
11.3 The Flourishing Scene of Musical Dance
12 The Emergence and Progress of Ancient Chinese Historiography
12.1 The Pre-Qin Period: Historiography and Its Characteristics
12.2 The Eastern and Western Han Dynasties: History Theory and Historical Practice
12.3 From the Wei and Jin Dynasties to the Sui and Tang Dynasties: Further Progress in Historiography
12.4 The Song, Yuan, and Ming Dynasties: New Developments in Historiography
12.5 From the Ming and Qing Dynasties to the Period of the Opium Wars
13 Reflection on Ancient Chinese Science and Technology
13.1 Achievements and Features of Ancient Chinese Science and Technology
13.2 The Reasons for the Achievements in Ancient Chinese Science and Technology
13.3 Why Ancient Chinese Science and Technology Gradually Declined
References
14 New Issues in the Modern History of China
14.1 The Isolationist and Backward Qing Dynasty and the Modernization Trend of the Western World
14.2 The Westernization Movement and the Initiation of China's Modernization Process
14.3 The Institutional Reform Attempted at the End of the Qing Dynasty and the Beginning of the Republic of China
14.4 The New Culture Movement and the Flourishing and Contentious Intellectual World
14.5 Victory for China's Democratic Revolution
15 A General Progression to the Socialist Modernization of the People's Republic of China
15.1 Completing the Transition from New Democracy to Socialism
15.2 The Preliminary Exploration of Socialist Construction
15.3 The Historic Turning Point of the People's Republic of China
15.4 Creation of Socialist Modernization with Chinese Characteristics
15.5 A New Stage of Development at the Beginning of the New Century