Slides about the history of china

1. CHINESE
HISTORY
Submitted by
Zumran bin jawaid
Arooj ansar
Umar Sami khan
Ansa Amjad
Sufyan Akbar
Umer Ch

2. AGENDA
 Chinese history in chronological order
• Ancient and Imperial China
• ​Republic of China 1912-1949
• People’s republic of China 1949-
onward
• ​Innovations and inventions in China
• Philosophy and religion

3. INTRODUCTION
The earliest dynasty of Xia can be traced back to 2070bc and the last
dynasty of the Qing dynasty fell in 1911 in these 4 thousand years of
history 13 dynasties ruled over China. Qin Shi Huang united China and
became ‘emperor’. The Han dynasty was known as the golden age in
Chinese history. Also, the tang dynasty was very prosperous. The 1912
revolution ended the last Qing dynasty and Sun Yat-sen became the first
president. The civil war 1947-1949 was a pivotal point in Chinese history.
Under Mao Zedong’s rule, China started its transformation from a
traditional peasant society to heavy industries. In the long run, the
Chinese economy thrived. Now modern China is one of the leading
economies
Chinese history 3

4. 1. Xia Dynasty (c. 2070-1600 BC)
The Xia dynasty was the first Chinese dynasty. It was founded by the legendary Yu the
Great (c. 2123-2025 BC), known for developing a flood control technique that stopped the
Great Flood that ravaged farmer’s crops for generations.
There is a severe lack of documented evidence about this dynasty and therefore very little is
known about the Xia period. Most scholars believe that stories about it were spoken, rather
than written. It is not until the Zhou Dynasty, 554 years later, that we see written recordings
of this first Chinese dynasty. For this reason, some scholars believe it to be mythical or
quasi-legendary.
2. Shang Dynasty (c. 1600-1050 BC)
The Shang dynasty is the earliest recorded Chinese dynasty supported by archaeological
evidence. 31 kings ruled much of the area along the Yellow River.
Under the Shang dynasty, there were advances in math's, astronomy, art and military
technology. They used a highly developed calendar system and an early form of modern
Chinese language.

5. 3. Zhou Dynasty (c. 1046-256 BC)
The Zhou dynasty was the longest dynasty in the history of China, ruling the region for
almost 8 centuries.
Under the Zhous, culture flourished and civilization spread. Writing was codified, coinage
was developed and chopsticks came into use.
Chinese philosophy blossomed with the birth of the philosophical schools of Confucianism,
Taoism and Mohism. The dynasty saw some of the greatest Chinese philosophers and
poets: Lao-Tzu, Tao Chien, Confucius, Mencius, Mo Ti and the military strategist Sun-Tzu.
The Zhou's also developed the Mandate of Heaven – a concept that was used to justify the
rule of kings, who had been blessed by the gods. The dynasty ended with the Warring
States period (476–221 BC), in which various city-states battled each other, establishing
themselves as independent feudal entities. They were finally consolidated by Qin Shi
Huangdi, a brutal ruler who became the first emperor of a unified China.
4. Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC)
The Qin dynasty marked the beginning of the Chinese Empire. During Qin Shi Huangdi’s
reign, China was greatly expanded to cover the Ye lands of Hunan and Guangdong
Although short-lived, the period saw ambitious public works projects including the unification
of state walls into a single Great Wall. It saw the development of a standardized form of
currency, a uniform system of writing, and a legal code.
The Qin emperor was remembered for his ruthless megalomania and suppression of
speech – in 213 BC he ordered the burning of hundreds of thousands of books and the live
burial of 460 Confucian scholars.
He was also responsible for building a city-sized mausoleum for himself, guarded by the life-
sized Terracotta Army of more than 8,000 life-sized soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses,
and 150 cavalry horses.

6. 5. Han Dynasty (206 BCE-220 AD)
The Han dynasty was known as a golden age in Chinese history, with a prolonged period of
stability and prosperity. A central imperial civil service was established to create a strong
and organised government
China’s territory was extended to most of the China proper. The Silk Road was opened up to
connect to the west, bringing in trade, foreign cultures and the introduction of Buddhism.
Under the Han dynasty, Confucianism, poetry and literature flowered. Paper and porcelain
were invented. China’s earliest written record on medicine, the Yellow Emperor’s Canon of
Medicine, was codified.
The name ‘Han’ was taken as the name of the Chinese people. Today, the Han Chinese
make up the dominant ethnic group in China and the largest in the world.
6. Six Dynasties Period
Three Kingdoms (220-265), Jin Dynasty (265-420), Period of the Northern and Southern
Dynasties (386-589).
Six Dynasties is the collective term for the six successive Han-ruled dynasties during this
turbulent period. All had their capitals at Jianye, present-day Nanjing.
The Three Kingdoms period has been romanticised repeatedly in Chinese culture – most
notably in the novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

7. 7. Sui Dynasty (581-618)
The Sui dynasty, although brief, saw great changes in Chinese history. Its capital was held
at Daxing, present-day Xi’an.
Confucianism disintegrated as the dominant religion, making way for Taoism and Buddhism.
Literature flourished – it is thought that the legend of Hua Mulan was composed during this
time.
Under Emperor Wen and his son, Yang, the army was enlarged to the largest in the world at
the time. Coinage was standardized across the realm, the Great Wall was expanded and
the Grand Canal was completed
8. Tang Dynasty (618-906)
The Tang dynasty, sometimes known as the Golden Age of Ancient China, was considered
the high point in Chinese civilization. Its second emperor, Taizong, was regarded as one of
the greatest Chinese emperors.
The period saw one of the most peaceful and prosperous periods of Chinese history. By the
time of the rule of Emperor Xuanzong (712-756), China was the largest and most populous
country in the world.
Major achievements were seen in technology, science, culture, art and literature, especially
poetry. Some of the most beautiful pieces of Chinese sculpture and silverwork originate
from the Tang dynasty.
The dynasty also saw the only female monarch in the history of China – Empress Wu
Zetian (624-705). Wu organized a secret police force and spies across the country, making
her one of the most effective – yet popular – monarchs in Chinese history.

8. 9. Five Dynasties Period, Ten Kingdoms (907-960)
The 50 years between the fall of the Tang dynasty and establishment of the Song dynasty
were dominated by internal strife and chaos.
In north China, 5 would-be dynasties followed one another in succession. During the same
period, 10 regimes dominated separate regions of south China.
Despite the political turmoil, some key developments took place during this time. The
printing of books – which had begun in the Tang dynasty – became popular.
10. Song Dynasty (960-1279)
The Song dynasty saw the reunification of China under the Emperor Taizu. Major inventions
included gunpowder, printing, paper money and the compass.
Plagued with political factions, the Song court eventually fell to the challenge of the Mongol
invasion and was replaced by the Yuan dynasty.

9. 11. Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368)
The Yuan dynasty was established by the Mongols and ruled by Kublai Khan (1260-1279),
grandson of Genghis Khan. Khan was the first non-Chinese ruler to take over the entire
country.
Yuan China was considered the most important part of the vast Mongol Empire, which
stretched from the Caspian Sea to the Korean peninsula.
Khan created the new capital city of Xanadu (or Shangdu in Inner Mongolia). The main
centre of the Mongol Empire was later moved to Daidu, present day Beijing.
The Mongols’ reign in China came to an end after a series of famines, plagues, floods and
peasant uprisings.
12. Ming Dynasty (1368-1644)
The Ming dynasty saw a huge growth in China’s population and general economic
prosperity. However the Ming emperors were dogged with the same problems of previous
regimes and collapsed with the invasion of the Manchus.
During the dynasty, the Great Wall of China was completed. It also saw the construction
of the Forbidden City, the imperial residence in Beijing. The period is also known for its blue-
and-white Ming porcelains.

10. 13. Qing Dynasty (1644-1912)
The Qing dynasty was the last imperial dynasty in China, succeeded by the
Republic of China in 1912. The Qing was made up of ethnic Manchus from the
northern Chinese region of Manchuria.
The Qing dynasty was the 5th largest empire in world history. However, by the early
20th century, its rulers were weakened by rural unrest, aggressive foreign powers,
and military weakness.
During the 1800s, Qing China faced attacks from Britain, France, Russia,
Germany, and Japan. The Opium Wars (1839-42 and 1856-60) ended with Hong
Kong ceding to Britain and defeat of the Chinese army.
On 12 February 1912, 6-year-old Puyi – the last emperor of China – abdicated. It
brought an end to the thousand-year imperial rule of China and marked the
beginning of republic and socialist rule.

11. 11
Republic of China (Republican era) 1912-1949
• The history of the Republic of China begins after the Qing
dynasty in 1912 when the Xinhai Revolution and the formation
of the Republic of China put an end to 2,000 years of imperial
rule.
• The Republic of China, between 1912 and 1949, was a
sovereign state recognized as the official designation of China
when it was based in Mainland China, before the relocation of
its central government to Taiwan as a result of the Chinese
Civil War
• The Republic experienced many trials and tribulations after its
founding which included being dominated by elements as
disparate as warlord generals and foreign powers.
• In 1928, the Republic was nominally unified under the
Kuomintang (KMT; also called "Chinese Nationalist Party")
after the Northern Expedition, and was in the early stages of
industrialization and modernization when it was caught in the
conflicts involving the Kuomintang government, the Chinese
Communist Party (CCP), local warlords, and the Empire of
Japan.
• Most nation-building efforts were stopped during the full-scale
Second Sino-Japanese War against Japan from 1937 to 1945,
and later the widening gap between the Kuomintang and the
Communist Party made a coalition government impossible,
causing the resumption of the Chinese Civil War, in 1946,
shortly after the Japanese surrender to the Allied Powers in

12. 12
“PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA”
1949 TO PRESENT DAY
The China of 2022 is very different from the one that existed
at the end of the civil war when Communist forces under Mao
Zedong defeated the nationalists of Chiang Kai-shek
Here are the major events of the past 70 years
(From Mao To Now)
 MAO ERA (1949-1976)
 Victorious after 20 years of civil war, Mao Zedong proclaims the
New People’s Republic Of China, declaring: “The Chinese people
have stood up”
 Chairman Mao Zedong solemnly proclaims the founding of the
People’s Republic Of China (PRC) on the Tiananmen Square Gate
rostrum in Beijing, China, On October 1, 1949.
 Mao laid heavy theoretical emphasis on command economy and
class struggle, and ruled as a dictator.

13. 13
1950:Mao begins a enormous programme of economic and social
reconstruction, but just as the economy shows signs of recovery, China
intervenes into the Korean War on the side of North Korea.
1953:After the Korean War ended in 1953, Mao Zedong launched
campaigns to persecute former landlords and merchants, starting the
industrialisation program at the same time. Mao’s first goal was a total
overhaul of the land ownership system, and extensive land reforms,
including the execution of more powerful landlords. China’s old system
of gentry landlord ownership of farmland and tenants peasants was
replaced with a distribution system in favour of poor/landless peasants
which significantly reduced economic inequality.
1958:Mao launches the “Great Leap Forward”, a five-year economic
plan aimed at super-charging industrial and agricultural production to
catch up with more advanced nations. As markets are disrupted and
production plummets, the policy leads to a devastating famine Two
years of famine resulting from the disastrous policies of the Great Leap
Forward led to the deaths of at least23million- 45 million people.
Red Guards on Tiananmen Square
during the Cultural Revolution (1967)

14. 14
1971:The PRC (People’s Republic Of China) replaces Taiwan, known
officially as the Republic Of China at the United Nations. The Taiwan
delegation walks out of the UN to spare themselves further humiliation
as the vote to “expel forthwith the representatives of Chiang Kai-shek
from the place which they unlawfully occupy at the UN and in all the
organisations related to it” passes 76 to 35 with 17 abstentions.
1972:US President Richard Nixon makes a landmark visit to China and
expresses willingness to forge diplomatic relations with the PRC.
1976:Prime Minister Zhou Enlai dies in January and Mao on
September 9 unleashing a power struggle within the party.
Mao’s widow and three of her colleagues -“Gang of Four” - are arrested
and convicted of crimes against the state.
The city of Tangshan is devastated by an earthquake that kills nearly
300,000 people.

15. 15
 TRANSITION AND THE DENG ERA (1976-1989)
 Deng Xiaoping emerges as the dominant figure in the party
leadership and begins far-reaching economic reforms.
 Deng resorted China to domestic stability and economic growth
after the disastrous excesses of the Cultural Revolution. Under his
leadership, China acquired a rapidly growing economy, rising
standards of living, considerably expanded personal and cultural
freedoms, and growing ties to the world economy. Deng also left in
place a mildly authoritarian government that remained committed
to the CCP’S one-party rule even while it relied on free-market
mechanisms to transform China into a developed country.
1979:Beijing and Washington establish full diplomatic relations.
1980:The government introduces the One-Child Policy in an effort to
slow population growth and raise living standards.
1986:China’s “open-door policy” begins, opening the country to
foreign investment and encouraging the development of a market
economy and private sector.
The phrase “to get rich is glorious” is widely attributed to Deng
Xiaoping, although it is unclear if he ever actually said it.
Deng Xiaoping dies, aged 92.

16. 16
 JIANG ZEMIN AND THE THIRD GENERATION (1989-2002)
 Nearly for 15 years as the Chairman of China’s Central Military
Commission, Jiang Zemin , albeit lack of real military experience,
has gradually developed his military theories and principles in the
process of consolidating military authority.
Unquestionably, Jiang is not only the core of the third generation
leadership in China, but also the most powerful man in China’s
military till now
1992:Russia and China formally end more than 30 years of enmity, signing
a declaration to restore friendly ties.
1993:Jiang Zemin becomes president while Li Peng returned for another
five years term as prime minister.
Work begins on the Three Gorges Dam - a project first envisaged by Mao
as a way to control the annual flooding of the Yangtze and generate
electricity.
1997:Hong Kong returned to Chinese rule, after more than a century as a
British colony. China promises to ensure freedoms unseen on the
mainland for the people of Hong Kong, for at least 50 years. 1999:The
Falun Gong spiritual group is banned as a threat to stability. The
Portuguese colonial territory of Macau reverts to Chinese rule, ending
five centuries of colonialism in China.
2001:China joins the World Trade Organization, ending a 15-year debate
over whether it is entitled to the full trading rights of capitalist countries.

17. 17
 HU JINTAO AND THE FOURTH GENERATION (2002-2012)
 Hu Jintao succeeded as the General Secretary of the Chinese
Communist Party in November 2002.
 In March 2003, Hu Jintao became the 6th President of the People’s
Republic Of China, with Wen Jiabao being the Premier of China.
In September 2004, Hu Jintao became the Chairman of the Central
Military Commission
2003:An outbreak of the previously unknown Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)
virus kills 774 people, mostly in Hong Kong and mainland China.
China becomes the third country in the world -after Russia and US- to send a human into
space. Yang Liwei orbits the Earth 14 times on board the Shenzhou V spacecraft.
2006:Structural work is completed on the Three Gorges Dam, the largest in the world.
More than 1.3 million people were forced from their homes for the 17-year construction of
the dam with whole towns relocated.
2008:In May, a 7.9 magnitude earthquake strikes the southwestern province of Sichuan,
leaving nearly 90,000 people dead or missing, including thousands of children who were
trapped in the rubble when their schools collapsed
In July, China hosts the Olympic Games for the first time. The Bird’s Nest Stadium in
Beijing, designed especially for the event was the work of artist Wei Wei and Swiss
architect Herzog de Meuron.
2010:China officially overtakes Japan as the world’s second-biggest economy.

18. 18
 XI JINPING AND THE FIFTH GENERATION (2012-present)
 Xi Jinping became the General Secretary of the Chines Communist
Party and the Chairman of the Central Military Commission, the
two most powerful positions on 15 November 2021. And on March
14, 2013, Xi Jinping became the 7th President of China. Li Keqiang
became the Premier of China on March 13.
2016:The Two-Child Policy comes into effect on January 1.
2018:A constitutional change removes the two-term time limit on the
presidency, allowing Xi to stay in office beyond 2023. His name and
ideology are also added to the party’s constitution, putting him on the
same level as party founder Chairman Mao.
The city’s government eventually agrees to recall the bill, but by then
the demonstrations have morphed into bigger demands for more
democratic freedoms.
2020-2022:After the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic that began in
early 2020 was brought under control, there have been some regional
and small-scale cases of new infections in China.

19. 19
“China’s Strategies To Prevent The Resurgence Of The COVID-
19 Epidemic”
To prevent a resurgence of the epidemic, the Chinese
government has continued the use of effective prevention and
control measures in key epidemic areas. New preventions and
control measures have also been developed based on the
characteristics of the epidemic and the social habits of the
Chinese people.
The strategies applied in China include:
Large-scale nucleic acid testing, wearing masks, travel health
code management, Patient proper treatment, vaccination, etc...
~ Now, with a population of almost 1.5 billion the People’s
Republic Of China is the most populous country in the world.
China has the world’s second-largest economy and the largest
military. It is an economic superpower and also has nuclear
weapons.

20. 20
The Four Great Inventions of Ancient China’ refers to paper,
gunpowder, printing, and the compass. These four great
inventions greatly promoted the development of China’s
economy, politics, and culture. When these technologies were
introduced to the West through various channels, they
substantially revolutionized world civilization.
1. Papermaking
Paper was invented in about the year 105 AD by Cai Lun, who was an
imperial court official of the Han Dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD).
2. Printing Techniques — Invented from 200 AD
The moveable, reusable, clay-type printing technique was invented by
Bi Sheng (970–1051) in the Song Dynasty (960–1279) after numerous
tests. Before the emergence of this printing technique, manuscripts
were all handwritten by scholars, which took lots of time and always
included mistakes.
3. Gunpowder — Invented in the 800s AD
Gunpowder was invented by Chinese alchemists during the Tang
Dynasty. In medieval China, alchemists were people who tried to make
an elixir of immortality as their supreme goal. They inadvertently found
that a mixture of sulphur, saltpeter, and charcoal could induce an
explosion.

21. 21
4. The Compass
The history of the compass can be dated back to the Warring
States Period (476–221 BC), when Chinse people used a device
called si nan to point the direction.
After constant improvement, a round compass with a tiny
needle made of magnetized steel were invented during the
early Song Dynasty. One end of the tiny needle points to the
south and the other points to the north. The compass was then
introduced to the Arab world and Europe during the Northern
Song era (960–1127).
Other Important Inventions
Most notable of these for world benefit and the development
of the economies of the various empires
were silk and porcelain.

22. RELIGION AND PHILOSOPHY
China is a multi-religious country. Taoism, Buddhism, Islam,
Protestantism, and Catholicism have all developed into culture-shaping
communities throughout Chinese history.
Freedom of belief is a government policy, and normal religious activities
are protected by the constitution. For many of China's citizens, their
religion is a defining feature alongside their national pride. The Diversity
of Religion in China
While many think of China as a homogenous culture, it may surprise you
to learn that the religious scene in China is quite diverse. Most of the
world's major religions are practiced by native Chinese people with great
devotion.
In almost every city, you are sure to see a diverse range of ethnic groups
participating in their historical religious traditions ranging from Buddhism
to Christian Protestantism.
Religion and philosophy are often intertwined in China. Taoism and
Confucianism are two examples of philosophical beliefs in China that
also carry a religious element. Aspects of ritual and beliefs about the
afterlife exist independently of the philosophies to create religious
aspects to some of China's oldest philosophical beliefs..
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23. THE GROWTH OF RELIGION IN CHINA
‫۔‬
A 2015 Gallup poll reported that 90% of Chinese citizens classify
themselves as atheists or non-religious.
However, this is a difficult number to measure due to the fact that many
people practice the rituals and thought patterns of various religions but
would not classify themselves as a member of a certain group.
Chinese folk religion is a good example of how the people view religious
beliefs as a part of their way of seeing the world without putting a label
on it. The folk religion is characterized by broad beliefs in salvation,
prayer to ancestors and former leaders, and an understanding of the
influence of the natural world.
The Major Four Official Religions of China: Buddhism, Taoism,
Islam, and Christianity
Religion today is growing in diversity and openness to the worldwide
context. No religion has ever assumed a dominant position in China.
Foreign religions, influenced by time-honored Chinese Culture and
tradition, have gradually become fixtures with distinctive Chinese
characteristics.
The four major religions in China (Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, and
Christianity) each have a long history of influence. We will discuss each
of the following in more detail below.
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24. Buddhism.
Buddhism spread from India to China some 2,000 years ago.
The majority of Buddhist believers are Han Chinese while Buddhist
believers in Tibet also make up a sizable portion. They are typically from
the Tibetan, Mongolian, Lhoba, Moinba, and Tujia nationalities.
Buddhists make up the largest religious communities in China. However,
since many Han practice a historical/cultural Buddhism rather than a
daily practice, it can be difficult to count their exact numbers.
Taoism is native to China and has a history of more than 1,700 years.
Its founder was Lao Tzu and its doctrines are based on his writings about
the Tao or the Way. Taoism is centered on the "three treasures" which
are: Humility, Compassion, and Frugality.
You are probably already familiar with some of the symbolism of Taoism
without even realizing it. The famous Yin and Yang symbol is a
foundational illustration of Taoist beliefs. In it, we can see the importance
of harmony in the Taoist tradition.
It is considered a polytheistic religion and is still quite influential in rural
areas inhabited by the Han Chinese and several minority groups, such
as the Yao. Taoism also has a strong presence in Hong Kong, Macau,
and Southeast Asia.
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25. Islam.
Islam spread from the Arab Countries to China more than 1,300 years
ago. It now has more than 14 million believers among the Hui, Uyghur,
Kazak, Ozbek, Tajik, Tatar, Kirgiz, Dongxiang Sala, and Banan ethnic
groups.
The Islamic followers mainly live in the Provinces of Xinjiang, Ningxia,
Gansu, and Qinghai in northwest China. There are also Islamic
communities scattered in almost every city.
Chinese Muslims do not eat pork, dogs, horses, donkeys, or mules.
Christianity
Catholicism and other forms of Christianity began to make their way into
China very early. In 635, a missionary of the Nestorian sect came to
China from Persia. The religion was slow in gaining a strong foothold in
China but is now well established It was after the Sino-British Opium War
in 1840 that Christianity developed rapidly in China. Chinese Catholic
and Christian communities grew in number and influence across the
country.
Now there are more than 3.3 million Catholics and nearly 5 million
Protestants in the country.
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26. THANK YOU
XIEXIE
Zumran bin jawaid​
zumran009@gmail.com