Abstract
China is ranked among the four greatest civilizations in the world, along with Egypt, Babylon, and India. European civilization began long after China had made significant strides in science and technology.
The Civilization of China
China is ranked among the four greatest civilizations of the ancient world, alongside Babylon, India, and Egypt. According to written records, Chinese civilization dates back 4,000 years. Today, it is the only ancient civilization that has survived into modern times (China.org.cn, 2001).
Chinese civilization is considered one of the birthplaces of the human race. Fossils, including Yuanmou Man and Lantian Man, which flourished 1.5 million and 750,000 years ago respectively, have been discovered in China’s territory. Additionally, the Shu Ape fossil is believed to be 45 million years old and is considered the first anthropoid” (China.org.cn, 2001).
Legend has it that primitive tribes living in the middle and upper regions of the Yellow River united to form two powerful tribes led by the Yellow Emperor and the Fiery Emperor. They advanced their forces southward 5,000 years ago and after years of battle, they defeated the Sanmiao and Jiuli tribes led by Chi You (China.org.cn, 2001).
Some members of the conquered tribe were merged with the tribes under the Yellow and Fiery Emperors, becoming an integral part of the Han people. This signaled the start of China as a nation, and Chinese have since referred to themselves as descendants of the Yellow and Fiery Emperors.” (China.org.cn, 2001)
Around 5,000 years ago, China practiced a patriarchal society. Villages and initial forms of cities began to emerge during this time. The population of China’s early people had also grown significantly, and agriculture had made progress. Inventions started to appear during this age as well. Shen Nong experimented with crop selection for food and herbal medicines to cure ailments (China.org.cn, 2001).
The compass, which was invented by the Yellow Emperor, was used to vanquish the forces of Chi You. Lei Su, his wife, discovered silk-making by raising silkworms. With her invention of the first garments, ancient Chinese people no longer had to wear animal skin or leaves from trees. The southern tribes, led by Chi You, had knowledge in making copper weapons and set conditions for producing bronze vessels as well as expertise in metallurgy and alchemy (China.org.cn, 2001).
The Shang Dynasty (16th – 11th century BC) marked the beginning of slavery in China. The Bronze culture reached its peak due to excellent smelting and casting methods, which paved the way for beautifully-crafted bronze wares. Pottery also developed gradually with the proliferation of ancient pottery wares. Additionally, the art of sericulture and silk weaving reached maturity during this dynasty (China.org.cn, 2001).
The Chou Dynasty (475 B.C. – End of the 19th Century) marked the beginning of the Age of Feudalism in ancient Chinese civilization. Prior to the 15th century, China emerged as a dominant country in the world, leading in productivity and technology. (Source: China.org.cn, 2001)
China had advanced knowledge in agriculture and irrigation, as well as traditional medicine and botany. The compass, gunpowder, movable printing, and papermaking are regarded as China’s four greatest inventions and made a huge impact on world history. Ceramics and silk textiles also changed the course of technology. While Europeans struggled to manufacture cast iron during the 14th century, China had already succeeded in producing it for use in industries since the 10th century (China.org.cn, 2001).
Confucius had a significant impact not only in China but also throughout East and Southeast Asia. Sun Zi developed warfare strategies that are still studied today. Taoism became a distinct religion practiced in China. (Source: China.org.cn, 2001)
During the time of Confucius, small states were ruled by feudal lords. It was only in 221 B.C. when the remaining feudal kingdoms collapsed that China became a single empire (China.org.cn, 2001).
The Great Wall of China was built by Shih Huang Ti, the first emperor of ancient China. The aim of this engineering wonder was to protect the people inside the wall from barbaric nomads living outside the Great Wall (American Historical Association, n.d).
The Rise and Fall of Dynasties
Throughout the 2,000 years of Imperial China, a similar pattern characterized the rise and fall of dynasties. They emerged after wars and famines when there was enough food and territory to move around. Similarly, dynasties came to power when there was civilization, wealthy families, culture, emerging art, and philosophy. As the population grew, farms were divided and landlords stopped paying taxes. Eventually, this weakened the government and rebellions began (American Historical Association).
As warlords came into power, they would seek out scholars who had an understanding of good administration and record-keeping. They established a system of government and formed estates for themselves and their relatives. As the power of the landlords increased, the situation for peasants would worsen, and this cycle repeated itself over and over again (American Historical Association, n.d).
Chinese dynasties were established by nomadic warriors outside the Great Wall of China. The last of these was the Manchu Dynasty, which ruled China from 1644 to 1911. It is believed that China assimilated its conquerors. Prior to the Japanese invasion, barbarians had invaded China (American Historical Association, n.d).
The Impact of Chinese Civilization
During ancient times and towards the Middle Ages, Western civilization lagged behind China in almost all fields of science and technology. China had already been making progress before the Europeans could get on their feet during the time of Columbus (American Historical Association, n.d).
The European Civilization
While Chinese civilization was reaching greater heights, Europe remained in the dark. However, Greece emerged as a prominent figure in the field of knowledge, literature, weapons, and law. Later on, Rome rose to prominence as well (Morris, 2008).
The Huns, Goths, and Scythians were barbaric tribes that destroyed a significant portion of Europe. Eventually, they settled in the land and brought forth a new civilization. Other barbaric tribes like the Visigoths in Spain, the Franks in Gaul, the Saxons in Scandinavia and Germany, the Lombards in Italy, and the Anglo-Saxons in Britain contributed to the start of European civilization (Morris, 2008).
The Development of European Civilization
The birth of European civilization was marked by wars in different parts of the continent. In 800 A.D., Charlemagne conquered Continental Europe from the Pyrenees to the Carpathian Mountains, merging this vast area into one kingdom. Upon his death, his empire was scattered and several kingdoms were established in France, Lombardy, Burgundy, Lorraine, Germany and others (Morris, 2008).
Two hundred years later, the Scandinavian countries of Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and Russia contributed to the enlargement of European civilization. By the end of the 11th century, the Moors had been driven out to Spain. In 1453, with the accession by the Turks of Constantinople, European civilization was fully established (Morris, 2008).
Moreover, the 18th century in Europe was marked by significant events such as the Spanish Succession and the Seven Years War between Frederick II and the Austrian Emperor. England was involved in the war as an ally of Prussia, while Germany, France, Russia, and Sweden supported Austria (Morris, 2008).
Although the Seven Years War resulted in massacres and ultimately led to the French Revolution, it also ceded new territories to Prussia and established the ascendancy of Prussian Kings. This eventually led to the Royal Family of a unified Germany after the Franco-German War in 1870 (Morris, 2008).
The Greek Civilization
The first major civilization to emerge in Europe was Crete during the 2nd millennium BC. After King Minos, the Greeks established the Minoan Culture and conquered the Aegeans in 1600 BC. It is believed that the Myceneans, who were the first wave of Indo-European colonizers, captured the Minoan realms (Smith et al., 2008).
After 1200 BC, the Mycenaean Culture was almost entirely wiped out due to widespread conflict among the Mycenaean Greeks. The Dark Ages in Greece followed, during which people learned to carve iron tools that ushered in the Greek Iron Age (Smith et al., 2008).
The Roman Civilization
The ascendancy of Rome as an empire was marked by a period of civil wars and strife. During the reign of Emperor Augustus, prosperity in the Mediterranean Region reached unprecedented heights that remained unrivaled for 1,500 years. The Roman Civilization resulted from the assimilation of different groups of people. By 212 AD, almost every free man within its boundaries had become a Roman citizen, making universal citizenship a unique concept in ancient society. Beyond the borders of the Roman Empire, elements of Greco-Roman society played a role in shaping Celtic and German tribes (Smith et al., 2008).
The Chinese and European Civilizations During World War II
European civilization suffered greatly during World War II. The powerful German army was completely defeated, and the reign of the Nazis came to an end. Their leaders were charged with crimes against humanity at Nuremberg, where they had previously experienced great triumphs. Adolf Hitler escaped trial and execution by killing himself in his Berlin bunker after the war. Germany was left in ruins due to heavy bombing.
England was heavily bombed by Germany in 1940, leading to its destruction at the end of World War II. The country’s economic recovery relied on financial aid from the United States. In the years following the war, England gradually gave up its remaining strongholds. France, on the other hand, suffered greatly from Nazi occupation and needed to undergo a recovery process. Additionally, it had to relinquish its colonies after the war (Suffolk County Community College, n.d).
Meanwhile, China was experiencing the strength of the Japanese Imperial Army. Comparable to the Nazi regime in Europe, Japan committed terrible atrocities against the Chinese people. One concrete example of Japan’s cruelty in China was the Rape of Nanking (present day Nanjing), where 200 to 300,000 Chinese were killed by Japanese soldiers. At the same time, 20,000 to 80,000 women were brutally raped and kept in prostitution houses to be used by Japanese soldiers at their choosing. Japan was also involved in theft and arson (China Guide.org, n.d). Although Japan acknowledged their crimes, they challenged the gravity of these atrocities and denied involvement in causing death to an estimated number of victims (China Guide.org, n.d).
References
- China’s Role in the Second World War. Retrieved from China Guide.org on October 16, 2008: http://www.chinaguide.org/guide/china-and-the-2nd-world-war/
- The Effects of World War II. Retrieved from Suffolk County Community College on October 16, 2008: http://www2.sunysuffolk.edu/westn/effectww2.html
- The Formation of Chinese Civilization. Retrieved from China.org.cn on October 16, 2008: http://www.china.org.cn/e-gudai/index-1.htm
- Morris, C. (2008, October 14). The Growth of European Civilization. Retrieved from Chest of Books on October 16, 2008: http://chestofbooks.com/history/reference/Home-Cyclopedia-Of-History/Growth-of-European-Civilization.html
- The Oldest Living Civilization. Retrieved from American Historical Association on October16,2008:http://www.historians.org/projects/giroundtable/Chinese/Chinese3.htm
- Smith,D., et al.(2008).Europe.RetrievedfromMicrosoftEncartaOnlineEncyclopediaonOctober16,2008:http://www.encarta.msn.com
