Man Made Fire in the Sky

 

Fireworks are almost as old as the invention of gunpowder by the Ancient Chinese. From the earliest days when gunpowder was first created, its use to entertain as well as destroy has been a fact of life. Countless billions have been thrilled by the explosion of color that has lightened the night sky in celebration. From the birth of a monarch to the birth of a nation, victories, milestones and great achievements have all been given the fireworks treatment. These celebrations bring enjoyment to all when man has used fireworks to ignite the night sky.

Imperial Han Cavalry

 

From tombs almost 2000 years old come a troop of Imperial Han cavalry miniatures.

Made of baked clay, these horseman each stand about a foot tall.

These are from historic pieces are from a touring exhibition at the Bowers Museum.

Han Tomb Guards

 

More than 20 centuries old, these Han warriors were at one time protectors of the tombs of the Han emperors.  They are baked ceramic and are from a Chinese touring exhibition at the Bowers Museum.

Warrior Guards of Qin

 

Warriors of Qin

Ranks of 1/3rd scale warriors of Qin (Ch'in for those over 50) Shi Huang di stand in the positions their full-scale brethren occupied as they guarded the tomb of their emperor.  Qin Shi Huang di was the 1st Emperor of China and to protect his tomb he ordered more than 7000 life-size terra-cotta warriors created.  These copies are located at the China pavilion in Epcot Center in Walt Disney World.

Song Dynasty-Two Lands-One Golden Age

In 960 CE the dysfunctional Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period of Imperial history was replaced by the creation of another Golden Age through leadership of the Song Dynasty. The Song were known for their many technological advances such as the bicycle chain, mechanical clock, compass, windmill and movable type that allowed the mass production of books including the world's first medical encyclopedia. Advances in the development of improved rice strains provided food surpluses that allowed further city and population growth throughout the empire.  Even the style government was revamped with the full establishment of the "Scholar-Official" Class of administrators.

Zhao Kuangyi-Emperor Taizu (960-976 CE) founder of the Song Dynasty.

Some of the China' greatest classical poets, artists and writers appeared during the 300 plus years of Song rule.  Scholars such as Mi Fu, Zhuxi, Ouyang Xiu, Su Shi, Sima Guang and Shen Kuo created works that are still studied and admired to this very day.

Yet the Song had many enemies, first the Jin took Northern China in 1127 CE restricting the Song to the Southern part of the country.  Here they were able to hold out for another two centuries till the 13th century when they finally fell to the overwhelming might of the Mongols in 1279.  Another Gold Age was laid waste as China was ruled by the foreign Yuan Dynasty for almost a century.

Guardians of the Han Dynasty

Unlike their full-size cousins of the Qin Dynasty, the warrior guardians of the tombs of the rulers of the Han Dynasty are less than 1/8 life size.

Warriors of Shi Huang di

During the reign of the First Emperor of China, Shi Huang di, circa 220 BCE, an army of life size warriors were created to protect the emperor's fantastic tomb.

 

Since their discovery in the 1970's, the Terra Cota Warriors of the Qin (Ch'in) Dynasty have ignited the imagination of historians and layman alike throughout the World.

Civil Service-Qualification by Examination

One of the greatest concepts of Imperial China was that of the Civil Service Exam. Begun in a limited form in the Han Dynasty, it was formalized and improved by the Sui and fully implemented by the T'ang Dynasty.  Originally intended to show the education level of the job candidate, the concept evolved into the current form where workers should be qualified to do the job. 

The idea that a government employee should be qualified for the position that they held was in direct contrast to the traditional ideas of nepotism and favoritism where family and friends were given choice positions because of their "connections' rather than their ability to do the job. Simply put, Civil Service personnel have passed a test that shows they are qualified to complete the tasks of the government job they hold.

Barriers to Invading Ancient China

For thousands of years the culture of China has survived to form one of the most enduring civilizations in World History. One of the many reasons for this success has been the barriers to large invading armies that surround China. These can be divided into two groups, major natural barriers and manmade barriers.

Natural:

Seas- Japan, Yellow, East China South China

Mountains- Himalayas, Altan

 Rivers- Huang, Yangtze

Jungles of Southeast Asia

 Deserts- Gobi, Taklimakan

Manmade:

The Great Wall and the Grand Canal

 

Barriers are just that, difficult terrain for an enemy army to cross. Determined armies can succeed in crossing them but at such a cost in men and materials that can be deemed to high for all but the most determined foes.

Major Dynasties of China

For thousands of years China has been ruled by a vast amount of dynasties.  While some ruled for centuries and others for decades, all have had an impact upon the history and culture of this ancient society.  Below are listed the major dynasties, there were others, and all have detailed histories that exceed the limited nature of this posting.

Shang

ca. 1650-1027 B.C.E.

First Dynasty, known for skilled work with bronze tools and art. Chinese writing created, ancestor worship becomes the central religion.

Inventions: Silk refining

Zhou  

1027-256 B.C.E.

Feudal system of government introduced; seen as a golden age of peace by Confucius and later philosophers. Rulers “Mandate of Heaven” first appears.

Inventions: Crossbow (450)

Warring States Period          

481-221 B.C.E.

Huge armies controlled by warlords divide China; as a counter, Confucius creates his philosophy of respect/ancestor worship/kindness/obedience.

Inventions: Sun Tzu writes the Art of War, first military textbook

Qin (Ch’in)

221-207 B.C.E.

                                    Pronounced Chin, First Emperor, unites China, completes the
Great Wall, repression of knowledge/philosophy, creates imperial plan of rule; although
the shortest dynasty, so firm is Qin’s legacy of imperial control that China is forever named for
the 1^st Emperor: Qin Shi Huang-di.

Inventions: Wheelbarrow (220), Unifies the written language, measurements & money of China

Han

207 B.C.–220 C.E.

Creates Civil Service, state run factories control manufacture of luxury, commercial and military goods.

Inventions: Horse Collar (150 BC), Writing paper, blast furnace (100 AD),

cast-iron, cast-iron plow, fishing reel (200)

Period of Disunity

221-580

Jin Dynasty 265-316 fails to unify China, foreign invasions and civil strife abound, as a counter point, peaceful Buddhism becomes popular.

Inventions: Rudder (400), matches (577)

Sui

580-618

Reunites northern and southern China, digs the Great Canal between the Yangzi and Yellow Rivers, repairs the Great Wall.

T’ang

618-906

Cultural renaissance, improve civil service exams to reward merit, China again becomes a regional and world power, Lao Zi creates Daoism, a religion of natural harmony.

Inventions: Gunpowder, Brandy (650), woodblock printing (760), paper money (760)

Five Dynasties

907-960

Northern China ruled by foreigners, Southern China divides into petty kingdoms, Liang, Tang, Jin, Han & Zhou.

Song

960-1279

A reunited China reaches its highest level of civilization to date, first “industrial revolution” with iron factories, Song were strong patrons of the arts and sciences with many advances seen in the latter.

Inventions: Bicycle chain (976), movable type (1041),
mechanical clock (1088), compass (1100), medical encyclopedia (1111), Windmill

Yuan (Mongols)

1279-1368

Foreign dynasty of “Barbarian” Mongols, Kublai Khan fails in two attempts to conquer Japan, Beijing becomes capital, entire Silk Road is under Mongol (Pax Mongolica) control increasing trade and allowing Europeans (Marco Polo) to visit China.

Inventions: Guns (1288)

Ming

1368-1644

Last Chinese dynasty, Admiral Zheng He explores from China to Madagascar with a fleet of a 100+ junks, unimpressed with the rest of the world, the Ming close their borders, forbid further exploration and make it a crime to leave China.

Qing (Manchu)

1644-1912

Foreign dynasty from Manchuria, in constant fear of Chinese revolt, the Qing cling to the past traditions, for the first time Chinese technology falls drastically behind Western/European, by the 1800’s European military might ellipses Chinese, twice conquering Beijing and looting the Forbidden City, forcing the Qing to make massive humiliating political/economic concessions to Western powers including the Westernized Asian nation of Japan. The last emperor is deposed in 1912.

Chinese Republic

1912-1949

  Never a true republic, China was largely controlled by local warlords, communists, puppet governments and Japanese troops.

People’s Republic of China

1949-Present

After decades of conflicts including civil strife, Japanese invasion, World War II, and open civil war, the Chinese Communist Party takes total control of China with its own form of “dynasty.” 

The Mandate of Heaven-the right to Rule the Middle Kingdom

The Mandate of Heaven is the divine (God ('s) given) right to rule the Middle Kingdom given to the Emperor, it is given based on four principles:

1. The right to rule is granted by Heaven (realm of the Jade Emperor).
2. There is only one Heaven therefore there can be only one ruler.
3. The right to rule is based on the high virtue (Confucian principles of quality of his leadership) of the ruler.
4. The right to rule can be passed down to family members of the dynasty but is not limited to one dynasty. (poor quality rulers/dynasties can lose the Mandate of Heaven and be replaced. The mere fact that a leader has been overthrown is itself proof that he has lost the Mandate of Heaven.)

Ancient Chinese Inventions-an Ancient Cultures Gifts to the World

From its earliest days, the Chinese Culture has been inventive, creating many of the World's greatest inventions.  From humble pasta to the greatest war discovery in 5000 years, gunpowder, the creative minds of the people of China have produced many of the foundations of the products our Modern World that we take for granted. The Silk Road trade routes were often the source of introducing these new concepts to the other cultures of Asia, Europe and North Africa.  While the initial inventions often had little resemblance to their modern decedents, the original creations were none the less remarkable achievements for their time periods.  Listed here are some of the more important inventions that have been credited to the Chinese:

Pasta-circa 2000 BCE

Crossbow- 5th Century BCE, Zhou Dynasty

Sun Tzu's The Art of War-circa 5th Century BCE, Warring States Period

Wheelbarrow-3rd Century BCE, Qin Dynasty

Horse Collar- 2nd Century BCE, Han Dynasty

Writing Paper- 1st Century CE, Han Dynasty

Blast Furnace- 1st Century CE, Han Dynasty

Cast Iron- 2nd Century CE, Han Dynasty

Seismograph- 2nd Century CE, Han Dynasty

Cast Iron Plow- 2nd Century CE, Han Dynasty

Fishing Reel- 2nd Century CE, Han Dynasty

Ships Rudder-3rd Century CE, Period of Disunity

Matches-6th Century CE, Period of Disunity

Porcelain- 6th Century CE, Sui Dynasty

Toilet Paper- 6th Century CE, Sui Dynasty

Gunpowder-7th Century CE, T'ang Dynasty

Fireworks-7th Century CE, T'ang Dynasty

Brandy-7th Century CE, T'ang Dynasty

Woodblock Printing- 8th Century CE, T'ang Dynasty

Paper Money-8th Century CE, T'ang Dynasty

Bicycle Chain-10th Century CE, Song Dynasty

Movable Type-11th Century CE, Song Dynasty

Mechanical Clock-11th Century CE, Song Dynasty

Compass-12th Century CE, Song Dynasty

Medical Encyclopedia-12th Century CE, Song Dynasty

Windmill-12th Century CE, Song Dynasty

Guns-13th Century CE, Yuan Dynasty

The Han Dynasty-the People's Dynasty

Liu Bang (Gao Huangdi) 1st Emperor of the Han Dynasty (207 BCE-220 CE), was one of the rare peasants to attain the Mandate of Heaven. He led the popular revolt against the Qin Dynasty and proclaimed the Han Dynasty in 207 BCE.

Although the central government was never as powerful as that of the Qin Dynasty, at the height of the Empire, the Han controlled much of the Silk Road. and its wealth.  Throughout its long life the Dynasty was wracked by revolts, divided into Eastern and Western Dynasties and hobbled by a government that relied more on it governors for support than the power of the emperor.

The Han were known for the high quality of their art such as this Rhinoceros carving.

Probably the greatest discovery of the Han was the creation of fine quality cloth paper.

The blast furnace was another important invention of the Han and was used in state run "factories" to produce huge quantities of iron for the tools and weapons of the empire.

Rather than the life size soldiers of the Qin tomb, the Han used smaller scale warriors to protect the spirits of the dead emperors. These tombs provide us with much information on the wealth, knowledge and power of the Han at their height before their inevitable fall and destruction.

The Look of China

Ming -"the Bright" - Dynasty

The Ming or "Bright" Dynasty (1368-1644) was the last Chinese Imperial government to rule this ancient culture.  The Ming Dynasty was founded by Zhu Yuanzhang, "the Hungwu Emperor" (1368-1398), when he led a successful rebellion against the foreign Mongol, Yuan Dynasty. Zhu Yuanzhang had the distinction of being born a common peasant and rising to the status of emperor by his own skills, cunning and bravery.

Art flourished during the Ming Dynasty, and it was well known for is excellent porcelain.  Even today the term "Ming Vase," brings instant recognition as an art form of the highest value.

The Forbidden City, home to the Emperor of China from the early 15th to early 20th centuries was one of the greatest legacies of the Ming Dynasty.  Ordered built in 1406, by the Yongle Emperor (1402-1424) to consolidate his power in the restored capital of Beijing, the Forbidden Palace took fourteen years to build, contained 980 buildings and covered over 7, 800,000 square feet (720,000 square meters).

 

The Yongle Emperor was also responsible for the vast exploration fleets of Zheng He. (See Zheng He-Greatest Ming Explorer post).  After the last of these voyages in 1436, the Ming emperors chose a policy of isolationism.  For the next four centuries the Middle Kingdom attempted to retain what they had and prevent foreign concepts from contaminating the culture.  By the mid 19th century this policy would leave China vulnerable to the technological advances of the Europeans.

 

Fear of the return of the Mongols and other barbarian tribes led the Ming's to rebuild the Great Wall into the massive brick structure that comes to mind whenever its name is mentioned.  It seceded for centuries in holding back the invaders, but in the end, weak emperors, government corruption, and peasant revolts completed the ever-present life cycle of the dynasty, and the Ming were destroyed and replaced by the last Imperial dynasty of China, the foreign (Manchu's) Qing Dynasty.

 

An interesting side note to the Ming Dynasty were the Kaifeng Jews, the oldest officially recognized Jewish community in Imperial China.  Kaifeng Jews may have come to this ancient city as early as the Northern Song Dynasty (10th to 12th centuries) but it was a Ming emperor who first conferred seven surnames upon the Kaifeng Jews, by which they are identifiable today: Ai, Shi, Gao, Jin, Li, Zhang, and Zhao. Today, over a thousand Kaifeng residents trace their ancestry to the Jews of the Ming Dynasty.
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T'ang Dynasty (618-907 CE) - a Golden Age

At its height the T'ang Dynasty ruled a vast area of Asia, that included Manchuria and Korea as tributary states. Control of almost half of the Silk Road trade routes greatly increased the coffers of the empire as well as helped spread the advances of this powerful dynasty.  The rule of the T'ang was a period of cultural advancement, social stability and creative inventions. Three of the greatest inventions during the T'ang rule would have massive effects on the rest of World history: block printing, paper money and gunpowder. T'ang ruler Wu Zetian (625-705) is the only acknowledged female Emperor of China. She attained this exalted position through sex, lies, spies and murder (very traditional ways to take power throughout history). Once in total control she was a good, benign ruler choosing the best adviser's possible to run her government. A major change in the country was when she made Buddhism the official religion over Daoism in the Empire.

Imperial Chinese Dragon

The Dragon Flag was the Imperial Flag of China.

By law and tradition, the Imperial Dragon was illustrated with five toes and claws.

Social Philosophy of "Confucius"

His actual title was K'ung-Fu-Tzu or literally Master Kong. In the 4th & 5 centuries BCE "Confucius developed a complex code of behavior that would guide humans, making their lives more meaningful and happier.

Confucianism developed over time into an Eastern religion/philosophy based on obedience to the laws, honoring one's elders and family and treating others the way one wants to be treated. It blended well with the Chinese religious concept of Ancestor Worship as well as being popular with governments as obedience to the law is a main concept of Confucianism.

The main beliefs of Confucianism include the following concepts: Li: includes the areas of ritual, propriety, etiquette, etc. Hsiao: love within the family, love of parents for their children and of children for their parents. Yi: righteousness,being true to the belief in social moral principles. Xin: honesty and trustworthiness. Chung: loyalty to the state (government). Jen: benevolence, humaneness towards others; this is the highest Confucian virtue.

Zheng He-Greatest Ming Explorer

Half a century before Columbus set sail with his three small ships and less than 200 men, Ming Admiral Zheng He made seven voyages of exploration with a fleet of 100 ships and over 20,000 men. Sailing from China to the West Coast of Africa, Zheng He brought back detailed knowledge of the many cultures and countries he encountered.

The largest ships of the Ming fleet dwarfed Columbus' flagship the Santa Maria. In fact, the Chinese ships were the largest wooded sailing vessels ever built. Their watertight compartment structure was more than four centuries ahead in design to that of the European ships of the time.

For reasons still unclear, the Ming Dynasty not only suddenly stopped the expeditions, but they also actually destroyed all craft capable of ocean travel in the Empire, burned most of the records of the voyages and forbid Chinese from any future trade, exploration or colonization outside the current boundaries of the Ming lands. A major turning point in Chinese and World history had been reached; the greatest most advanced naval power of the age turned its back on the World and destroyed its superiority, choosing self-imposed exile from the World stage. China would become an isolationist nation locked in the 15th Century for the next four centuries, all the while the rest of the World would continue to advance in technology and knowledge. The long age of Chinese technological superiority had ended

The Great Wall

Designed as much to keep Chinese in as to keep Barbarians out of China, the Great Wall is considered one of the greatest human engineering feats of all time. Its overall length has never been full established but is well in excess of 8,850km (5,500 miles). Designed to stop raids, slow down invaders and warn the empire when and where major barbarian assaults had occurred, the wall protected the northern frontiers for several dynasties (Ch'in, T'ang and Ming making the greatest use of the Wall for this purpose). The wall also served to control trade, raise taxes via trade and limit who could enter and leave the Empire as citizens, merchants and visitors traveled through the various gateways and cities that were incorporated in the Wall.
The Great Wall was first completed by Qin Shi Hunagdi in the Second Century BCE. Over the next 1800 years the wall was strengthened or allowed to fall into ruin dependent upon the dynasty ruling China. The Qin, Han and Ming Dynasties felt the Wall was a critical part of the national defense while the Yuan abandoned the Wall as useless (being the very "Barbarians" that the wall was designed to contain this was a logical move). Most of the Wall that is visible today are sections the Ming built-rebuilt in the 16th-17 centuries. The Great Wall was finally abandoned by the Qing Dynasty in the mid-1600's for much the same reasons as did the Yuan. In the end the Wall was only as good a defense as the soldiers that manned its bastions. When the quality of the army declined the defensive value of the Wall declined as well, soon the Wall was breached and the dynasty it defended died.