HAN CHINA, CONT’D

Foodstuffs

MURAL OF KITCHEN SCENE

DISUNITY & INTERACTION BETWEEN CHINA & BORDER

PEOPLESHistory 103

Professor Constantine Vaporis

FALL OF THE HAN (dynastic cycle)

• Internal problems

• External problems

INTERNAL WEAKNESSES

• Succession of ineffectual emperors

• Growth in power among local aristocracy

• Power of empress’ family

• Usurpation of power by eunuchs

EXTERNAL WEAKNESSES

• Natural disasters, 173-179 AD

• Popular uprisings--Yellow Turbans (184 AD); 5 Bushels of Rice Band– General CAO CAO (Ts’ao Ts’ao)

• Incursions by non-Chinese nomads

ERA OF PROLONGED DISUNITY, 220-589 AD

WHY DO EMPIRES RISE & FALL?

• Size of political unit

• Productivity of the economy

• Percentange of total output spent on administration and defence

• Technological level

THE XIONGNU (Hsiung-nu)

Barbarians (non-Chinese)

• Military & civil officials from Jiaozhi (Vietnam)

• Clothed (civilized) vs. partial nakedness (barbarity)

ERA OF PROLONGED DISUNITY

220 AD-589 AD

Chinese and barbarians

ERA OF PROLONGED DISUNITY, 220-589 AD

NORTH-SOUTH SPLIT

• Xiongnu sack Jin (Chin) capital, Loyang (316 AD)

• = time of “Peach Blossom Spring” (by scholar-official T’ao Ch’ien)

• Beginning of migration of Han (ethnic) Chinese southward

5 DYNASTIES IN SOUTH

• 31-589 AD• Capitals at Nanking

(Nanjing)• Chinese = ethnic

minority• Slow sinicization of

non-Chinese

16 KINGDOMS (in north)

• 304-589 AD• “Five Barbarians”• Conversion into

sedentary peoples

Temporary unification of North

• Under Tuoba Turks (NOT Chinese)

• Establish NORTHERN WEI dynasty, 439-534

• Succeeded by 4 short-lived dynasties (E. Wei, W. Wei, N. Qi, N. Zhou)

• Sinicization of Northern Wei

IMPORTANCE OF OUTSIDE INFLUENCES IN CHINESE

CIVILIZATION• Cultivation, weaving of cloth; trousers• Medicinal plants• Food• Horse-breeding techniques• Saddle, breast harness• Stirrup? (5th c.)• Creation of aristocracy of mixed blood

Conclusion

Chinese empire = Sino-barbarian synthesis

Reunification under Sui, 589-618

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