Introduction
Students of China, the world's oldest continuous civilization, tend to divide their studies into two parts. The first part deals with traditional China - the civilization from ancient times to the coming of the West in the mid-1800s. The second area of study deals with modern China, emphasizing the many changes that have taken place since the 1800s.
China in the traditional period has often been described as changeless. By contrast, modern China has undergone sweeping changes in virtually all its institutions - political, economic, and social. In 1949, a Communist Revolution sought to achieve an egalitarian society quickly by extreme, radical measures. A 'second revolution' began in the 1980s, emphasizing economic modernization and reforms to achieve a higher standard of living for China's masses.
Many people find all these changes bewildering. Yet it is necessary to understand them, for what happens to more than 1 billion Chinese - one-fifth of the human race - also affects the entire world.
China in the traditional period has often been described as changeless. By contrast, modern China has undergone sweeping changes in virtually all its institutions - political, economic, and social. In 1949, a Communist Revolution sought to achieve an egalitarian society quickly by extreme, radical measures. A 'second revolution' began in the 1980s, emphasizing economic modernization and reforms to achieve a higher standard of living for China's masses.
Many people find all these changes bewildering. Yet it is necessary to understand them, for what happens to more than 1 billion Chinese - one-fifth of the human race - also affects the entire world.
Chapters and Readings
Ancient History
Chapter 3: China Sec. 3: Early Chinese Civilizations Sec. 4: Rise and Fall of Chinese Empires Chapter 8: The Asian World Sec: 1: China Reunified Sec. 2: The Mongols and China Chapter 16: East Asia Under Challenge Sec. 1: China at Its Height Sec. 2: Chinese Society and Culture |
Modern China
Chapter 22: East Asia Under Challenge Sec. 1: The Decline of the Qing Dynasty Sec. 2: Revolution in China Chapter 25: Nationalism Around the World Sec. 3: Revolutionary Chaos in China Chapter 31: Asia and the Pacific Sec. 1: Communist China |