Modern China: Dynastic Period to Imperial Era

Study Notes

Dynastic Period

2205 BCE - 1912 CE: China emerges as a unified socio-cultural entity with a sense of being Chinese, specifically Han ethnicity, and a commonly shared identity.
Politically fragmented, with statelets governed by the Zhou, which were challenged by other states to become predominant.

Imperial Period

221 BCE - 1912 CE: Establishment of a dominant and hegemonic Chinese culture, marking the beginning of a centuries-long process of unifying territories and people into a growing Chinese political territorial unit.
China grows into a major empire, with territorial confinements that are allocated to China today.

Modern China

1800-1949: Period of erosion and decline of the dynastic and imperial periods, with the subsequent collapse of both in 1912 and the emergence of the Republic of China.
1949: End of Modern China, with the transition from the Republic period to the contemporary period defined by the People's Republic of China (PRC) led by the Communist Party of China (CPC).

Republic of China and Communist Party of China

Two major contenders for power in China during the Republic period: the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the Nationalist Party (Guomindang).
Guomindang founded and led by Sun Yixian (Sun Yat-Sen) and later replaced by Jiang Jieshi (Chiang Kai-Shek).
Pin Yin transliteration establishes a direct correlation to the phonetic sound into English, whereas Wade-Giles transliteration was used by European and British scholars to translate Chinese characters into English.

Taiwan and the Communist Party of China

After 1949, the Guomindang government retreated to Taiwan, while the Communist Party of China (CPC) took control of the mainland.
The Korean War and American intervention preserved the Guomindang government on Taiwan.
The Guomindang and CPC both claimed to be the government of all China, including Taiwan and the mainland.

Taiwan since 1990s

Democraticization took place, and the Guomindang became one of the parties running in elections.
Taiwan has not been united with the mainland, despite the CPC's preference.
Key features of Modern China include being the most unstable period in Chinese history, marked by revolution, foreign invasion, and internal turmoil.

Century of Humiliation

Roughly century-long period from 1840 to 1949, during which imperial China and subsequently the Republic of China were invaded and exploited by imperial powers, including European, Japanese, and American powers.

Description

Explore the history of China from 2205 BCE to 1912 CE, including the dynastic period, imperial period, and the emergence of a unified Chinese identity. Learn about the Warring States period and the rise of dominant states.