Thursday, October 21, 2010

Zheng He

Today is November,9 1440 and today I'm talking about Zheng he .Zheng He sailed to America in 1412, around 80 years before Comlumbus reached America. Zheng He visited over 30 countries in his voyages.He was born 1371 and died 1435.His ship was more then twice the ship as Columbuse's ship.



He embarked from China with a huge fleet of ships and journeyed as far west as Africa through what the Chinese called the Western seas in 1433 sixty years before Columbus sailed to America and Vasco de Gama sailed around Africa to get to Asia. He also explored India, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, and Arabia with about 75 times as many ships and men as Columbus took with him on his trans-Atlantic journey. 

http://factsanddetails.com/china.php?itemid=45&catid=2&subcatid=90

Tang And Sung Dynasty

Today is 990 A.D and I'm going over the Tang and sung dynasty.The Tang dynasty is considered to be the golden age for Chinese civilization.It was from 690-907 A.D. Its emperors presided over one of the greatest periods of Chinese art and  culture . Under the Tangs China dominated the Far East in a generally peaceful way Silk Road trade flourished, Christianity was introduced to China, and Buddhism become so well entrenched that the reproduction of Buddhist texts led to the invention of block printing and calendars.



The Sung Dynasty began a half century after the Tang dynasty ended when the first Song leader, Zhao Kuangyin, grabbed power from a seven-year-old ruler in A.D. 960.  The Sungs ruled an empire rich in silk, jade and porcelain. They printed books and sent trading ships to India and Java. Fertile lands around the Yangtze and Pearl and other rivers fed 50 million people.The Sung Dynasty was overwhelmed by invasions. It is generally divided into the Northern Song which is from 960-1126 and the Southern Song from 1127-1279 dynasties.
http://factsanddetails.com/china.php?itemid=1023&catid=2&subcatid=2

Mongols take china


Today is October 7,1400 and I'm gonna tell you what I know about The Mongols taking china.Genghis Khan united the Mongols in 1206. He made his first invasion in China in 1215 when he captured Yanjing now Beijing then a relatively large city in northern China.The Mongols ruled China from 1215 to 1368. Their dynasty was called the Yuan dynasty. After the Mongols took control of much of Mongolia they set their sights on the Jin, a rich empire in northern China with 20 million people.









 In 1214, the Mongols surrounded Zhongdu and used catapults to bombard the city's walls. then the Jin Emperor Xuanzong gave up and presented Genghis Khan with a tribute of gold, silver, other treasures.Fearing another Mongol offensive, the Jin emperor moved his capital from Zhonghu southward to Kaifeng in 1214.


http://factsanddetails.com/china.php?itemid=37&catid=2&subcatid=2

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Han Dynasty

Today is June,14 30AD here are some facts on what I know about the han dynasty .Liu Bang launched the Han dynasty , and extended the wall, Han dynasty grew to 5,000,000 people. The Han dynasty ruled China after the Qin dynasty was overthrown in 207 B.C. The Hans expanded the Chinese empire westward during their four centuries in power. The Han dynasty is broken into two eras the Western Han period (206 B.C.-A.D. 9) and the Eastern Han period (A.D. 25- 220 B.C.). When the Western Han dynasty collapsed the same family behind it regrouped and established a new dynasty in a new capital as the Eastern Han dynasty. It was founded by the peasent rebel leader Liu Bang, known posthumoustly as Emperor Gaozu of Han.


http://factsanddetails.com/china.php?itemid=39&catid=2&subcatid=2

Buddhism Comes to China

Today is March,9 300 AD Buddhism was introduced to China during the Han period (206 BC-220 AD). Mahayana Buddhism, the most prominent branch of Buddhism in China played an important role in shaping Chinese civilization. Trade and cultural ties between China and Central Asia increased. The Chinese people learned about Buddhism so that by the middle of the first century C.E a community of Chinese Buddhists was already in existence.After the fall of the Han Dynasty in the early third century, China faced a period of political lack of unity. Despite the war and unrest, the translation of Buddhist texts continued. During this time, Buddhism gained popularity with the Chinese people.

http://depts.washington.edu/chinaciv/bud/5budhism.htm

Unification of China and Great wall

Today is may 14, 300 BCE .When the Chou began to weaken around 500 BC, these independent states began to war among themselves over territory and influence. So chaotic was this period that the Chinese refer to it as The Warring States period, and it did not end until the whole of north China was unified under a single empire, the Ch'in dyansty. Chinas first Emperor Ying Zheng or Qin Shi Haungdi 220 BCE and starts the great wall to keep Monguls out. The workers were like slaves and they didnt get to eat and a lot of them died and when they died they were burried in th wall.



Terra cotta Soldiers quard the tomb of Qin Shi Huandgi. When assasanation plots came close, china became like a prison. Liu Bang launched the Han dynasty, and exended the wall, Han dynasty Grew to 5,000,000 people.









Notes and:

http://www.wsu.edu/~dee/CHEMPIRE/CHIN.HTM

Monday, October 18, 2010

Confucius

Todays date is September 22, 480 BCE and I remember a while back was talking with a good friend Confucius.He was born 551 BCE ,In Northwest china. He told me how he developed the Idea of : GOODNESS to hold society together. He also told me if the ruler is good people will follow his example. When he gets a job working for the goverment he felt he can put his Ideas to practice, but many people in the goverment did not like the ideas. He would always try to blend his idea with traditional chinese ideas.Eventually he dismissed and spends life as a wondering teacher. When he died in 479 BCE confucionism actually became popular, the Han dynasty makes confucianism the offical state philosophy.
                              Notes

Lao Zi and Taoism

Today is April 13th,530 BCE and at this time Taoism is a new belife becoming popular here I'll tell you a bit about it.Chinese philosophical system, traditionally founded by the Chinese philosopher Lao Zi in the 6th centurty bc . Lao Tzu is considered to be the father of taoism he's a great guy. If one studies Lao Tzu they study Taoism too.There are two types of Taoism ,Lao Tzu's Taoism is a philosophical pathand, the religious Taoism called tao-chiao or the religious or mystical school. Taoism was founded in c. 550 BCE ,there purpose of life is Inner harmony and peace; longevity, There place of worship is the temple,and there symbols are Yin Yang.

Taoism teaches its believers to put aside worldly pleasures, honors, and glory and to be content with their lot.Unlike the Confucians who emphasize ritual, rigidity and surrender to authority , Taoists emphasize naturalness, personnel freedom and happiness. Thousands of Taoist scriptural texts, most said to have been transmitted by immortals have been collected together in a canon called the "Taozang" or Treasury of Tao.

Tao is all about the natural order of things.It's an influence that reaches into every living and still object, and crosses the entire universe.


Work cited: http://www.religionfacts.com/taoism/fastfacts.htm , http://theology304.tripod.com/id5.html , http://factsanddetails.com/china.php?itemid=91&catid=3&subcatid=10