Collapse of Chinese Imperial Rule Cultural Development 1. By 5000 B.C , the first rice farmers worked the land near the Chang (Yangtze) River. 2. On thousand years later people organize and live in small agricultural villages. 3. During the third century B.C., the Qin dynast was one of the earliest of many Chinese dynasties. 4. The Han dynasty ruled from 206 B.C. to A.D. 220. 5. After the decline of the Han dynasty, warlords divided and ruled China. 6. The T’ang and Sung dynasties followed the period of the warlords. 7. Between 1215 and 1279, the Mongols led by Genhis Khan ruled China. 8. The Ming dynasty eventually regained control of China and ruled from 1368 to 1644. Outside influences 1. It was not until the middle of the sixteenth century that outside influences reached China. 2. Europeans wanted Chinese products, such as silk, tea, and porcelain. 3. When the Chinese declined to open more ports to the British trade, the Opium War broke out and the British won the port of Hong Kong. 4. During this period, some Chinese emigrated to other countries for jobs. Soon, distinct Chinese communities called Chinatowns sprang up in major cities around the world. Political Turmoil 1. In 1912, rebels under the leadership of Sun Yat-­‐sen overthrew the Chinese dynasty and formed the Republic of China. 2. Chiang Kai-­‐shek took over after Sun Yat-­‐sen’s death in 1925. 3. To establish a strong central government, Chiang Kai-­‐shek wanted to defeat the warlords and the Chinese Communist party. 4. After World War II a civil war broke out between Chaiang Kai-­‐shek’s Nationalists and the Communists. 5. In 1949, the Communists, under Mao Zedong, won the civil war, and set up the People’s Republic of China. 6. The Nationalists retreated to the island of Taiwan and set up the Republic of China. China under Mao 1. The government organized farmers into collectives and seized all private land. 2. Women were given equal status to men and sent to fields to work. 3. The government tried to slow population growth by institution a one-­‐child-­‐
per-­‐family rule. Mao’s Attempts to Change China The Great Leap Forward Mao urged people to make a superhuman effort to increase farm and industrial output. Mao created communes; each had production quotas Industries turned out low-­‐quality, useless goods Caused great hardship for the people; Bad weather led to famine Cultural Revolution Mao’s goal was to purge Chia of non-­‐
revolutionary tendencies; everyone follows the peasant way of life Schools and universities were closed Bands of Red Guards were formed, targeting people in authority; tiots and street violence erupted Millions of Chinese were imprisoned in labor camps or executed. Results of Mao’s Attempts to Change China Mao’s Programs First Five Year Plan 1953-­‐1957 Great Leap Forward 1958-­‐1962 Cultural Revolution 1966-­‐1976 Program’s Results • Industry grew 15 percent a year • Agricultural output grew very slowly. • China suffered economic disaster – industrial declines and food shortages • Mao lost influence • Mao regained influence by backing radicals • Purges and conflicts among leaders created economic, social and political chaos. • Moderates increasingly opposed radicals in Communist Party A New China 1. After Mao’s death in 1976, Deng Xiaoping came to power. 2. Deng proposed new polices to modernize agriculture, industry, and technology. 3. Deng backed a program called the Four Modernizations. It emphasized agriculture, industry, science and defense. 4. Under the Four Modernizations, Deng introduced reforms, including some private ownership of property, and free market policies. 5. Deng’s reforms brought a surge of growth and a better standard of living for some Chinese. On the down side, crime and corruption grew, as did a gap between poor rural farmers and city dwellers.