Introduction

Dynasties ruled China for nearly 4,000 years. The same form of government existed from the Shang Dynasty to the Qing, the last dynasty of China. The Shang dynasty began in 1600 BCE, and the Qing fell in 1911 CE. The Republic of China was created after its fall. Under the dynasty system, the emperor had supreme control. Chinese territory was divided into different provinces. They were governed by a large bureaucracy, and most people were farmers. Each dynasty followed the same pattern. It rose, thrived, declined, and fell. During dynasties, rebels or warlords fought for control. Some dynasties ruled over China for hundreds of years. Others failed after only a few decades.

The rise of the Tang

The Sui Dynasty (581-618 CE) unified China after years of unrest. Eventually, the Sui lost control in a rebellion. Li Yuan (Emperor Gaozu¹) was the first emperor of the Tang Dynasty. He claimed he was descended from the founder of the philosophy of Daoism. He used that claim in order to justify grabbing the throne. Li Yuan named himself Emperor Gaozu. His son, who became Emperor Taizong, forced his father off the throne and killed his two brothers to gain power. Taizong spread Buddhism throughout China. Now China had three belief systems: Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism.

Empress Wu and China’s “Golden Age”

Wu Zeitan was a concubine of Taizong. After Taizong died, she became concubine of his son, the Emperor Gaozong. After Gaozong became ill, Wu ruled for him. She declared herself emperor in 690 CE and named her dynasty the Zhou. She was the only woman to ever be emperor in all of Chinese history. She named it after the famous Zhou Dynasty that had ruled China from 1046-256 BCE. However, her Zhou Dynasty ended in 705, and Tang rule continued.

Some historians say Wu ignored Confucian traditions, and promoted Buddhism instead. However, she did use the ideas of Confucius in her changes. Wu reformed the education system. She made sure teachers were trained. She also started exams for military officers to make sure they were capable at their jobs.

Wu also reopened the Silk Road trade routes. They had been closed because of diseases and invasions. Foreign goods and ideas were able to flow into China. In turn, Chinese traditions, goods, and ideas spread to other areas. Buddhism thrived and spread, as monks made pilgrimages to India.

As the economy grew, so did the population. From the seventh to the tenth century, the Chinese population went from 50 million to 100 million. Under the Tang, China also sent ships over the seas to trade with other countries. Some say this was a “golden age”, but it was not golden for everyone.

Decline and fall

By the ninth century, the dynasty began to lose its hold over the region. Traditionalists became worried about the power and influence of foreigners. Tang leaders began to restrict both foreigners and trade. Businesses controlled by Buddhist monasteries were shut down, and Buddhist monks and nuns were persecuted. The Tang Dynasty fell. It was followed by the Five Dynasties (907-960 CE), a time of war and rebellion.

The creation of the Ming Dynasty

China faced more ups and downs. The Song Dynasty came into power in 960 CE. In 1269 CE, they were defeated by Mongols, who under Kublai Khan started the Yuan Dynasty. Some historians see the Mongols as invaders and outsiders. Other historians say the Mongols blended their traditions with Chinese culture and brought diversity to the country. In 1368, the Mongols were defeated by the Ming, whose rule lasted until 1644.

Under the Ming, ocean trade was greatly expanded. The ships of Chinese explorer Zheng He were much larger than those of Christopher Columbus. One ship carried 500 people along with goods for trade. Zheng He even reached the east coast of Africa during the 1400s. Chinese explorers wanted to improve trade, rather than conquer new colonies. 

Expansion of agriculture and trade

Ming emperors wrote laws and made the government stronger. Officials were hired because of their abilities, instead of who their family was. The Ming began large irrigation projects, which increased farm production. They made iron for tools and weapons at an amazing rate. The Ming finished building the Great Wall, which protected the border from invasion by groups like the Mongols.

The first Ming emperor, Hongwu, led a successful rebellion against the Mongols. He took land from the wealthy and gave it to the poor. He also gave soldiers land so that in peacetime, they would farm. More food was grown. The population of China went from 65 million to 160 million. Hongwu believed that farming should be the basis of the economy, and he limited trade. Later, Europeans introduced new crops and goods from the Americas into China, such as peanuts and sweet potatoes, and wanted to sell even more to China.

At first, the Chinese were not interested in what the Europeans were selling. Then, the Spanish found silver in the Americas. The Chinese became dependent on Spanish silver. When the Spanish reduced the supply of silver, it created economic problems and famines. The Ming emperors struggled to maintain control. The people rebelled and the Ming Dynasty came to an end.

¹ You may catch that this guy had the same name, “Gaozu” as the founder of the Han Dynasty. This was on purpose. Neither one was originally named Gaozu. It was a Dynastic name that they took, upon becoming emperor. The Tang Gaozu chose it specifically to make people connect him to the Han Dynasty founder, who was well respected.