Hist 331 Civil War and ReconstructionFall 2001历史331内战与重建2001秋季.pptVIP

China: 1400-1800 China: 1400-1800Introduction In 1400, China could justly claim to be the most advanced and ancient civilization on Earth It had been a continuous civilization back to the Bronze Age It had invented gunpowder, printing, and people the world over sought its goods—silk especially It had absorbed many invaders It also had a coherent social philosophy—Confucianism—that was 2000 years old and copied throughout Asia Hence, the Chinese image of themselves, the “Middle Kingdom,” had a strong basis in reality So why was China poised in 1400 on the precipice of a great decline in inte