This Month in History.docVIP

This Month in History 　　 January 8, A.D. 265 　　Sima Yan established the Western Jin Dynasty (265-316). Although the Western Jin survived for a mere 52 years, it ended the turmoil of the Three Kingdoms Period (220-280) and unified China, providing a period of stability for social and economic development. 　　 　　 January 22, A.D. 589 　　The Sui Dynasty annexed the Chen Kingdom (557-589) of the Southern Dynasties (420-589), reuniting southern and northern China after a 270-year secession. The Sui ramped up for that feat by significantly enhancing the central authority’s military and economic strength and introducing an array of reforms in administration, land ownership, taxation and the resident registration system. Prior to that the Chen was plagued by corruption, big deficits and growing discontent among the populace. 　　 　　 January 1, 1085 　　Zi Zhi Tong Jian (Comprehensive Mirror for Aid in Government) was published. The book chronicles the history of China in a faithful narration from the Warring States Period (476-221 B.C.) to the Five Dynasties (403 B.C.- A.D. 959). It was compiled mainly by Sima Guang (1019-1086) with the purpose of providing a perspective for emperors on the rise and fall of previous empires. 　　 　　 January 28, 1115 　　The Jin (Jurchen) Dynasty was founded by the Wanyan family of the Jurchens, the ancestors of the Manchus who established the Qing Dynasty some 500 years later. 　　 　　 January 23, 1368 　　Zhu Yuanzhang founded the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and selected Nanjing as its capital. The Ming was China’s last dynastic regime established and ruled by the ethnic majority Han; it was toppled by Manchu from Northeast China. The Ming Dynasty is regarded by historians as one of the high points in Chinese civilization. Many monumental,epoch-making construction projects were commissioned, some of which still exist, including the Great Wall and the Forbidden City in Beijing. 　　 　　 January 13, 1716 　　Kangxi Dictionary, the standard Chi