China at Its Height

Friday October 4, 2013

I am Emperor Kangxi…

kneel before me!

You have 3 minutes to complete the reading quiz…

3½ minutes

EndPass in your sheets

Today’s ObjectiveStudents will be able to describe the relationship between China and “the West” by•Completing guided notes,•Analyzing a political cartoon, and•Constructing a timeline of interaction between China and Europe

• Some Chinese resisted the new Qing rule

• Strong Qing rulers put down the rebellion and restored peace and prosperity to China

The Qing Dynasty

• Reigned for 61 years (!!!)

• Signs the Treaty of Nerchinsk•Halts the eastward expansion of the Russians• Establishes trade routes between China and Russia

• Tolerant of Christians (estimated 300,000 Chinese convert to Catholicism)

• Christians are suppressed after conflicts between different religious orders

Reign of Kangxi

Europeans and China

Emperor Qianlong• China grows to its largest size, but unrest emerges• Heavily restrict trade with Europe•Foreigners who sought trading contracts were forced to “kowtow” (show their inferiority) to the Emperor•Britain imported tea, silks, and porcelain from China

The Tribute System

A kowtow?

Even today, the act of bowing can cause controversy. Some people have interpreted President Obama’s bow before the Japanese Emperor Akihito in 2009 in very different ways.

• China undergoes a population BOOM!• 80 million (1390) to 300 million (1700s)

• Increased population means less land for each family

• Merchants and manufacturers expand trade

Economic Changes

• Society is based around the extended family• Individual family members were

expected to sacrifice for the family as a whole• Elderly were highly respected• Families were organized into clans

(linked, related families)

Chinese Society

Women were considered to be inferior to men•Only males could be educated and work in government•Women could not divorce or inherit property• Footbinding – disfiguring process to show that a women were “marriageable”

The Role of Women

The Effects of

Footbinding

Footbinding• How could bound feet be seen as a status symbol? • What’s your reaction to this practice?

An x-ray of a bound human foot

An x-ray of a normal human foot

Maybe we’re not so different

after all

Prosperity meant that people had money for books• The Golden Lotus -

realistic novel (shows life of cruel landlord manipulating people)

• The Dream of the Red Chamber by Cao Xueqin tragic love story between two young people

Chinese Literature

Chinese porcelain was prized for its beauty and durability.•“China” or “fine china” is still used a slang to refer to porcelain products.

Chinese Art

Paintings were a

blend of calligraph

y and natural,

large-scale

landscapes.