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Chinese history has been centered around
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in between its great rivers most notably
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the Yangtze River Valley in the south
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and in the north the Yellow River even
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in Neolithic times the fertile plains
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surrounding the rivers could support
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large populations with large surpluses
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of food enabling these Stone Age
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cultures to cultivate a variety of crops
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and domesticated animals while becoming
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increasingly sophisticated the loom Shan
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introduced silk production and created a
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refined form of strong yet extremely
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thin pottery with near machine-like
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precision
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these early peoples were extremely
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vulnerable to the flooding of these
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great rivers many thousands could die
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from an unexpected flood from the lune
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shot of all the semi-mythical Xia
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dynasty who was able through
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sophisticated irrigation techniques
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protect the cities from flooding and
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further increased crop yields this
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possibly enabled the first emperors to
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rule over multiple peoples ensuring they
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were fed and protected from natural
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disasters and they were said to have the
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Mandate of Heaven the Xia would be
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conquered by the Shang these extremely
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warlike people brought the Middle
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Kingdom fully into the Bronze Age and
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into history because they were the first
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to begin to widely use writing they were
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known for their cruelty and incorporated
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vast amounts of slaves into their armies
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they would be conquered by the Zhuo
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dynasty who were aided by many slaves
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defecting from the Shang to join their
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cause
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the long live Jo dynasty saw the
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development of some fundamental
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institutions within society chiefly the
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philosophies of Taoism that advocated
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humility and religious piety to live a
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harmonious and fulfilling life and
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Confucianism that emphasized living a
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rational life to be most fulfilled a
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complex feat allistic system also
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developed were seventy quasi independent
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states paid homage to a single emperor
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over the centuries these states
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developed independent cultures
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identities and the show Empire devolved
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in the nation states entangled in near
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constant warfare with each other out of
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centuries of chaos the state of Qin
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under the Emperor Qin Shihuang United
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all under heaven
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and is considered the first leader of a
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unified China in order that China stay
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unified he is said to have ordered a
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massive amount of book burnings and
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executed scholars to erase the histories
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of the individual states so that the
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nation should only have one identity in
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one history ginger Huang ordered the
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construction of large portions of the
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Great Wall of China built a massive
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canal connecting the north and south of
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the country and built an impressive tomb
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among many other projects during his
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reign his dynasty would not last long
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though following the death of Qin Shi
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Huang the Empire descended into revolt
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and chaos the province of Han
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consolidated power and maintained the
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unified realm the Han were
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contemporaries of the Roman Empire and
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would export massive amounts of silk
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over what would become known as the Silk
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Road because this was so profitable they
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expanded the Empire westwards to control
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the vital trade route this is considered
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China's first golden age and this period
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saw many famous generals and scientific
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advancement the Han Empire eventually
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split in three with each partition
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having an emperor claiming legitimate
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succession from the Han the Jin were
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descended from generals who usurped the
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imperial throne they would unite China
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again but their reins were seldom
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peaceful and were marked with violence
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and disorganization and devolved in a
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local rule were sixteen kingdoms ward
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against each other with two emerging as
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longtime rivals in the period known as
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the northern and southern dynasties this
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period is often considered a dark age
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and was dominated by warlords who raided
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the land and by barbarian incursions the
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soui dynasty was a short-lived imperial
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dynasty in China of pivotal significance
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the so unified northern and southern
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dynasties and reinstalled the rule of
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ethnic Han Chinese and began a process
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of cultural integration of the
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barbarians and migrated into China
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during the centuries of chaos it was
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succeeded by the tang dynasty which
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largely inherited its foundations the
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tang dynasty is often considered the
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zenith of Chinese civilization and is
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the second Golden Age
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this period was marked with internal
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stability scientific advancement and
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cultural refinement it was during this
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period that the Chinese culture spread
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throughout Asia fuelled by many
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merchants artisans and philosophers from
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the surrounding kingdoms which were
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welcomed into the courts in halls of
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study throughout the tang period all
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good things come to an end and so did
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the tang
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they began to persecute Buddhists and
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were increasingly authoritarian by the
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end of their dynasty and after putting
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down several rebellions they were
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deposed in China once again entered a
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period of chaos out of this period the
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Song Dynasty unified China their dynasty
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is marked for its technological
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achievement including the magnetic
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compass gunpowder and mass printing
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which they used to create the world's
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first national paper currency this age
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of enlightenment would be brought to a
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swift end where the mongols invaded and
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Genghis Khan's grandson Kublai Khan
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would establish the yuan dynasty for the
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first time the entire Silk Road
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connecting China to Europe was ruled by
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one power and the Yuan Dynasty saw a
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great period of diversity of culture and
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material goods flowing into China this
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dynasty would be short-lived and was
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supplanted by the Ming Dynasty
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this dynasty is seen as a prosperous
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time and a high point for art and
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literature they were succeeded by the
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long-lived ching dynasty which began
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like a golden age and ended in disaster
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that was first triggered by the british
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obsession with tea they loved drinking
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it but they hated pain the chain ton
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after ton of gold and silver for it so
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they came up with an evil empire
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solution if there ever was one and
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illegally flooded China with opium when
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the Qin clamped down on the British
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opium trade the British went to war to
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make sure that the opium kept flowing
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into China China stagnated afterwards
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and closed itself off as much as
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possible from the West and in 1911 the
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last emperor of China was removed from
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the throne in a deal made by the boy
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Emperor's advisers which they did not
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inform him of and pretended he was still
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in Bern for some time Imperial China was
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succeeded by the Republic of China and
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then the People's Republic of China this
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has been Epimetheus if you enjoyed this
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lightning speed version of the history
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of China's dying
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