Explore the long and rich history of China's great dynasties.
From the clans and legends of prehistory to the last Qing emperor, this book brings China's imperial history to life through its pivotal events, political forces, and powerful people, in a stunning collaboration between British and Chinese publishing houses.
Covering more than 5,000 years of history and featuring images of artefacts not previously seen outside of China, this definitive visual guide will captivate readers with the key events that shaped Chinese history and laid the foundations of the modern nation. Starting with prehistory and early humans, Imperial China sets the scene for the arrival of China's first dynasty, and reveals how the warring states of early China gave birth to the emperor-led dynasties - and China's long imperial age. With illuminating features on important historical figures, cultural achievements, and philosophy - such as the rise of Confucianism and the silk and tea trades - Imperial China explores how the Chinese empire flourished and declined over the course of two millennia - from the unifying "first emperor" of the Qin and the golden ages of Tang and Song, to the final fall of the Manchu Qing dynasty.
With stunning photography of art and artefacts to bring key events to life, this exquisite and comprehensive history is ideal for anyone who wants to learn more about China's extraordinary heritage.
Language: English
Pages: 320
Tags: Chinese history, Chinese art
Cover
Contents
Forewords
Introduction
Chronology of dynasties
1. From legend to history. Before 2000 BCE
Introduction
Land and people
Two great rivers
Chinese prehistory
Neolithic pottery
China’s heroes
Yu and the Xia dynasty
2. The first dynasties, c. 2070 BCE to 221 BCE
Introduction
The Bronze Age
Ancient bronze
The Shang dynasty
The Shang city of Yin
Oracle bones
The rise of the Zhou
The Western Zhou
Bronze inscriptions
The Chinese Classics
The Spring and Autumn period
The Iron Age
Confucianism
The Hundred Schools of Thought
Daoist philosophy
The Warring States
The Art of War
3. China united and divided. 221 BCE to 581 CE
Introduction
The Qin dynasty
The tomb of the First Emperor
The Great Wall
The Western Han dynasty
The tomb of Lady Dai
The Chinese zodiac
Auspicious beasts
Ancient currency
Health and medicine
Confucian governance
The Silk Road
Sima Qian and the writing of history
From bamboo to paper
The Xin dynasty
Cults and beliefs
The rise of Daoism
Imperial court eunuchs
The Three Kingdoms
The calligrapher’s art
Spirited carvings
The rise of Buddhism
The northern dynasties
The shift to the south
4. The Sui and Tang dynasties. 581 to 960 CE
Introduction
The Sui dynasty
The Grand Canal
The rise of the Tang
Tang hand mirrors
The growth of Chang’an
Empress Wu
The spread of Buddhism
The decline of the Tang
Poetry
Tang tomb figures
Afterlife entertainers
Tea
The Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms
5. Chinese and foreign dynasties. 960 to 1368
Introduction
The Northern Song
Silk production
Confucian bureaucracy
Su Shi
Neo-Confucianism
The Liao and the Jin
A Liao funerary mask
The Southern Song
The Yuan dynasty
Sacred sculptures
Kublai Khan
Chinese warfare
Tools of war
The travels of Marco Polo
The late Mongol dynasty
6. Stability and wealth. 1368 to 1644
Introduction
The rise of the Ming
The Second Founding
Ming crafts
Blue-and-white wares
The Ming capital
Classic Chinese gardens
Voyages of exploration
The Ming turn inward
The Four Classic Novels
Late Ming China
Matteo Ricci
Progress in medicine
Golden treasures
The Manchu Qing
The fall of the Ming
7. The last dynasty. 1644 to 1912
Introduction
The rise of the Qing
The battles of Koxinga
The Kangxi Emperor
Qing conquests
The Yongzheng Emperor
Life under the Qing
The Qianlong Emperor
Cloisonné censer
The Great Qing novel
The growing economy
Ceramic art
Peking opera
The Macartney Mission
The opium trade
The First Opium War
Ceremonial splendour
The Taiping Rebellion
The Second Opium War
The treaty system
Self-strengthening
Empress Dowager Cixi
Women in society
Phoenix headdress
Status symbols
The Sino-Japanese War
The Hundred Days
The Boxer Rebellion
Founding modern China
Puyi: the last emperor
Chinese and world history
Index
Acknowledgments
