Details

China and the West to 1600

Empire, Philosophy, and the Paradox of Culture
1. Aufl.

von: Steven Wallech
20,99 €
Verlag:	Wiley-Blackwell
Format:	PDF
Veröffentl.:	14.12.2015
ISBN/EAN:	9781118879962
Sprache:	englisch
Anzahl Seiten:	336

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Beschreibungen

Titelbeschreibung

A comparative history of Chinese and Western Civilization from the dawn of agriculture to the dawn of modernity in Europe, China and the West to 1600 explores the factors that led to the divergent evolution of two major cultures of the ancient world, and considers how the subsequent developments saw one culture cling to tradition even as the other failed to do so, inadvertently setting the stage for the birth of the Modern Era. <ul> <li>An accessible and inventive comparative history, suitable for all students at the college level as well as general readers</li> <li>Compares the history of Chinese civilization with Western civilization from the rise of agriculture to the dawn of the modern period</li> <li>Explores the ways in which Western failures in the Middle Ages after the Roman Empire’s collapse, and China’s successes in the same period, laid the groundwork for each culture’s divergent path in the modern period</li> <li>Makes meaningful connections between cultures and over time, through the use of themes such as agriculture, philosophy, religion, and warfare and invasion</li> <li>Bridges the gap between antiquity and modernity, looking at many factors of the global Middle Ages that influenced the development of the modern world</li> <li>Features a timeline, maps, endnotes, and complete index</li> </ul>

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Acknowledgements ix Preface xi Introduction 1 Maps 4 Timeline 7 1 The Paradox of Agriculture and its Impact on China and Western Civilization 8 The Oldest Paradox 8 Chinese Agriculture 13 The First Chinese Dynasties 19 Roman Agriculture 30 Italian Agriculture 31 Egypt 37 The Levant and Mesopotamia 41 Greece 43 Overview of the Roman Economy 46 Notes 49 2 Ancient Philosophy: Chinese versus Western 52 The Chinese Quest for Stability 54 Implementing Legalism: Li Si and the Qin Dynasty 65 The Han Dynasty 67 The Greek Worldview: Part One—the Problem 69 The Greek Worldview: Part Two—the Quest for a Solution 71 The Roman Worldview 79 The Kosmopolite 83 Christianity 84 Notes 92 3 The Nomads 96 Two Incompatible Lifestyles: Nomads versus Farmers 96 The Persistent Nomadic Threat, Cannon, and China’s Three Main Issues 99 The Silk Road: Revelation of a Deadly Paradox of Culture 109 Loyalty, the State, and Paradise Lost 112 An Era of Chaos 116 The Fall of Rome 118 Chinese Potential for Reunification versus Western Fragmentation 120 Notes 123 4 Contrasting Medieval China and Europe 126 Unexpected Consequences 126 Revisiting the Paradox of Agriculture 128 The Sui Dynasty (581–618) 130 The Tang Dynasty (618–906) and the Rejuvenation of China 133 The Song (960–1279): The Golden Age Continues 140 A Nomadic Interlude 145 Evolution of Feudalism during the Fall of Rome 149 Medieval Agriculture: The Rise of Feudalism 152 The Late Middle Ages (1300–1500) 159 Contrasting Systems: A Unified China versus a Fragmented Europe 164 Notes 165 5 China and Medieval Europe: Cultural Orthodoxy and Creativity 169 The Economy, Administration, and Formation of a Chinese Orthodoxy 172 Foundations of a Medieval European Orthodoxy 180 A Revival of Learning: The Medieval Orthodoxy 189 Conclusions 203 Notes 204 6 The Nomad Apogee of Power 207 The Paradox of Culture Springs a Trap 207 Mongol Conquest and Rule 210 The Yuan Dynasty: A Century of Uneven Rule 221 The Ming Dynasty (1368–1644) 223 The Qing: The Second Nomadic Regime to Rule China (1644–1911) 231 Notes 244 7 Modernization 251 Germanic Europe during the Early Middle Ages 254 China does not Modernize: The Pitfalls of Tradition 286 Conclusion 296 Notes 297 Select Bibliography 301 Index 309

Autorenportrait

Steven Wallech is the senior Professor of World History at Long Beach City College. He developed the world history program there, and integrated the world history curriculum with community colleges and universities throughout California. He is the author of World History: A Concise Thematic Analysis, Volumes One and Two (Wiley, 2012). He earned a Ph.D. in History from Claremont Graduate University and has been teaching at the college/university level for over 30 years.