A History of China by Wolfram Eberhard - HTML preview

Chapter I: PREHISTORY

1 Sources for the earliest history 2 The Peking Man 3 The Palaeolithic Age 4 The Neolithic Age 5 The eight

principal prehistoric cultures 6 The Yang-shao culture 7 The Lung-shan culture 8 The first petty States in

Shansi

Chapter II: THE SHANG DYNASTY ( c. 1600-1028 B.C.)

1 Period, origin, material culture 2 Writing and Religion 3 Transition to feudalism

ANTIQUITY

Chapter III: THE CHOU DYNASTY ( c. 1028-257 B.C.)

1 Cultural origin of the Chou and end of the Shang dynasty

2 Feudalism in the new empire

3 Fusion of Chou and Shang

4 Limitation of the imperial power

5 Changes in the relative strength of the feudal states

6 Confucius

7 Lao Tz[)u]

Chapter IV: THE CONTENDING STATES (481-256 B.C.): DISSOLUTION OF THE FEUDAL SYSTEM

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1 Social and military changes

2 Economic changes

3 Cultural changes

Chapter V: THE CH'IN DYNASTY (256-207 B.C.)

1 Towards the unitary State 2 Centralization in every field 3 Frontier Defence. Internal colapse

THE MIDDLE AGES

Chapter VI: THE HAN DYNASTY (206 B.C.-A.D. 220)

1 Development of the gentry-state

2 Situation of the Hsiung-nu empire; its relation to the

Han empire. Incorporation of South China

3 Brief feudal reaction. Consolidation of the gentry

4 Turkestan policy. End of the Hsiung-nu empire

5 Impoverishment. Cliques. End of the Dynasty

6 The pseudo-socialistic dictatorship. Revolt of the "Red Eyebrows"

7 Reaction and Restoration: the Later Han dynasty

8 Hsiung-nu policy

9 Economic situation. Rebelion of the "Yelow Turbans".

Colapse of the Han dynasty

10 Literature and Art

Chapter VII: THE EPOCH OF THE FIRST DIVISION OF CHINA (A.D. 220-580)

(A) The three kingdoms (A.D. 220-265)

1 Social, intelectual, and economic problems during the

period of the first division

2 Status of the two southern Kingdoms

3 The northern State of Wei

(B) The Western Chin dynasty (265-317) 1 Internal situation in the Chin empire 2 Effect on the

frontier peoples 3 Struggles for the throne 4 Migration of Chinese 5 Victory of the Huns. The Hun

Han dynasty (later renamed the Earlier Chao dynasty)

(C) The alien empires in North China, down to the Toba

(A.D. 317-385)

1 The Later Chao dynasty in eastern North China (Hun; 329-352)

2 Earlier Yen dynasty in the north-east (proto-Mongol; 352-370),

and the Earlier Ch'in dynasty in al north China (Tibetan; 351-394)

3 The fragmentation of north China

4 Sociological analysis of the two great alien empires

5 Sociological analysis of the petty States

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6 Spread of Buddhism

(D) The Toba empire in North China (A.D. 385-550) 1 The rise of the Toba State 2 The Hun

kingdom of the Hsia (407-431) 3 Rise of the Toba to a great power 4 Economic and social

conditions 5 Victory and retreat of Buddhism

(E) Succession States of the Toba (A.D. 550-580):

Northern Ch'i dynasty, Northern Chou dynasty

1 Reasons for the splitting of the Toba empire

2 Appearance of the (Gök) Turks

3 The Northern Ch'i dynasty; the Northern Chou dynasty

(F) The southern empires

1 Economic and social situation in the south

2 Struggles between cliques under the Eastern Chin dynasty

(A.D. 317-419)

3 The Liu-Sung dynasty (A.D. 420-478) and the Southern Ch'i dynasty

(A.D. 479-501)

4 The Liang dynasty (A.D. 502-556)

5 The Ch'en dynasty (A.D. 557-588) and its ending by the Sui

6 Cultural achievements of the south

Chapter VIII: THE EMPIRES OF THE SUI AND THE T'ANG

(A) The Sui dynasty (A.D. 580-618) 1 Internal situation in the newly unified empire 2 Relations with

Turks and with Korea 3 Reasons for colapse

(B) The T'ang dynasty (A.D. 618-906)

1 Reforms and decentralization

2 Turkish policy

3 Conquest of Turkestan and Korea. Summit of power

4 The reign of the empress Wu: Buddhism and capitalism

5 Second blossoming of T'ang culture

6 Revolt of a military governor

7 The role of the Uighurs. Confiscation of the capital of the

monasteries

8 First successful peasant revolt. Colapse of the empire

MODERN TIMES

Chapter IX: THE EPOCH OF THE SECOND DIVISION OF CHINA

(A) The period of the Five Dynasties (906-960)

1 Beginning of a new epoch

2 Political situation in the tenth century

3 Monopolistic trade in South China. Printing and paper money in the

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north

4 Political history of the Five Dynasties

(B) Period of Moderate Absolutism (1) The Northern Sung dynasty 1 Southward expansion 2

Administration and army. Inflation 3 Reforms and Welfare schemes 4 Cultural situation (philosophy,

religion, literature, painting) 5 Military colapse

(2) The Liao (Kitan) dynasty in the north (937-1125) 1 Sociological structure. Claim to the

Chinese imperial throne 2 The State of the Kara-Kitai

(3) The Hsi-Hsia State in the north (1038-1227) 1 Continuation of Turkish traditions

(4) The empire of the Southern Sung dynasty (1127-1279)

1 Foundation

2 Internal situation

3 Cultural situation; reasons for the colapse

(5) The empire of the Juchên in the north (i 115-1234)

1 Rapid expansion from northern Korea to the Yangtze

2 United front of al Chinese

3 Start of the Mongol empire