History of China

China is the world's oldest continuous civilization, with written records dating back at least 3,500 years. Turtle shells with ancient Chinese writing reminiscent of those of the Shang dynasty have been found and dated to almost 9000 years old. This suggests that the origins of the Chinese civilization, starting first with city-states may be older than 10,000 years. Although 5,000 years being commonly used by Chinese as the age of their civilization when China became a large kingdom or Empire. Successive dynasties developed systems of bureaucratic control, which gave the agrarian-based Chinese an advantage over neighboring nomadic and mountain-dwelling cultures. The forced imposition of a common system of writing by the Qin emperor (200 BC) and the development of a state ideology based on Confucianism (100 BC) strengthened the Chinese civilization. Politically, China alternated between periods of political union and disunion, and was occasionally conquered by external ethnicities, of which many were eventually assimilated into the Chinese identity. These cultural and political influences from many parts of Asia as well as successive waves of immigration and emigration merged to create the familiar image of Chinese culture and people today.

Post modern independence

With the proclamation of the People's Republic of China on October 1, 1949, China was divided yet again, into the PRC on the mainland and the ROC on Taiwan and several outlying islands of Fujian, with two governments, each of which regarded itself as the one true Chinese government and denounced the other as illegitimate. This remained true until the early 1990s when political changes on Taiwan led the ROC to understand that they would never reoccupy China again. Since then, they are trying actively to be recognized by the world community as a legitimate state, but People's Republic of China have been insisting on their One-China Policy. Most Taiwanese do not regard Taiwan as a part of the People's Republic of China (PRC). They see Taiwan's history as its own separate branch under the sovereign independent country officially known as the Republic of China (ROC). To this date, both mainland China (People's Republic of China) and the Republic of China (Taiwan) effectively remain two seperate countries, each administering their own territory.

Related Topics:
People's Republic of China - October 1 - 1949 - Taiwan - Fujian - 1990s - One-China Policy - PRC - Republic of China - ROC

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

For more information see People's Republic of China, Republic of China and Taiwan.

Related Topics:
People's Republic of China - Republic of China - Taiwan

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~