Emperor of China

Throughout time, style and fashion changed in China. Apart from being political figures, emperors and empresses were the ones who took the initiative to set out trends and the ones to decide who was permitted to wear what. During the ages of the emperors, fine robes were a sign of rank, lifestyle, esthetics and good taste. What one wore said where one stood in society and who one was to be. Styles change from dynasty to dynasty and the history is imprinted in the clothing. Depending on one’s…

The reign of China’s first emperor, Qin Shi Huangdi, in the third century BCE is known for its unprecedented unity of Chinese lands and for the establishment of the Chinese imperial system. While the 221 BCE unification of the Warring States into a single Chinese state may seem like the natural progression of events in hindsight, it and the subsequent unity in the Qin dynasty was not an inevitable outcome and required active effort to accomplish. Qin Shi Huangdi had to take many measures beyond…

witnessed the highest point of the eunuch system and its political influence in the Chinese government during the 15th century. The eunuch system was the system where castrated men were responsible for carrying out assignments as servant for the Chinese emperor and government officers in the palace, also known as Ceremonial Directors in the Ming court (Scholz 129). Despite the conflict against traditional Confucianism, which was the founding belief in creating a Chinese virtuous government, the…

China saw significant religious and social changes and continuities from 1200 to 1750 C.E. Confucianism continued to be a religion practiced by many Chinese citizens. However, as the period continued, the practice of Confucianism became far more popular. Socially, the emphasis on family in China maintained its importance in society. Nonetheless, as the period continued, the subordination of women within these families increased in severity. From 1200 to 1750 C.E., Confucianism continued to be…

wars, the harvest of men, and memory and regret were all symbolized by the white Tiger of the west, and in the urban layout by the Altar of the Earth. From the north came cold winter and marauding hordes bent on destruction; its color was black. The emperor faced away from it, and in the northern sector of the city, confined behind the palace, would be situated dubious activities including commerce and its…

The ideal of Modern society is that the value of an individual is to be determined by what they contribute to society, irrespective of their socioeconomic background. Parallels can be drawn between this philosophy with the Marxist ideal of “ each according to his ability” . Yet, whilst this may be the perspective that society wishes to be true, the reality is that those natural factors intrinsically affect how certain actions of an individual are perceived. One such factor where the evaluation…

The Han and Qin Empires are particularly good at showing the contrast between successful and unsuccessful Empires. They both developed in a similar part of China, and are only separated by about 100 years. The Han Empire probably owes some of their success to learning form the example of the Qin Empire and not repeating the same mistakes. Shihuangdi Qin ruled by the philosophy of Legalism, which advocates extremely strict laws and harsh punishments. His extreme punishments gave him control, but…

Han Dynasty things such as calligraphy, poetry and wall paintings were admired and respected and most often plastered or printed. In this, Dynasty a popular trend in painting was wall painting holding the themes of famous portraits, scenes from China 's history. Furthermore, artists would paint on objects such as clay, giving incredible detail to the piece. Most artwork in this Dynasty was influenced by cultural beliefs such as Taoism. Philosophical Systems in Chinese Painting A way to…

Ancient civilizations have significantly impacted the world today, mostly during their golden age. Their geography, politics, and achievements have also separated the mediocre civilizations and the great ones. Both the Han Dynasty of Ancient China and Athens, Greece, fell into the latter category. The Han Dynasty lasted from 206 BC and survived until 220 AD and was far more advanced than other civilizations during their time period. After the collapse of the Qin Dynasty, Liu Bang rose to power…

Empress Dowager Cixi was a Manchu regent who effectively ruled over China from her appointment in 1861 until her death in 1908. She ruled during the Boxer Rebellion, an anti-foreign and anti-Christian uprising led by a splinter group called the Boxers towards the end of the Qing Dynasty from 1899 to 1901. Empress Cixi’s changes to Boxer ideologies to reflect those of the state and her actions to preserve the state, doctrine, and race of China express her use of the Boxers as a nationalistic…