Ming Dynasty

The first weapon incorporating gunpowder was called the flying fire. Heather Whipps explains the first weapon using gunpowder: Gunpowder was quickly put to use by the reigning Sung Dynasty against the Mongols, whose constant invasions into the country plagued the Chinese throughout the period. The Mongols were the first subject to flying fire – an arrow fixed with a tube of gunpowder that ignited and propel itself across enemy lines…

In 1793, the Qing scholar, Ji Yun (1724 - 1805) commented on the vagaries of price and of supply and demand for luxurious and exotic products: The value of things is dependent on the fashion of their time and [hence cannot be] fixed. [I] recall when I was young, ginseng, coral and lapis lazuli were not expensive, [but] today [they are] increasingly so; turquoise and tourmaline were extremely expensive, [but] today [their prices are] increasingly reduce. From the mid-nineteenth century,…

Kukan: The Battle Cry of China (Scott, 1941) is a lost Oscar-winning film produced during the Second World War. In April 2015, the Academy Film Archives sent an incomplete film print of Kukan back to China. A grand ceremony observing the arrival of the film was held in Chunking, China, one of the most grievous battlefronts of the eastern hemisphere during the war. The film itself, although “crudely made,” was one of the handfuls of documentaries that captured Japan’s invasion of China from a…

Lin Zexu's Letter to Queen Victoria The commissioner of China, Lin Zexu wrote a letter to Queen Victoria of England regarding the opium crisis in 1839. This opium was delivered through trade. Men of England would sail to China with the purpose of giving and receiveing needed goods for themselves. It came to a point in time where this trade became illegal and dangerous, this is the point in time that the drug of opium came in to the mix. As the fatalities and sufferings of China natives grew…

The Romans are known for their architecture. One of their greatest pieces of architecture is called the Flavian Amphitheater also known as the Colosseum. It was made from 70 to 80 ce in the city of Rome itself. The Colosseum is a massive arena in the shape of an oval. This an amazing design that allowed for around 50,000 people to come and watch entertainment. The Romans invented concrete and used it to create vaults. Concrete and vaults are two of the biggest contributions the Romans made to…

8.Despite the fact that the Roman Empire was ruled by the wealthy, the deepening class conflicts of the plebeians helped bring major change to the political life of this empire. According to Strayer, “a written code of law offered plebeians some protection from abuse” (130). Furthermore, the poorer classes of society were able to “shape public policy”, through the system of public assemblies (Strayer 130). This is significant because it indicates the greater opportunities that plebeians were…

Diplomacy between Tang Dynasty and Japan The Tang Dynasty(619-907AD) ended the chaos that existed after the reign by e dynasty and united China. It was founded by Li’s family in the capital of Chang an. The Tang dynasty was one of the greatest dynasties in Chinese history (ushistory). Diplomacy was one of the most successful parts during the Tang Dynasty. Culture, language, education and religion were exchanged rapidly between China and Japan (taschool). In the Tang dynasty, religion was one…

He was born somewhere within 500 to 600 B.C. in the country of Ku and died some time during the Zhou Dynasty. When the two first met, Lao Tse talked bad about the way Confucius stubbornly ignored some problems in his teachings. Confucius simply chuckled and compared his attitude to that of a dragon. According to popular belief, Lao Tse got married and had…

There were many examples in Chinese history. Many of these movements and rebellions were geared to overthrowing the current government, the Qing dynasty. During the 1850s to 1860s, the Taiping Rebellion was formed by a prophet who sought to destroy the government as well as Confucian values and beliefs. In 1853, Taiping forces were able to capture large amounts of territory and created their own capital…

course, is known for the creation of the Mongol Empire, the largest in the world, through the destruction of tribes in Northeastern Asia. While Kublai Khan, who was Genghis Khan’s grandson, was an emperor of the Mongol Empire and found of the Yuan Dynasty in China. In the 13th century, it is an incredible feat that these figures led invaders into the governing the vast Mongol Empire. This brings into question, how they actually govern this empire. In this paper, I propose that these great…