Transcript Why China doesn`t get out of the Middle Ages first. Cultural

China in the
Medieval Period
400-1450 AD
China was a fully developed empire
by 400 AD. They had seen more
history than the Western world has
written since Rome!
China had medicine,
paper, civil service,
astronomy, veterinarians,
fertilization,
wheelbarrow, and the
compass long before
other civilizations.
Stability came and went in
China with every new ruler.
From 618-907 AD, China was
ruled by the Tang Dynasty.
The Song empire followed. In
addition to artistic development,
they found a way to make bamboo
tubes filled with gunpowder into
rocket launchers!
Fire!
These were very unpredictable,
but scared the poop out of their
enemies!
The Song empire also invented the
compass, which allowed ships to
sail accurately.
In 1211, a Mongol leader named
Temujin earned the title of Khan
(ruler) and the prefix of Genghis
(universal).
Ghenghis
Khan invaded
China to build
an empire.
Various other Mongol hordes
attacked other empires (Baghdad,
Russia, Europe, Japan.)
It didn’t take long
until the Mongols
discovered how to
work the new terror
weapons and used
them to take over
much of China,
establishing the Yuan
empire.
While Kublai Khan (grandson of
Genghis) ruled China in 1271, he
was visited by a European named
Marco Polo (from Venice, Italy).
Marco Polo stayed in China for 17
years. When he returned to Europe,
he told stories of gunpowder,
crossbows, rocket
Umm...
launchers, the
compass, and
printing.
From
China
with
Love
While Europe began to put this
information to use, China continued
to see the rise and fall of dynasties.
Why China doesn’t get out of
the Middle Ages first.
• Cultural Arrogance: They
thought they were the center
of the world, why leave home?
• Geographic Isolation: TaklaMakan Dessert, Himalayan
Mountains, Pacific Ocean
• Rise and Fall of Dynasties.
What is the function of Empires?
Why does the world descend into
the Middle-Ages?
What is the importance of the
Catholic Church in the Middle
Ages?
Who wins the race and why?
Why didn’t Africa win?
Why didn’t India win?
Why didn’t China win?
What do AD, BC, BCE, CE stand
for?
What marks the year zero?
What part does geography play in
determining who gets out of the
Middle Ages first?
What advantages does Europe have?