A History of China

Napoleon Bonaparte, when referring to China, famously said; “China is a sleeping giant. Let her sleep, for when she wakes, she will shake the world.” His words were prophetic. For centuries China slumbered. Then, about forty years ago she woke up and since that time has risen to become the world’s second largest economy by GDP with the world’s greatest purchasing power.

This book tells of China’s turbulent past. It is a story of famine and flood, invasion and occupation, revolution and renewal, world war and civil war.

Starting with the pre-historical Yellow Emperor, the earlier chapters trace the origins of the Great Wall, the discovery of the Terracotta Warriors and the opening up of the ancient Silk Road. Later chapters include the arrival of Buddhism, the period under the Mongol rule of Kublai Khan as well as the refinement of porcelain and the opening up of trade with the West under the Ming dynasty.
The final chapters cover the opium wars and the ‘hundred years of humiliation’ that led to the fall of the Qing dynasty. This is followed by the Republican era, Civil War and the arrival of Communism. The Epilogue looks at how China has succeeded in combining socialism with a market economy that has resulted in a dynamic and exciting country.
As with other books in the ‘In Brief’ series, this book is aimed at the general reader who wants to understand a particular historical topic but does not have the time or inclination to read a heavy academic tome. With this mind, footnotes have been omitted.

While there will inevitably be gaps in a book of this size, the intention is to cover the most significant events that moulded China’s history. Should the reader be inspired to further reading on the subject, a small selection of the main works that have been consulted is provided at the end.

Where possible, maps and charts are provided which should help the reader navigate through the text. A ‘Who’s Who and What’s What’ is included at the end.