HAN CHINA, CONT’D
Foodstuffs

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MURAL OF KITCHEN SCENE
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DISUNITY & INTERACTION BETWEEN CHINA & BORDER PEOPLES
History 103
Professor Constantine Vaporis

FALL OF THE HAN (dynastic cycle)
Internal problems
External problems

INTERNAL WEAKNESSES
Succession of ineffectual emperors
Growth in power among local aristocracy
Power of empress’ family
Usurpation of power by eunuchs

EXTERNAL WEAKNESSES
Natural disasters, 173-179 AD
Popular uprisings--Yellow Turbans (184 AD); 5 Bushels of Rice Band
General CAO CAO (Ts’ao Ts’ao)
Incursions by non-Chinese nomads

ERA OF PROLONGED DISUNITY, 220-589 AD
WHY DO EMPIRES RISE & FALL?
Size of political unit
Productivity of the economy
Percentange of total output spent on administration and defence
Technological level

THE XIONGNU (Hsiung-nu)
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Barbarians (non-Chinese)
Military & civil officials from Jiaozhi (Vietnam)
Clothed (civilized) vs. partial nakedness (barbarity)

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ERA OF PROLONGED DISUNITY
220 AD-589 AD

Chinese and barbarians
ERA OF PROLONGED DISUNITY, 220-589 AD
NORTH-SOUTH SPLIT
Xiongnu sack Jin (Chin) capital, Loyang (316 AD)
= time of “Peach Blossom Spring” (by scholar-official T’ao Ch’ien)
Beginning of migration of Han (ethnic) Chinese southward

5 DYNASTIES IN SOUTH
31-589 AD
Capitals at Nanking (Nanjing)
Chinese = ethnic minority
Slow sinicization of non-Chinese

16 KINGDOMS (in north)
304-589 AD
“Five Barbarians”
Conversion into sedentary peoples

Temporary unification of North
Under Tuoba Turks (NOT Chinese)
Establish NORTHERN WEI dynasty, 439-534
Succeeded by 4 short-lived dynasties (E. Wei, W. Wei, N. Qi, N. Zhou)
Sinicization of Northern Wei

IMPORTANCE OF OUTSIDE INFLUENCES IN CHINESE CIVILIZATION
Cultivation, weaving of cloth; trousers
Medicinal plants
Food
Horse-breeding techniques
Saddle, breast harness
Stirrup? (5th c.)
Creation of aristocracy of mixed blood

Conclusion
Chinese empire = Sino-barbarian synthesis

Reunification under Sui, 589-618
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MULAN
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