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** [[image:http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/thumb_186/1190166286J8EDW7.jpg width="38" height="49"]]Welcome to the History of China! **
China is located in the continent of Asia. The first people in China came about around 400,000 years ago. The history of this nation is divided into dynasties or ruling families which characterize different periods within society. We can see the same pattern for each dynasty. Initially there is a period of success and well being for all of society, but after reaching its climax it begins to weaken and each emperor is then overthrown. Ancient Chinese legends tell stories of heroic kings that provided the basis for society in China. The three sage-kings: Yao, Yu and Shun represent the way that agriculture, families, animals, music, and other features came about over a long period of time and are often used as a way to promote certain reoccurring ideas even today.

 For more information on Ancient China, check out these videos: []  [] 

Find a timeline of China's history at: []



1. Neolithic China

 * The Chinese River Valley civilization was one of the four classical civilizations in the history of the world.
 * Bordered by a desert, many mountains and hills, it existed in the region of the Yellow River Valley to make up for the difficult geography.
 * Many agricultural settlements came about
 * Less hunting and gathering existed
 * Along with the Yangtze River, these two bodies of water aided agriculture and encouraged the formation of societies. Because the Yellow River was so unpredictable and constantly flooded with no warning, it earned itself the nickname of “China’s Sorrow.”
 * Originally starting out as territory occupied by hunter-gatherers as most people had preferred, as populations increased and more people came into contact with each other it became vital for someone to make decisions on how to run society.
 * This also promoted the use of more advanced agricultural skills and irrigation systems. Local rulers worked for some period of time, but eventually organized rulers had to step in to reduce local conflicts.
 * The states came about that helped set the foundation for centuries to come.
 * Yangshao Society: It was discovered through recent excavations that give evidence of society from 5000 B.C.E. – 3000 B.C.E. in this area. Today we know that they used bone tools and had knowledge of working with metals.
 * As China expanded, its people came into contact with many nomads who served as a constant threat to them, but as they advanced more and more they were able to overcome it.

2. Xia Dynasty
The Xia Dynasty is very controversial because most accounts of it in history were legends and it was therefore considered to be a figment of the imagination. A lack of any written records is why most historians consider it to be a myth. Today, it is most known today for its mass efforts to organize Chinese society and excavations have uncovered some clues as to what it must have been like during this time.

A.Economy B.Politics C.Culture
 * Many achievements were made in this area.
 * Agriculture was the main use of stone and bone tools using tools
 * Jade was used very often as a luxurious item for trade
 * Formal control passed on the concept of monarchal rule to later dynasties
 * The Yu ruler was said to have founded it.
 * Came about from pressures of the environment and forced people to organize irrigation systems.
 * Bronze was very expensive so the government held a monopoly on it
 * Bronze was needed to maintain control over subjects
 * Erlitou was said to be the capital
 * There we many large palace structures, pottery workshops, bronze foundry, bronze weapons needed to maintain control.
 * A calendar that kept track of lunar and solar patterns was created
 * Excavations give a slight idea about reality within this dynasty, but there were no written records to actually prove anything about it.

3.Shang Dynasty
Located in the Wei River valley, this dynasty was considered to be the first real dynasty of China because it left behind written records. Technology is considered to be the reason that it came about for it is very likely that bronze aided them in overcoming their predecessors the Xia.

A. Economy

B. Politics C. Society D. Culture
 * Serfs and slaves provided vital services to society
 * Most income came from farming crops and harvest that depended on weather conditions
 * Silkworm cultivation was an area for skilled merchants that provided a great commodity for trade
 * Bronze weaponry and metallurgy was very common
 * High mountains and deserts kept China from trading with India and certain places in Southwest Asia but long-term trade routes were found in the south and east
 * The invention of sails allowed the use of ships for trade during this dynasty
 * King held supreme power over all others
 * He had political power and was also a religious figure-head
 * Officials appointed by the king helped spread policies and maintain loyalties
 * Surplus agriculture was used by the government for the army army and allies that would ensure their control
 * Local leaders of individual towns (ministers, advisors, craftsmen, metal smiths) retained respect for Shang Kings
 * The capital of Ao (chosen originally for political and military reasons) eventually became an economic and cultural center. A city wall was evidence of centralized rule because a tremendous number of workers must have been needed to complete it.
 * The city of Yin was the capital during the last few centuries
 * It had many palaces, written records, neighborhoods, and even workshops.
 * Tombs of kings included many lavish objects and sacrifices to serve the king afterlife which indicated the great respect that they had for their rulers
 * led by warrior aristocracy that expanded territories through regular conquests
 * Peasants had no rights in society but provided vital services
 * Wheeled vehicles and horse drawn carriages(used for war) and they were created by skilled artisans
 * Manufacturing of copper and tin gave jobs to merchants
 * Ruling class possessed much of the available bronze because it was too expensive for the everyday person
 * Small class or artisans and merchants enjoyed comfortable lifestyles because they provided luxuries for the elite
 * Slaves were mostly made of enemy warriors that were captured in battle and performed labor for the most difficult social services
 * Pictographs (ideographs) were the first forms of Chinese writing. [[image:2.jpg align="right"]]
 * Ancestor worship and sacrificial ceremonies were very common in this period. Spirits of those ancestors that passed on were said to have watched over their loved ones that were still on earth and protected them as long as they had proper and veneration for them.
 * First decimal system
 * Oracle bones were used by fortune tellers to determine the answer to many questions about agriculture, politics, and luck worshipped the God Shang Ti. This God ruled over the many lesser gods that were venerated in the Chinese polytheistic religion. Sacrifices became a great part of cultural traditions during this time.
 * The idea of China being the “Middle Kingdom” came about during this time. Ethnocentrism is the belief that the Chinese were superior to all other places and that they considered themselves to be the center of the world. China’s ethnocentrism along with its geographic isolation from other places helped and hindered society. It kept them from invasions and helped them retain a distinct culture. At the same time though it also kept them from learning from the advancements that others were making at this time.

4. The Zhou Dynasty

The Zhou dynasty was a society characterized by great success in the areas of politics and expansion. It was founded when kings overcame the last Shang king who was said to be a greedy tyrant. The strong military forces that came about as an improvement in iron metallurgy allowed them to overcome the Shang. It is credited with setting many precedents that would determine the outcome of China’s distinct society. It was during this dynasty that many Chinese customs such as the Mandate of Heaven and concepts of the “Middle Kingdom” came about. The last Shang ruler was considered to be fraud and it is because of this that many of his subjects turned their loyalty to Zhou rulers.

A.Economy B. Politics C. The Mandate of Heaven D. Society E. Culture F. Period of Warring States and Decline:
 * Based mostly on agriculture, bronze, trade, and iron
 * As iron metallurgy spread to this area of the world, iron weapons helped subordinates resist control from the central government.
 * Because iron was so cheap, the government couldn’t hold a monopoly on it
 * They were specialized in trade and held a monopoly and jewels
 * Because of the amount of territory conquered, it was very hard to organize a central government
 * Instead there was a proclamation or decree that entrusted allegiances to remain in power (decentralized administration)
 * The king appointed bureaucratic officials such as nobles and lords to carry out vital responsibilities
 * These nobles gave the king their loyalty in return for their rights
 * Did not have a designated law system but instead were influenced by philosophers
 * This dynasty introduced the concept of the Mandate of Heaven. [[image:1.jpg align="right"]]
 * Earthly events and heavenly affairs are closely intertwined
 * It was very similar to the idea of the European Divine Right to Rule.
 * It is believed that the ruler of dynasty is put in power because they were intended to rule society by the gods.
 * At the start of their reign there is great success within the dynasty such as expansion, winning wars, or social service improvements.
 * When wars, natural disasters or other negative events occur it is proof that the ruler is a fraud. This leads to a period of rebellion and the emperor is eventually overthrown and another comes into power after which the cycle starts all over.
 * The social hierarchy went from king, nobles, aristocrats, and then peasants at the bottom
 * Written records show that scholars embraced a patriarchal society. Male dominance within the household translated to the public as well and women were lucky if they were even remembered to have been associated with their husbands once they died.
 * This was the first time that royal lineage became patriarchal.
 * Family patriarchs had a lot of power because they served as middlemen for their families and gods
 * In China, government, philosophy, and family were intended to remain in harmonious relationships.
 * All sacrifices were banned
 * Cities with great populations came about
 * Social services were greatly improved
 * The ideas of a man named Kung Fuzi provided an explanation as to why society began to crumble. He focused greatly on ethics. His philosophies became a large part of Chinese thought for ages to come. He enforced many ideas such as the relationship between people (five fundamental relationships) and encouraged patriarchal households whose decisions would carry out into society. He thought that it was up to the individual to make smart decisions that would better society.
 * During this time, Daoism also competed with this way of thinking for followers. It focused more on the spirits within nature and was more of a philosophical tradition than anything. The main goal of this belief system is to follow a path that is made of harmonious balance, or yin and yang (the good and evil) of every relationship.
 * Tried to achieve cultural unity by promoting certain religious ceremonies and encouraging the worship of gods and the mandarin Chinese language
 * Writing systems served as basis for culture. Many great works of this time include Book of Songs, Book of Etiquette, and the Book of Changes. They mostly dealt with themes of morals and religious and philosophical themes

The decline of the Zhou dynasty was triggered by efforts of bureaucrats to spread their own power which led to the decline of the system as well as nomadic invasions during the rule of an ineffective king. These men often went against the dynasty refusing militants and often turning themselves against the king. This time period was during the last few centuries of the dynasty (402 B.C.E.-201 B.C.E.) in which subordinates to the king fought violently for ultimate power. Filled with so much violence, the king actually abdicated his position to another after which the dynasty finally collapsed.

CLASSICAL CHINA
China emerged with a well-integrated system of government, philosophy, economic incentives, and culture. Its distinctive political structures and cultural values make one of history's most advanced civilizations known today.


 * Longest lived civilization in history
 * Rather isolated, so interactions with other cultures was limited
 * Protected from foreign invasions
 * Enabled China to have their own unique, distinctive identity

1. Qin Dynasty (221 - 202 B.C.E.)
media type="youtube" key="nb6-euO3FFE" height="364" width="445"
 * First emperor - Xin Shi Huangdi; very brutal
 * Reduced the power of regional leaders
 * Officials were selected from non-aristocratic groups - this assured allegiance.
 * Stressed unquestioned central authority
 * Organized China into large provinces ruled by bureaucrats appointed by emperor
 * Extended Chinese territory to the south
 * Built **Great Wall** in the north to protect against invasions
 * Shi Huangdi burned books, to attack formal culture and avoid thinking
 * Began the use of standardized coins, weights, and measures
 * Uniform written language
 * Promotion of manufacturing silk
 * Irrigation projects

2. Han Dynasty (202 - 220 B.C.E.)



 * Preserved centralized control of Qin, but reduced cruelty
 * Expanded bureaucracy
 * Opened trade to India and the Mediterranean by extending borders
 * Wu Ti = Period of peace
 * Supported Confucianism
 * Formal training is advanced

B. Decline

 * Central power weakened
 * Invasions from central Asia
 * 220 - 589 C.E.--> China is in chaos!

3. Politics during Classical China

 * Largest political system in the classical world
 * Strong, central government
 * Local units remained
 * Depended on patriarchal families
 * Single law code
 * Uniform tax system
 * Central authority appointments chosen by emperor
 * Elaborate bureaucracy
 * Civil Service tests


 * =====Government active in economy=====
 * =====Organized production of salt/iron=====
 * =====Sponsored public works - canals and irrigation=====


 * =====Traded luxury items such as silk, leather goods, jewelry, and furniture--> Silk Road=====
 * =====Production methods and iron mining advanced - water powered mills=====
 * Created technologies such as paper, compass, and porcelain which was shared with the world
 * Remained agricultural

== __Post Classical China__ __==
 * Social status passed from one generation to another
 * Merchants not highly important
 * Father is dominant in family
 * Power to oldest son (boys over girls)
 * Religion - earthly and harmonious life; more wondering about God
 * Confucianism, Legalism
 * Appreciation of distinctive art, poetry, and literature
 * Daoists and Confucianists tolerated

A. Background: Era of Division ( 220 AD - 589 AD )

 * Northern and Southern China divided
 * Barbarian tribes take control of Northern China
 * Northern and Southern armies developed very differently
 * Northern militaty system- nomadic cavalry
 * Rise in aristocratic rule in the Southern China

B. Sui. Tang and Song Dynasties (589 AD- 1279AD) [[image:http://www.chinabravo.com/images/culture_cooking.jpg]]

 * Sui Dynasty restored China's rule in 581 AD
 * Sui's unification of China sparked a new golden age
 * The dynasties adopted Qin and Han cavalry military system
 * Tang and Song modernized agricultural techniques that supported thier rapidly growing populations
 * Tang returned to a centrilized military system and was later broken down
 * Economic developments originated during Tang and continued during Song, greatly benefited outside regions as well
 * Song Dynasty produced several technological innovations

1. Sui Dynasty 589 - 618 AD

 * restored a strong Dynastic Cycle

I. Emperor Yangdi: r. 604-618 AD
 * established a milder legal code
 * promoted Confucian education
 * forced his subjects to construct The Grand Canal which served as a massive trade route

II. Decline:

 * series of unsuccessful wars
 * Yangdi was assassinated
 * China fell to independent rulers

2. Tang Dynasty 618 - 907 AD [[image:http://img.informer.com/icons/png/48/323/323451.png]]

 * Yangdi's assassination left China in a state of political and social turmoil
 * reunited the Chinese empire
 * encouraged Confucian thought and education
 * modernized civil service exams that originated during the earlier Han Dynasty
 * relied heavily on a bureaucracy based on merit
 * maintained extensive foriegn contacts

I. Li Yuan:

 * Duke of Tang
 * one of Yangdi's officials and loyal supporter
 * laid foundation for the Golden Age of Tang
 * extended the empire beyond the borders of present-day China

II. Civil Service Exams:

 * crucial for the restoration of Chinese unity
 * highest bureaucratic positions could only be gained through examination
 * exmas were based on Confucian philosophy and thought
 * success in exmas won special social status
 * government positions were earned rather than passed down through families

III. Reilgion - Buddhism, Confucianism and Daoism:

 * Confucian learning threatened Buddhist monastic orders
 * earlier emporers patronized Buddhism and promoted Confucianism
 * Empress Wu suupported the Buddhist establishment and attempted to make it the state religion
 * Daoist monks made several atempts to counter Buddhism
 * Emperor Wuzong r. 841-847 AD, openly persecuted Buddhism
 * outside repressions weakened Buddhism and it's political influence

IV. Empress Wu

 * first Empress of China
 * one of the few women who had authority in government within Post- classical China

V. Decline:

 * Emperor Xuanzong r. 713-756 AD ruled at the height of the Tang dynasty and extended the empire beyind present-day China
 * had strong interest in poltical and economic reforms
 * patronized the arts
 * long neglect of public affairs due to love infatuation caused economic distress
 * Xuanzong's discontemt led to chronic military weakness
 * revolts in search for a new dynasty
 * empire delegated resources and power to regional lords

3. Song Dynasty 960-1279 AD [[image:http://www.orientaloutpost.com/c/kp4/21700.gif]]

 * China was reunified after a long period of rule under various warlords
 * new military technologies and cultural innovations
 * an industrial society developed
 * urban cultural centers became popular
 * Foot binding became increasingly practiced
 * not as strong as Tang, politically or in military
 * agriculturally innovative

I. Emperor Taizu:

 * first Song emperor r. 960-976 AD
 * honest leader
 * established a centralized administration that tightly regulated military forces
 * expanded the bureaucracy based on merit
 * craeted more opportunities to attain a Confucian education
 * placed civil bureaucrats in charge of military forces

II. Re-emergence of Confucian thought:

 * revival of Confucian values dominated intellectual life
 * philosophical priniples were brought to everyday life
 * disapproval of other belief systems such as Buddhism made rulers less responsive to ouside influences
 * greater focus on traditional morals and ethics
 * promoted male dominance whch did not improve status of women in society
 * foot binding gave full control to to men over women
 * long-term affect: stifled innovation and critical thinking

III. Urbanization:

 * expansion of commerce and increased production gave way to urban growth
 * an increase in population also fed urban expansion
 * towns grew steadily into commercial cities
 * trade and commerce flowed through urban centers
 * industrialized centers flourished

IV, Decline:

 * various attempts made to prevent factors that caused Tang collapse
 * enormous bureaucracy overtook surplus of resources
 * higher taxes led to peasant revolts
 * scholar bureaucrats had little or no education in military
 * their leadership allowed nomadic peoples to flourish
 * reorganization and reforms only partially restored China's empire


 * Emperor attacks intellectuals
 * High taxes to support military expansion and construction of the Great Wall
 * Brutally punished and killed several men
 * Revolts break out after Shi Huangdi dies in 210 B.C.E.

· ** Inept rulers - ****The last emperors lived in luxury in the **   **Forbidden City ****, and had little to do with governing the empire. For example, the last emperor was so disengaged that he did not know that he was under attack until the enemy literally was climbing over the palace walls. **
 * //__ 1450-1750 __//**
 * The Ming Emperors continued to rule **  ** China **   ** until the mid-1600s, but the dynasty was in decline for many years before that. Although its cultural vividness and economic achievements continued until about 1600, **   ** China **   ** had some of the same problems that the Muslim empires had: borders difficult to guard, armies expensive to maintain, and transportation and communication problems. Some particular factors that weakened Ming China included: **
 * · **** Climatic change – ****An extensive change of climate swept from **   **Europe **   **to **   **China **   **during the 1600s, with the weather turning much colder. This change seriously affected agriculture and health, and also contributed to serious famine across **   **China ****. These conditions led irritated peasants to rebel often. **
 * · **** Nomadic invasions - ****The 1500s saw the reemergence of the Mongols as a regional power, this time with the help and support of **   **<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Tibet ****<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">. In appreciation, the Mongols gave the Tibetan leader with the title of dalai lama, or "universal teacher" of Tibetan Buddhism. The Japanese also attacked **   **<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Korea ****<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">, a Chinese tributary state, requiring Ming armies to defend the area. **
 * · **** Pirates - ****<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">As sea-based trade became more and more important, the number of pirates also increased in the Chinese seas, just as they did in the **   **<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Americas ****<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">. Pirates were both Chinese and Japanese, and they lay in wait for ships going in and out of Chinese ports. **
 * · **** Decline of the **   ** Silk Road **   ** - ****<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">After so many centuries, the famed **   **<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Silk Road **   **<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">trade finally fell into decline during this era. New technologies and European control meant that more and more trade was achieved by water, and land-based trade decreased. **
 * The Early Qing Dynasty **
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The Ming Dynasty was finally overthrown in 1644 by the Manchus, a northern power that had helped Ming emperors fight the Mongols and Japanese earlier. The Manchus turned on the Ming once they discovered how weak the empire was, and they called themselves the Qing ("pure") Empire because they saw themselves as restoring **  **<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">China **   **<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">to glory. However, the Manchu were seen by some as not being truly "Chinese" because they were northern people from the outside, just as the Mongols had been almost four centuries before. **
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The Qing Dynasty was to rule **  **<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">China **   **<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">until 1911, and in the years before 1750, the empire was very strong. The emperors ruled under many of the same principle that **   **<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">China **   **<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">had always had, such as the mandate of heaven, which they saw as explaination for their takeover. The Manchu did keep their ethnic identity, forbidding intermarriage between Manchus and Chinese. They also outlawed the Chinese from learning the Manchurian language, and they required Chinese men to shave their heads and grow long queues at the back of their heads as a sign of submission. **
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Despite the problems that **  **<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">China **   **<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">faced as a land-based Gunpowder Empire, the early Qing Dynasty - until the late 18th century - ruled over a "golden age" of Chinese civilization. Two of its early emperors had long and prosperous reigns: **
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Kangxi (1661-1722) and Qianlong (1736-1795). Kangxi was an enlightened, brilliant ruler whose many talents illustrate the era. He was a Confucian scholar, poet, and supporter of education, but he was also a conquering warrior who understood the importance of military might. **  **<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">China **   **<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">was so prosperous in these early Qing days that Qianlong cancelled taxes on several occasions because the government simply didn't need the money. **
 * Chinese Contact with Europeans **
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">East-west contacts between **  **<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">China **   **<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">and **   **<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Europe **   **<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">intensified during the early Qing Dynasty. One type of contact - Christian missionaries from the west - had probably come to **   **<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">China **   **<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">as early as the 7th century, but the plague and the collapse of the Yuan Dynasty had all but stopped the interchange. Contact revived during the 16th century when the Jesuits first began arriving in **   **<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">China ****<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">. The Jesuit priests were an order of the Catholic Church that specialized in international missionary work. One of the early Jesuits, Matteo Ricci, very much impressed the Chinese, who admired his education, brilliance, and respect for Chinese customs and accomplishments. The Jesuits dazzled their hosts with European science and technology. For example, they were able to use their math skills to correct Chinese calendars that up until then had miscalculated solar eclipses. They prepared maps of the world, and charmed the Chinese with gadgets (like chiming clocks), and the emperors saw to it that Jesuits had a special place in their courts. However, they had limited success in converting people to Christianity. After the Pope condemned what he called "ancestry worship," Kangxi ordered the end to Jesuit ministries. **
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The Jesuits did inspire trade demands as word about the riches and sophistication of QingChina **  **<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">got back to **   **<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Europe ****<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">. Chinese products - tea, porcelain, silk, wallpaper, and decorative items - became quite fashionable among the European elite, and Kangxi was commonly seen by Europeans as a great philosopher king. The Chinese reacted by opening the southern port of Canton to Europeans, but again, the Middle Kingdom was very wary of foreign contact, and so they closely supervised the trade. **