The History of China in 50 Events Quotes

“As the Chinese sought a cheaper alternative, they stumbled upon the substance known as cast iron. Although cast iron is heavier and weaker than steel, it is significantly easier to produce. The primary advantage of cast iron over steel is that it can be molded at significantly lower temperatures.”
― Henry Freeman, The History of China in 50 Events

“Most famous for his work the Art of War, Sun Tzu is credited for creating empathetic warfare, whereby understanding an enemy would inevitably lead to their defeat. The book is a treatise on the formation, equipping, training, and leading of an army. Sun Tzu’s work delves into many non-military aspects of life, as he believed that knowledge was the most effective weapon”
― Henry Freeman, The History of China in 50 Events

“At its most basic, the game is a strategy game similar to chess in that it stresses positional supremacy. Unlike chess which has a set of permissible moves, the game of Go has very few rules. In the game, adaptability and patience are the most valued traits, and as such, the contest is often much less about the game itself than about the contest of wills between players.”
― Henry Freeman, The History of China in 50 Events

“Lao Tzu is most well known for being the founder of Taoism. Taoism is centered upon two major ideas: Wu wei and yin-yang. Wu wei is a concept of non-action, where a person will find peace through quiet inaction, rather than a search to change circumstances. Yin-yang, which has become a pop culture symbol in many western countries is a philosophy of equal opposites. Although often represented as a light/dark dichotomy, the philosophy actually embraces the idea that for any given thing, its opposite is central to its makeup.”
― Henry Freeman, The History of China in 50 Events

“One of the most influential Chinese thinkers, Confucius, was born at the height of the Zhou Dynasty. Confucius is perhaps most well known for his work in social relationships and social contract. A system of thinking, Confucianism is named after him and espouses his Five Relationships, which, if followed, were intended to bring peace and prosperity throughout China. These relationships were: father-to-son, brother-to-brother, husband-to-wife, peer-to-peer, and king-to-subject. For each of these relationships, Confucius ascribed a set of attitudes and actions to follow. The purpose of these attitudes and actions was to eliminate emotional thinking, which, to Confucius was at the heart of societal struggle.”
― Henry Freeman, The History of China in 50 Events

“The Zhou Dynasty was the longest-lived in Chinese history, spanning eight hundred years. During the Zhou period, the importance of bronze was increased, causing this era to be considered the height of the Bronze Age in China. The Zhou were the first to give a name to the Mandate of Heaven, and in order to legitimize their own position, retroactively applied the term to the Xia and Shang. Under the Zhou, China entered a period of feudalism, which is a system of power and wealth based on land ownership. This period is analogous to the Middle Ages in Europe when a similar system was in use. It was during the Zhou Dynasty that some of China’s most influential thinkers lived, including Confucius, Lao tzu, and Sun tzu. The Zhou also standardized written language into a shape similar to its modern form. In addition, the Zhou began using reservoirs as a source of crop irrigation, meaning that farming could be moved inland from flowing water sources, helping to alleviate the problem of flooding. Historians consider the Zhou Dynasty to be the peak of classical Chinese civilization, thanks to contributions in so many fields.”
― Henry Freeman, The History of China in 50 Events

“The Shang Dynasty is remembered for many things, but perhaps most important is that the earliest Chinese writing comes from the Shang. The Shang wrote important information on oracle bones, as much of their culture was dependent on divination. The Shang also became the first dynasty to work extensively in bronze, and thanks to the tombs of the emperors, much of this bronze has been unearthed, giving a very accurate portrayal of the myriad uses of bronze in the dynasty. The Shang also began using chariots, and this suggests that at some point the Shang had contact with societies to the west, particularly the Middle East, but sadly, no record of this contact exists.”
― Henry Freeman, The History of China in 50 Events

“The Xia Dynasty held sway in China from 2100 to 1600 BCE. During the Xia Dynasty, the Xia began a practice that would affect dynastic China throughout much of history. This practice is the belief in an idea known as the Mandate of Heaven. The Mandate (which had no official name until several dynasties later) was the idea that a dynasty derived its right to rule from heaven, thus making it impossible for more than one dynasty to exist at a given time. The Mandate became the basis for all subsequent dynasties and helps explain why future dynasties went to such great lengths to suppress information about previous dynasties.”
― Henry Freeman, The History of China in 50 Events

“Nevertheless, the Flame Emperor was defeated and made peace with the Yellow Emperor. The two tribes merged over time, and this merger is credited as the beginning of Han China. Han is the largest ethnic group among the Chinese, accounting for more than 90 percent of the total population of China.”
― Henry Freeman, The History of China in 50 Events

“The Battle of Banquan holds a place in Chinese history as it is the first recorded battle in China. Although much of the historical record is clouded on the subject, it is believed that the battle was fought in 2500 BCE. History, or legend, indicates that the battle was fought between the forces of Huangdi, known as the Yellow Emperor, and the forces of Yandi, known as the Flame Emperor.”
― Henry Freeman, The History of China in 50 Events

“Before 3000 BCE, this tilling of the land was done by hand, with a form of pick or hoe. The Chinese, however, discovered that a fixed blade could be attached to a frame, and pulled through the earth, allowing a much greater area of land to be cultivated for significantly less effort and time.”
― Henry Freeman, The History of China in 50 Events

“pigs are omnivorous, which reduces the land required to graze a herd of animals. As such, pigs can be raised in relatively small areas, increasing the yield for a given space. When the Chinese first domesticated pigs, it was their general tractability that made the pig a desirable candidate for domestication.”
― Henry Freeman, The History of China in 50 Events

“7600 BCE - Pigs First Domesticated One of the most important milestones that a culture can reach during its early history is the domestication of animals. This process allows a society to move from hunter-gatherer to agrarian, which provides stability for the people. After a civilization has moved to an agrarian lifestyle, they have the opportunity to focus on language development, which is the first step in establishing permanence of culture. In China, the earliest record of domestication points to roughly 7600 BCE as the time when the Chinese first domesticated pigs.”
― Henry Freeman, The History of China in 50 Events

“THE HISTORY OF CHINA IN 50 EVENTS BY
Henry Freeman”
― Henry Freeman, The History of China in 50 Events

“The strength of a nation derives from the integrity of the home.” —Confucius”
― Henry Freeman, The History of China in 50 Events

“If you stand by the pond and want the fish in it, you are better off going home to make a fish net than to continue standing by the pond.” —Dong Zhongshu”
― Henry Freeman, The History of China in 50 Events