- 25 Jan 2005 20:55
#558632
I saw a program on the History Channel last weekend about China that really made an impression on me.
They submitted that China was the first country to develop a capitalist system, and that they did so over 1,000 years ago. This was one of the better programs I have seen on the HC, and they put fourth good facts, discussion and ideas.
It completely changed my view of history, and now the question is, is China on the verge of rewriting all known human history in a profound way?
It seems that the Chinese developed an industrialized economy based on the large scale production of iron and steel long before Europe was even close. During this time a "modern" society developed in China, with news papers, large markets, advanced culture, wage-labor, and technological advance.
However, democracy never really flourished, and this apparetly led to a delcine in Chinese society as the elite members of Chinese society became fixed on traditional ways.
China was still apparently the economic superior to Europe even in the 16 and 1700s.
However, the advantage gained by Europe via imperialism and the gold from America helped to elevate Europe and the Opium trade between Britain and China helped to bring down the advanced Chiense society in the last 1700s and early 1800s.
China faced a major collapse of civilization during the 1800s, perhaps the collapse of the most advanced cilivization in the history of the planet up to that time, and even that makes the "fall" of Rome pale in comparison.
Due to the closed Chinese culture though this was never fully understood.
Now, after 200 years, China is rediscovering its past through archeology, rewriting history and trying to regain what it sees as its historical role as the economic and technolgical leader of the world.
So, is this just Chinese propaganda, or real history here? I watched the documentary and it looked like real history to me.
Found this: http://www.cyberessays.com/History/90.htm
They submitted that China was the first country to develop a capitalist system, and that they did so over 1,000 years ago. This was one of the better programs I have seen on the HC, and they put fourth good facts, discussion and ideas.
It completely changed my view of history, and now the question is, is China on the verge of rewriting all known human history in a profound way?
It seems that the Chinese developed an industrialized economy based on the large scale production of iron and steel long before Europe was even close. During this time a "modern" society developed in China, with news papers, large markets, advanced culture, wage-labor, and technological advance.
However, democracy never really flourished, and this apparetly led to a delcine in Chinese society as the elite members of Chinese society became fixed on traditional ways.
China was still apparently the economic superior to Europe even in the 16 and 1700s.
However, the advantage gained by Europe via imperialism and the gold from America helped to elevate Europe and the Opium trade between Britain and China helped to bring down the advanced Chiense society in the last 1700s and early 1800s.
China faced a major collapse of civilization during the 1800s, perhaps the collapse of the most advanced cilivization in the history of the planet up to that time, and even that makes the "fall" of Rome pale in comparison.
Due to the closed Chinese culture though this was never fully understood.
Now, after 200 years, China is rediscovering its past through archeology, rewriting history and trying to regain what it sees as its historical role as the economic and technolgical leader of the world.
So, is this just Chinese propaganda, or real history here? I watched the documentary and it looked like real history to me.
Found this: http://www.cyberessays.com/History/90.htm
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