Chinese History: Key Philosophies, Dynasties and Mongol Conquest Essay

This assignment provides concise answers to four short essay questions about Chinese history. The first question explores the Yin-Yang Jia School, Confucianism, and Daoism, highlighting their origins and key concepts. The second question discusses the Mandate of Heaven, its political significance, and impact on dynastic rule. The third question focuses on the achievements of the Ming Dynasty, including restoration efforts, cultural advancements like the Forbidden City, and the development of medicine. Finally, the fourth question examines the Mongol conquest of China, the circumstances of the Song Dynasty's fall, and the subsequent cultural exchanges that occurred. The answers are supported by references to Felipe Fernández-Armesto's 'The World: a History'.

Student’s Name
Date
Short Essay Questions
Question 1
The first school of thought was the Yin-Yang Jia School which is based on the interaction
between the Yin who is the female and the Yan who is the male principle to cause all universal
phenomena. This school originated from the court officials who practiced occult arts where the
officials were trained to perfect these arts. Then came the Confucianism which started as a set of
political and moral doctrines which mainly focused on preserving Chinese tradition and
civilization (Fernández-Armesto 225). This was different from the first philosophy since it was a
system social, moral, political and religious thought that influence the Chinese culture and even
spreading to other regions of Asia. The major Confucian concepts were ren, zheng ming, zhing,
xiao and li which all defined how the Chinese were supposed to live (Fernández-Armesto 175).
The other school Daoism arose as a reaction to Confucianism which was based on the fact that
humans should always attempt to make the world better through striving for harmony and
minimizing potential harm. This later developed into a religion that was utilized in most parts of
China (Fernández-Armesto 138).
Question 2
The Mandate of Heaven was a political idea that came at a time when China moved away from
the worshiping of Shangdi to the worship of Tian (heaven). This led to the idea that there could
only be one legitimate ruler of China at one time who was regarded as the reigning son of
heaven. This means that the ruler was seen as having the approval of the gods (Fernández-
Armesto 327). In this case, the ruler was supposed to rule according to what the gods wanted and

if the rule was unfair, he could lose this approval. This was seen through natural disasters and
famine as signs from heaven. The difference that the mandate from heaven had is the fact that a
ruler was not supposed to have a noble birth rite but rather through the blessings of the gods.
This rule succeeded since it made the Zhou dynasty to last for 800 years in a rule which was
China make a lot of improvements as compared to the previous rules (Fernández-Armesto 354).
Question 3
The major achievement of the Ming Dynasty was an effort to restore China after the Mongol
invasion. This was seen in the repair and restoration of the Great Wall and the Grand Canal
which led to the manufacture of equipment and machinery (Fernández-Armesto 419). Ming
promoted arts through the building of the Forbidden City in Beijing that was defined as a great
cultural achievement. This is the time when the seven epic voyages of China were built thus
allowing China to explore the world. This Dynasty also led to the development of medicine
through a written book which allowed the people to easily practice (Fernández-Armesto 420).
Question 4
The Mongols conquered China at the time of the Song Dynasty in 1279 through the reign of
Kublai Khan at the Battle of Yamen. This was based on the divisions that had started in China
which made it easy for the Mongols to access Yangzi River that made it easy for them to
penetrate the Song territory (Fernández-Armesto 345). This means that the Mongols had started
taking the Song land slowly before 1279 when they engaged in the last battle where the last
crown prince was thrown into the water by a despairing official. This invasion led to the creation
of a new dynasty where the culture of the Mongols was kept making the Mongols hold the
highest jobs this killed the Chinese culture like the building of fleets which was their best art.

However, the Mongols promoted cultural exchange through the Silk Road which connected
China to the rest of the world.
Works Cited
Fernández-Armesto, Felipe. The World: a History. 2nd ed., vol. 1, Prentice Hall, 2010.