Chapter 2
Chapter 2 of 1001 Questions and Answers on General History. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Yu Qing in Singapore. 1001 Questions and Answers on General History by Benjamin Hathaway. China.
1. Where is the Chinese Empire and what does it embrace? In the central part of Asia and it embraces China, proper or the Middle Kingdom and its chief dependencies of Mongolia, Manchuria, Tibet, Sungaria and East Turkestan. 2. What is the area of the Empire? ¼ of Asia or a little more than 1 thirteenth of the land area of the globe.
3. What is the relation of the population of the Chinese Empire to its commerce? Although the Empire is as large as the United States and Mexico and has nearly six times their population, its commerce does not equal that of Switzerland. 4. What is meant by China proper? The fertile valley strained by the Huanghe and Yangzijiang rivers.
5. What other name has the Huanghe River? Yellow River on account of its colour. 6. What is their peculiar about this river? Frequent floods often cause a change in the channel and sometimes divide it into two streams. 7. On account of the destruction by its floods, what is it sometimes called?
The sorrow of China. 8. What is the population of China? Nearly 400 million. 9. What follows from such an immense population? The field of labour at home is so overcrowded that great numbers emigrate to every country that will receive them.
10. What countries have refused to receive them? The United States and the Australian provinces. 11. What is said of the poverty of the people? The masses of the population are poor with a poverty of which we have very little conception. 12. Where is the plateau of Tibet?
In the central part of China. 13. What may be said of its height? It is the highest land in the world inhabited by man. 14. What is peculiar about the inhabitants? It is the only country in the world where polyandry is legalised.
15. What is meant by polyandry? A plurality of husbands. 16. What is the origin of the Chinese? The records claim to read far back of all known chronology and are largely mythical. 17. What part seems to be true?
The ancestors of the Chinese were wandering shepherds who gradually moved eastward from some point in Central Asia. 18. What is supposed to be the date of the foundation of the empire? About 2800 BC. 19. Who was the great social teacher of the Chinese? Fu Xi, who established the law of marriage and introduced the written characters.
He is said to have reigned 115 years and his tomb is shown at this day. 20. What invention was made during his successor's rule? The plough. 21. Under whose reign was the Chinese territory greatly extended? Under Tao, who began his reign about 2356 BC.
22. What improvements were made during Tao's reign? Fairs were established and flooded lands drained. 23. What may be said of the successors of Tao? They were cruel, vicious and degenerate. 24. What effect did their reign have on China?
The country degenerated and civilization gave way to nomadic life. 25. How long did this continue? Till about 1100 BC. 26. What was the next dynasty? The Zhou dynasty.
27. How long did the Zhou dynasty last? From 1100 BC to 256 BC. 28. What did one of the early rulers of the Zhou dynasty do? He divided the kingdom into a number of independent states that he might bestow principalities on his own relations. 29. Who finally gained the ascendancy?
The kings of Qin and at last one of them reduced the other states to subjection and assumed the title of Huang, emperor. 30. What gave the country its name? The Qin dynasty. Qin or China. 31. How was the country disturbed in early times? By incursions of Tatas.
32. Who expelled them from China? The first emperor, Shi Huangdi, the national hero. 33. What great work did the Shi Huangdi accomplish? He began the Great Wall of China along the northern frontier as a protection against the hordes of barbarians. 34. Give short description of the war.
The average is 25 feet high and 20 feet thick with brick towers at regular intervals, is doubled at important passes and is still in well preserved condition. It extends over mountains and valleys 1200 miles and more. Earth enclosed in brickwork forms the mass of the war but for more than half its length it is little else than a heap of gravel and rubbish. 35. What order was issued by the Shi Huangdi? That all books and literature be burned.
36. Why did he require this? The people's admiration of the heroes of the earlier times was disastrous to the government and it seems necessary to him that the past history of the empire should be destroyed. 37. How many dynasties of kings have ruled China? Over 20. 38. Who were the constant terror of the Chinese?
The Mongolians or Tatas. 39. When did they get a foothold in the empire? In 386 AD when they established an independent kingdom in the northern part of the empire. 40. From this time on what may be said of the empire? It was a constant struggle between the Tatas and the Chinese.
41. What was the final result of these conflicts? The conquest of the empire by the Tatas and the establishment of a Mongolian dynasty. 42. When was the first Mongolian dynasty? In the 13th century when the great Asiatic conqueror Kublai Khan invaded the empire. 43. How long did it last?
100 years. 44. What event took place during his reign? The first European visited China. 45. Who was the European who first went to China? Marco Polo in 1290 AD.
He remained there 17 years and brought home a glowing description of the Eastern Monarchs court. 46. What occurred in the 17th century? The Tatas again obtained the throne. 47. What did they found? The dynasty which still governs the empire, the Daxing dynasty.
48. What was the Opium War? 1840. The trading opium between China and Great Britain was not legalised and the Chinese commissioner attempted to suppress it. This brought on unfriendly relations and war was declared between the two countries. The Chinese were thoroughly humbled by the result and sued for peace.
A treaty was effected and by one of its provisions Hong Kong was ceded to the Queen. 49. With whom did China carry on war between 1856 and 1860? England and France. 50. What was the cause of the war? The impossibility of effecting satisfactory relations with the Chinese government because all foreigners were treated as inferior.
The emperor and his officials claiming for China the sovereignty of the world. 51. What was the result? The allied powers made their own terms and England established her right to have an envoy in Peking whether the Chinese liked it or not. 52. How did the British punish the Chinese for perfidy? They destroyed the summer palace.
It covered an area of many miles and was filled with all the curiosities and treasures Chinese wealth and taste could bring together. 53. What rebellion was inaugurated in 1850? The Taiping Rebellion. 54. What did the instigator pretend? Calling himself the Heavenly Prince he pretended that he had a mission to overturn the ruling dynasty and set up a purely native one to bestarled the Taiping or Great Peace dynasty.
55. How did the Taipings show their disloyalty to the government? By discarding the queue and they were on that account called Long-haired Rebels. 56. When was the incursion suppressed? In 1864 with the aid of the ever victorious army under Colonel Gordon who from that time became known as Chinese Gordon. 57. Who is the present emperor of China?
Guangxu born in 1871. 58. What is the sign of loyalty to the government? The wearing of the queue. 59. Are the Chinese a wandering race? They are not but are home loving and when they emigrate it is with the expectation of returning to their flowery land.
60. Why has China influenced history so little? Because the Chinese have kept themselves isolated from other nations. 61. What is the cause of this? Law and tradition. 62. How is the life of the Chinese regulated?
The dress, the plan of the house, the mode of bowing, the minutest detail of life are regulated by 3000 ceremonial laws of immemorial usage. 63. What is the chief occupation of the Chinese? Agriculture. 64. How is their respect for agriculture shown? Once a year the emperor exhibits himself in public holding a plough with which he raises a furrow.
65. What is said of their agricultural system? It is frued but effective and every inch of arable land is carefully cultivated. 66. What do the Chinese call their country? The flowery land or the flowery kingdom. 67. Name some articles that originated among the Chinese.
Tea, silk, paper, printing, monastic needle and gunpowder. 68. How early was astronomy cultivated by them? As early as 2300 BC. A Chinese chart of the stars represents the heavens as seen at that time. 69. What is the comparative age of the Chinese language?
Is the oldest spoken language now existing upon the earth? 70. Why is it called a monosyllabic language? Because it has no alphabet and each character represents in itself a complete idea. 71. Why is it a difficult language to learn? It is composed of an enormous list of characters and each one must be learned by itself.
72. What is said of the literature of the Chinese? It is very extensive. 73. What books are chiefly used in the schools? The writings of Confucius. They are the model and type of all Chinese literary work. 74. How is education regarded?
The public sentiment in favour of it is universal and it is a reproach to any parents, however poor, if they neglect to send their sons to school. 75. On what are appointments to the civil service based? On examinations that include the preparation of essays and poems and the writing of classical selections. 76. What is the character of the government? It is a patriarchal despotism of which the family is the type.
The emperor is the father of the nation and his power is no more despotic than that with which the head of every family is clothed. 77. What is the theory of parental authority in China? The parent is the absolute master of his son, entitled to his service and obedience so long as the parent lives. 78. What is the most essential duty? The leal of piety.
79. How is the emperor resisted in administering the government? He delegates his parental authority to officers of various ranks and degrees and each of them becomes by this act the father of those under his jurisdiction. 80. How must they administer justice? So that no complaints are lodged against them at Peking. 81. What is the important element in the conservation of this system?
The officers of state are chosen from among the people themselves, no class being entitled to special privileges from the emperor. 82. What are some of the rewards given for ability in public service? 83. Who was the great philosopher of China? 84. Give a short biography of Confucius. Born June 19, 551 BC. Lost his father when three years of age. Was educated by his mother. Set himself up as a teacher at the age of 30.
Was a great teacher of religious truth and holds a similar relation to China that Moses does to the western civilization. Died 479 BC. American Cyclopedia. 85. How is he regarded by the people? His memory is venerated and his word is law. He is the great arbitrator, authority and peacemaker of the empire. 86. What worship is universal in China?
The worship of ancestors. It is as soared as the race. 87. What is the one original religion of China? Confucianism. 88. What other two religions supplement it? Taoism and Buddhism. 89. What is Confucianism?
The practical government of man through a code of morals having reference solely to his present state. 90. What is Taoism? A religion of the supreme reason alone. 91. Who taught it? Laozi, a celebrated philosopher who lived during the time of Confucius.
92. When was Buddhism introduced into China? During the first century. It spread rapidly and today has more adherents than the other religions. 93. Who performs the religious ceremonies? The emperor is the sole high priest and is the only one who, assisted by his ministers, can perform the great religious ceremonies, one of which is the sacrifice to heaven every year right at the time of the winter solstice.
94. What was China called by a medieval Europe? Cathay. End of chapter 2
