Fascination of China
Early medieval times (220-581 AD)
The three kingdoms 三国
(220-280 AD)
Effects of geographic conditions
After the fall of the Han dynasty, China was divided into 3 kingdoms: Wei 魏 (north), Shu 蜀 (SW) and Wu 吴 (SO), which also implies 3 emperors. The empires were each confronted with a wide variety of geographical and demographic realities. After all, Wei resulted as the prevailing and most powerful empire.
Jin 晋 dynasty
(265-420 AD)
Weakened China
The first ruler of Jin was Sima Yan 司马炎. From 307 till 312 AD the dynasty was ravaged by natural disasters, famines, and epidemics. Therefore the dynasty was weakened and vulnerable. With the occupation of the capital Luoyang by the Xiongnu 317 AD, the Jin dynasty broke up and the Xiongnu came to power. The foreign rule in the north lasted from 304-439 AD. As a result, the Chinese aristocracy migrated to the southeast (Eastern Jin, 317-420 AD).
Southern and Northern dynasties 南北朝 (420-581 AD)
Chinese south while foreign rule in the north
From then on, "china" only existed in the south with the capital in present-days Nanjing. The northern part of China was under the control of the Northern Wei dynasty (386-534 AD) by the Tuoba. Meanwhile the dynasties Song, Qi, Liang and Chen (420-589) ruled the south. The dynasty in the north was replaced by many other smaller dynasties until the unification of the empire.
In this respect, there was a mixture between the foreign and local population.
Culture and Science of the Early Middle Ages
Buddhism was formative for Chinese culture during that time.
The Buddhism promoted:
- the art: sculpture + architecture
- the knowledge of one's own language (4 tones)
- thinking about being and not being
Wang Xizhi set the standard for calligraphy at this stage in history.
The Sui 隋 dynasty: transition to the late medieval times
The period of the Late Middle Ages (581-960 AD) was initiated by the Sui dynasty. Back then, the empire was united and had overcome the division of China, which represents a characteric of the Early Middle Ages. By refusing to create a entire new political system, the Sui dynasty did not represent a fundamental break with the previous history.
Due to it's policy, which was characterized by expansion policy, the Sui dynasty was confronted with various opponents. The second emperor of the Sui dynasty, Emperor Yang, expanded this policy with military expansions towards the Ryukyu island chain, Sumatra, Champa, Korea (Koguryo) and Cambodia.
Several factors contributed to the fall of the Sui dynasty. In 611 AD, the Yellow River flooded, which was the reason for the following revolts. Numerous unsuccessful campaigns led to rebellion among the nobility, too.
The Chinese aristocrat Li Yuan (566-635 AD) emerged victorious from this dispute. This and the ensuing developments founded the basis for the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD).