ipl-logo

Yang Youwei Analysis

1297 Words6 Pages

• Author Kang Youwei wrote this inscription. He was a Chinese scholar, who was well versed and officially educated in Confucian canonical texts as well as Western history and philosophy. Similar to many other scholars of his time, he was deeply concerned about the fragility and shortcomings of the Qing Empire. From his point of view, this inscription was written in order to develop China.
• Place and Time The exact date when this inscription was written isn’t available, but it was probable to be written a while before January 29, 1898. This inscription was submitted on January 29, 1898 to the Guangxu emperor. The place it was written in can be presumed to be China, as Kang Youwei lived in Guangdong, China. As this inscription was …show more content…

• Prior Knowledge These are the events that were prior and preceding to the time period the inscription was written in. Firstly, there were the opium wars. The opium wars were two wars from 1839 to 1860. These wars were fought be China and Britain as a result of disputes over the British trade of opium. England brought China to their knees as a result of England’s powerful navy fleet and military defenses. These wars left China with the Treaty of Nanking, which the Chinese called, “unequal treaties”. It was also an important factor that led to the Taiping Rebellion. The Taiping Rebellion continued from 1851 to 1864. This rebellion also took the lives of many Chinese. As the rebellion lasted for about 14 years, the Qing dynasty’s power and control in China was very dubious. Eventually a new army organized by the dynasty and aided by other western countries overthrew this rebellion. Western countries aided this as it was essential for them to have trade relations with China and the rebellion threatened this. As a result of these wars, China was left with internal struggles and warfare, increased rate of crime, an economy downfall in Canton (a former major trading city of china). This …show more content…

Kang Youwei specifically addresses the emperor in the inscription by using words such as, “your majesty”. As a result of the chosen audience, reliability of the source may be affected as the author may try to exaggerate and embellish facts in order to convince the emperor to take action. The emperor did receive this inscription with an attitude to implement the government reforms the inscription addresses, as firstly just like many other individuals in China at that period, the emperor was also undoubtedly distressed about the situation in China. Hence, he was seeking for solutions to make the situation at hand better. Secondly, this inscription is not extremely radical, as it does not completely discard Confucian teachings, which may have made the emperor like it better. These reasons may have convinced the emperor to bring a reformation into

Show More
Related

  • The Great Wall Dbq Analysis

    597 Words  | 3 Pages

    As I stated above the Great Wall did not ensure the safety of every person. Therefore, many lives were lost when the Han was at war with the Xiongnu, but if it weren’t for the wall the death rate during this time period would be much higher. The poem in document F states “We sally forth at dawn, but do not return at dusk." "People should be selected to settle along the border areas" (Document B.) These two quotes are saying that the Great Wall cost too many innocent lives by using people as human shields.

    Read More

  • Review Of Honorable Merchants: Commerce And Self-Cultivation In Late Imperial China

    1495 Words  | 6 Pages

    The main sources that the author relies on are the merchant manuals, for they were likeminded and resembled Confucius philosophy. The author uses these manuals, which “were imbued to some extent with the desire to teach Confucian morality,” to support his main argument. The foremost purpose of these merchant manuals in late imperial China was “to help people achieve success and attain wealth through commerce.”

    Read More

  • Qin Shihuangdi's Funeral Complex

    1294 Words  | 6 Pages

    The Archeological findings of Qin Shihuangdi’s Funeral Complex and the Terra Cotta Army In the mountains of Shaanxi, China, farmers came across one of the most significant archeological findings of all time. Hidden under what was thought a mountain, was the discovery of Emperor Qin Shihuangdi’s tomb.

    Read More

  • Heavenly Khan Book Report

    1247 Words  | 5 Pages

    Heavenly Khan Term Paper “With bronze as a mirror one can correct one 's appearance; with history as a mirror, one can understand the rise and fall of a state; with good men as a mirror, one can distinguish right from wrong.” ― Li Shimin, Tang Emperor Taizong

    Read More

  • Dbq Han Dynasty

    1061 Words  | 5 Pages

    It says in TCI that the Han made improvements on the Chinese governments and they softened the harsh rules and brought back Confucianism into that government. It says in the text “The government of China during this time functioned as a bureaucracy. A bureaucracy is a large organization that operates using a fixed set of rules and conditions.” this shows that the government changed because of the Hans and for that better, with a bureaucracy it was strong and effective. During this time it says in the text that “They had many responsibilities, including overseeing the maintenance of roads and canals.”

    Read More

  • Similarities Between Revolutionary And American Revolutionary War

    1291 Words  | 6 Pages

    Politically, although the Americans wanted independence politically, they did not want a country ruled by white men, but a country led by themselves. Therefore, although they advocated the use of violence to liberate the people, they did not advocate the establishment of a bourgeois democratic republic but hoped to realize the freedom, equality, and democracy of the country through the people's democratic dictatorship. The revolution of 1911 was led by the feudal monarchy. Therefore, although the revolution was a success, it was impossible to lead the whole Chinese revolution to victory because of the limitations and reactionary nature of the leading class at that

    Read More

  • Buddhism Dbq Essay

    768 Words  | 4 Pages

    The authors purpose is to show that Confucius is the a real teaching in China while Buddhism was not and just an idea. Finally, many people did not believe that Buddha had any affiliation with China and the dynasties. Buddha did not speak Chinese nor wear Chinese cultural clothes and he came from India which leads many scholars to believe he did not have an effect. For example, “...to say that Buddha is no more than a cult… did not exist here in ancient time.(Document 4)” The point of view of the author is against Buddhism and does not believe that Buddhism had any correlation with China.

    Read More

  • Opium War Dbq

    1290 Words  | 6 Pages

    The legacy of the Opium Wars and the trauma and resentment they caused among the Chinese people played a significant role in this period of Chinese history, shaping the country's national identity and fueling a desire for modernization and independence. The destruction of the Yuanmingyuan was a symbol of British aggression towards China and fueled anti-Western sentiment. Overall, the Opium Wars were a crucial period in Chinese history that highlighted the country's vulnerability to Western power and sparked a renewed sense of national identity and

    Read More

  • Buddhism Dbq Essay

    822 Words  | 4 Pages

    Unlike the next document which was written earlier around 221- 206 B.C.E the author of this piece was captured and held in the capital. He was an Asian monk by the name of Kumarajiva, who wrote about the perks of Buddhism in China. “ If there are persons who accept, uphold, read, and recite the sutra and understand its principles,... they will be received into the hands of a thousand Buddhas, who will free them from all fear and keep them from falling into the evil paths of

    Read More

  • Buddhism Dbq Essay

    1226 Words  | 5 Pages

    So Han Yu's whole point of writing this text was to create a somewhat anti-Buddhist atmosphere in China that would call for the expungement of Buddhism altogether. Along with the Confucian Scholars denouncement and rejection of Buddhism, the Tang emperor Wuzong had a strong aversion to Buddhism being in China (Doc 6). This document, which came directly from Emperor Wuzong himself, shows how Buddhism wasn't wanted. Emperor Wuzong goes on to say that Buddhism wears people's strength and wealth. He also states that it is destroying Chinese law.

    Read More

  • Daodejing Analysis

    501 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Daodejing, similar to the Analects, was written during the Warring State period, a time when the Zhou kingdom disintegrated into a series of feudal states fighting for power—a time of fragmentation and chaos. The Daodejing was written for Daoist, educated men, and people interested in Daoist teachings. The Daodejing was written to inform people, therefore, it was written as if speaking to a student. Laozi, the author of the Daodejing, although has no proof of existence, is believed to be a keeper of archives in the royal court and a teacher who travelled around China. The purpose of the Daodejing is to articulate Laozi’s ideas on Daosim and inform people about his philosophy.

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast The Tang And Song Dynasty

    296 Words  | 2 Pages

    As China grew with population and technologies, so did their government. Their military was weak but they had the idea to make iron and steel weaponry. The increase of weapons allowed the Chinese military to have more power over the people. Yet, the downfall of their era was their tactics in controlling their army and the rebellious citizens. As China’s economy and population grows, so does the growth of politics and Urban life styles.

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Ibn Battuta And Marco Polo

    793 Words  | 4 Pages

    Ibn Battuta and Marco Polo are both known for being the world’s greatest long distance travelers, however, because of their different backgrounds it had influenced the way in which each traveler wrote about their experiences in China. This contrast is dominantly believed to have been influenced by their different religious backgrounds, and how each had viewed the world. This was ultimately is influenced by ones cultural and religious background. In this essay I will examine the different experiences that both Ibn Battuta and Marco Polo had experienced during their visits in China. Ibn Battuta, a well-educated Islamic scholar born and raised by a wealthy family in Tangier, Morocco, he had begun his journey at the age of 21.

    Read More

  • Qin Shi Huang-Di Research Paper

    425 Words  | 2 Pages

    Qin Shi Huang-di is often regarded as a great leader within history. However, he was also paranoid and got rid of anyone who disagreed with him, but without Qin, there might be no China. Furthermore, despite his mixed reputation today, he brought six warring kingdoms together to form the basis of a country that has lasted to this day, an impressive feat that was a huge turning point in Chinese history. Qin’s effect on China and by default, on the other countries of the world was enormous. In fact, his dynasty, the Qin dynasty, even gave China its name (“Shi Huangdi Becomes Emperor”).

    Read More

  • China's Last Empire William Rowe Summary

    1046 Words  | 5 Pages

    By tracing trends across the Qing’s illustrious history, it allows the reader to better grasp the revisionist interpretation that he posits, instead of simplistically allocating the award of most influential factor of leading to China’s modernisation as well as the Qing’s fall to the Western powers. It is notable, however, to observe that, despite his revisionist view, Rowe still titles his book China’s Last Empire. The Great Qing. By using the term ‘last’, Rowe seems to still be close to the implicit narrative of China’s ‘failure’ as seen in other orthodox interpretations such as Frederic Wakeman’s ‘The Fall of Imperial China. Despite this seeming setback however, Rowe’s book is extremely useful in exploring the binary of historiography and history, while elaborating immensely on the Qing’s

    Read More

More about Yang Youwei Analysis

Open Document