China_Stability

Up until the early years of the 19th century, traditional China enjoyed a high level of stability and strength, enhanced by the country’s world isolation and seclusion. The rigid examination system, which created the bureaucratic Shenshi class, the concept of the ‘Middle Kingdom’ and centralised language system, all upheld and influenced by Confucian philosophy, contributed to China’s strength. Its world isolation, enhanced by the Mandate of Heaven, the concept of the middle kingdom and the ethnocentric view of the Chinese people, allowed China to attain a stable and segregate society up until the early years of the 19th century. Confucianism, at the heart of traditional Chinese society and culture, heavily contributed to the strengthening and isolation of the empire. Confucianism established a hierarchy where all duty is clear and mutual, thereby, in theory, creating a harmonious and ordered society. Confucianism, based on the five virtues of integrity, loyalty, righteousness, humanity and altruism, dictated where the superiority resided in relationships and promoted duty to the authority. The Confucian principals established a set code of guidelines and rules which one must follow. The people had a duty to behave morally correctly and the breaking of these codes of behaviour became almost unthinkable. The code applied to all in the empire including the emperor, officials and advisers. Confucian philosophy was so ingrained in the culture of traditional China, that it influenced the political structure which strengthened and stabilised China and maintained the peace. This was due to the belief in The Mandate of Heaven, and the dynastic cycle, emphasised by the early Qing emperor, Kangxi, which allowed citizens to rebel if the current emperor or dynasty failed to rule benevolently, in harmony with nature and uphold Confucian principals. Failure was characterised by natural disasters, famine, or corruption within the court. The Mandate of Heaven and the permission to rebel and overthrow a corrupt or failed dynasty created and maintained China’s strength and stability, up until the early years of the 19th century, as it allowed order and harmony to be restored within society. The rigorous examination system, as well as the bureaucracy that emerged from it was a key factor that contributed to China’s strength and world isolation up until the early years of the 19th century. Established in the 2nd century, under the Han dynasty, the examination system was a method for selecting the most intelligent candidates for government service, who held a deep understanding of Confucian ideology and principals. Exams were divided into three levels; district, provincial and national. If a candidate passed all three levels, in which they had to compose rhymes, analyse proverbs and write an ‘eight legged’ essay, they were known as the Shenshi. Shenshi were part of the gentry and played a vital role in stabilising and strengthening the empire. Cheng Chung-Li describes the Shenshi class as being, “vital to persuading people to follow officials.” Bureaucrats acted as a link between local magistrates and the people, were involved in charity, settled disputes outside the court system and financed construction and public works. The fact that the Shenshi class did not criticise the dynastic regime, but promoted support for the Emperor, which in turn aided in quelling opposition allowed for some unity and strengthened Chinese society. The examination system and the Shenshi class emerging from it promoted a common intellectual culture and thought system, which in turn strengthened and stabilised traditional China. The fact that the examination system was so inflexible meant that the country failed to modernise along with the rest of the world, further isolating China from the rest of the world. The egocentric nature of the traditional Chinese people, and well as the insular thinking that they possessed, heavily contributed to China’s strength and world isolation up until the early years of the 19th century. The concept of the ‘Middle Kingdom’ allowed China to be isolated from the rest of the world for such a long period of time. China disregarded the rest of the world, and saw it as being completely inferior. In 1793, when British ambassador, Lord McCartney visited the Emperor Qianlong, he wished for the opening of new ports and additional opportunities for trade with China, to obtain tea, porcelain and silk, which was growing popular in the Western world. The British requests were refused, the Chinese considering them barbarians and China did not need to rely on other countries. China was fairly self-sufficient, due to its large variety of landforms and climates, enabling the empire to produce large amounts of food and resources. Due to this China was not in need of trade or reliance on any other, ‘inferior’ country, further increasing its isolation. The concept that increased the Chinese egocentric thinking was that of ‘Siniziation’. The fact that invaders did not impose their culture on the Chinese, but instead absorbed the Chinese way of life and culture, proved to the country that they were superior to invaders, increasing the isolation, but also the strength of traditional China. The standardised, nationwide Chinese language and currency, introduced by emperor Shin Huan Ti in the Chi ‘in dynasty was a major factor in the unifying and strengthening of China, but also contributed to its isolation from the rest of the world. The written language effectively unified the Chinese population despite the vast range of cultures and dialects throughout China. It connected the population and remained unchanged for nearly 2000 years, which allowed cultural change in China, but the population remained unified. The leaders at the time were able to effectively communicate messages to the population as a result of the standardised language system, increasing unity within china. The language further increased world isolation, as foreigners seeing it as alien and extremely difficult to learn, removing China from the rest of the world. Traditional China, a country of great strength and world isolation, up until the early years of the 19th century was enhanced by these factors, however towards the end of the 18th century, and the early 19th century, as China remained stable and resisted modernisation, the increasing influence of the Western world undermined the isolation China previously possessed, exposing China to the rest of the world.