HIS391 Assignment: Dynasties that Existed in China in Ancient Time

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Chinese Political History
Introduction
In the ancient time, China was one of the richest and the strongest empires that existed in the world. It is for this reason that the rulers of the country found it hard to contact the other rulers since they were the most powerful. However, that did not last long, since the power of the country was diminished by the end of the Napoleonic era. Since then, the Chinese political system has evolved in numerous ways. The way in which China as a country was governed in the 19th century is not the same way in which the country is governed in the 21st century, despite the fact that the political structure of the country remains the same. In my research paper, I have chosen to evaluate the political structure of China in ancient times. I will look at the way in which the political system of the country was organized. I will also seek to see whether the people were satisfied with the political system of that time and what were their views towards their government. Lastly, I will study the present system of government and identify whether it is better than the one which was available in the ancient times and aspects that are common for both governments. By studying the present system of government in China, I will be able to identify major changes that have taken place and the factors that contributed to those changes.
Ancient China
The leadership of ancient China was characterized by dynastic cycles. In the dynastic cycles, a family would rule the country for a long period. It was also characterized by chaos when the person who was ruling died and there would be another family that wants to take over the leadership of the familyCITATION Asi99 \p p.22 \l 1033 (Asian Art Museum p.22). The power to rule was viewed by the people to be determined by the mandate of heaven and dynasties tended to be autocratic, and they ruthlessly enforced their rule and had conscripting massive armies and also labor forces. There are various factors that made the dynasties behave in such a way such as the threat of the barbarian invasion, the existence of potential internal rivals and massive rebellions from the people. Different dynasties existed in China.
Dynasties that Existed in China in Ancient Time
Ancient Chinese Warlord Dynasties
The dynasty was ruled by Warlord kings who ruled different states. They were afraid of being defeated by the neighboring dynasties, and they did their best to make sure that they dominate a large number of states so that the rival states and dynasties cannot defeat themCITATION Ker10 \p p.9 \l 1033 (Kerry and Michael p.9). The rulers of the dynasties believed that their mandate to rule came from heaven and it was given to them by their ancestors. The power to rule was only given to the dynastic rulers who ruled the people with success. The other dynasties who were defeated in wars or affected by natural calamities would have the mandate taken away from them, and it would be given to different people. Due to this strong belief in the ancestral gods, the governments would sacrifice the people at times and perform rituals to honor the ancestral kings so that they would not be defeated in a war which would make them lose their rule.
The Fir...