Ancient Chinese Technology

1
Ancient Chinese Technology
2
Overcoming Obstacles

• The Chinese were able to make great advances in
  science and technology even during periods of war
  and unrest
• Chinas history is a chronicle of struggle for
  power among different groups
• The people of China had to cope with long periods
  of foreign occupation

3
How culture affects science

• Positive
• Chinese culture places a strong emphasis on
  learning
• Chinese from each different era shared a common
  written language
• Chinese culture placed a premium on ingenuity
• Negative
• China is very closed to foreign Ideas
• Chinese emperors greeted ambassadors with
  complacence

4
Dynasties

• Chinese history is organized into dynasties, or
  periods of time that a certain family or group
  was in power.
• The earliest dynasty is rumored to have formed
  around 2000 BC
• The earliest dynasty that has been proven to
  exist formed in 1523 BC

5
Chinese Dynasties

• Shang
• Western Chou
• Eastern Chou
• Chin
• Han
• Six Dynasties
• Sui

6
Chinese Dynasties

• Tang
• Five Dynasties
• Northern Sung
• Southern Sung
• Yuan
• Ming
• Ching
• Peoples Republic of China

7
Before Civilization
8
Before Civilization

• Around 2000 BC Chinese began to gather in large
  towns
• In these towns they learned
• To cultivate rice and wheat
• Techniques of carpentry
• Methods to create fine pottery
• They also began recording their ideas onto strips
  of bamboo

9
Before Civilization

• Chinese civilization began its first development
  along the Huang Ho(Yellow river)
• Due to flooding the people began to work together
  toward a common goal, to produce enough food
• Villagers would construct dikes and levees to
  control the river and canals to direct the water

10
Before Civilization

• Floods would destroy the barriers that the
  villagers created about every 5 years
• After their destruction the barriers would be
  replaced with even stronger ones
• This cooperative environment allowed for a new
  exchange of ideas and consequently tools and
  weapons of bronze were created along with silk,
  picture writing, carts and war charriots

11
Shang
12
Shang

• Governed 20 of modern day China
• Created ornately decorated vases and pots
• Some of the oldest writing was found from this
  period
• Unfortunately the Shang became too comfortable
  and lost their skills of warfare and were soon
  overthrown

13
Western Chou
14
Western Chou

• Organized China into a number of states each
  ruled by a duke
• Used iron tools
• Vastly increased wheat production

15
Eastern Chou
16
Eastern Chou

• Saw a dramatic population increase
• Towns grew into cities
• Merchants began to flourish
• Adopted iron swords in the state of Chin around
  500 BC

17
Chin
18
Chin

• The iron sword allowed the state of Chin to
  overthrow the Chou and form a new dynasty
• Ruled by king Cheng who
• Standardized monies, weights, measures, and axel
  widths to aid merchantry
• Built the Great Wall
• The second ruler of the Chin Dynasty was spoiled
  and lazy, after rebellions he commited suicide
• The third ruler was eventually overthrown by a
  peasant named Lui Pang giving way to the Han
  Dynasty

19
Han
20
Han

• The Han Dynasty was an era of political and
  scientific greatness
• Trade was encouraged with the west
• Silk, spices, fur, and porcelain were exported
• Wool, linen, glass, precious stones, gold, jade,
  fine horses, craftsmen, grapes, and raisins were
  all imported
• Technology also saw great advances
• A device to measure distant earthquakes was
  developed
• Sunspots were studied and eclipse were accurately
  predicted
• A great deal was learned about chemistry

21
Six Dynasties
22
Six Dynasties

• After the collapse of the Han Dynasty the nation
  became split between competing warlords
• A new dynasty called the Chin had gained power
  for a short time, but was defeated soon after
• After defeat the Chin Dynasty reformed in the
  southeast where they survived until around 419 AD

23
Sui
24
Sui

• After the period of constant struggle the Sui
  Dynasty recontrolled a large empire that lasted 2
  generations
• The Sui built the Grand Canal of China linking
  two of Chinas most important cities
• The second emporer to take power was too
  tyrannical and was eventually slain putting an
  end to the great dynasty

25
Tang
26
Tang

• The first dynasty to surpass the splendor of the
  Han
• Ruled by Li Yuan around 618 AD, but really saw
  success under the rule of Ming Huang from 712-756
  AD
• During this dynasty Chang-an became one of the
  key cities of the world and China was fully
  exposed to the west

27
Tang Acheivements

• The Chinese developed printing during this time
  period, hundred of years before Europeans
• They also created gunpowder for novelty
• Short hand was invented to aid in note taking
• They began to use something similar to
  fingerprinting for contracts

28
Five Dynasties
29
Five Dynasties

• During this time period China once again saw
  power constantly changing hands
• The weaker groups were forced to pay large sums
  of money for peace

30
Northern Sung
31
Northern Sung

• The Sung, who controlled a small area in the
  south, were defeated by the Jurchen
• The Jurchen required that the Sung pay a hefty
  price for peace
• This eventually became too much for the Sung to
  handle

32
Southern Sung
33
Southern Sung

• Was formed in a very small area by the Sung
  emperors brother
• The Southern Sung, as they came to be called,
  signed a treaty with the Jurchen around 1141 and
  flourished
• The Southern Sung then developed the first
  chinese navy
• During this period northern China was conquered
  by the Mongols, led by Genghis Kahn

34
Yuan
35
Yuan

• After the rule of Genghis Kahn he was succeeded
  by Ogodai and then Kublai
• Kublai Kahn eliminated the Southern Sung and
  controlled the largest area to date
• Kublai named his new territory the Yuan, which
  means The First Beginning

36
Yuan

• With almost all of asia under one ruler Europeans
  could enjoy safe travel and began to visit China
• Among these guests were the Polo family, their
  son Marco became a roving ambassador
• This was another period of strong social
  development for China

37
Mongol Rule
38
Ming
39
Ming

• Led by Chu Yuan-chang the Ming were able to
  overthrow the Mongols by 1371
• The Ming, unlike their predecessors were very
  conservative and cautious rulers
• A fear for the influence of the western world was
  redeveloped and trade was eventually cut off
• The Great Wall was rebuilt and strengthened
• China ceased to innovate and gave up its position
  as a world leader

40
Ming Foreign Technology

• Despite the fear of outsiders when in fear of a
  Mongol attack the Ming commisioned the Portuguese
  to design 20 ft. long bronze canons
• Originally called Ta Chiang Chun meaning great
  generals
• Later renamed Fo Lang ChI or foreign weapons

41
Ching
42
Ching

• The Ming were eventually defeated by the Manchu
  who came from the forest covered northwest
• The Manchu built a capital just north of the
  Great Wall and formed the Ching or Pure
  Dynasty
• The Ching Dynasty was a period of extremely low
  progress
• Under the third emperor book burnings became a
  common occurance
• An open disrespect for European ways was shown

43
Peoples Republic of China
44
Peoples Republic of China

• Eventually the Manchu rule weakened and China was
  carved up by merchants
• Decades of civil war followed
• In 1949 a communist dictatorship seized power
  forming the Peoples Republic of China

45
Chinese Invention
46
South Pointing Chariot

• A two wheeled that carried a figure that always
  pointed South
• Fabled to have been devised in 2800 BC and used
  by an army to cross a smoke screen
• Was recreated many times in Chinas history
• Eventually replaced by another Chinese invention,
  the magnetic compass

47
South Pointing Chariot

• Said to have been used to help Vietnamese
  ambassadors get home
• The South pointing chariot was reinvented twice,
  but neither was preserved due to turmoil
• Once by Chang Heng between 78-139 AD
• Again by Ma Chun before 300 AD
• In 477 a man from Fanyang built a South Pointing
  Chariot that would automatically correct itself
  using pulleys and gears
• This concept of a self correcting machine would
  later be seem in technology ranging from
  thermostats to missile guidance

48
Magnetic Compass

• As with many Chinese inventions the magnetic
  compass was originally used as a novelty
• The Chinese discovered that rubbing loadstone on
  an iron needle gave the needle magnetic
  properties
• The magnetic compass was mentioned in a book as
  early as 300 BC and was said to aid in finding
  direction on land
• In 1088 a Sung philosopher by the name of Shen
  Kwa noted that the magnetic compass always
  pointed slighty east
• This show the level of attention Chinese
  scientist paid to even the smallest details

49
Magnetic Compass

• The magnetic compass was originally a loadstone
  spoon but gradually became turtles and then fish
• Around the time of Christ the compass underwent a
  vast transformation and became a needle supported
  by a single cocoon fiber of new silk and attached
  with a piece of wax
• The magnetic compass was used extensively by
  practitioners of Feng-shui to map the veins of
  the earth

50
Magnetic Compass

• Although the Chinese had limited interest in
  seafaring the first noted maritime use of the
  magnetic compass comes from 1115 AD in a book by
  Chu Yu
• The compass made its way west one of two ways
• By sea Persians, Arabs, or Indians
• By land Mongolians
• Europeans improved on the idea by adding a ring
  with intermediate directions
• The compass enabled sailors to travel away from
  shore in any conditions opening up the world for
  exploration

51
Wheelbarrow

• Carvings from as far back as 118 AD show Chinese
  Wheelbarrows
• But the wheelbarrow is considered to be the work
  of General Chuko Liang in 231 AD
• Used to supply an army
• The wheelbarrow did not appear in Europe until
  the 12th or 13th century

52
Wheelbarrow

• Chinese designed placed the wheel in the center
  so the laborer bears no burden
• Europeans may have copied the wheelbarrow from
  description and placed the wheel on the end
• Unlike Europeans the Chinese did not think that a
  2 person cart was inefficient
• When Europeans visited China they were surprised
  by the design of the Chinese wheelbarrow

53
Wheelbarrow

• Chinese also used animal and sail driven
  wheelbarrows
• The sail powered wheelbarrow or land yacht had
  rigging like a ship and was capable of speeds in
  excess of 30 mile per hour.
• The sheer speed of these vehicles in a time when
  the next fastest mode of transportation was a
  horse impress the Europeans
• Europeans built replicas of these machines, but
  never had the success of the Chinese, this
  garnered a newfound respect from the westerners

54
Contribution to Astronomy

• Astronomy was so prevalent by the 13th century
  that Marco Polo observed over 5000 astrologers in
  Peking at the time
• The ancient astronomers had no telescopes, but
  instead relied on sighting tubes to aid in the
  mapping of stars
• The Chinese star charts were not only more
  complete, but predate the Greeks charts by 100
  years
• By AD 310 the Chinese had mapped 1,565 stars and
  283 constellations

55
Contribution to Flight

• Early Builders of the Kite
• A book from 255 BC speaks of a kite that took 3
  years to construct
• First Kites were covered in silk
• Kites were used in the 6th century as a distress
  signal
• Pictures of kite flying as a pastime appear in
  the walls of caves
• Chinese experimented with a second string and a
  shape resembling a sail

56
Contribution to Flight

• Kites were used extensively in warfare
• A story exists of a Han Dynasty general who used
  a kite to fly over the walls of a fortress to
  measure their thickness
• Kites were used to spread propaganda in the war
  between the Jurchen and the Mongols
• Marco Polo spoke of a kite with a wicker frame
  designed to carry a man

57
Contributions to Flight

• The propeller is first described around 320 AD in
  a book by Ko Hung
• He states Some have made flying cars with wood
  from the inner part of the jujube tree, using ox
  leather straps fastened to revolving blades so as
  to set the machine in motion
• The chinese created a childrens toy called a
  bamboo dragonfly which was a precursor to the
  helicopter

58
Contributions to Flight

• Chang Heng, builder of the South Pointing
  Chariot, built a wooden bird with wings and a
  drive mechanism in its belly that allowed it to
  fly nearly a mile
• Chang declared in 126 AD that linked wheels may
  be made to turn of themselves, so that even an
  object of carved wood may be made to fly all
  alone in the air

59
Explosives

• Fireworks had definitely been invented by the
  time of Christ if not earlier
• Originally charcoal and sulfur was placed into
  paper tubes, but the Chinese observed that the
  addition of salt caused a much brighter explosion
• Saltpeter proved to be the best form
• The best proportion seemed to be 4 parts
  saltpeter 1 charcoal 1 sulfur
• And gunpowder was born

60
Explosives

• Gun powder first appeared in combat as a hand
  grenade around 1000 AD
• The Sung used fire stones that were catapulted
  200 paces against the Jurchen barbarians
• The Heaven-quaking Thunderer was used in 1232
  and was described as an iron vessel filled with
  fire-drug

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Works Cited

• Silverberg, Robert. Wonders of Ancient Chinese
  Science. Hawthorn Books, Inc. New York, NY 1969.
• Tsien, Tsuen-Hsuin. Written on Bamboo and Silk.
  University of Chicago Press. Chicago, IL 1962.
• Ying-Hsing, Sung. Chinese Technology in the
  Seventeenth Century. Pennsylvania State
  University Press. University Park, PA 1966.
• Ancient Dynasties. ry/ancient2.html Feb 02, 2004.
• Chinapage.com. lFeb 12, 2004.
• Chinese Dynasties. kers/dynasty.html March 03, 2004.
• Maps. aps/Feb 12, 2004.