Outline of Chinese History

This book is a simplified version of the 12-volume “General History of China” published by the People’s Publishing House. The author is Cai Meibiao, honorary member of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and researcher of the Institute of Modern History. “General History of China” is the most complete and systematic set of Chinese history in the past 100 years. The first four volumes were written by the famous historian Fan Wenlan. After Mr. Fan’s death, Cai Meibiao presided over the compilation. After the publication of this series of books, the central leaders believed that a simplified version should be published for the public on this basis. This work was undertaken by Mr. Cai Meibiao. The book uses 300,000 words to outline the historical context from primitive society to the fall of the Qing Dynasty. It is well detailed and concise in language. It really has the style of a historian. It is a rare high-level historical work for the public.

Appreciation of works

1. General history style, strict format. “Outline of Chinese History” starts from primitive society, especially the 3,000 years of history from 841 BC when there was a clear historical chronology to the fall of the Qing Dynasty. It covers all dynasties, including the Qin, Han, Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties, the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, and the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms. Although the book has only 300,000 words, it contains 5,000 years of Chinese history. Today’s administrative system is generally that there are provinces and autonomous regions under the central government. The book clearly records when China implemented the provincial system and under what historical conditions Xinjiang and Taiwan were established as provinces. History is complicated, but the book analyzes it in detail. It allows readers to see how China’s history has developed step by step to today.
2. The theme is prominent and the main line is clear. China has a history of 5,000 years, and the “Twenty-Five Histories” are full of boxes and boxes. I don’t know where to start. This book focuses on this point, discards minor details, highlights the theme, and is detailed and concise. How China went from slavery to feudalism, when did the emperor’s rule begin, especially the formation of the rise and fall of dynasties, the experience and lessons in governing the country, what is the usurpation of power by relatives, what is the eunuchs’ misleading the country, what is “holding the emperor to command the princes”, when did the nine-rank system and the clan system appear, when did the imperial examination system appear, etc., the book is dedicated to explaining. There have been glorious times in Chinese history, including the Zhenguan rule of the Tang Dynasty, the scientific and technological inventions of the Song Dynasty, the seven voyages to the West during the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty, and the Kangxi and Qianlong prosperity of the Qing Dynasty. At the end of the dynasty, the government was in chaos, social development stagnated, and peasant uprisings broke out. In the late Qing Dynasty, facing the invasion of Western capitalist countries, the country had no response and became a semi-colonial and semi-feudal society. The revolution and struggle of the Chinese people in modern times took place under such historical conditions.
3. Pay attention to the formation process of a multi-ethnic unified country. China is a multi-ethnic unified country with the Han nationality as the main body. How was this multi-ethnic unified country formed? The book has a clear explanation. Taking the formation of various ethnic states in the north during the Wei and Jin Dynasties as an example, the author concluded: “The northern princes each established their own country, and their common characteristics are: the ruling groups have been mostly sinicized or partially sinicized, and the residents ruled in the territory are mainly Han residents. Therefore, they all adopted the ancient Han nationality’s country name as their own country name to show that they have inherited the historical and cultural traditions of the Central Plains. In the process of development of each country, the integration of various ethnic groups has gradually been achieved.” This is a very insightful summary of this period of history, and a practical summary of the formation process of a multi-ethnic unified country dominated by the Han nationality. After reading this book, readers will have a clear understanding of the formation of China’s multi-ethnic unified country, and even the ethnic autonomy policy after the founding of New China.

Fourth, guide readers to understand the origin of today’s historical development and the extremely profound historical accumulation, and accept patriotic education. The book has an appropriate and general description of the geographical environment of each dynasty, the development of productivity of each dynasty, the birth and struggle of great figures, representative figures in thought, culture, academia, literature and art, and exchanges with foreign countries. After reading these, readers will naturally feel awe for history and respect for the ancestors who created historical progress. Today, the whole society is thinking about how to build a harmonious and stable well-off society under the guidance of the scientific outlook on development, paying attention to China’s development path or model, and paying attention to and thinking about the construction of the socialist core value system. This is the need for real development. When thinking about these, readers should also review China’s historical development path and draw useful nutrition from it to enrich real creation.