Classical China and the World
Qin: dynasty (221-207 B.C.E.) founded at the end of the Warring States period
Shi Huangdi: first emperor of China; founder of Qin dynasty.
Warring States period: time of warfare between regional lords following the decline of the Zhou dynasty in the 8th century B.C.E.
Confucius: major Chinese philosopher born in 6th century B.C.E.; sayings collected in Analects; philosophy based on the need for restoration of social order through the role of superior men.
Mencius, a major follower of Confucius; stressed that humans were essentially good and that governments required the consent of their subjects.
Sunzi: follower of Confucius; stressed that humans were inherently lazy and evil and required an authoritarian government.
Laozi: Chinese Daoist philosopher; taught that governments were of secondary importance and recommended retreat from society into nature.
Daoism: philosophy associated with Laozi; individual should seek alignment with Dao or
cosmic force.
Legalists: Chinese school of political philosophy; stressed the need for the absolute power of the emperor enforced through strict application of laws.
Great Wall: Chinese defensive fortification built to keep out northern nomadic invaders; began during the reign of Shi Huangdi.
Sunzi: author of The Art of War; argued that war was an extension of statecraft and should be fought according to scientific principles.
Liu Bang: founder of the Han dynasty in 202 B.C.E.
Han: dynasty succeeding the Qin ruled from 202 B.C.E. to 220 C.E.The marriage of the local landholding aristocracy and the office-holding shi produced the Chinese class known as scholar-gentry.
Secret societies: Chinese peasant organizations; provided members financial support during hard times and physical protection during disputes with local aristocracy.
Forbidden city: imperial precinct within Chinese capital cities; only imperial family, advisors, and household were permitted to enter.
Wang Mang: member of a powerful family related to the Han emperors through marriage; temporarily overthrew the Han between 9 and 23 C.E.
Eunuchs: castrated males used within households of Chinese emperors, usually to guard his concubines; became a political counterbalance to powerful marital relatives during later Han rule.
By swanthan1@gmail.com
Dr. S. Swaminathan is right now working as an Associate Professor in the Department of History at Thiruvalluvar Government Arts College, Rasipuram, Namakkal District. In advance, he has joined the Department of History at Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, for his postgraduate degree in history. Subsequently, he joined a full-time Ph.D. research program under the supervision and guidance of Professor N. Rajendran, Dean of Arts and Head, Department of History, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, in 1999. His research topic is “Science in Colonial Tamil Nadu, A.D. 1900–A.D. 1947”. He has applied for and obtained the Indian Council of Historical Research-New Delhi Junior Research Fellowship, and as such, he has been an I.C.H.R. junior research fellow. He was awarded his Ph.D. thesis in 2007. He has exhibited research acumen and administrative skills during the period of his research. He has published many articles during his period of research. He got his current position from the Tamil Nadu Government Directorate of Collegiate Education, Chennai, through the selection of the Tamil Nadu Teachers Recruitment Board, Chennai, in 2008. He has organized a Tamil Nadu State Council for Higher Education-sponsored two-day state-level seminar on “Social Changes in Tamil Nadu Past and Present” held from April 5 and 6, 2010, and a two-day ICHR-sponsored national seminar on “History of Science and Technology in Tamil Nadu: Colonial Initiatives and Indian Response” held from August 26 and 27, 2010, in the auspicious Department of History, Thiruvalluvar Government Arts College, Rasipuram (637 401).