Ancient Chinese Contributions - Essay Example

? Ancient Chinese Contributions. Ancient Chinese contributions to the world are numerous, including tea, silk, the umbrella and more. Of these, the noteworthy contributions of the Han, Tang, Ming and Song dynasties are, respectively, the mariner’s compass, gunpowder, porcelain and movable printing type. The most important contribution of the ancient Chinese is the invention of paper, which revolutionized the world. Ancient Chinese contributions continue to influence every aspect of contemporary life. Ancient Chinese Contributions. Ancient Chinese contributions to civilization are numerous and continue to influence contemporary European and Asian culture. These contributions span all aspects of life, ranging from science and technology, to government, philosophy and art. As the various dynasties succeeded each other in Chinese history, each dynasty made its own unique contribution to the collective heritage of the world. A comprehensive list of Chinese contributions is amazing in its variety and its penetration into every aspect of our lives. This list includes silk, tea, porcelain, paper, printing, gunpowder, the mariner’s compass, plants (peach, apricot, citrus fruits, chrysanthemums, camellias and gingko), zinc, lacquer, medicines and leisure activities (playing cards, dominoes, kites and shadow play). The ornamental and exotic fish in aquariums and the folding parasol also originated from ancient China. (Bodde, 1942). This list is by no means exhaustive: some other Chinese contributions are the philosophic doctrines of Confucianism and Taoism, the civil service examination, paper money, matches, the seismograph, stirrups, plowshares and calligraphy. (Caldwell and Fullem, 2006). The Han dynasty (202 B.C. – 220 A.D.) remains one of the most prolific contributors to civilization. The Silk Road, papermaking, iron technology, glazed pottery, the wheelbarrow, the seismograph, the compass, ships’ rudder, horse stirrups, the Chinese examination system, weaving and embroidery are all contributions from this period. (Caldwell and Fullem, 2006). Of these, the mariners’ compass may be considered one of China’s most important contributions to the world. The Chinese discovered the orientating effect of magnetite, or lodestone, and originally used it as a religious device of geomancers to determine the auspicious alignment of buildings. These early compasses were south-pointers: south being the primary direction for the Chinese. A magnetized needle (obtained by rubbing an iron needle with a lodestone), was floated in a bowl of water with directional markings, or suspended from a thread, and incorporated the principle of magnetic deviation. The compass went on to become a navigational device at sea and on land, and made China the greatest sea power in the world. It cannot be denied that the Chinese invention of the compass is one of the most important milestones in the discovery of new trade routes and pioneered world navigation. (Bodde, 1942). The Tang dynasty (618 A.D. – 906 A.D) contributed the culture of tea drinking, scroll painting, gunpowder, civil service examinations, the flame thrower, brandy and whiskey, poetry, music and dance, and the doctrines of Confucianism and Taoism. The Chinese invention of gunpowder began with refinement of sulphur and saltpeter by alchemists. (Caldwell and Fullem, 2006). The initial use of gunpowder in fireworks and religious rituals was followed by its incorporation in warfare in the form of explosives: canons, flamethrowers, bombs and rockets. From simple bamboo tubes filled with gunpowder, the Chinese incorporated rocket fire-arrows in warfare. The Chinese military rockets were large and powerful, and were packed with gunpowder and iron shrapnel. It can also be said that the idea of the internal combustion engine originated in China, as the idea of an explosion in a self-contained cylinder was incorporated in these rockets: the rockets were designed to hold an iron pot which held and directed the thrust of the gunpowder propellant. (NASA, 2000). Gunpowder altered the power equations in the world, and the Chinese rockets pioneered the multi-staged rockets which led to the space exploration of contemporary times. The Ming dynasty, one of the Five Dynasties (907 A.D. – 960 A.D.), is the contributor of white porcelain. Exquisite porcelain, characterized by hardness, smoothness, translucence and non-porousness is appropriately called ‘china.’ This porcelain is made from white clay called kaolin, and a mineral called petuntse. (Bodde, 1942). White porcelain of the Ming period is characterized by its strength, thinness and pure white glaze. This period was the highpoint of porcelain manufacture, incorporating improved techniques such as a finer texture of the paste, accurate firing, various pigments and skilled craftsmanship. Ming porcelain demonstrates a large variety of shapes, glowing colors and a plethora of patterns and designs, including landscapes, portraits, flowers and birds. (Caldwell and Fullem, 2006). Porcelain became one to the most wanted items in the West and made a great contribution to the development of world trade. It continues to be the benchmark of fine dining. The Song, or Sung, dynasty (960 A.D. – 1279 A.D.) made several important contributions: printing, rockets, compass, the mechanical clock, Chinese opera, wine-making and landscape painting. Of these, the invention of movable type printing is undoubtedly one of the most important. Wood block printing was an earlier invention of ancient China. However, this was an expensive and time-consuming process. A Chinese artisan named Bi Sheng carved individual characters on identically-sized blocks of clay. As each carved character block was hardened by fire, it became a movable type piece. These pieces were glued to an iron plate from which they could be easily detached and redistributed as necessary. (Caldwell and Fullem, 2006). Printing now became easy and cost-effective, leading to the rapid spread of books and the development of reading skills. The invention of the movable type is the precursor of printing in the rest of the world which culminated in Gutenberg’s printed Bible. In this list of multiple inventions, the one which stands out in the importance of its contribution to the history of mankind is the Chinese invention of paper. Chinese writing was initially done on narrow, vertical strips of bamboo, or strips of silk. In 105 A.D., Ts’ai Lun, a member of the Imperial Court of the Han dynasty, invented paper made of tree bark, hemp, rags and fishing nets. This paper, relatively easy to make and lightweight, was called the “paper of Maquis Ts’ai.” (Bodde, 1942). By substituting these cheaper materials for the expensive silk and the cumbersome bamboo used earlier, paper was brought within the grasp of the common man. This paper rapidly underwent several transformations over the next centuries in China: “rag paper and hemp paper, paper of various plant fibers and of cellulose, paper sized and loaded to improve its quality for writing, wrapping paper and even paper napkins and toilet paper – all these were soon in general use” (Bodde, 1942). The use of paper money emerged later in China. Chinese paper making passed on to the Arabs, and went on to spread over the rest of the world, displacing papyrus and parchment. It can unequivocally be said that, without the Chinese invention of paper, printing would have remained a laborious, expensive and exclusive process, confined to the rich who could afford the high cost of parchment. Manuscripts would have continued to be copied by hand and printing technology would not have given the world the enlightenment of cheap, mass-produced books. The Chinese invention of paper is the foremost contributor to the intellectualization of civilization. Ancient Chinese contributions to the world are impressive in their range and influence on contemporary life. It is difficult to conceive of a world without tea, or a meritocracy based on standardized examinations. In every aspect of life, particularly in the field of paper and printing, the world at large is deeply indebted to the ancient Chinese for the inventions and contributions that have shaped the modern world. References. Bodde, Derk. (1942). China’s Gifts to the West. China: a Teaching Workbook. Retrieved from http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/song/readings/inventions_gifts.htm Caldwell, Joyce and Fullem, Phyllis. (2006). The Legacy of Ancient China: Inventions, Innovations and Other Contributions. BCPS Research Module. Retrieved from http://www.bcps.org/offices/lis/models/chinahist/html NASA Spacelink System. A Brief History of Rocketry. History of Manned Spaceflight. Kennedy Space Center. Retrieved from http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/history/rocket-history.htm Read More