China has a history of thousands of years, and many of the recorded historical events are often very complex, involving many people, places, events, and other factors. In addition, many authors use language that is too complex, which makes readers feel obscure and lose interest in learning history.
Today we are going to introduce a book on history - "Minimalist General History of China". This book is reprinted on the basis of "The History of the National State in the Textbook of Fuxing Senior High School", and is the first general history of China told in the vernacular in the history of our country.
Mr. Lu Simian, a historian, used his grand historical perspective and concise and fluent writing to narrate China's history, institutional evolution, and cultural development from ancient times to the 30s of the 20th century.
Many people may be unfamiliar with Lu Simian, who is known as the four modern scholars along with Chen Yuan, Chen Yinke, and Qian Mu. Qian Mu, Zhao Yuanren and others were all his students, and his book and Qian Mu's "Outline of National History" are called "Historiography Double Wall". The book has been reprinted more than 200 times over the course of 80 years. It is characterized by more vernacular, fewer citations, and fewer annotations.
The book is divided into Introduction, Ancient History, Medieval History, Modern History, Modern History, and Conclusion in chronological order of historical development. Judging from the table of contents, these six articles mainly run through various historical periods with historical events.
From the political iteration of the Xia Shang and Zhou dynasties to the princes' struggle for hegemony during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. The ceremonial system of the Zhou Dynasty was known as the "Zhou Li", and compared with other dynasties, the number of rituals was more comprehensive and detailed, and was regarded as one of the important means of governing the country.
During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, various schools of thought emerged, forming a situation of "a hundred schools of thought contending". This is an important milestone in the development of ancient Chinese thought and culture.
From the Qin and Han dynasties to the unification of the world to the ** and integration of the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties. Qin divided the world into 36 counties, and implemented the county system. The Han Dynasty implemented the system of dividing feudal feudal counties into counties. During the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, it was a period of oppression for the Han people.
From the prosperity of the Sui and Tang dynasties to the civilization inheritance of the Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. Lu Simian uses concise words to explain and show us the overall context of ancient Chinese history from the fields of economy, system, culture, society, and ethnicity.
As a modern history that we Chinese feel humiliated, Mr. Lu Simian did not ignore the details of these histories. Historical events such as the Opium War, the political situation of the late Qing Dynasty, and various unequal treaties make us feel extremely angry.
Historical events such as the Xinhai Revolution and the founding of China have also shown us hope for national development. There will always be people who will stand up in times of crisis and fight for this country and nation for the rest of their lives.
A Minimalist General History of China is an easy-to-understand history book. There must be cause and effect, and no historical event exists independently. The process of China's social development and evolution is also a magnificent picture of the development of Chinese civilization.
By reading this book, we can learn the context of China's historical development, and we can also draw strength and wisdom from these historical events. Understanding Chinese civilization and cultivating cultural self-confidence will bring more reference and inspiration to our future development and life.