How differently would China, its history, and its culture be if it was never under foreign dynasties or foreign rule (Yuán, Qīng)? China would obviously be smaller, any other impacts?
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China Without Foreign Dynasties
- Thread starter Montgomerie Ward
- Start date
Smaller, you don't really conquer the chinese you go in and get absorbed by them and end up becoming chinese. That said big difference? That hair cut the machu's made them wear will never become a thing.
The chinese hated wearing that, it took the threat of prison time/death to get them to have that hair style and some people still said no that looks stupid. So the Machu's fall and the people of china continue to comment on how bad that hair cut looks until the Machu's are guilted into seeing a proper hairdresser and getting that mess fixed.
The chinese hated wearing that, it took the threat of prison time/death to get them to have that hair style and some people still said no that looks stupid. So the Machu's fall and the people of china continue to comment on how bad that hair cut looks until the Machu's are guilted into seeing a proper hairdresser and getting that mess fixed.
You meant Qīng, I assume? To which you can also add Jīn, Liáo and Western Xià, though none of them ruled over a united China.
That would mean a PoD before or during the disintegration of Táng, at least. I'd say the foremost foreign influences would be from China's "West": the Middle East through Manichaeism, Islam, and Christianity, and India through Buddhism. You have butterflied the OTL rise of Neo-Confucianism, but there's no guarantee it would not happen anyway. If it does not, maybe a more syncretic Chinese religion, a kind of intrepretatio sinica that would make Siddhartha Gautama a descendant of the Yellow Emperor and Jesus into a Xiān (Daoist Immortal), for example. IOTL, this level of syncretism only really gained traction with the Heavenly Kingdom of Taìpíng in the 19th century.
As for history, China would have to be more united. This isn't a consequence of the lack of foreign invasions, but a requirement for it to happen. Chinese historiography would emphasise continuity and possibly generate more interest in China's ancient history, apart from the study of the Classics. Also, a national ideology of Wén (culture) allowing the Beautiful and Grand people to triumph over the barbarians. But it may not even be too prominent, as the idea of China being ruled by barbarians would simply be unthinkable.
In short, you'd see more pronounced versions of many OTL Chinese traits.
And before the Yuan dynasty none of the foreign Dynasties ruled all of China.
Whoops! I meant Qīng. The only reason why I typed Míng on the description is because I meant to ask, how would Shùn (Míng's eventual non-foreign successor) have responded to the increasing demands of the foreigners (not neighboring peoples but Europeans)? And how about the Mongols? Would they only have an empire only surrounding China and Korea while adopting Chinese culture at the exact same time?
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Korea and Táiwān
The only reason why I mentioned Korea in the previous post is because, I wanted to ask the same question of Korea if it were never ruled by Yuán. I think whatever response China makes to European demands isn't enough to prevent Japan from viewing China as antiquated and meddling in Korea, making the Sino-Japanese War and Japanese suzeranity inevitable. How would the Kingdom of Dōngníng in Táiwān have responded to Shùn? If Dōngníng repelled a Shùn invasion, Táiwān would have a separate culture and history removed from Shùn China until France or Japan invaded. If Dōngníng capitulated to the Shùn invasion, I don't think Shùn would have ceded Táiwān and Pēnghú to Japan in the Treaty of Shimonoseki, or the French would have taken over. French Táiwān only came to mind because it was Qīng protecting Táiwān. Shùn being corrupt and amateurs probably could not. I also can't determine if Dōngníng could repel the French invasion.
The only reason why I mentioned Korea in the previous post is because, I wanted to ask the same question of Korea if it were never ruled by Yuán. I think whatever response China makes to European demands isn't enough to prevent Japan from viewing China as antiquated and meddling in Korea, making the Sino-Japanese War and Japanese suzeranity inevitable. How would the Kingdom of Dōngníng in Táiwān have responded to Shùn? If Dōngníng repelled a Shùn invasion, Táiwān would have a separate culture and history removed from Shùn China until France or Japan invaded. If Dōngníng capitulated to the Shùn invasion, I don't think Shùn would have ceded Táiwān and Pēnghú to Japan in the Treaty of Shimonoseki, or the French would have taken over. French Táiwān only came to mind because it was Qīng protecting Táiwān. Shùn being corrupt and amateurs probably could not. I also can't determine if Dōngníng could repel the French invasion.
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We don't know enough about the Shun Dynasty.From the reports of it,it was a horrendous mess.It was literally a regime run by amateurs who isn't really that different from the 'corrupt' dynasty it replaced.
Could a Sòng victory over Jīn, Liáo, Western Xià, and invading Mongols be a possible POD? Without Mongol interruption, Sòng would probably be confined to a stalemate with Jīn and Western Xià.
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Weird,I was thinking of something similar,starting with Zhao Guangyi's campaign against Liao.I wonder how things would develop if the Song Dynasty retook the sixteen prefectures.