The history of a country is the embodiment of the context of national development, and it is also a process of continuous development of national culture. As a Chinese nation with a long history, we can see the magnificent development of Hu Huaxia from our history textbooks.
And in the history books of other countries, China is also introduced in a targeted manner. Taking American history textbooks as an example, six Chinese are recorded and described in just 20 pages. Who are these six Chinese?
The first outstanding Chinese thinker Kong Sage
American history textbooks put the great Confucius first when they introduce China.
This is also not surprising.
First of all, in terms of era, Confucius lived for a relatively long time. Therefore, it is understandable that the historical records should be carried out in sequential order. Moreover, the ideas of Confucius played an important role in the development of philosophy in China and the world.
Second, Confucius was the founder and promoter of Confucianism in China. The role played by Confucianism in Chinese history is self-evident. It not only has an impact on social life, but also integrates into the way of governing the country, and plays a role in stabilizing the dynasty.
Confucius founded the first private school in Chinese history, establishing the prototype of education. Many educational concepts today are derived from Confucius' educational ideas. It can be seen that Confucius was not only a great thinker, but also a successful educator, and he was famous all over the world.
The United States has more respect for philosophical thought, after all, Western countries have produced great philosophers such as Socrates and Plato, and the status of Confucius is comparable to it. In addition, the Supreme Court of the United States has a statue of Confucius, which shows that Confucius was a great thinker for the United States.
In addition to Confucius, Americans also recorded in textbooks the more famous kings in the development of Chinese dynasties.
The famous "Emperor of the Ages" in history
In American history textbooks, a total of four of China's more famous monarchs are recorded. They were Qin Shi Huang, Emperor Wudi of Han, Li Shimin and Wu Zetian.
Qin Shi Huang appears as the head of the four monarchs in American history textbooks.
After all, Qin Shi Huang contributed to the formation and development of China's ancient feudal system. The Qin Dynasty, as the beginning of China's feudal system, laid the foundation for the evolution of China's polity, all thanks to the great achievements of Qin Shi Huang.
When Qin Shi Huang is mentioned, it is necessary to mention the "Wipe Out the Six Kingdoms". After Qin Shi Huang unified the six countries, he was not only the first monarch to unify the country, but also formed a unity in language, writing, economy, currency, and system. Moreover, the system of division and sealing was abolished, and the county system was replaced, which strengthened the central government's management of the local government and promoted the concentration of imperial power.
Western countries have high respect for the ancient Roman Empire. Therefore, as a great Qin dynasty comparable to and larger than the Roman Empire, Americans will also form a high degree of worship. Only then will Qin Shi Huang be engraved into local history textbooks as a key content.
The second king to appear in American textbooks was Emperor Wudi of Han.
Emperor Wudi of Han highly respected Confucianism and implemented the famous "dethroning of hundreds of schools and respecting Confucianism" in history. It also further established the dominance of Confucianism in China, which in turn could continue the year before.
Americans also admire the way Emperor Wudi of Han governed the country through Confucianism, which is highlighted in history textbooks.
In terms of education, Emperor Wudi of Han also established Tai Xue for the first time, which is equivalent to today's university. It laid an important foundation for the evolution of the subsequent government-founded schools. Although the people cultivated by Taixue were used for feudal rule, they also fully tapped their virtuous abilities to a certain extent.
The famous "Zhang Qian sent an envoy to the Western Regions" in history was appointed by Emperor Wudi of Han, so he went to the Western Regions. The era of the Silk Road in the Han Dynasty was ushered in, which greatly promoted economic and cultural exchanges between China and the Western Regions.
The third great Chinese king introduced by the Americans was Li Shimin.
Although there is a certain time gap between Li Shimin and the dynasties of the previous two kings. However, the Tang dynasty he created was a very attractive period in Chinese history, and Li Shimin's contribution was not inferior to that of Qin Shi Huang and Emperor Wudi of Han.
During Li Shimin's reign, he developed the average-field system and reduced taxes, promoted the development of agriculture, and ensured the livelihood of the people. Politically, the system of three provinces and six ministries was proposed, which balanced the power of the central government and concentrated the imperial power.
In addition, during Li Shimin's reign, he spread the culture of the Tang Dynasty to the surrounding tribes, and also absorbed the essence of the cultures of different countries to promote his own development. To a certain extent, exchanges with ethnic minorities have been strengthened, which has promoted the improvement of the ability to govern the surrounding areas.
It was this diversified prosperity that created the "prosperous era of Zhenguan" during the Li Shimin period.
The Americans were amazed by Li Shimin's great achievements and the prosperous era he created, so they recorded it in history textbooks.
The last monarch to appear in American history textbooks was Wu Zetian, the only female emperor in Chinese history.
From the perspective of Chinese history or foreign history, it is not common for women to ascend the throne as emperors. Wu Zetian not only established himself as a monarch, but also led the progress of the Tang Dynasty.
Wu Zetian not only vigorously developed the imperial examination system, but also promoted the improvement of the talent training mechanism. He also opened up his way and paid attention to the advice of his courtiers. In terms of agricultural development, she proposed to "persuade farmers and give labor", truly taking the livelihood of the people as the top priority, and was deeply loved by the people.
And during her reign, military conflicts between the Tang Dynasty and the surrounding effects occurred from time to time, but in most cases, we were already on the winning side. To a certain extent, it shows that the strength of the Tang Dynasty at that time was at its peak.
Perhaps when Americans edit Wu Zetian into history textbooks, they will also compare it to Catherine the Great, and these two legendary women must have shocked Americans ideologically.
In addition to these Chinese who had important positions in intellectual and political circles, the last Chinese to appear in American history textbooks may be somewhat surprising because of his status as a eunuch.
Heroes in promoting cultural exchange
The last person to appear in American history textbooks was Zheng He. When it comes to him, the first thing that comes to mind must be Zheng He's going to the West, and the cognition of Zheng He also stays at the level of cultural exchanges, but in fact, Zheng He has other identities.
Zheng He, as Zhu Di's eunuch, also ushered in a major task after Zhu Di ascended the throne, that is, the famous "Zheng He goes to the West" in history.
During Zheng He's voyage to the West, his most famous achievement was the capture of the pirate Chen Zuyi. In the process of suppressing bandits, the task of cultural and economic exchanges was gradually completed.
According to records, Zheng He traveled to the West from three years to five years from Xuande, and traveled to more than 30 countries. It not only realized friendly exchanges between the Daming Dynasty and many countries, but also helped the people in many regions to strive for a peaceful and beautiful life, and did a lot of righteous deeds.
In the eyes of Americans, perhaps they did not think of it. A person with such a special identity can achieve a grand mission to the West. And his story is widely spread and popular.
Zheng He's voyage to the West was also the process of opening new routes, and decades before Western countries opened new routes. Therefore, it is inevitable that the United States will record Zheng He in its textbooks.
Epilogue:
China's national history is relatively long, and no country in the world can compare with China's history. From the introduction of the above six characters in American textbooks, it can be seen that other countries still have a certain degree of attention to the development of Chinese history, indicating that the charm of Chinese history and culture is spreading.