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Chinese Dynasties and Europe: A Brief Look At What Was Going On in The West During the Dynasties

  • May 27
  • 3 min read

Updated: May 27

Chinese Dynasties and European History

I came across some clips of Flourished Peony the other day and it reminded me of how extravagant and advanced the Tang Dynasty felt while I was watching the drama, especially since Europe was in the Middle ages, rocking a feudal society at that time. This got me wondering how the different dynasties match up with events in Europe as I am more familiar with Western history. So I dove in and made a timeline matching the different Chinese dynasties to corresponding turning points in Europe. This is a very summarized peak as many of the dynasties represent a large chunk of time. This is definitely not a one to one comparison since I am looking at one country versus an entire continent, but it really helped me get an idea of what stage the West was in during each dynasty.



Why Were the Dynasties So Advanced?

Again, grouping China and Europe is an apples to oranges comparison but both are roughly the same size, with Europe coming in 6% larger in land mass. In terms of population, China has dominated throughout history. So why was China's advance faster and more stable than Europe's? As I researched a few things stuck out to me:

  1. Unification

    • China was unified under the Qin Dynasty in 221 BC and Europe never managed to pull off a united front. Albeit, Chinese dynastic unification was tumultuous and inconsistent, but for most its history, even during the the Roman Empire, Europe was just an assorted collage of feudal kingdoms in constant conflict.

  2. China Traded Better and Earlier

    • China established the Silk Road which allowed for trade between continents and the flow of goods and ideas during the Han Dynasty, but Europe didn't catch on until the Crusades.

  3. Earlier Agricultural Revolution

    • Advanced water transportation systems aided mass food surpluses which fueled urbanization and specialized labor, stabilizing the economy

  4. Earlier Innovations

    • The invention of Paper, Gun Powder, Time Keeping, the Wheelbarrow, Bridges, Civil Service Exam, Silk, Printing, and the Compass were just some of the key innovations I repeatedly came across that propelled Chinese Dynasties forward and alluded Europe for centuries.


The Great Divergence And How Europe Caught Up:

The Great Divergence is the socioeconomic shift in which Western Europe overcame pre-modern growth constraints and industrialized. In Kenneth Pomeranz's book, The Great Divergence, he suggested that Europe and China had comparable living standards as of 1750. What pushed Europe ahead was its rich supply of coal mines to fuel the industrial revolution and the lucrative overseas empires that provided raw materials and new opportunities for wealth.


The stability and success of China's Dynasties also proved its downfall. The lack of competition and adherence to older ways of thinking stifled commercialism and exploration, while Europe embraced the Enlightenment, Maritime Exploration, and the Scientific Revolution. China took an isolationist stance in the 1430's and by the 1500's Europe's military technology surpassed them. The Great Divergence was the result by the mid 1700's and The Opium War in 1839 was the final nail in the coffin, and the last dynasty of China ended in 1912.


This is a very simplified look at some of the factors that led to the Divergence and Europe's rapid growth, but it's interesting to see how two parts of the world developed. I would also not be mad at a Regency Jane Austen/Qing Dynasty drama crossover. Just saying.


For Further Reading, Check out:

Video: Vintage John Green. Need I say More?


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