ASIA, EAST | Chinese Civilization

Abstract

Chinese civilization is an uninterrupted civilization that extended from the first day of its formation to the modern era. Its perseverance is pertained to a highly politicized kinship system, a strong institution of ancestral ritual, and a vast continuum of writing tradition. The formation of these unique features of Chinese civilization can be traced back to the second millennium BC in the mid Yellow River valley. Although highly complex societies had emerged in different regions within the boundaries of modern China, the hegemony of the mid Yellow states was the driving force that shaped the Chinese civilization. The political processes leading to the formation, operation and expansion of early states in the mid Yellow valley facilitated the interaction between polities of different regions and peoples of different cultural traditions, which in turn forged an increasingly homogeneous greater Chinese civilization.