Jiangsu is very flat and low-lying, with plains covering 68 percent of its total area (water covers another 18 percent), and most of the province not more than 50 m above sea level. Jiangsu is also laced with a well-developed irrigation system, which earned it (especially the southern half) the moniker of 水乡 (shuǐxiāng "land of water"); the southern city of Suzhou is so crisscrossed with canals that it has been dubbed "Venice of the East". The Grand Canal of China cuts through Jiangsu from north to south, traversing all the east-west r ...

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Jiangsu, Jiangsu - History, Jiangsu - Geography, Jiangsu - Administrative divisions, Jiangsu - Economy, Jiangsu - Demographics, Jiangsu - Culture, Jiangsu - Famous people, Jiangsu - Tourism, Jiangsu - Miscellaneous topics, Jiangsu - Sports, Jiangsu - Colleges and Universities

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Jiangsu is divided into 13 prefecture-level divisions, all of them prefecture-level cities: Nanjing (Simplified Chinese: 南京市, Hanyu Pinyin: Nánjīng Shì) Xuzhou (徐州市 Xúzhōu Shì) Lianyungang (连云港市 Liányúngǎng Shì) Suqian (宿迁市 Sùqiān Shì) Huai'an (淮安市 Huái'ān Shì) Yancheng (盐城市 Yánchéng Shì) Yangzhou (扬州市 Yángzhōu Shì) Taizhou (泰州市 Tàizhōu Shì) Nantong (南通市 Nántōng Shì)

Jiangsu has an extensive irrigation system supporting its agriculture, which is based primarily on rice and wheat, followed by maize and sorghum. Main cash crops include cotton, soybeans, peanuts, rape, sesame, ambary hemp, and tea. Other products include peppermint, spearmint, bamboo, medicinal herbs, apples, pears, peaches, loquats, ginkgo. Silkworms also form an important part of Jiangsu's agriculture, with the Lake Taihu region to the south a major base of silk production in China. Jiangsu is also an important producer of freshwat ...

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Jiangsu, Jiangsu - History, Jiangsu - Geography, Jiangsu - Administrative divisions, Jiangsu - Economy, Jiangsu - Demographics, Jiangsu - Culture, Jiangsu - Famous people, Jiangsu - Tourism, Jiangsu - Miscellaneous topics, Jiangsu - Sports, Jiangsu - Colleges and Universities

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The majority of Jiangsu residents are ethnic Han Chinese. Other minorities include the Hui and the Manchus. Demographic indicators in 2000: Population: 74.058 million (urban: 34.637 million; rural: 39.421 million) (2003) Birth rate: 9.04 per 1000 (2003) Death rate: 7.03 per 1000 (2003) Sex ratio: 102.55 males per 100 females Average family size: 3.25 Han Chinese proport ...

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Jiangsu, Jiangsu - History, Jiangsu - Geography, Jiangsu - Administrative divisions, Jiangsu - Economy, Jiangsu - Demographics, Jiangsu - Culture, Jiangsu - Famous people, Jiangsu - Tourism, Jiangsu - Miscellaneous topics, Jiangsu - Sports, Jiangsu - Colleges and Universities

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After the Ming army defeat at Battle of tumu and later raids by the Mongols under a new leader, Altan Khan, the Ming adopted a new strategy for dealing with the northern horsemen: a big wall. Almost 100 years earlier (1368) the Ming had started building a new, technically advanced fortification which today is called the Great Wall of China. Created at great expense the wall followed the new borders of the Ming Empire. Acknowledging the control which the Mongols established in the Ordos, south of the Yellow River, the wall follows what ...

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Ming Dynasty, Ming Dynasty - Origins, Ming Dynasty - Exploration to isolation, Ming Dynasty - Ming military conquests, Ming Dynasty - Algriculture Revolution, Ming Dynasty - Commerce Revolution, Ming Dynasty - The Ming Code, Ming Dynasty - Scrapping Prime Minister Post, Ming Dynasty - Decline of the Ming, Ming Dynasty - Building the the Great Wall, Ming Dynasty - The Network of Secret Agents, Ming Dynasty - Fall of the Ming Dynasty

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China has been an advanced country in terms of military technology, losing ground only after the Industrial Revolution. In the Qin and Han conscript armies, infantry were armed with spears, bows, and in particular crossbows (弩), a weapon in whose technology the Chinese remained superior. Even though infantry bearing shields, swords and spears existed, there is no trace of either a "phalanx" or a "legion" style of infantry fighting, prefering firepower style ...

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Military history of China, Military history of China - Warfare in ancient China, Military history of China - Legalism and Confucianism, Military history of China - The northern frontier, Military history of China - Weapons and military technology, Military history of China - Military institutions in Imperial China, Military history of China - Qin and Han dynasties, Military history of China - Era of division, Military history of China - Sui and Tang dynasties, Military history of China - Song Dynasty, Military history of China - Yuan Dynasty, Military history of China - Ming Dynasty, Military history of China - Qing Dynasty, Military history of China - Modern China

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The Mongol Yuan Dynasty ruled before the establishment of the Ming Dynasty. During the rule, the Mongols' discrimination against the Han Chinese is often considered the primary cause for the end of Yuan rule in China. This finally led to a peasant revolt that pushed the Yuan dynasty back to the Mongolian steppes. Other causes include collusion with Tibetan lamas in depriving Chinese of their lands, paper currency over-circulation, which caused inflation to go up ten-fold during Yuan Emperor Shundi's reign, and the flooding of the Yellow Rive ...

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Ming Dynasty, Ming Dynasty - Origins, Ming Dynasty - Exploration to isolation, Ming Dynasty - Ming military conquests, Ming Dynasty - Algriculture Revolution, Ming Dynasty - Commerce Revolution, Ming Dynasty - The Ming Code, Ming Dynasty - Scrapping Prime Minister Post, Ming Dynasty - Decline of the Ming, Ming Dynasty - Building the the Great Wall, Ming Dynasty - The Network of Secret Agents, Ming Dynasty - Fall of the Ming Dynasty

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From the first Opium War in 1839 onwards, changes to military technology, institutions and outlook in China became driven by the West. For the first time in her history, China was confronted with a major threat from the sea. In the late 19th century the regional leader Li Hongzhang built up the Beiyang Fleet, only to see it destroyed in the first Sino-Japanese War. Lacking the advanced industrial economy needed to build up sea power, China remained vulnerable to attack by sea for the first half of the 20th century. In the second Sino-Japanes ...

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Military history of China, Military history of China - Warfare in ancient China, Military history of China - Legalism and Confucianism, Military history of China - The northern frontier, Military history of China - Weapons and military technology, Military history of China - Military institutions in Imperial China, Military history of China - Qin and Han dynasties, Military history of China - Era of division, Military history of China - Sui and Tang dynasties, Military history of China - Song Dynasty, Military history of China - Yuan Dynasty, Military history of China - Ming Dynasty, Military history of China - Qing Dynasty, Military history of China - Modern China

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The beginning of the Ming dynasty was one of Ming military conquests as they sought to perpetuate their hold on power. Early in his reign the first Ming emperor Zhu Yuanzhang provided instructions as injunctions to later generations. These instructions included the advice that those countries to the north were dangerous and posed a threat to the Ming polity and those to the south did not.Furthermore he stated that those to the south, not constituting a threat, were not to be subject to attack. Yet, either because of, or despite of, th ...

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Ming Dynasty, Ming Dynasty - Origins, Ming Dynasty - Exploration to isolation, Ming Dynasty - Ming military conquests, Ming Dynasty - Algriculture Revolution, Ming Dynasty - Commerce Revolution, Ming Dynasty - The Ming Code, Ming Dynasty - Scrapping Prime Minister Post, Ming Dynasty - Decline of the Ming, Ming Dynasty - Building the the Great Wall, Ming Dynasty - The Network of Secret Agents, Ming Dynasty - Fall of the Ming Dynasty

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Historian considers Hongwu emperor as one the greatest Emperor of china.From the first, great care was taken by Hung Wu emperor to distribute land to small farmers. It seems to have been his policy to favor the poor, whom he tried to help to support themselves and their families. For instance, in 1370 an order was given that some land in Hunan and Anhui should be distributed to young farmers who had reached manhood: to preclude the absorption of this land by unscrupulous landlords it was announced that the title to it is not transferable. Ab ...

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Ming Dynasty, Ming Dynasty - Origins, Ming Dynasty - Exploration to isolation, Ming Dynasty - Ming military conquests, Ming Dynasty - Algriculture Revolution, Ming Dynasty - Commerce Revolution, Ming Dynasty - The Ming Code, Ming Dynasty - Scrapping Prime Minister Post, Ming Dynasty - Decline of the Ming, Ming Dynasty - Building the the Great Wall, Ming Dynasty - The Network of Secret Agents, Ming Dynasty - Fall of the Ming Dynasty

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Hong Wu prejudice against the merchant class did not diminish the numbers of traders. On the contrary, commerce was on much greater scale than in previous centuries and continued to increase, as the growing industries needed the cooperation of the merchants. Poor soil in some provinces and over-population were key forces that led many to enter the trade markets. A book called "Tu pien hsin shu" gives a detailed description about the activities of mechants at that time. In the end, the Hong Wu policy of banning trade only acted to hinder the ...

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Ming Dynasty, Ming Dynasty - Origins, Ming Dynasty - Exploration to isolation, Ming Dynasty - Ming military conquests, Ming Dynasty - Algriculture Revolution, Ming Dynasty - Commerce Revolution, Ming Dynasty - The Ming Code, Ming Dynasty - Scrapping Prime Minister Post, Ming Dynasty - Decline of the Ming, Ming Dynasty - Building the the Great Wall, Ming Dynasty - The Network of Secret Agents, Ming Dynasty - Fall of the Ming Dynasty

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Historians consider the Hongwu emperor to be one of the greatest emperors of China. From the start of his rule, he took great care to distribute land to small farmers. It seems to have been his policy to favor the poor, whom he tried to help to support themselves and their families. For instance, in 1370, an order was given that some land in Hunan and Anhui should be distributed to young farmers who had reached manhood. To preclude the absorption of this land by unscrupulous landlords, it was announced that the title to it was not transferab ...

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Ming Dynasty, Ming Dynasty - Origins, Ming Dynasty - Exploration to isolation, Ming Dynasty - Ming military conquests, Ming Dynasty - Agricultural Revolution, Ming Dynasty - Commerce Revolution, Ming Dynasty - The Ming Code, Ming Dynasty - Scrapping Prime Minister Post, Ming Dynasty - Decline of the Ming, Ming Dynasty - Building the the Great Wall, Ming Dynasty - The Network of Secret Agents, Ming Dynasty - Fall of the Ming Dynasty

Read more here: » Ming Dynasty: Encyclopedia II - Ming Dynasty - Agricultural Revolution

Mongol invaders were still causing many problems for the Ming Dynasty. Traditionally, Han Chinese dynasties rarely went on the offensive against the Mongols. But Yongle prepared to change this less-than-proud tradition. He mounted five military expeditions into Mongolia and crushed the remnants of the Yuan Dynasty that had fled north after being defeated by Emperor Hongwu. He repaired the northern defenses and forged buffer alliances to keep the Mongols at bay in order to build an army. His strategy was to force the Mongols into economic dep ...

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Yongle Emperor, Yongle Emperor - Early Years, Yongle Emperor - Journey to power, Yongle Emperor - Reign, Yongle Emperor - Military accomplishments, Yongle Emperor - Death, Yongle Emperor - Legacy, Yongle Emperor - Sources and further reading

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Yongle followed traditional rituals closely and remained superstitious. He did not overindulge in the luxuries of palace life, but still used Buddhism and Buddhist festivals to overcome some of the backwardness of the Chinese frontier and to help calm civil unrest. He stopped the warring between the various Chinese tribes and reorganized the provinces to best provide peace within China. Due to the stress and overwhelming amount of thinking involved in running a post-rebellion empire, Yongle searched for scholars to join his staff. He had many of the best scholars chosen as candidates and took great care in choosing them, even ...

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Yongle Emperor, Yongle Emperor - Early Years, Yongle Emperor - Journey to power, Yongle Emperor - Reign, Yongle Emperor - Military accomplishments, Yongle Emperor - Death, Yongle Emperor - Legacy, Yongle Emperor - Sources and further reading

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Emperor Yongle was born Zhu Di on May 2nd, 1360 (mother unknown) to a monk and future emperor of the Ming Dynasty. Zhu Di grew up as a prince during the Ming Dynasty in a loving, caring environment. His father, Emperor Hongwu supplied nothing but the best education for his sons and eventually entitled them their own princedoms. Zhu Di was entitled as the Prince of Yan, the area around Beijing. When Zhu Di moved to Beijing, the city had been devastated by famine and disease and was under threat of invasion from Mongolians from the nort ...

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Yongle Emperor, Yongle Emperor - Early Years, Yongle Emperor - Journey to power, Yongle Emperor - Reign, Yongle Emperor - Military accomplishments, Yongle Emperor - Death, Yongle Emperor - Legacy, Yongle Emperor - Sources and further reading

Read more here: » Yongle Emperor: Encyclopedia II - Yongle Emperor - Early Years