Ebook: An Outline History of China

An Outline History Of China is a concise but comprehensive treatise on Chinese history, containing more than 100 illustrations and a wealth of new materials and research findings.

Like other peoples over the world, the Chinese passed through various stages of social development: primitive commune, slavery and feudalism. According to An Outline History of China, slave society in China began in the Shang, the first dynasty with written records, and lasted through the Western Zhou (c. 16th century-771 B.C.). The period from the early years of the Eastern Zhou to the Spring and Autumn-Warring States Period (770-221 B.C.) saw the transition from slavery to feudalism. This work divides the long history of feudal society into four stages: formation, ascendancy, further ascendancy and decline, with an analysis of the political, economic and cultural developments and characteristics of each stage.

Bai Shouyi, a noted historian, is head of both the Department of History and the Institute of History of Beijing' Teachers’ University. He began his teaching career in 1939 and has taught for more than 40 years, first at Yunnan, then at Nanjing universities and now at Beijing Teachers’ University. Among the courses he has taught are: “A General History of China”, “The Cultural History of China”, “The History of Chinese Historiography”, “History of China’s External Communications”, and “A General Introduction to Historiography”. His works include History of China’s Communications, History of Chinese Historiography (Part One), A Beginner’s Miscellany, and The Hui People’s Uprisings in the “Modern Chinese History Materials Series”.