The History of China
History
About
A journey through the 5000 years of history documented by one of the world's oldest continuous civilizations. For all the episodes for free, as well as additional content, please subscribe and/or visit http://thehistoryofchina.wordpress.com.
Episodes
- #329 - Taiping 6: River of Souls
Episode #329 covers the Taiping army's journey north from Quanzhou in June 1852 through October 1852. It details their arrival in Daozhou, Hunan, marking a shift in the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom's communication with the wider empire and cha…
- #328 - Taiping 5: The Way Ahead
Episode 328 of The History of China covers the period from January 1851 to June 1852, detailing the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom's journey after its proclamation. It describes their movement through Guangxi and their eventual establishment wit…
- #327 - Taiping 4: The Heavenly Kingdom
This episode of The History of China covers the period of 1849-1851 CE, detailing the challenges faced by the God-Worshippers, including natural disasters and societal collapse. It describes their move to Jintian village following a divine…
- #326 - Taiping 3: The Image-Breakers
This episode of The History of China covers the Taiping Rebellion period from 1847-1849, focusing on the God-Worshippers led by Hong Xiuquan and Feng Yunshan. It describes their transformation from a minor group to a local issue, their tem…
- #325 - Taiping 2: The God Worshippers
Episode 325 of The History of China covers the period of 1844–1847, detailing the formation of the God-Worshipping Society in Guangxi by Feng Yunshan. The episode discusses the societal conditions, ethnic tensions, and the involvement of f…
- #324 - Taiping 1: The Second Son of God
Even in the fallout of the Opium War, dreams endure—but what happens to a dream deferred? In Canton, one young man’s starry-eyed visions of success run headlong into the brutal wall of the Imperial Examination system. And when that dream f…
- Intelligent Speech 2026 - Nemesis, Mine
The Kangxi Emperor’s Obsessive Pursuit of Galdan Khan to the Ends of the Earth Presented: 02/28/2026 audio-only cut (this is from my mic pick-up, so the host's audio is low... apologies... I'll replace it with a better final version once i…
- #323 - Opium War 8: Perfect Equality
The war is over. The treaty is signed, sealed, & delivered. Yet though the smoke has cleared, the haze of uncertainty over what - exactly - just happened... lingers on. And that misunderstanding will echo for the next century. While Qiying…
- #322 - Opium War 7: The Throat of the Empire
The new envoy from London arrives at Qing's doorstep in August 1842 with a simple mandate: stop allowing Britain to be "humbugged" & finish the war Elliot started. What follows is the British Empire at its most efficient & brutal... and a…
- #321 - Opium War 6: Imperial Ouroboros
The Ransom of Canton. The lame-duck Superintendent watches helplessly as a triumvirate of Qing officials arrives to reverse every compromise his predecessor had wrought... & promptly launches the most ambitious Chinese military operation o…
- #320 - Opium War 5: Bayonets In the Dragon's Teeth
Britain carries the Opium War to Beijing's unready doorstep with steam and iron, moving the crisis from the border frontiers to the heart of the imperial court itself. As imperial defenses strain and diplomacy replaces defiance, the two em…
- Re'cast: #11 - Special: Gong Xi Fa Cai! (OG: 2014)
It's been 12 years since this initially was 'casted out - which means that the Year of the Horse is back, baby! Now it's the Fire Horse, but Happy Happy to Everyone! 马年快乐! 🔥🐎🧧 This Episode, we take a time-out from the historical flow to…
- #319 - Opium War 4: Peddling the Drug Peddlers' War
Britain and China both saw the opium crisis clearly enough to know it would end in disaster. Each believed it understood the situation, and the other, well enough to keep events from spinning out of control. And yet... it happened anyway.…
- #318 - Opium War 3: Up In Smoke
Lin Zexu believed moral clarity and the largest drug bust in history could end the opium crisis and avert war. Yet, as his solution drained into Humen Bay, so too did the last hope of peace between China and Britain. Time Period Covered: 1…
- To: Queen Victoria, From: Lin Zexu (1839)
Letter to the queen of England, from the high Imperial Commissioner Lin, and his colleagues. From the Canton press. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
- #317 - Opium War 2: Laboriously Vile Barbarian Eye
In 1834, Britain sent a man to China almost perfectly unsuited to the job... only to forbid him from actually doing it. William John Napier, naval officer, socialite, & dilettante with no experience in diplomacy, trade, or China, arrived a…
- #316 - Opium War 1: Chasing the Dragon
In this empire business, you gotta make the opium first. Then when you get the opium, you get the silver. Then when you get the silver, then you get the tea. Time Period Covered: ca. 1760-1839 CE Major Historical Figures: Qing Empire: The…
- #315 - Qing 46: Tripping Toward Taiping - Tribes, Triads, & Theology
Great Qing begins to buckle under early 19th c. internal pressures. Unrest first erupts not at the imperial core but along its social and geographic margins. This time, we look at three of the early warning shocks: the Miao frontier rebell…
- #314 - Qing 45: The Big Squeeze
The Qing Empire did not collapse because it stopped working. It collapsed because it kept working — just barely — under pressures that compounded faster than reform could relieve them... Time Period Covered: ~1790s-1840s CE Major Works Cit…
- #313 - Qing 44: Frontiers, Pt. 2: The Vastness Devours Us - Mountain Monasteries & Money Pits
From the koan chants of monasteries tucked between Himalayan peaks, to wending caravan paths stretching endlessly across the arid expanses of the Taklamakan & trackless steppes of Dzungaria, we finish out our look at the four primary front…
- #312 - Qing 42: Frontiers, Pt. 1: The Vastness Devours Us - Of Willow Palisades & Reincarnation Permits
The world is coming to Qing's doorstep, but it has a whole other set of problems along its own frontiers... Less chronologically tied-down than most of our episodes, today we look at two of the Qing Empire's four major "inner frontier zone…
- #311 - Qing 42: Charting the Collision Course
The 19th Century is going to be exceedingly rough on Qing China. So, before we venture down into the chasm that is the "Chinese Century of Humuliation's" opening salvos, let's assess where we - and the Empire - sit as of 1810... Learn more…
- #310 - Strange Tales X.2: An Unseen Balance
Back with pt. 2 of autumnal fictions of the spine-tingling variety. This time largely from (where else) Pu Songling, as well as several shorter entries from the Zibuyu. 00:01:15 - Friendship Beyond the Grave 00:10:25 - Karmic Debts 00:12:3…
- 309 - Strange Tales X.1: Fateful Encounters
00:02:09 - "The Scholar & the Headless Ghost" True music fans come in all types. 00:05:37 - "Magical Arts" Let the buyer beware... but sometimes the non-buyer, too! 00:12:37 - "Ruby Jade" Nobody knows you when you're down & out... 00:27:00…
- #308 - Zheng Yi Sao, Pt. 2: Into the Tiger's Mouth
The Pirate Queen’s Red Flag Fleet reigns supreme, but a three-way battle at Tiger’s Mouth tests even her grip on the seas. Time Period Covered: 1807-1844 CE Major Historical Figures: Red Flag Fleet: Zheng Yi Sao (AKA Ching Shih, née Shi Ya…
- Special - Mid-Autumn: Fly Me to the Moon
A brief history of Mid-Autumn Festival, and the tale of Hou Yi the Archer & the Ten Suns, and Chang’e & the Moon In other words, please be true In other words, I love you. Sources: Barlett, Scarlett. The Mythology Bible: The Definitive Gui…
- Bonus: R. Glasspoole & the Pirates
Richard Glasspoole thought he was going to have enough of an adventure sailing to the South Pacific. He didn't expect quite so much excitement as spending 3 months of 1809 as the compulsory "guest" of the Red Flag Fleet until the Company c…
- #307 - Zheng Yi Sao, Pt. 1: Murders & Acquisitions, Mostly
天高皇帝远 "Heaven Is Vast & the Emperor is Far Away" On the far side of the realm from th celestial halls of shining Beijing, an outcast girl born on the fringes of society will scrabble to survive amidt the coastal chaos of the end of the 18t…
- #306 - Qing 41: Dead Men Tell No Tales
Piracy in Great Qing surges to a "golden age" during the Qianlong & Jiaqing eras. Corsair Confederations like Zheng Yi Sao’s vast-beyond-reckoning Red Flag Fleet, backed by the likes of Vietnam’s Tay Son rebels, dominating the South China…
- #305- Qing 40: Heshen Must Die!
For nearly a quarter century, Heshen served the Qing Empire - and in the process managed to amass a fortune that nearly rivaled the throne itself. Yet with the death of his patron Qianlong, the once-favored Grand Councilor would find his r…
- #304 - Qing 39: Twilight of the Dragon
As both the Qianlong Emperor's extensive reign and the Eighteenth Century itself comes to a close, the Qing Empire faces - in spite of its outward posturing of timeless grandeur and invulnerability - an ever more uncertain future. By this…
- #303 - Qing 38: The Macartney Expedition
From London’s harbors to Canton’s bustling hongs and the Qianlong Emperor’s Dragon Throne, Lord George Macartney’s 1792-94 mission to Great Qing unveils profound cultural divides, shaping centuries of Sino-Western relations. This series ex…
- #302 - Qing 37: Palace of Mirrors
Qianlong's empire shines as a beacon of both martial might and cultural splendor, yet its mirrored glory hides truths too fragile for celestial ambitions. Time Period Covered: ~1770-1799CE Major Historical Figures: Qing Empire: The Qianlon…
- Special 2: To George, From Qianlong...
"O King of Wherever, New Throne Who Dis?" 0:00:00 - Edict of Emperor Qianlong to King George III, 1793 0:06:34 - The Second Edict to George III (in reply to Macartney's note) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
- Special 1: To Qianlong, From George...
"Dear Emperor of China, will you be my friend? Check Yes or No..." 0:00:00 - Letter of Credence from King George III to Emperor Qianlong, 1793 CE 0:10:20 - Author's note 0:11:44 - Lord Macartney's Sixfold Proposals for the Improvement of T…
- #301 - Qing 36: And I Think It's Gonna Be a Qianlong Time
In the wake of military victory, Qianlong turns inward—launching literary purges, rewriting history, and curating an image of himself as the enlightened ruler of a Confucian empire. Through censorship, spectacle, and the manipulation of me…
- #300 - Qing 35: Empire of Images
What does it take to hold an empire together when conquest alone isn’t enough? In this sweeping episode, we explore how the Qianlong Emperor fused culture, coercion, and Confucian performance to stabilize a multiethnic empire—crafting an i…
- #299 - Qing 34: Remember to Remember to Forget You Forgot Me
This was no peace borne of reconciliation; this was silence, enforced by amnesia. Time Period Covered: ~ 1739-1759 CE Major Historical Figures: Qing Empire: The Qianlong Emperor (Aisin Gioro Hongli) [r. 1735–1796] Minister Fuheng General B…
- #298 - Qing 33: Echoes of the Erased
The story of the last great nomadic empire’s fall - and the Qing’s ruthless imperial vision for a New Frontier. Time Period Covered: 1739-1759 CE Major Historical Figures: The Great Qing Empire: The Qianlong Emperor (Aisin-Gioro Hongli) [r…
- Supplemental: Qianlong's 1758 Dzungar Victory Stele
The "Old Man of 10 Victories" crows to the Heavens in words of stone of his crushing of the once-mighty Khanate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
- #297 - Qing 32: Tea, Trade, & Thunder
The Qing conquest of Dzungaria did not begin with any kind of cannon-fire or musketry. Instead, it began like many wars end: with a funeral. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
- #296 - Qing 31: The Architect of Capacity
As his era of rule over Great Qing drows to a close, the Yongzheng Emperor spares neither expense nor detail to reform the empire he inherited and modernize it for the one who will inherit it from him. But this is no idle fancy - he has a…
- #295 - Qing 30: Building Better Worlds
The Yongzheng Emperor seeks to capitalize on his father's greatness abroad - but cautiously. He wants to exterminate the barbarians... but delicately. He wants to build better worlds... no matter how many he has to destroy in the process.…
- Rebroadcast 2025: Special - Tiananmen Square: The Declassified History - 06/01/1999 w/ postscript 2024
Doc 1: Cable, From: U.S. Embassy Beijing, To: Department of State, Wash DC, A Student Demonstration of Sorts in Tiananmen Square (11/21/85) Doc 2: Cable, From: U.S. Embassy Beijing, To: Department of State, Wash DC, Government Arrests Stud…
- #294 - Qing 29: The Conquest of Qinghai
While the Yongzheng Emperor attempts to get his domestic policy ducks in a row from the Forbidden City, out on the Western Frontiers, change is the only constant. Between squabbling Tibetan lamas, restless Kokonor Khans, and the ever-dange…
- #293 - Qing 28: Three Treks Across Eurasia
Leaving behind the imperial court of Beijing, we return to the far frontiers of the northwest, where China, Tibet, Mongolia, and Russia all converge and vie for power. Glory and riches to the victors, subjugation or death for those destine…
- #292 - Qing 27: The Wonder Years
The Yongzheng Emperor brings Peace, Justice, & Security to his new Empire. Time Period Covered: 1723-1728 CE Major Works Cited: Perdue, Peter C. China marches west: the Qing conquest of Central Eurasia . Qin, Han Tang (秦漢唐). 不同於戲裡說的雍正皇帝 […
- #291 - Qing 26: The Cosplayer of Heaven
The Yongzheng Emperor's stylings: https://bsky.app/profile/thoc.bsky.social/post/3lnvmogqntk2g Please sign up to support the show at: Patreon.com/thehistoryofchina With the passing of his titan of a father, the Kangxi Emperor's 4th curvivi…
- The History Of China Podcast/POA Crossover!| Puttin on Airs w/ Trae Crowder & Corey Ryan Forrester
I'm on with Trae Crowder & Cory Ryan Forrester to talk wild & crazy stories about China. Please forgive the tech difficulties! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKVpUmzGr8o Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
- #290 - Qing 25: The End of a (Kangxi) Era
Beginning in Beijing, and then expanding out all the way to the "New Frontier" of Dzungaria, we take a survey-altitude view of the final decade-ish of the Kangxi Emperor's life & reign over the Qing Empire Time Period Covered: ~1700-1722 C…