Reflection
I have learnt that China had faced internal threats such as natural disasters, civil wars and rebellion. The people had suffered a lot when natural disasters and civil wars occurred. Many were drowned due to the flooding of the Yellow and Yangtze Rivers. They had faced famine too, but I think they were well prepared for the famine by stocking granaries. During the civil wars, many people were killed as well. Also, peasant and military rebellions often broke out. These internal threats had caused much instability but I think they were strong enough to be able to overcome these difficulties.

-Jing Ying

Through this History group assignment, I have learnt that China had experienced many internal threats. China faced natural disasters such as famines due to an increase in population and floods which caused crops being destroyed and many to die. Civil wars and rebellion such as peasant and military rebellion were also examples of internal threats. Despite these, I believe they had their ways to deal with the setbacks. Similarly, I think we should stay as calm as we could if we faced any misfortune and face the problem in a positive way.

-Li Xuan

From this assignment, I have learnt that not only external threats that will harm people of China, but also internal threats. Some internal threats, such as natural disasters, cannot be prevented from happening whereas others, such as civil wars and rebellions, can be prevented but the effect after them may be even worse than natural disasters. I believed with a good emperor with useful policies, people will be satisfied with him, thus respecting and supporting him, and no rebels, except for those greedy for power, will be in the country. Without rebels, there won't be rebellion inthe country, giving the people of the country a peaceful life.

-Bao Wei

Through this assignment, I have learnt that internal threats of China can cause China to suffer a huge loss, be it human, resources and lands. Some examples of internal threats are natural disasters, famine and rebellion. Natural disasters involves flood. Flood, flood can cause great destruction when not prevented. They built dykes to prevent floods. Famine, they had back up stored in the storage in case of droughts or floods. Rebellion, they had inspectors to watch over governors and they leave the inspectors’ family members in the capital so the inspectors dare not rebel against the king or emperor. I think we should learn from them, they knew that prevention is better than cure. It is something good that we can learnt from, than to regret and cry over spilt milk after what has been done.

- Sabelle Chong

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Video

Internal Threats of China

Natural Disasters

Floods
There were floods mostly at Yellow and Yangtze River, and crops were destroyed and people and animals drowned. As early as 500 BCE, farmers began to build dykes to prevent flooding along the Yangtze River and from 1000 CE, emperors employed large numbers of workers to build and maintain dykes.

Famines
Famines became more serious as China’s population grew especially during the Ming dynasty when its population doubled, from about 80 million to about 160 million. Chinese emperors tried to control famine by stocking granaries with stores of rice, controlling prices and shipping rice from other parts of China to places that were experiencing famine.

Civil Wars

In the early years of Western Zhou dynasty (1027-771 BCE), the shi respected the king and supported him. However, later in the Eastern Zhou dynasty (771-221 BCE), the shi became greedy for more land and the king could no longer control them and fighting between feudal states broke out.

The more powerful feudal states conquered the weaker ones and grew in size. In the last 232 years of the Eastern Zhou dynasty, the only 7 states left were the Qi, Qin, Han, Chu, Zhao, Wei and Yan, which were so large that they became kingdoms ruled by only one king.

During the Period of the Warring States (453-221 BCE), wars the kingdom fought was so violent that large armies and violent weapons which were developed in quality and quantity were used, all for the first time in China. As a result, many people were killed.

Constant fighting caused much instability as boundaries changed due to the absorption of one kingdom to another and new, larger kingdom could be attacked by other kingdoms and then divided up and shared among the victors.

Violence and instability ended in 221 BCE when the Qin kingdom, led by Prince Zheng (who became known as Qin Shihuang), defeated the armies of other kingdoms and unified China. When he became the emperor of China, Qin Shihuang took away the powers of feudal shi so that they would not be able to fight wars that would lead to chaos and disorders in China.

Rebellion

Peasant Rebellion

In ancient China, peasant rebellions broke out when the farmers were unhappy with the emperor and his laws, or when they thought he was losing the Mandate of Heaven.

In 9 CE, Wang Mang seized the throne and declared himself emperor. Wang Mang introduced unpopular policies such as decreeing mountains, forests and streams, which were considered public property now own by him. Afterwards, natural disasters occurred and people took these signs to mean that Wang Mang was losing the Mandate of Heaven.

In 23 CE, a group of starving and hungry farmers, who called themselves the Red Eyebrows, broke into Wang Mang’s palace and killed him.

Military Rebellion
A military rebellion occurred in 755 CE, during the reign of the Tang emperor, Xuanzong. It was led by An Lushan which was made the commander of empire’s strongest armies by Yang Guifei, Xuanzong’s favourite concubine.

The emperor punished the court officials when they protested and this caused them to become angry with him. Seeing that Xuanzong becoming unpopular with the officials, he ordered his army to capture capital city of Luoyang and Chang’an. The emperor and his officials fled and An Lushan proclaimed himself emperor.

However, An Lushan did not last long as emperor as the Tang dynasty was restored 8 years later in 763 CE. However, by then, other military commanders had used this period of uncertainty to seize control of several provinces. It took many years for Tang dynasty to put these provinces under its control again.

Measures to deal with rebellion

Royal princes sent to govern distant provinces and to inform the emperor of suspicious behaviour, leaving families in capital. Hence, the royal prince dare not rebel against the king as their family members' lives will be at risk.