Ch 07 - T7: Paths to Modernisation11th Themes in World History

The Bureaucracy of History

• Sima Qian (145–90 BCE): Widely considered the greatest historian of early China, setting the standard for historical writing.
• The Tradition: Rulers in both China and Japan highly valued the written word. They established official state departments specifically to write authoritative dynastic histories.
• Modern Application: In 1869, the Japanese Meiji government continued this tradition by establishing a bureau to quickly collect records and write the 'victor's version' of the Meiji Restoration.

Divergent Paths to Modernity

• Japan (Elite-Driven Capitalism): Successfully built a modern nation-state and an advanced industrial economy while retaining absolute political independence. Modernisation was achieved by using traditional skills and imperial practices in new ways, eventually building its own colonial empire (Taiwan, Korea).
• China (Party-Driven Socialism): Faced severe foreign imperialism and semi-colonialism. The Qing dynasty lost control, leading to a slow, turbulent modernisation process defined by the violent rejection of tradition, republican revolution (1911), and a brutal civil war leading to Communism.
• The Lesson: There is no single, uniform path to modernity; different societies evolve distinctive modernities based on their unique socio-political conditions.

The Japanese Archipelago

The four largest islands, from north to south, are:

1. Hokkaido
2. Honshu (The main, largest island)
3. Shikoku
4. Kyushu

• Geographic Traits: Japan is situated in a highly active volcanic/earthquake zone. Historically, due to the terrain and culture, it completely lacked a tradition of animal rearing for meat or dairy.