China's ancient science and technology has been in the leading position in the world for a long time. The scientific and technological achievements in the history of China have made great contributions to the development of world civilization. In the course of its development, it has also conducted scientific and technological exchanges with many other countries, regions and ethnic groups. The greatest achievements in the history of science and technology in China are agronomy, astronomy, mathematics and traditional Chinese medicine.
China's ancient science and technology is relatively independent of other nationalities and regions, while China's ancient science and technology pays more attention to practicality and experience, lacking the speculative nature of western science, so some people doubt whether China's ancient science and technology is self-contained.
The bud of science and technology
The embryonic period of science and technology in China includes Paleolithic Age and Neolithic Age. China is one of the cradles of early human civilization in the world, and it is also one of the earliest areas in the world where fire was used, bows and arrows and pottery were invented, agriculture and animal husbandry appeared, astronomy was observed, and medicine was initiated. And at this time also began to use silk.
pre-Qin period
Xia, Shang and Zhou laid the rudiment of science and technology in China. At this time, China entered the Bronze Age, and the casting and smelting technology of bronzes was superb. At this time, primitive porcelain also appeared.
Especially in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, China's ancient scientific and technological system was basically laid in this period. At this time, iron was widely used in China, and steelmaking technology and cast iron softening technology appeared at the same time. At this time, many large-scale water conservancy projects have been completed, including Dujiangyan and Zheng Guoqu. The decimal system is established by mathematical method; One of the earliest catalogues appeared in the world; The length of the tropic year is measured accurately. The theory of traditional Chinese medicine was initially established.
Qin and Han dynasties
During the Qin and Han Dynasties, with the consolidation of feudal system, all kinds of ancient science and technology in China have matured.
In agriculture, a rotation system has been established. Shennong's Classic of Materia Medica and Treatise on Febrile Diseases have great influence on the development of Chinese medicine in later generations. Nine Chapters of Arithmetic defines the ancient mathematical system of China. During this period, papermaking was invented and greatly improved; Shipbuilding technology is very mature. The construction of the Great Wall embodies the development of architectural technology.
Three Kingdoms, Jin Dynasty, Southern and Northern Dynasties
Many famous scientists appeared in this period. Liu Hui, Zu Chongzhi and Zhang Zixin have made great contributions to mathematics and astronomy. Pei Xiu's Six-body Cartography initiated the basic theory of ancient cartography in China. Jia Sixie's Qi Yao Min Shu marks the maturity of agronomy. Wang Shuhe's Pulse Classic, Huangfu Mi's Acupuncture Classic A and B, and Tao Hongjing's Shennong Herbal Classic have enriched the system of traditional Chinese medicine. Ge Hong's research on alchemy contributed to primitive chemistry, and Ma Jun's achievements in mechanical manufacturing represented the level of ancient mechanical manufacturing in China.
Song Dynasty ── The Peak of Science and Technology Development
The prosperity of Sui and Tang Dynasties made great progress in science and technology.
During the Song and Yuan Dynasties, the development of ancient science and technology in China reached its peak. Shen Kuo is one of the outstanding representatives. At this time, China's four great inventions came out one after another and made great contributions to world civilization.
the Yuan Dynasty
The science and technology of the Yuan Dynasty reached or made great achievements, among which astronomy, mathematics and even medicine were in an advanced position in the world at that time. At that time, leading Arab and Persian science and technology were introduced into China. Before Yuan Shizu Kublai Khan ascended the throne, he recruited "hermits". They translated and brought with them astronomical works, such as Ptolemy's Anthology of Astronomy and Ibn Yunus's Hakim Catalogue (also translated into Hakim Calendar). 1260, inherited the old system of Jin people and established four rooftops; 127 1 year, Huisi Tiantai was formally established, 13 12 year, Huisi Tian Jian was established. Later, a large number of astronomers, represented by Zamarudin (also translated as Zamarudin and Zamarudin), were appointed to manage this kind of work.
China people began to use Arabic numerals at this time.
1280, when the mathematicians and astronomers Wang Xun and Guo Shoujing of Yuan Dynasty worked out the calendar, they not only listed the cubic interpolation formula ("calling difference method"), but also made careful calculations with the pile-based method, calling difference method, Pythagorean method and vector division method, among which the arc triangle method invented by Muslims was applied to the circle division method, and the "vector division method" was obtained.
It is generally believed that some of Euclid's Elements of Geometry was translated by Xu Guangqi in Ming Dynasty with the help of Italian Matteo Ricci and introduced to China (the first six volumes of Elements of Geometry were translated together), but some scholars (Fang Hao's History of Sino-Western Communication) believe that this book was brought to China by Muslims who came to China before Yuan Dynasty.
/kloc-After the establishment of the Ming Dynasty in the middle and late 4th century, due to the expansion of the imperial examination stereotyped writing model and the prevalence of abacus calculation, the ancient mathematics based on calculation in China declined.
In the Yuan Dynasty, Chinese medicine developed greatly, and four schools of thought appeared in the Jin and Yuan Dynasties. On the basis of inheriting the tradition, medicine has become eclectic and exchange needed goods, greatly enriching the content of medical knowledge. Hui Hui Fang (hereinafter referred to as Fang) is a large comprehensive Hui Hui medical classic in China (the author is unknown). It has 36 volumes, and some surviving copies can be found in Beijing Library. The book is mostly written in Chinese, with many Arabic and Persian medical terms and Chinese transliteration. As can be seen from the few remaining catalogues, the prescription is a package.
Including internal medicine, surgery, gynecology, pediatrics, orthopedics and dermatology, it is rich in content and has the characteristics of combining Chinese and western medicine; Scholars who study the history of Chinese medicine infer from the rest that there are about 6,000 ~ 7,000 prescriptions in this prescription, and its value is equivalent to China's ancient medical book "Secrets from Outside Taiwan".
Today's Beijing was established on the basis of the Yuan Dynasty. As far as architectural achievements are concerned, the Yuan Dynasty is mostly a treasure of architectural art, which enjoys a good reputation at home and abroad. The main designer and builder of the technology of Yuan Metropolis is the Muslim architect Ihedie Ear Stud who came to China. It is hard to imagine that this architect can make use of the traditional architectural features of China and combine the advanced architectural styles of the world to design a grand, well-planned Yuandu, which is in harmony with nature. A large number of experts, scholars and craftsmen also participated in the design and construction of the capital of the Yuan Dynasty.
Generally speaking, the Yuan Dynasty was the crystallization of Chinese wisdom and sweat. The Yuandadu was founded in 1267 and completed in 1285 (the former Jinzhongdu city site was located in the east of Lianhuachi in southwest Beijing, and Yuandadu New City was built in the northeast of Zhongdu Old City).
129 1 year, Guo Shoujing directed the construction of the canal from Yuan Dadu to Tongzhou. From Tongzhou to Yuandadu, he designed seven sluices, each about half a kilometer apart, and also designed Doumen. It is through the opening and closing of sluices and Doumen that Guo Shoujing regulates the water levels in various sections of the canal and guides ships to pass smoothly. After the completion of the project, Yuan Shizu personally named this 164-mile-long canal "Tonghui River". Tonghui River is a masterpiece in the history of engineering construction in China, and its ingenious methods are basically the same as those used in some foreign canals now.
During the period of Yuan Shizu, he began to attach importance to agriculture, and formulated policies conducive to agricultural development, which greatly improved the level of agriculture. Wang Zhen's Agricultural Book, with 37 volumes (currently 36 volumes), is a comprehensive and systematic exposition of agricultural production in ancient China. The whole book is about 1.3 million words and more than 300 pictures. The full text is divided into three parts: Nong Sang Tong Ji, Gu Bai Pu and Nong Qi Tu. "Agriculture, Forestry, Animal Husbandry and Fishery Water Conservancy" includes a comprehensive exposition of agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry and fishery water conservancy, and puts forward an important farming idea of "being in harmony with time, place and people". Baigupu introduced the varieties, characteristics, cultivation, planting, harvesting, storage and utilization of various crops. In particular, Wang Zhen divided crops into six categories: grain, vegetable, fruit and miscellaneous, and was the founder of crop taxonomy in China. In addition, the author's description of plant characters is unprecedented. Atlas of agricultural machinery is the core part of agricultural books. This part introduces in detail 257 kinds of agricultural machinery in 20 categories, such as field system, granary, boat and car, irrigation, sericulture, fiber weaving, hemp, etc., with 306 illustrations, which is more valuable than all previous books on agricultural machinery, even the ancient China.
In letterpress printing, Wang Zhen designed wooden movable type and rotary typesetting frame, and printed Jingde County Records with wooden movable type in 1298. His "Making Movable Type Printing Calligraphy" (attached to the end of the book "Agricultural Books") is the earliest scientific and technological document that systematically introduces movable type typesetting and printing.