Comments by "Elizabeth Loveland" (@Shineon83) on "Hindsight" channel.

  1. ….I think Great Britain might argue with your definition of the Qing Dynasty, in the late eighteenth Century, being “the largest & most prosperous empire” in the world (I know that the Chinese frequently trumpet this “fact,” however, I fail to see by what metrics they make such claims)…. “Prosperity?”….Other than the Emperor, his Court & minions, and “officials” scattered throughout the land, I would argue that the “average” Chinese was quite a bit less prosperous than the average British citizen (and as for “greatness,” pardon me if I stifle a laugh, but if you’ve ever read the Qing Emperor’s letter to King George III—in which he states that he’s certain that Great Britain was a “nice, little country,” but that it could have nothing at all to teach China, as China was THE celestial kingdom)….And in terms of land mass, when Britain’s many colonies were factored in—including India—the fact that Qing rule was limited to only one country, makes it appear rather….constricted, by comparison…. China was “great” (certainly in its own eyes)—but at least 1-2 Centuries BEHIND the British in science, medicine—and certainly, in military advances & engineering….Chinese arrogance led to their undoing….At best, I MIGHT agree that China was the “most prosperous “ in ASIA AT THAT TIME, however, they were less “great” than Japan (whose people had -and have-a critical asset that the Chinese lack : the ability to quickly adapt, and reinvent themselves, whereas the Chinese cling to false visions of their supposed “grandeur”)….
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