How powerful was ancient China?

古代中国有多强盛？

以下是Quora网友的评论：

Edmund Shen

Ancient China regularly fight with 100k to more than 1mil at one time, with millions dead. It is a staggering figure that cannot be imagined by Rome even at its peak.

Plus Chinese Armies typically fight with lots of bows and crossbows that kills troops instantly.

古代中国经常有10万到100多万兵力作战的记录，战争中会有数百万人死亡。这个数字太惊人了，鼎盛时期的罗马也不敢想象。

此外，中国军队会使用大量的弓和弩作战，可以瞬间杀死大量士兵。

Allen Jones

By any metric of size, sophistication, duration, population, standing army, ocean-going trade ships and naval vessels, comparatively thoroughly organized government, better internal roads and canals linking the empire, technological development, international trade, it’s realistically the most powerful nation for most of recorded human history.

不管是从国土面积、社会先进度、存续时间、人口规模、常规军队、远洋商船和海军舰艇、组织架构完善的政府、通达的国内道路和运河、科学成就、国际贸易等任何指标来看，中国都是人类历史上最强大的国家。

Matt Riggsby

It varied a lot. For chunks of antiquity and into the early modern period it was the most populous, most technologically advanced, and wealthiest country on Earth, except when it wasn’t. Early China (say, the Han dynasty) was reasonably comparable to the Roman empire in terms of reach, wealth, population (in the general vicinity of 60 million), and technology. After the Han collapsed in 220 AD, China fragmented into a variety of successor states, much as Rome did not long thereafter. At that point, it’s hard to speak of “China” as such until the Sui reunified the country in the 580s. At that point, China resumed its place as the most powerful country in the world (the population topped 100 million by the 12th century) until they were taken over by the Mongols and incorporated into Ghengis Khan’s empire.

中间有经历过不少沉沉浮浮。从古代到近现代，中国一直是世界上人口最多、科技最先进、经济最富裕的国家，但中间也有过例外的时候。

早期的中国(比如汉朝)在疆域、财富、人口(接近6000万)和科技方面与罗马帝国不相上下。

公元前220年，汉朝倾覆，中国四分五裂，此后不久，罗马帝国也同样分崩离析。

在那个时期，“中国”就谈不上强盛了。直到580年隋朝再次统一中国，中国重新夺回了全球最强盛国家的地位(12世纪，中国人口超过1亿)，但后来中国被蒙古人攻占，并入了成吉思汗的帝国版图。

That only lasted a few generations until the Chinese reasserted themselves with the Ming dynasty, who were in turn displaced by the Qing. During all of this, they were either the most powerful nation in the world or part of the most powerful nation.

不过这种局面只持续了几代人的时间，明朝取代元朝，中国重获新生，而后清朝又取而代之。元明清时期，中国一直是世界上最强大的国家，再不济也是世界上最强大国家的一部分。

But around the seventeenth or eighteenth century, things changed. Chinese technology fell behind, and the power of smaller but more technologically advanced nations eclipsed it. By the nineteenth century, China was entirely subjugated to a loose alliance of smaller nations on the other side of the planet.

但17、18世纪世道变了。中国的科技落后了，科技更先进的小国将中国甩到了身后。到了19世纪，中国彻底被西半球许多小国组成的松散联盟打趴下了。

While China was certainly powerful, it was also subject to certain limitations. A large part of its power was based on being large and being able to mobilize the surplus of large numbers of people. Its technological advantages, while real, weren’t leaps and bounds ahead of other regions. Better stuff was available, but that ultimately didn’t make the kinds of order-of-magnitudes differences between, say, the use of water power in 18th century Europe vs. 18th century China.

虽然中国曾经十分强大，但也受到不少限制。中国的实力在很大程度上是基于她疆域辽阔，能够组织大量剩余人口。中国的科技优势虽然真实存在，但并没有超越其他地区，也没有带来数量级的差距。

China’s military capabilities were also underdeveloped; the order-loving Confucians who governed China didn’t like soldiers and were delighted to spend millions on tribute instead of pennies on defense (though payoffs to enemies were dressed up as gifts to subordinates from a generous emperor). Its broad borders meant that it faced multiple potential threats which often sapped its strength, and China exhibited the same kinds of chronic weakness against steppe-living horse archer-heavy armies which plagued other settled societies. China could muster a bigger army than anyone they’d be likely to fight, but might have to fight on multiple fronts. Likewise, their naval capabilities, both militarily and in terms of merchant ship, were underdeveloped for its size, particularly in the Ming and Qing dynasties.

中国的军事实力也并不发达；儒家统治者不喜欢武将，他们愿意花费数百万两白银纳贡，也不愿增加军饷(尽管献给敌人的钱财被美化成皇帝给下属的慷慨赠礼)。

中国漫长的边境线意味着中国四面八方都面临着潜在威胁，这些威胁削弱了中国的实力，而中国在面对草原骑兵弓箭手等重型军队时，也长期表现出软弱的一面。

中国可以召集一支比任何敌军都大的军队，但可能被迫在多条战线同时作战。另外，中国的海军，尤其是明清两代，无论是军舰还是商船，都无法与大国规模相称。

David Barry

3000- 200 BCE: Different states developed farming, irrigation, shamanism, bronze and iron age, literacy, cities, Taoist and Confucian Philosophies.

公元前3000- 200年：各诸侯国先后滋养出了农业、灌溉、萨满教、青铜和铁器时代、文学、城市、道家和儒家思想。

220 BCE- 200 CE: Qin/Han Dynasty: Unified China, Great Wall, paper, seismograph, compass, silk trade to Persia and India, influence in Korea.

公元前220年-公元200年：中国在秦汉两个朝代实现了统一，建造了长城，发明了纸、地动仪、指南针，开启从中国到波斯和印度的丝绸贸易，对朝鲜有很大影响。

200–1200 CE: Three Kingdoms/Tang and Song Dynasties: Buddhism, Maritime Silk trade to Korea and Japan and further west, cultural influence on Korea, Japan, Vietnam etc.

公元200-1200年：三国/唐宋时期佛教传入中国和朝鲜、日本及西方国家进行海上丝绸贸易，中国文化开始向朝鲜、日本、越南等地传播。

Since then we can’t really call it “Ancient China”, but the Mongols came and went then there was the Ming and Manchu dynasties then the Nationalists and now the People’s Republic of China. Over the years, the Han, Tang, Song, Ming and Manchu dynasties made China one of the most powerful Empires in the world. Now, China is powerful again.

宋朝之后，蒙古人来了又走，后来是明朝和满清，再后来是民族革命，现在是中华人民共和国。在千百年的历史长河中，汉、唐、宋、明和满清王朝的统治让中国成长为世界上最强大的帝国之一。如今中国又再度强大起来了。

Suonan Wei

In 654 A.D. Sasanian persia empire was conquered by Arab Empire (Umayyad dynasty). Peroz III (in Chinese: 卑路斯), who was the son of the last Persia king Yazdegerd III

(伊嗣埃), fled out and traveled to Chang’an, the capital city of Tang empire, to visit Emperor Gaozong of Tang(唐高宗) and request military assistance to recover Sasanian empire.

公元654年，萨珊波斯帝国被阿拉伯帝国(倭马亚王朝)征服。卑路斯三世是最后一位波斯国王伊嗣俟四世的儿子，他逃往大唐都城长安，拜见唐高宗，请求大唐提供军事援助，帮他恢复萨珊帝国。

In 661 A.D. China set up the insititution Governorate of Persia (波斯都督府) in Zabul, appointed Peroz as general and governor and sent troops to escort him back. 3 years later, Tang conferred Peroz as the king of Persia (波斯国王). Tang empire supported Peroz to resist arabic army around the border between Iran and Afghanistan and tried to liberate the state from the reign of Arabs. Until 675 A.D, the resistance was failed. Peroz returned to Chang’an and lived out his days there.

公元661年，中国在扎布尔设立波斯都督府，任命卑路斯三世为将军和总督，并派军队护送他回国。3年后，唐朝册封卑路斯三世为波斯国王。唐帝国支持卑路斯三世在伊朗和阿富汗边境抵抗阿拉伯军队，并试图从阿拉伯人手中收复国家。公元675年，卑路斯三世战败，后回长安定居，度过余生。

Although Tang had never control all of Persia actually, this could prove that the influence of Tang had gone through the whole Central Asia and reach Middle East. It was astonishing that ancient China had the power to interfere the politics of Persia and Arabia, especially under that poor comunication and transportation condition in the 7th century.

虽然唐朝实际上并未控制整个波斯地区，但这足以证明唐朝的影响力已经越过整个中亚，到达了中东。古代中国竟然有能力干涉波斯和阿拉伯的政治，着实令人惊讶，尤其是在7世纪交通运输如此不方便的情况下。

Liu Yufei

China was one of the ancient and powerful civilisations in the ancient world. Its empire was world-renowned for making significant contributions to the evolution of mankind. Firstly, the rise of mighty dynasties like the Han, Qing, Tang had strengthened the influence and might of China around the world. The rulers of these dynasties solidified the political and economic structures of the empire.

中国是古代世界上最古老、最强大的文明之一。中国因其对人类发展作出的重大贡献而闻名于世。汉、清、唐等强大王朝的崛起加强了中国在世界各地的影响力和实力。这些王朝的统治者巩固了帝国的政治和经济结构。

In the field of science and technology, China spearheaded innovations like the art of papermaking, the manufacture of gun powder, the printing system, and the invention of the compass. Moreover, Chinese silk and tea were popular items of trade back in those days.Today, China is one of the most developed countries in the world in this twenty-first century.

在科技领域，中国率先发明了造纸术、火药制造、印刷系统和指南针的发明。此外，中国的丝绸和茶叶在当时是很受欢迎的贸易物品。在二十一世纪的今天，中国依然是世界上最发达的国家之一。

Cao Wenhan

A few days ago,a cliff inscription was found on Khangai Mountains,Mongolia by scholars from Inner Mongolia University and Mongolia.It was carved in memory of battle of jiluo mountains（稽洛山之战）by Ban Gu(AD 32–92).

几天前，内蒙古大学和蒙古国的学者们在蒙古汗艾山发现了一处崖壁碑文，这是班固(公元32-92年)为纪念稽洛山之战而雕刻的。

（The site where cliff inscription inscription of Yanran《封燕然山铭》 was found.）

(发现崖壁碑文“封燕然山铭”的遗址。)

（archaeological site）

(遗址)

In 89AD,General Dou xan murdered a marquis. Afraid of being executed,he begged for a chance to attack North X iongnu，so that he would be remitted after doing a deed of merit.

公元89年，窦宪将军杀害了一名侯爵。他害怕被处死，恳请皇上给他一个机会，率军攻打北匈奴，如果打败匈奴，就可以将功抵过，获得赦免。

Then he was entitled the General of chariots and cavalry(车骑将军),commanding three armies,totally 46,000 soldiers. The armies assembled in zhuoye mountains(涿邪山) and encircled North X iongnu chanyu in Jiluo Mountains（稽洛山，the eastern part of the Altai Mountains.）Although chanyu fought his way out,13,000 x iongnu soldiers were killed and lots of xongnu soldiers and common people,totally 200,000 surrended.After this battle,Dou made his cilent historial Ban Gu composed Inscription of Yanran and carved it on Yanran mountains（燕然山，Khangai mountains.）.This mountain is around 1000 kilometers away from the Great Wall.

窦宪于是被封为车骑将军，统率三军，共计四万六千人。军队在涿邪山集结，在阿尔泰山东部的稽洛山成功包抄了北匈奴单于。单于冲出重围，但13000名匈奴士兵被杀，20万匈奴军民投降。此战结束后，窦宪让史官班固撰写《燕然碑文》，并刻在燕然山上(杭爱山脉)。这座山距离长城大约1000公里。

In 90 and 91 AD,Han armies attacked North X iongnu Chanyu at Ganwei River（甘微河，Dzavhan Gol）and inwei mountains（金微山，the Altai mountains）.Chanyu was wounded in action and his mother was captured.After these battles,north X iongnu was forced to fled to the west,and South xongnu remained a Han tributary.

公元90年和91年，汉军在扎布汗甘微河和阿尔泰金微山攻打北匈奴单于。单于在战斗中负伤，他的母亲被俘。经过这几场战役，北匈奴被迫向西逃窜，而南匈奴成为大汉王朝的附属国。

X iongnu Empire once controlled Mongolia Plateau,south Siberia and Hex corrider,enslaved injiang and central Asia states.However,mighty iongnu finally becomed a han vassul state after the first Han-iongnu war（133BC-36BC）.Although a major part of X iongnu once rebelled and got independent,they were driven out of Chinese history during the second war（AD25–91）.

匈奴帝国曾经控制过蒙古高原、南西伯利亚和河西走廊，奴役过西域和中亚诸国。但在第一次汉匈战争(公元前133年-公元前36年)后，强大的匈奴最终成了大汉王朝的附庸国。虽然匈奴的一个主要部落曾经叛乱并独立，但他们在第二次汉匈战争(公元25 - 91年)期间被逐出了中国历史。

ECHO T

Since China and Europe had no direct contact before the Industrial Revolution, we cannot make a direct comparison, but we can do so indirectly.

在工业革命前中国和欧洲没有直接接触，我们无法直接进行比较，但仍然可以间接比较一下。

For example, the Huns and the Turks were exterminated in ancient China, and the remaining tribes had to flee to the west. Look at what they've been up to in Europe.

I have only heard of Eastern nations defeating European countries in Europe, but I have never heard of European nations going to China to defeat the Central Plains dynasty.

例如，古代中国消灭了匈奴和突厥，残余的部落被迫向西方逃窜。他们在欧洲都干了些什么，大家也都知道。

我只听说过东方国家在欧洲大陆打败过欧洲国家，但从来没有听说过欧洲国家在中国土地上打败过中原王朝。