Uploaded August 2021 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Why did so many Chinese dynasties build border walls? Was this strategy effective for accomplishing a dynasties goals? These are the questions I answer in this video which takes a look at the great wall as well as the military, economic, and political implications that wall-building brings.
Check out my video which documents my trip to Juyong pass here: youtu.be/TXmlTZhry_w
Source Material:
Books:
Lovell, Julia. The Great Wall: China Against the World 1000 BC - AD 2000. New York: Grove Press, 2006.
Waldron, Arthur. The Great Wall of China: From History to Myth. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1990.
中国长城遗迹调查报告集，文物出版社，1981.
Articles
Gideon Shelach-Lavi, William Honeychurch, and Amartuvshin Chunag, "Does extra-large equal extra-ordinary? The ‘Wall of Chinggis Khan’ from a multidimensional perspective." Humanities and Social Sciences Connections, vol. 7, no.22 (2020) 1-10.
Wright, Joshua. "A Possible Archaeological Case of the Taxation of Medieval Eurasian Nomads." Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient, vol. 58, no. 3 (2015) 267-292.
Image:
"Amusements in the Xuande Emperor's Palace" = nytimes.com/2014/10/16/arts/international/ming-the-dynasty-behind-the-vases.html
Jiajing Emperor = en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jiajing_Emperor#/media/File:%E6%98%8E%E4%B8%96%E5%AE%97%E5%9D%90%E5%83%8F.tif
Jiajing Departure Herald = upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a0/Departure_Herald-Ming_Dynasty.jpg
Great Wall = en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Wall_of_China#/media/File:The_Great_Wall_of_China_at_Jinshanling-edit.jpg
Han Dynasty Walls = britannica.com/topic/Han-dynasty
Han Dynasty Outpost = upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/43/Summer_Vacation_2007%2C_263%2C_Watchtower_In_The_Morning_Light%2C_Dunhuang%2C_Gansu_Province.jpg
Jin Dynasty Wall = travelchinaguide.com/china_great_wall/history/jin
Mongol Invasion of Jin = upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/15/1211-1215_Mongol_invasion_of_Jin.jpg
Han Dynasty Expansion = en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southward_expansion_of_the_Han_dynasty#/media/File:Han_Expansion.png
Music:
Intro Music Song: 春江花月夜 Artist: 顶斯华 Album: 中国古筝金曲, Vol. 3 (古筝独奏).
Outro Music: Song: Chinese Thunder Drums Album: World Drums: African, Samba, Taiko, Chinese and Middle Eastern Music.
Why did so many Chinese dynasties build border walls? Was this strategy effective for accomplishing a dynasties goals? These are the questions I answer in this video which takes a look at the great wall as well as the military, economic, and political implications that wall-building brings.
Check out my video which documents my trip to Juyong pass here: youtu.be/TXmlTZhry_w
Source Material:
Books:
Lovell, Julia. The Great Wall: China Against the World 1000 BC - AD 2000. New York: Grove Press, 2006.
Waldron, Arthur. The Great Wall of China: From History to Myth. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1990.
中国长城遗迹调查报告集，文物出版社，1981.
Articles
Gideon Shelach-Lavi, William Honeychurch, and Amartuvshin Chunag, "Does extra-large equal extra-ordinary? The ‘Wall of Chinggis Khan’ from a multidimensional perspective." Humanities and Social Sciences Connections, vol. 7, no.22 (2020) 1-10.
Wright, Joshua. "A Possible Archaeological Case of the Taxation of Medieval Eurasian Nomads." Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient, vol. 58, no. 3 (2015) 267-292.
Image:
"Amusements in the Xuande Emperor's Palace" = nytimes.com/2014/10/16/arts/international/ming-the-dynasty-behind-the-vases.html
Jiajing Emperor = en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jiajing_Emperor#/media/File:%E6%98%8E%E4%B8%96%E5%AE%97%E5%9D%90%E5%83%8F.tif
Jiajing Departure Herald = upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a0/Departure_Herald-Ming_Dynasty.jpg
Great Wall = en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Wall_of_China#/media/File:The_Great_Wall_of_China_at_Jinshanling-edit.jpg
Han Dynasty Walls = britannica.com/topic/Han-dynasty
Han Dynasty Outpost = upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/43/Summer_Vacation_2007%2C_263%2C_Watchtower_In_The_Morning_Light%2C_Dunhuang%2C_Gansu_Province.jpg
Jin Dynasty Wall = travelchinaguide.com/china_great_wall/history/jin
Mongol Invasion of Jin = upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/15/1211-1215_Mongol_invasion_of_Jin.jpg
Han Dynasty Expansion = en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southward_expansion_of_the_Han_dynasty#/media/File:Han_Expansion.png
Music:
Intro Music Song: 春江花月夜 Artist: 顶斯华 Album: 中国古筝金曲, Vol. 3 (古筝独奏).
Outro Music: Song: Chinese Thunder Drums Album: World Drums: African, Samba, Taiko, Chinese and Middle Eastern Music.
