The history of China can be seen a more documented and remembered than may other civilisations. The country was ruled by dynasties form at least 1766 BC to the modern twentieth century. The definition of a dynasty is a ruling family that then passes the power down through the generations of the family. These rules with differing levels of success, some dynasties lasted over eight hundred years whist some did not even last twenty (Anonymous, 2000). The structure of the Chinese society was based on the foundations family life. These ideas have been reflected in the basic societal structures of imperial China since the first Emperor. The power of the dynasties came from the belief of the people that the dynasties had a mandate from heaven, that they had been chooses by their ancestors as leaders, father of the nation. From Rebellion was justified as if the leader was weak they would believe that he had lost the mandate of heaven. Throughout all the dynasties, China has been both united and divided. However one notable exception throughout all this, is the constant growth of knowledge, discoveries to Chinese medicine, social and economic developments.
If we look at the history form the end of the Han dynasty up to and including the Tang dynasty we see the civilisation over a thousand years turn full circle. The Dynasty lasted from 206BC - 220AD, it was the period of a thriving Chinese culture and systemization. Taxes were lowered, government control was loosened, power was decentralized, policies were humanized, and the social and political elite was broadened to include more of the population. Cultural barriers were eliminated, and all classes of society benefited from an increasing wealth from trade and ordered economic interdependence. The Han dynasty is seen by scholars as a time when the country reached a pinnacle of achievement. Medicine advanced in leaps and strides.
The Ma Wang-dui scripts, the Nan Jing (The Classic of Difficult Issues), and the Huang Di Nei Jing were all products of this period.