Even if you consider each Chinese dynasty to be a distinct nation (I wouldn’t, but even if you did) there are several dynasties that lasted well over 250 years.
The culture and history are largely consistent, including after Confucius the bureaucratic structure, which survived through many dynasties until Mao, and even the communist revolution didn’t completely wipe the influence of Confucius.
I feel like similar things could be said of many places in the world, but surely you wouldn’t consider, say, the country of India to stretch as far back? Or Italy? Turkey?
Even sticking with China, surely the mongol led Yuan dynasty is worth separating from before and after it, if you’re considering modern borders. Like, does Mongolia get the same claim as China does in that case for oldest country? It kinda becomes a fuzzy question to me. There’s got to be a better academically defined way.
India probably, yeah. Italy as a national identity didn’t exist until 1861, and Germany until 1871, and there are still regions in both countries with strong identities like Bavaria. Culture outlasts constitutions.
Even if you consider each Chinese dynasty to be a distinct nation (I wouldn’t, but even if you did) there are several dynasties that lasted well over 250 years.
I’m curious why you wouldn’t consider many of the Chinese dynasties their own countries, in a way?
The culture and history are largely consistent, including after Confucius the bureaucratic structure, which survived through many dynasties until Mao, and even the communist revolution didn’t completely wipe the influence of Confucius.
I feel like similar things could be said of many places in the world, but surely you wouldn’t consider, say, the country of India to stretch as far back? Or Italy? Turkey?
Even sticking with China, surely the mongol led Yuan dynasty is worth separating from before and after it, if you’re considering modern borders. Like, does Mongolia get the same claim as China does in that case for oldest country? It kinda becomes a fuzzy question to me. There’s got to be a better academically defined way.
India probably, yeah. Italy as a national identity didn’t exist until 1861, and Germany until 1871, and there are still regions in both countries with strong identities like Bavaria. Culture outlasts constitutions.