Summarize the contribution of ancient Chinese scientific and technological achievements to the development of Western civilization

1, whether it is the Turkish conquest of the Byzantine Empire, or the Spaniards conquered the huge Inca Empire with a hundred and ten people, it is difficult to regard the achievements of gunpowder as equal to idle. When the Turks super cannon in the gunpowder under the impetus to destroy the Eastern Roman Empire's monolithic walls, when a gunshot disarmed more than 10,000 Inca army, is China's great invention changed the course of history, is China's great invention of the history of writing.

2, when paper and that liberate people from the heavy manual labor in the printing press has not been introduced to the West, people can only use their hands to copy a thick parchment book, books are simply luxury, necessarily, which greatly hindered the dissemination and preservation of culture. Today's world uses up countless tons of paper every day, from books to documents, in every aspect, can not be separated from the printing press and thin paper.

3. The compass, which has created more than half of the world's adventure stories. Universal voyages have no better friend, the discovery of the New World could not have been made without its guidance, and without it, people on every continent would not have met until several years later, and the development and exchange of the world's cultures and technologies would have come to a standstill.

Extended information:

. p>The reasons why ancient Chinese science and technology reached its peak in the Tang and Song dynasties:

I. The rich historical heritage prepared fertile soil for the prosperity of science and culture in the Great Song.

The development of science and technology has a close relationship with the accumulation of previous generations, inheritance is a prerequisite for the development of science and technology. Since the Spring and Autumn and Warring States to the Han Dynasty, ancient science and technology has accumulated fruitful results, the prosperity of science and technology in the Song Dynasty was formally drawn from the previous generation of rich scientific and technological heritage on the basis of the gradual formation.

For example: compass, as early as the Warring States period, our magnet absorbs iron and indicates the performance of the direction, and created the direction of the north and south of the direction of the "Sinan". Song Dynasty, which is based on the invention of the compass for navigation. Manufacture of gunpowder raw materials saltpeter, sulfur and charcoal in the Western Han Dynasty has been found, the Tang Dynasty alchemists in the use of these three raw materials in the alchemy, the fire explosion phenomenon, and later it is used to make "flying fire", kill the enemy.

North Song Dynasty made "rocket", "fireball". Song Renzong had a recipe for making gunpowder. Bi Sheng also invented movable type printing on the basis of the maturing of engraved printing in the Tang Dynasty. The examples of the three major inventions show that inheriting the achievements of predecessors was one of the prerequisites for the development of science and technology in the Song Dynasty.

Much of the science and technology of the Song Dynasty was inherited from the Tang Dynasty and innovated on that basis. In mathematics, medicine, geology, and transportation are inherited and innovative. It is in this inheritance and breakthrough, synthesis and refinement, accumulation and innovation in the alternating role of continuous development, so as to reach a scientific and technological peak.

Second, the development of social mechanisms, for the great Song Dynasty science and technology to provide a material foundation

Political unity and economic prosperity is a solid foundation for the development of science and technology in the Song Dynasty. The rulers of the Song Dynasty took a series of political and economic measures to strengthen the centralization of power, complete the change of land possession and exploitation, and form a unified social and political system and landlord economic mechanism, which inevitably requires science and technology to adapt to a variety of needs.

The "Three Great Inventions" served to form a strong, unified state power over a vast area during the Song Dynasty. The development of certain aspects of science and technology in the Song Dynasty was closely related to the consumer needs of the feudal rulers. According to statistics, for the royal service handicraft workshop *** points more than one. The division of labor is fine, large-scale. Textile use of large jacquard machine, can weave complex patterns of silk fabrics.

In order to speed up the transportation of information, the Song Dynasty focused on the development of the printing industry. Geography, the rise of local history is also adapted to the unification of the dynasty, "the urgent needs of the world". In the Northern Song Dynasty, the feudal tenancy contract relationship was greatly eased, and the personal dependence of the tenant on the landlord was weakened, and the laborer's enthusiasm for production was improved. This won a loose environment and economic conditions to support the development of science and technology in the Great Song Dynasty.

Third, the need for national defense to stimulate the development of military science and technology

Because of the frequent wars in the Song Dynasty, because of the need for national defense, the manufacture and invention of firearms has been a great deal of attention to the war is certainly on the economic and scientific and technological breakthroughs, but it also stimulated the development of science and technology needs of the war. Soon after the establishment of the Song Dynasty, gunpowder will be used due to military, but also appeared to specialize in the manufacture of firearms "arsenal" The war needs to have a detailed map of the border, in order to facilitate the military command.

Based on this, the Song rulers attached great importance to the production of border maps. Military needs to accelerate the development of science and technology, such as geography, chemistry, machinery, etc., the Song dynasty not only vigorously develop cartography, medicine, ordnance and gunpowder production, etc., but also to focus on manpower and resources, the success of the important scientific and technological projects. For example, Su Song led the development of water transportation instrument platform. The need for national defense, is an important reason for technology-based provinces.

Four, "emphasis on culture and light military" policy of culture and education, cultivated the environment of science and technology culture

Song Dynasty is a period of cultural prosperity and scientific and technological development. This is largely attributable to the Song dynasty's cultural policy intellectual policy. It always insisted on the rule of culture, and strictly prevented the occurrence of the incident of the manipulation of politics by cross-border brigands.

The emphasis on cultural creation helped the development of science and technology. School education and imperial examinations were generally emphasized. Vigorously revitalize the book business, the invention of movable type printing, shorten the time for books to become books. The publishing industry was very developed.

Baidu Encyclopedia - Ancient Chinese Science and Technology