How bad was the level of science and technology in Qing Dynasty?

Is there science and technology in Qing Dynasty? It seems that the Qing Dynasty had nothing to do with science and technology. People have this impression, which shows that the science and technology of the Qing Dynasty was really poor. The Qing Empire was ill-timed, not only failed to innovate, but also caught up with the rise of western industrial civilization. By contrast, this is extremely sad. No matter how bad it is, we should re-examine it and see how bad it is.

When it comes to science and technology, people always think of new inventions first, and new inventions seem to be only the four ancient inventions that China people are proud of. The Qing Dynasty made no achievements, and the western industrial powers were out of control, not to mention cars, trains and planes, but with the invention of electricity, countless epoch-making great inventions were born, such as electric lights, telephones and telegrams. Since the Qing Dynasty, people in China have been enjoying the fruits of these world inventions. I have to say, it is a shame to sit back and enjoy the success. Didn't the Qing people have their own inventions? The answer is no.

Looking back and forth, the most famous invention of the Qing Dynasty is probably "Julian Hoza". This is a military weapon. It was invented by Dai Zi in Kangxi period. Dai Zi, a native of Hangzhou, is not only familiar with the art of war and astronomical algorithms, but also good at poetry, painting and calligraphy, and proficient in machinery and weapon manufacturing. In Pingsan Francisco, Prince Shu conquered Geng and Dai Zi joined the army. Being good at tinkering with machinery, he was quickly reused by the army. At this moment, he invented a very clever design of the ball-connecting device. This kind of firearm is a breech-loaded, single-shot flintlock gun, which can store 28 rounds of gunpowder lead bullets and has two interconnected cutters. Pull the trigger, the ammunition will automatically enter the barrel, and at the same time it will be released from another machine and fired. The biggest feature of this weapon is that it can fire 28 rounds, which is equivalent to a machine gun. This was already a great achievement at that time. To this end, Dai Zi was awarded by Kangxi. Because most of the firearms at that time were matchlock guns, they needed to be lit with matchlock, and they could not be used once it rained and got wet.

Machine guns in the Qing Palace drama

People in China say that Dai Zi was the first person to invent the machine gun in the world, 200 years earlier than the machine gun invented in Europe. But this is not recognized by experts who study ancient war equipment. Moreover, although this great invention was recorded in the Draft of Qing History, it was not recorded in use. In other words, it is still unknown whether the Qing army will use the beader in actual combat.

If this kind of firearms had been widely used by the Qing army at that time, after 200 years of development, the weapons and equipment of the Qing army would definitely impress foreigners. Sadly, when Eight-Nation Alliance invaded China in 1900, when the Qing army stopped foreigners in Zhangjiawan, most of them still used bows and arrows and bamboo shields. This is the real level of science and technology in the Qing Dynasty.

If we look for official records in the draft of Qing history, the level of science and technology in Qing dynasty will be even worse. For example, the "deep ploughing plough" used in agricultural production was also born in the Kangxi period and recorded in a book by a man named Bao Yang. In addition, there was a "leaky hoe" that didn't dig the soil during Daoguang years, and a pulley that caught armyworms during Tongzhi years. Of course, there are practical new technologies such as fruit and wood grafting and renovation. In the prevention and treatment of poultry and veterinary diseases, the real innovation is only to treat poultry with acupuncture. For example, needling gaskin and palms of ducks can treat ducks' colds. In fact, acupuncture treatment is an old tradition in China, which is nothing more than transferring from human body to animals.

In fact, many so-called new technologies in the Qing Dynasty had the shadow of western technology or were developed on the basis of western knowledge. For example, Qin Tianjian, an institution that observes astronomy, received assistance from foreign missionaries in the Ming Dynasty. Ferdinand ferdinand verbiest, a Belgian missionary in Qing Dynasty, built ecliptic theodolite, equatorial theodolite, horizon longitude instrument and horizon latitude instrument on the original basis. During the Qianlong period, Ignace kogler, who was born and raised, compiled a book "Examination of Instrument and Image" on this basis, corrected many mistakes in the original star map, and made a balanced instrument.

Mei Wending was the greatest mathematician in Qing Dynasty. He was born and grew up in Ming Dynasty, and was deeply influenced by the knowledge of western astronomy and calendar. For example, during the Kangxi period, Mei Wending and many western missionaries often discussed and studied together. In the second year, Mei Wending wrote a book "Problems about Calendar Research". Later, there were many books, such as Vision, just like a geometry book, which talked about how to measure three-dimensional figures by perspective. Some of these terms are still in use today, such as "horizon, apparent horizon".

Another example is Zhan Tianyou in the late Qing Dynasty, which seems to have the closest relationship with modern science and technology. He built the first railway in China, realizing the dream of China people to build the railway completely independently. But everyone knows that Zhan Tianyou was a young child sent by the Qing government to study in the United States. He learned all the knowledge about railway construction from America.

Wang Qingren, the first person in medical anatomy in Qing Dynasty. During the Jiaqing period, he dared to break through the shackles of traditional ethics and practice boldly, and formed his own set of medical anatomy thoughts, which filled the blank of China's lack of anatomy. But this only fills the gap in China. Compared with western medicine anatomy, it is not backward at all. Vesaliua is 200 years earlier than Wang Qingren. During the Renaissance, Vesaliua published a book about human medical anatomy, Human Body Structure, which became the founder of human anatomy in the world.

/kloc-in the middle and late 8th century, the industrial development in western China entered a high-speed period. China in the East can only pursue the doctrine of taking. Spend a lot of money on foreigners and buy machines. This led to the Westernization Movement in Qing Dynasty. What famous Jiangnan Manufacturing Bureau, Jiangnan Shipyard and China Merchants were born here. Foreigners are all armed with guns, and the Qing army is still using bows and arrows.

Why is the level of science and technology in Qing Dynasty so poor? You can see from Dai Zi's fate. Dai Li was definitely an engineering genius, but Kangxi was afraid that Dai Li had ulterior motives, so he exiled him to the northeast and died there. Although Kangxi was gifted and had a soft spot for various scientific instruments in the West, he only liked himself. He likes to show off in front of foreigners, but for fear of affecting the stability of the Manchu regime, it has not been promoted to the whole country at all. For example, Dai Zi's gobang is said to be all military and can't be built anywhere.

Coupled with the most severe literary inquisition in Qing Dynasty, people's creativity and freedom of thought were suppressed to the extreme, which was called the darkest period in China. The whole of China is like being put into a high-temperature sterilized pot. In such a bad environment, when can we mend the invention?