Civilization flourished continuously in China from about 2000 bce, when the first of the historical dynasties emerged. From the beginning it was a civilization that valued technological skill in the form of hydraulic engineering, for its survival depended on controlling the enriching but destructive floods of the Huang He (Yellow River). Other technologies appeared at a remarkably early date, including the casting of iron, the production of porcelain, and the manufacture of brass and paper. As one dynasty followed another, Chinese civilization came under the domination of a bureaucratic elite, the mandarins, who gave continuity and stability to Chinese life ...(100 of 38754 words)