China: Tang and Song Dynasties

Post-Classical Era

Han Dynasty

 When does it fall?

 What is it known for?

Period of the Six Dynasties

 220-589 CE  Scholar-Gentry class declined – Coming from a family of educated, high social status, esp. land owners  Non-Chinese nomads rule  Buddhism replaced Confucianism  Economic, technological, intellectual, urban decline

Sui Dynasty

 Late 500s unites the north and south under strong leadership  Wen’ti (Wendi) – Took control of northern China – Lowered taxes and established granaries  His son, Yan’ti (Yangdi)

Yang’ti

 Reformed the legal code, reinstituted Confucianism  Build the Grand Canal – Connected over 1200 miles, from the Yangtze to the Yellow Rivers – Established political and economic unity (610 615)  Tried to conquer Korea (unsuccessful)  Hated by people: overworked and overtaxed  Peasant revolts

Tang Dynasty

 618-907   Known for wealth and power Rebuilt the Great Wall —Turkic invasions  Military conquests in: Central Asia (Turks) and Northeast Asia (Korea)  Tibet, Vietnam, Manchuria, Korea  Lowered taxes

More Tang Dynasty

 Examination System – Highest offices in government went to individuals who passed exams based on Confucian classics and Chinese literature  Scholar officials – System for choosing was through the 3 Confucian exams (favored wealthy men)

Tang Dynasty

 Dynasty most progressive  Land distribution included widows  Mutual divorce acceptable - women could remarry  Access to broadening education system  Military skills  Social restrictions lifted

Empress Wu

 You read about her…More coming later  690-705  Encouraged spread of Buddhism  tried to make it the state religion  Lowered taxes  Military conquest of Korea

Fail

Confucian Exam

Confucian Exam System Exam 1 Fail Pass budding scholars Exam 2 Pass given in Provincial Capital Exam 3 Fail Pass China's elite * No taxes; no military; no manual labor

Confucian Exam con’d

 Faults: – Corruption – Confucian thought  did not judge ability to lead military or collect taxes  Benefits: – Gave China an intelligent governing class – No longer ruled by few…

Tang Decline/Rise of the Song

 Emperor Xuanzong (713-756) – Initially advanced political & economic reform – Patronized arts – Downfall? A harem girl named Yang Guifei – Revolt in 755  Nomadic peoples/regional governors fed off the disorder

Song Dynasty

 960-1279  First emperor: Zhao Kuangyin (Taizu)  Failed to defeat the Liao Dynasty in Manchuria, establishing a precedent for weakness in dealing with nomadic peoples

Song

 Military subordinated to the scholar gentry  Confucian scholar-gentry ideals over Buddhist rivals  Increased salaries, civil service exams, etc.

 Revival of Confucian thought: neo Confucianism

Song again: Neo Confucianism

 Cultivation of personal morality is highest human goal  Produced superior men to govern/teach  Emphasis on rank, obligation, deference, performance of rituals   Authority of patriarchal head of family was strengthened “Social harmony and prosperity is maintained when men and women performed the tasks appropriate to their status.”

Roots of Decline

 Nomads began to carve out kingdoms on northern borders  Paid tribute to nomads to protect against invasion  Emphasis on scholar-gentry concerns contributed to military decline  soon the northern borders fell  The Song fled south (1115) and established a capital at Hangzhou (Yangtze River Basin)

Industrial Revolution?

 Canal system  Re-opened Silk Roads  Rice-growing dominated area  Chinese junks allowed for Chinese to dominate the seas  Money economy: deposit shops, paper money, credit vouchers  Agricultural expansion

You say you want a revolution…

 Explosive powder – Tang: fireworks; Song: military use  Flame-throwers, poisonous gas, rocket launchers  Chairs, tea drinking, coal fuel  Compasses, abacuses  Movable type printing (Bi Sheng)

Chinese Cities

 China’s estimated urban population (10%) exceeded that of all other civilizations  Allowed traders and artisans to prosper  Largest: Changan: 200,000,000 people

Women’s Roles (more coming up)

 Independence: – – – Wealthy urban women could have lovers Women’s rights in divorce Partners of similar ages  Restriction: – Housemaker, mother, wifely fidelity, widow chastity (neo-Confucian ideals) – – Excluded from education Foot-binding

Legacy:

 Centralized administration  Scholar-gentry elite   Civilization expanded as south was integrated into the north Economy  world leader until 18 th C.

 Chinese inventions  Outside influences incorporated into existing patterns

Old Trees, Level Distance

Seeking the Tao in the Autumn Mountains

Finches and Bamboo

Scholar Viewing a Waterfall

Women in China

Tang and On

Patriarchical

 Traditional Guides – Ruler guides subject – Father guides son – Husband guides wife  Confucianism order  Women must obey father, husband, and sons

Rights

 Could not pick spouse  Could not divorce or remarry  Husband could divorce her  Could not inherit property or wealth  Concubines

Empress Wu Zetian, 624-705

 The only female Empress in China’s history who ruled alone.      Searched for outstanding individuals to attract to her court.

Construction of new irrigation systems.

Buddhism was the favored state religion.

 Financed the building of many Buddhist temples.

She appointed cruel and sadistic ministers to seek out her enemies.

Footbinding

 Origins unknown several legends  Began in Tang, fully accepted in Song  Small feet = beauty

Footbinding in Tang China  Broken toes by 3 years of age.

 Size 5 ½ shoe on the right

Footbinding in Tang China Mothers bound their daughters’ feet.

Footbinding in Tang China  For upper-class girls, it became a new custom.

Women With Bound Feet

The Results of Footbinding

Footbinding Results  1997 UCSF Study  Findings: more likely to fall, less able to stand from a chair, less able to squat, lower bone density

Questions

 Footbinding started with the upper classes, why did it become widespread across classes?

 Where else in history do we see similar practices?

 Does modern society have equivalent practices?